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Ratchet helmet strap? (vs D ring)

Like I said, if that much force was applied to my head, the strap would not be the first thing to fail. My head, my jaw, my neck, all sorts of squishy bits would probably suffer catastrophic damage first.

It's not that the D ring is not strong, its not that it's not stronger than the ratchet. Rather, simply, the ratchet is "strong enough" for the application -- keeping a 1.5kg bucket on my head.
 
Apart from that test, I have not yet found stats. Apparently, many race organizations only allow d-rings, but I didn't find a direct reference to that in the AFM rulebook. Here is what their rulebook says:

Helmets certified by the Snell Memorial Foundation and bearing 2020 approval stickers; or have the British Standards Institute approval sticker BSI 6658-A or have EU approval sticker ECE 22-05. All helmets must be full coverage (no open-faced or flip-up helmets). Helmets, in the judgment of the Tech Inspector, must be in sound condition, including shell, liner and strap.
Click to expand...

Personally, though the ratchets straps are convenient, I won't wear them. They introduce more links in the chain that could fail, they aren't as strong as D-rings and I don't find the trade of convenience for strength acceptable. My understanding is that the ratchets were introduced to help make buckling the chin strap more idiot proof for new riders. Not being a new rider or an idiot, I'm good with the D-rings.
 
To give a realistic assessment, test the ratchet on the OEM helmet - not a cheap knock off ratchet.

Love my Schuberth ratchet strap - if they're good enough for F1 - they're good enough for me.
 
I’ve used D ring helmets my whole life so it’s not that big of a deal one way or the other.
It would be great to just “click and go” vs blindly threading through two rings then back through one.
 
With the helmet that I prefer (Shoei GT-Air) I was told there's no option to swap out the harness so I've just dealt with the ratchet strap over the years. :dunno
 
Kornholio said:
With the helmet that I prefer (Shoei GT-Air) I was told there's no option to swap out the harness so I've just dealt with the ratchet strap over the years. :dunno
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Funny you mention that lid, as I came across this when I was searching for other references to ratchet straps earlier:

On the GT-Air, Neotec models, we decided to use the micro ratchet system due to many wishes of our customers all over Europe. However, it is also possible to convert the models GT-Air and Neotec to a double D-lock for 80,- Euro. For this please return the helmet together with the proof of purchase to your local SHOEI dealer, who will then send it to us with the return form (RMA) for conversion. If this is not easily possible, please request the appropriate return form (RMA) from the dealer and then send it to us together with the helmet and proof of purchase. If possible, the helmet should be handed over without intercom unit (except SRL/SRL2/SRL3 system). The removed old chinstrap will remain with Shoei and will be destroyed for safety reasons.
Click to expand...

This is from a FAQ on Shoei Europe's site:

FAQ - Shoei® Europe

www.shoei-europe.com www.shoei-europe.com

If you haven't, it might be worth contacting Shoei directly about this and see if you get the same answer.
 
DD rings for me. It’s second nature using them , extremely simple.
 
tzrider said:
This is worth a watch:

Click to expand...
What is your takeaway from this video? A $3 ratchet strap (3 pack at $9) likely from overseas that failed a nonsensical test isn't telling me anything.
 
Did you watch the FortNine video above?

I’ve read other material from industry engineers who have all said the ratchets are weaker than D-rings and have occasionally failed. D rings are stronger than the strap itself. What improvement are these fasteners making that are worth introducing another point of failure.

For most of my life I’ve been a climber. The ethos there has always been to have as few links in the chain as possible. Add another carabiner and the probability of failure increases. I don’t see what problem he met manufacturers are solving by introducing more points of failure.

If you find D rings to be too much trouble and you like the convenience of a ratchet by all means use that. The video I posted was in reply to a guy asking about retrofitting a ratchet onto his existing strap. The example shown in the video is exactly the type of product available in that scenario.
 
The problem with the video is simply the test.

The dropping of the 25lb weight results in THOUSANDS of Newtons of instant force being applied to the strap. No wonder it snaps.

The game is how hard is it to get the helmet off your head. Even without a buckle, a well fitting helmet is difficult to get off of your head. I know I struggle to get mine off even when I want too!

The best case scenario for that happening is if you impact something and go cartwheeling. Then the centrifugal force of the spin will start pulling on the helmet. To quote another member of this forum, from a long time ago, "I love it when their sneakers fly off" talking about crash videos. That's the same case.

Or dragging the helmet on the ground, you skidding feet first, face down, with the chin guard dragging on the asphalt, is possible use case. Easy to see how an unsecured helmet could be peeled off like that.

Anything trying to peel off a secured helmet, will more than likely simply snap your neck.

There certainly may well be reported failures of the ratchet system. Like I said above, I wouldn't trust it with one click. I bet after thousands of uses, it may even wear. None of these concern me and my use of it. I imagine after thousands of uses, lots of things wear on a helmet.

I know my original helmet saw at least 1000 uses, riding to work, and elsewhere every day, for a couple years. I'm betting the ratchet system is actually rated pretty highly against that kind of wear, but no doubt there may well be some limit. Its just likely its not the first thing to go on a helmet.

If folks want to use a D ring, be my guest, just don't let this video be the nail in the coffin of choice. It's not a realistic test by any means.
 
Yep, I was wondering if it’s feasible, or even possible to convert D rings to a ratchet system.
I’ll stay with my rings as-is
 
Does anyone else just not undo the strap from the D ring all the way or just me? I can get my helmet on and off quickly and just have to pull the strap :dunno
 
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