Helmet, full face v traditional?

[ZeroSkillet]

Right now I've been wearing a Protec Classic....showed my dad a few videos lately. He brought up the point that a full face helmet might not be a bad idea, with all the branches and other crap hanging out.

Any of you guys suggest or wear yourselves a full face helmet?

[rodd]

Depends... Depend the type of riding you do. The full face helmet is usually used by DH and FR riders... Some guys from AM used this type of helmet too.
If you do XC a classic helmet is enough...

Cheers

[sinfony78]

my helmet has a visor to block branches coming out at you, and people say to wear eyewear as well (although i never do)

trails in my neck of the woods don't require a full face, so i have just a regular giro helmet...but it's probably better to be over-protected than under

[monzie]

It's dependent on what type of riding you are doing. usually this is how it breaks down:

Full face: free ride and downhill along with the requisite pads. Some all mountain riders use them.
Well vented mountain bike helmet: cross country and light all mountain.
Skid lid (aka skate helmet): newer riders who think that helmets look silly and want to look tough for whatever reason. heavy, hot and cumbersome. Some folks use them for DJ and winter riding; both of these are acceptable.

[bob13bob]

It's dependent on what type of riding you are doing. usually this is how it breaks down:

Full face: free ride and downhill along with the requisite pads. Some all mountain riders use them.
Well vented mountain bike helmet: cross country and light all mountain.
Skid lid (aka skate helmet): newer riders who think that helmets look silly and want to look tough for whatever reason. heavy, hot and cumbersome. Some folks use them for DJ and winter riding; both of these are acceptable.

Lol, so true about skid lids

sent from one of my 4 gold leafed iphone4s's

[rodd]

Please delete it. Double posting! :P

[Snfoilhat]

If you were to consider just the protective qualities of the different helmets, the speeds and terrains of modern mountain biking, the liklihood of different crashes and injuries, and not the history of the sport, you might opt for a full face and think a road helmet really under-protective.

But most still opt for a light XC helmet because:

1. Mountain biking is old, and a whole generation of riders got by with road helmets. In many people's minds, this proves that more protection is unnecessary.

2. There has never been a long, well-funded push to develop a great mountain bike full face. Because a) the market isn't there (see 1.) and b) no manufacturer is going to bring out a more protective helmet that doesn't meet a safety standard. But the standards weren't designed for great full face bicycle helmets. They are full of compromises with other sports, the bad science of the past, industry lobbies, etc.

3. The crop of ASTM1952 downhill bicycle helmets available are really quite good for lift and shuttle riding, for BMX and slalom and 4x racing, but are still really weak on heat management and hearing impedement and weight. I speak from experience. I wear a Fox Rampage ($120, awesome helmet) for BMX and slalom and quite a few "all-mountain" rides, and suffer for the extra protection on pedally rides.

In the current market, going from a $100 Fox to a $400 Troy Lee or a $500 POC doesn't buy you the type of improvements that would make a full-face truly appropriate for "aggressive" trail riding, because that is not what those companies' designers have been trying to do. This is a shame, because the speeds people are hitting, and the features that are popping up on trails, will surely strike someone with a moto or BMX background (where full-faces are mandatory) as similarly dangerous.

But watch this thread (or search others) and if it gets enough responses, you will see a core of riders who will, for a bunch of reasons, ultimately say that more protection makes you a weenie. No large demand, no large improvements, unfortunately.

[CRchris1996]

I know that more protection is better but for XC a normal helmet is enough you dont need a full face because you are not going to be doing huge jumps and things like that what you can opt for is a helmet like this one STEALTH HELMET - Joint Support - Bike it offers more protection.

[Covert_Dom]

Open face for xc/am and full face for DH

[zephxiii]

With my type of trails in indiana (excluding BCSP), i'm more interested in eye protection.

[deke505]

It also can depend on how dense the trees are you are going through.

[KAriadne]

Given that your dad's concern was branches and other crap hanging out, I'm not going to comment on crash protection (that, and I'm no expert on crash protection).

My advice is to carry pruners and/or handsaw with you for a few rides and help out by trimming back the corridor. It would be a great a idea to research who maintains your local trails and get involved with them/make sure you are following their plan for the trail, but I don't know why any group would be upset about the trimming back of "face slappers." I know our local group would appreciate it!

[CSC]

I'd get a pair of $5 "cool" looking safety glasses from Home Depot...cheapest solution.

+1 for carrying some pruners with you next time you hit the trail and clean it up some.

[zephxiii]

Yep I try to remove stuff when I can....but there's always that one out of nowhere that gets ya thus causing a "DAMMIT"!!

[CSC]

Yep I try to remove stuff when I can....but there's always that one out of nowhere that gets ya thus causing a "DAMMIT"!!

I've been capped by a tree branch...not a thin one, but a good, hearty one.

[wintersolstice]

I always recommend full face if you're getting off the basic trails. Bad stuff can just happen:
Roll Call - What's your most serious injury?
Reba came apart during ride
Regular bike helmet with an added light weight chin guard?
Roll Call - What's your most serious injury?

To hell with being cool, being able to eat with a fork is better.
I was convinced after a dude near me had a wheel taco on some really easy bumps and broke half of his teeth.
Haven't found a good helmet yet, but I'm searching like mad!

[McBen]

i will choose a full face one.

[ForrestJones]

Use your eyes to avoid the low branches. Look ahead, not down. When I've been hit with low branches, its because I looked down at obstacles on the trail right in front of my tire and...whap! Should've looked ahead, and see the problems just ahead of me with my peripheral vision.

If we MTB'ers didn't have to pedal up the hills and mountains, I think we would all be wearing FF helmets.

[CRchris1996]

Use your eyes to avoid the low branches. Look ahead, not down. When I've been hit with low branches, its because I looked down at obstacles on the trail right in front of my tire and...whap! Should've looked ahead, and see the problems just ahead of me with my peripheral vision.

If we MTB'ers didn't have to pedal up the hills and mountains, I think we would all be wearing FF helmets.

this is exactly the reason

[wintersolstice]

this is exactly the reason

So I finally got my full face today - and that is definitely a bit different. Much better than I thought it would be, but certainly not as easy going as a normal lid.

Descending was all worth it - and by the end of the afternoon, I was hardly noticing the helmet on the climbs anymore.

[intuit86]

Full face is not practical for XC trail riding. Lack of ventilation means it is not functional nor fit for purpose.

Your Protec is better suited and something like a Fox Striker with good ventilation and decent coverage at the back of your head is the tool for the job. It has a visor and add in a set of safety glasses and you are good to go.