Dirt 100 2011: Troy Lee Designs D3
Last year we said we thought the styling of the D3 might be a bit of a grower, and grown it has done…favourably. The reason we love Troy Lee lids though isn’t just about their style, it’s also about their fit. We always say different heads suit different brands, but there’s not a single one of us at Dirt that has ever found a helmet that fits better than a Troy Lee. The increase in the range of sizes over a D2 has only made this aspect even better, and the extra protection that this D3 offers is more than welcome considering the progression of our sport. It might be nothing short of bloody expensive, but the good news is that 2011 will see the introduction of a composite version which will provide just the same amount of protection and great fit, all for a hundred quid less. Still not cheap we know, but sadly quality rarely is.
Check out the Troy Lee designs D3
PrIce: £499.99
fIsher outdoor leIsure 01727 798 340
www.fIsheroutdoor.co.uk
www.troyleedesIgns.com
500 mulas for a helmet is too much (in my opinion) for something that will need replacing after 3 year or before if you crash. i thought the d2 were pricy. they look good but comfort over price = marginal diffrence i would have thought compare to my THE which cost me £110!
Helmet for the rich and shameless
Rad… im rich and Shameless! D3 all the way!
I have one of these, Excellent product. It makes a D2 and THE seem archaic. just gives me the extra reassurance that no other dh lid gives except maybe the fox bad boy that I cant remember the name of. Expensive, yes, but deals are easy to find at slightly more ‘shameless’ prices- and just look at that weave!
yeah, i don’t get the vagina monologue moaning about price. I see people on dorados or sram red crap and they’ll bitch about how lids are too much? when you know what you want it’ll probably be a tld.
A former year model Animal helmet from CRC cost me 35 euros. It is “Motor Vehicle Approved” unlike T explicative LEE D. Animal has removable pads, a nice fit and nice looks too. Never TLD for me. It is simply insane full stop. P.S. the use of Ti rapes the earth!
Haven`t tried the D3 but had the D2 and I wasn`t overwhelmed by the quality (squeezed my head so I got a headache wearing it).
Nor the quality impressed me with the padding being pulled inside the helmet when putting it on. Hope the new ones are better!!! I have now switched to the Fox V3 and I have never ever tried a better fitting lid!!!! Worn top notch Shoei motorcycle helmets as well and they didn`t come close either! At £299 (V3 carbon) I find it a very good alternative!!! A must try!!
Have fun
The venting on the D3 is killer. The fit is MUCH better than the D2. Best DH specific helmet on the market. Like I said before, you get what you pay for with this helmet.
haters?
Best helmet I’ve seen in a while! I’ve had 2 D2′s before, one carbon, one composite. Fit, feel and finish is second to none and both saved my brains more than once (thank you TLD)! I understand that not everyone can afford the most high end stuff (very few can own a Ferrari) but you had better not complain about the price of this helmet if you own a bike that’s worth more than $5,000, and if you do you’re not taking into consideration of what all goes into making a lid such as this D3.
I ride a nice bike. It is a Bugatti Veyron of bikes. I use my head. As to the price, protection and quality of my Animal helmet TLD does not even come close, not even close. The Troy Lee Designs helmet is 17 times more expensive than my Animal one. How fast can you TLD fans pedal? At 60 km/hr. dirt bikes just start getting fun. My helmet is Moto sports rated unlike the TLD helmet. So, you do not have an argument. With 17 high speed crash rated helmets I could be more than protected for life on my DH rig. Yeah, Yeah, “You get what you pay for…” Bla, Bla, Bla… Well consider this the Italian artist Piero Manzoni sold his fecal matter in cans labeled in multiple languages for their weight in gold. So, Yes! I guess you get what you pay for.
Theres always going to be high end products, if you don’t like it, buy something else. Its not like anyone is forcing you to buy a D3. Besides, you can pick up 2011 D3 carbon’s for under £300 if you know where to look
You just do not get it. I am not being forced and I am well aware this. It is simply illogical to by a TLD compared to what I have and the protection I want. One again 17 times more expensive. You just do not get it.
@centrifuge- I thought you said you got your Animal helmet at a discount price because it was a ‘former year model’ which means your value comparison is inaccurate. It’s great that you got such a deal, but I do wonder if you had the extra money kicking around, wouldn’t you want to get the best moto lid money could buy, even if it costs the most? Because that’s essentially what the D3 carbon is for Dh and Bmx lids.
How much did TLD pay for this add. Didn’t fit to my head at all when I tested one last summer.. Luckily whe have many better options. Downhill lids will be history in few years because moto-x helmets are allready lighter and much safer than lightest dh-helmets..
