Think all MTB helmets offer the same level of protection? Think Again.
Singletracks Mountain Bike Podcast
Singletracks.com
4.7 • 574 Ratings
🗓️ 14 October 2025
⏱️ 43 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The Virginia Tech Helmet Lab has been providing independent safety ratings for sports helmets since 2011, and today we’ll hear from Dr. Barry Miller about how their testing works, why their rating system stands apart from standard certifications, and how the system has pushed manufacturers to improve designs over time.
In this episode we discuss the following questions.
- Why did the Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings program get started?
- How do your ratings differ from certification standards like CPSC?
- How are bike helmets tested in your lab, and who performs the testing?
- How well do lab results correlate with real-world crash data and field studies?
- With so many models out there, how do you choose which helmets to test?
- The 5-star rating scale was recently recalibrated, making 5 stars harder to earn—why?
- Have the ratings influenced helmet companies to improve designs?
- How unsafe is it to mount accessories (lights/cameras) on a helmet?
- How do bike helmets compare tech-wise to helmets for other sports like football?
- What are the main limitations of your testing and rating methodology?
- Any upcoming testing updates, categories, or research directions riders should know about?
An automated transcript will be available at Singletracks.com later today.
Follow Singletracks on Instagram @singletracks to keep up with the latest mountain bike news.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Something unexpected has arrived in Happy Meal. |
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| 0:50.6 | Hey everybody, welcome to the single tracks podcast. I'm your host, Jeff Barber, and today we're taking a close look at helmets, specifically how we know the ones we're strapping on our heads are actually protecting us. |
| 1:04.2 | While most helmets on the market meet baseline safety certifications, by now most riders know that not all helmets perform equally when it comes to |
| 1:12.4 | reducing the chance of concussion and serious head injuries. The Virginia Tech Helmet Lab has been |
| 1:18.9 | providing independent safety ratings for sports helmets since 2011, and today we'll hear from |
| 1:24.6 | Dr. Barry Miller about how their testing works, why their rating system |
| 1:28.9 | stands apart from standard certifications, and how the system has pushed manufacturers to |
| 1:34.3 | improve designs over time. Dr. Miller, welcome to the podcast. Thank you. Please call me Barry, Jeff. |
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