Mountain Bike Reviews Forum banner

Searching for the perfect winter helmet

684 views 11 replies 9 participants last post by  Walt Dizzy 
#1 ·
Two years ago I bought a Giro Fuse snowboard helmet for winter trail riding.

http://www.rei.com/product/759186

It has vents that can be opened by an outside control. This is a really nice feature that allows me to quickly cool my head off after a tough climb, then close back up to stay warm.

I need to mount a light to the helmet because the sun sets about 4:30 PM this time of year where I live. Bar mounts are not enough by themselves due to the tight and twisty trails I ride. The adjustable vents are across the top of the helmet. Mounting a light using a strap through the vent holes makes them stay open. And the location of the vent holes in this helmet plus the helmet shape are almost perfectly designed to make the position of a light very poor.

I don't want to put screws into the helmet, because I am afraid if I crash, one may be driven into my skull.

My ideal helmet is something like a snowboard helmet, with vents that can be closed, that has a light mount built in.

Any ideas/links?

Walt
 
See less See more
#3 ·
Funny you should say that...

I thought and thought about it last night. Came up with nothing. Searching on the internet has been futile. (You'd think that back country skiers would have something.) Then just before bed an answer came to me. Just like yours Flat Fender.

It looses the cool vent adjust feature, but it's a cheap fix. And the position of the light ends up being acceptable.

Walt
 

Attachments

#4 ·
Walt Dizzy said:
I thought and thought about it last night. Came up with nothing. Searching on the internet has been futile. (You'd think that back country skiers would have something.) Then just before bed an answer came to me. Just like yours Flat Fender.

It looses the cool vent adjust feature, but it's a cheap fix. And the position of the light ends up being acceptable.

Walt
But how can you see with that cat in front?
 
#5 ·
Sabby is there for occasions when...

...the lights fail and I need a seeing-eye cat to get back to the car.

Unfortunately she is looking in the wrong direction, but what can you expect from a shelter cat? She is young and just doesn't know any better.

Walt
 
#7 ·
I just bought a Rockgardn Black Light for winter riding (it's a full face). Picked up some goggles to go with it. I couldn't be happier with the decision. The extra protection is great to have, it's plenty warm, and it's quite comfortable.

I mounted my light "moto style", on the chin bar. Works beautifully.
 
#12 ·
Exactly

gmcttr said:
Just a wild guess, but I'd say it's a bedspread.
You win the prize! You are now in the Honorable Mention Hall of Fame.

"im surprised the fuse isnt too hot for biking, i am wearing the giro encore II as a snowboard helmet and it gets hot just during hiking up the hill, biking is alot more strenuous and heat generating than hiking and sessioning rails"

You are seriously underestimating how slowly I ride. Thow in a rocky, rooty, tight and twisty trail and a marginally powered (~350 lumen) light and we're not exactly talking about burning up the trail. ~11 miles in 2.25 hours = 4.9 mph.

However I do fog my riding glasses on hard climbs. I miss being able to pop open the helmet vents with the flick of a lever.

BTW, I tried out the helmet+tape last night at Blue Mound State Park in WI and it worked very well. The temperature was in the low 20s and once I got rolling I was very comfortable.

I do need a bar light though. The helmet-only option hides shadows and makes everything look flat.

One section of trail had sprouted a crop of fist-sized rocks. One rock was planted at exactly the right spot to stop my front wheel. This was on a downhill switchback at the point where you need to shift your weight forward, so I went over the bars. Ouch!

Otherwise a great ride. My beer was nice and cold when I got back to the car!

Walt
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top