It is not inaccurate by any means. I just know how to shop.
Over and out.
look, tlds are a great product but first and foremost is fit so just because its expensive doesn’t mean shitwhen it comes to fit. that’s a given. I love TLD lids but I’d pay instantly for an Arai version instead though.
Can’t put a price on safety, the time and effort put into the design of this helment has been more than worth it. Troy Lee makes this sport that bit more cooler, no wonder other company’s base there helmets on his designs, who could blame them, the man deserve respect for what he done. without him we would still be all rocking tuff tops!
If you look at helmets in the last 12 years (aprox. when the first Daytona rolled out), you’ll notice how influent TLD has become and how everybody wishes to be somewhere close in terms of styling. THE in the first place.
Comparing a DH-specific helmet marketed as such with a low-end motorcycle approved helmet is irrelevant and ridiculous to say the least and the first thing that pops into mind is ventilation, since motorcycle helmets are created to offer sufficient cooling only at certain speeds, which is kinda logical. On the other hand, light weight in a helmet isn’t everything, even if we speak about MX lids with grams or ounces in the DH helmet territory. I didn’t wear one myself, but I know (motorcycle) enduro riders who were sorry to buy into the Airoh lighweight hype, only to come back to other helmets (Arai, Shoei, Fox) due to reasons of said venting. While I can be sure that that Animal helmet is a good value, most of the hating on the D3 is gratuitous. I paid attention to the promo material of the D3 last year really closely, and while it is mostly PR stuff, I can remember a statement of Troy Lee himself being impressed by the difficulty of the terrain that worldcup riders shred on these days and how a lot of times they need helmets safer than those of MX riders. I might be naive, but I believe all that. As far as I know, MX helmets nowadays have to prove themselves against standards which are too general (the same standards for road and offroad helmets), which translates into helmets being overbuilt. I don’t know that for sure, so you might want to check it.
It is not necessarily a clear argument, but the fact that a lot of worldcup riders that are not TLD sponsored ride the D3 speaks an obvious language to me.
Nobody forces you to buy a D3 and nobody forces you to follow the suggestions of the Dirt 100. The good thing is that people can exchange ideas in an open manner, like here for example.
Ride safe,
Mx
Great Helmet, obviously safe and looks real nice compared to chunky mx lids..if you think it’s too much buy something else..
Sometimes reading these online posts feels like what I can imagine a brain lumbotomy to be. Yes, I am so illogical, sarcastically speaking. How dare I compare a TLD to an Aminal MX on sale. As to the ventilation through it, I have no complaints. As to the weight, I do not notice it on my runs. TLD is not motor vehicle safe. Please, just follow me for a moment. 1 iPad or one TLD D3 for about the same price. TLD does not even compare to the quantity of technology or scientific studies needed to achieve such tactility and precision. Compare the price of 2 TLD D3s to the price of one iMac. The answer is obvious the iMac wins by lightyears. Take a 589 euro Alpine headunit to TLD not even close. Think about the price of a decent above entry level Specialized Mountain Bike that equates to about 2 TLD D3 helmets. Take a Fox RC4… P.S. This is not an apples and oranges argument it is rather, simply pointing out value, relatively speaking. I am not a hater. This Black D3 looks sick without all the “poo” they (TLD) put on the other ones, but nothing more. I will protect my head once again with a “motor sport approved helmet” while basking in the pleasure of using my money for other earthly contraptions. P.S.S. You can just call me chunky if you happen to see me on the slopes. 66.6 Kgs. of me with a chunky lid. That should be a good laugh. You don’t say? Anyway, keep it real and ride hard!
@ centrifuge , shut up about your animal helmet. they are no where near the quality of a troy lee and they look like your wearing a bucket on your head not a helmet. TLD D3 is not certified moto safe and why’s that ? its a DOWNHILL helmet not moto so stop going on about it. The cost of the D3 are coming from the design and testing of the product , TLD dont just make a helmet up and go that will do. Comparing it against apple and stuff is just stupid this is a niche market Apple products are mass produced on a huge scale reducing overheads giving good econemies of scale. MTB is a small market so TLD do not have those benefits. Once again the D3 is not moto approved because its a DOWNHILL helmet not moto.
I think certain people commenting on here should read the following article…
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/gearbox/motorcycle_helmet_review/index.html
And if you can’t be bothered all you really need to know is that you can’t say that an MX lid offers a DH rider better protection, because the opposite could well be true.
