'No helmet. No ride.' This is the signage that adorns most trail centres. And rightly so.

Although some of mountain biking's founding riding – like Tom Ritchey – have been infrequent helmet wearers, a good helmet is worth many times its purchase price. When things go wrong.

Quality mountain bike helmets aren't cheap. The pricing spectrum reaches from under R1000 to beyond R4000. But what you might save at purchase could become a regret when it's too late, and you are sitting dazed and confused at the trailside.

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