ED is it a longer version of the article you did in Dirt? Thanks
btw. Personally the d3 is too thinly padded for me. I tend to crash often but If I was to spend a ton of cash on a helmet I’d go top of the line POC because they don’t care about the weight but about protection first and foremost. Not to mention in most cases the safety differances between dh helmets are very small. I know some people would like to justify their spent money but it’s the same as with bikes, a 8000 quid bike wont make you that much faster than a 3000 one.
yeah, a MUCH longer one! And yeah, the POC helmet does offer incredible protection, quality bit of kit, just a shame it doesn’t fit my head.
mine is SIXSIXONE flight warp Dot approved £200 notes bought for 140.
hell of a helmet fraction of the price
Fashion over function everytime for me…… especially when my head safety is concerned.
Looks to me that I am not too far from the mark. Thanks for the article. Cheers!
ratings on helmets these days mean next to nothing, £25 chinese specials can easily pass the tests required to get a road worthy sticker in the uk.
i really like the styling of the d3 but as far as protection goes… who knows how much r+d have tld put into the safety aspect of the helmets they sell? I’d be willing to bet £500 it isnt half of what arai do knowing what i know about helmet manufacturers.
Yes, it´s very expansive, but comfort is completely different against the other helmet. I´m happy that i´ve got she.
D for Disappointment. I bought my second D2 last summer (a Beta Red) as finally the graphics had steered away from googly eyes and flaming turds etc. Pulled it out the box, paint work is nice – tick. Lining is all wrinkled – poo. Went to remove it to get it straightened out asn was just looking at £10 Halfords helmet glued into the outer shell with extractor fan mesh glued over the holes and thought never again. So much money for a product stuck in the ’90s. I’m sure the D3 is spangly, but £500!! Cost to produce in China… £80 tops?? We’re being pumped. I bought my girlfriend a 661 Bravo as she started riding and it was cheap, £60 in CRC sale. It’s great quality! I’m going to get a carbon version next time around.
centrifuge…i think you must have missed the point of the article! It was you who i aimed it at after you said that your Animal one offers better protection than a D3 purely because it is certified for motorbike use. The opposite is most likely the case.
@ Ed- great article! I think it’s another reason to support companies that are passionate, such as TLD in this case, about our sport and get involved with real world testing to help benefit us. I’m glad that Troy Lee recognized the progression in our sport and has developed their products with that in mind, not just doing stuff the way it’s been done for the last 15 yrs. The D3 carbon is the pinnacle in their helmet lineup but we can still get the same great protection with the composite D3, it just might be a few grams heavier and at a reduced price. Think about guys (and gals!), it’s your head. Do the research, try them on and support those who support us. We ante up for everything else (bikes, tires, suspension, races) maybe we should take one less vacations and get the best brain bucket we can.
Nope sorry! I disagree totaly! ma8t!
OK, I be a TLD … too!
I’LL be…
Yo, Let’s just ride! Anyway, If you are wearing and a helmet and you crash and I’m there I’ve got you back. Peace out!
Haven’t bothered to read what’s gone before, but tuppence worth: D3′s are bloody expensive. Get one from America, even if HMRC erroneously charge you VAT it will be less than UK trade. Just done it myself. Fits an absolute treat. I have had several D2s, but the D3 cannot be beaten for fit. I’m still not convinced that they’re the best looking lid when I get my D2 out and compare it, but the amazing fit overwhelms any aesthetic issues in my opinion. And if you think it’s too expensive, simple solution: don’t buy it. I guess you could say the same about Leatts.. they’re both for that one big crash.
I normally make my lids last around 4 years, so that’s £75 a year (given what I paid from the US), not bad.
The D3 has nothing on this bad boy…
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/107/282727881_fffb01a015.jpg
Big_Tim FTW! nothin says pinned like a viking/orc fruit lid! We do high speed kickouts and scrubs over hobbits (braking bumps).
How can you compare spending that money on an ipad, one can save your life the other wont!
I guess different helmets fit to different heads in different ways, so there is no actual rule that one helmet is by default better fitting than the other. If it fits me well, that doesn’t mean it will fit the same to someone other, right? I am pretty sure, though, that everyone can find a proper helmet for his head if he has the patience to try on a few of the more relevant models. I think about giving the D3 a few other chances, but I won’t part ways with my D2′s because I simply can’t fault their fit, feel and looks. What I would be interested in is a big lab helmet test that would point out which helmet is safer and which isn’t that safe. German magazines are full of such tests. I can’t think about why such a test can’t be done…
Stay safe and stay in school,
Mx