Bike park helmets...

[z1ppy]

My friends have just discovered bike parks, and though they aren't my cuppa tea, I will/have ended up going, though not often & won't be hitting any black runs.
So as one m8's has already face planted several times, a full face helmet is the way ahead... but I own an e-bike, so an uplift isn't necessary, and a detachable (DH certified) helmet would come in to it's own if I had to cycle up, or take one helmet travelling.

I know a proper FF is going to be a better helmet, but it simply won't get used that much, the flexibility of the detachable ones are calling & there hardly going to be rubbish and probably better than the low end FF's. What do you think?

 

[dobbyhasfriends]

interested so following...
I ride so much rocky trails here that I was thinking the same.

 

[Zimmerframe]

I bought a full face last year after somehow miraculously avoiding a total face re-arrangement.

I only wear it when it's really cold/slippy/pi55ing it down. As it's dryer, warmer and it's features more likely to be ....used....

About two days afterwards I noticed the detachable ones and wished I'd got one of them.

Now I'm not so sure, maybe as I've had them both a few months the financial aspect has evaporated so I only see the ease of grabbing the one I want instead of spending 2 whole seconds converting it ... oh so so so lazy ...

 

[steve_sordy]

How about the Bell Super 3R?


I have the Bell Super 2 and I think it looks great even without the detachable chin bar.

 

[RickBullotta]

I didn't care for the helmets with the detachable chin bars. If it's legitimate rocky, steep DH gnar or more difficult jump lines (gaps vs tables) I'll wear my 661 full face, otherwise I'm generally comfortable with my POC Tectal.

 

[Dax]

I'm not a fan of helmets with detachable chin guards, they're a pain to carry and potentially dangerous if you land on it when it's on your bag. I find there are a lot of times when I'm exploring that I find myself wanting full face (like that really interesting looking trail/chute/rock garden) so I wear a fox proframe, fixed full face with loads of ventilation.

Typically I wear a troy lee d3 for Park, unless it's a really hot day or I'm likely to be pedalling.

 

[aarfeldt]

How about the Bell Super 3R?


I have the Bell Super 2 and I think it looks great even without the detachable chin bar.

I got this....and it's correct ..."just amazing".
AirFlow is excellent, so it's not warmer.
Visability is great - using it with chinbar attached all the time.
Highly recommended.

 

[Jeff H]

Also take a look at the Troy Lee Designs Stage. As with the Fox Proframe it’s a new generation lightweight & breathable ff helmet. I think it’s the lightest on the market. I bought one a month ago and so far love it but the true test for comfort will be on a hot summer day. For now it’s nice to have a little extra coverage & warmth.

 

[Tbar]

I tried them all (literally every iteration of lightweight or convertible fullface I could find) and went with the Fox Proframe in the end. The TLD Stage was a close second but the Proframe just felt right as soon as I put it on my head. I found the convertible ones to be noticeably heavier and a bit creaky.

Helmets are a very personal choice though and it’s all about the fit.

 

[z1ppy]

How about the Bell Super 3R?
I have the Bell Super 2 and I think it looks great even without the detachable chin bar.

I would want a detachable helmet that at least conforms to DH spec, unfortunately the 3R doesn't but the Bell Super DH does (along with the Giro switch blade/Met Parachute and Leatt DBX 3.0 IIRC), so this is where I'm looking. The fox Proframe does look like a good option for ventilation, though Bell FF have been recommended and I've had several Bell helmets so there more likely to fit.. but yes fit is the most important part, but with at least 4 options, I'd hope to get one that works for me

 

[Doomanic]

I had a Giro Switchblade convertible helmet. After a couple of weeks the only time the chin bar came off was to wash it. I now have a Fox Proframe that I haven’t worn in anger yet because I keep missing the big rides.

 

[Dax]

I now have a Fox Proframe that I haven’t worn in anger yet because I keep missing the big rides.

You mean rides where you might crash? ?

 

[Kiwi in Wales]

Purchased a Bell Super R and 6 months later purchased a Fox Proframe.
Helmets are definitely a ‘personal’ thing due to how they fit your ‘uniquely shaped’ head. For me, Fox helmets seem to fit me the best.
I wear a Fox Proframe on every ‘local ride’ as it is very well ventilated and I have found it holds up really well in an ‘off the bike’ moment.
For bike parks I use a Fox Rampage Pro Carbon.
Suggest you either go to your LBS and try on as many different manufacturers helmets and sizes as you can to find the ‘one’ for you or........
order loads of helmets from Chainreaction and send back what you don’t want via there free postage returns service.

 

[steve_sordy]

I would want a detachable helmet that at least conforms to DH spec, unfortunately the 3R doesn't but the Bell Super DH does (along with the Giro switch blade/Met Parachute and Leatt DBX 3.0 IIRC), so this is where I'm looking. .......

I have a recent version of the Met Parachute, the one that does not have the detachable chin bar. It is a fantastic helmet, very light and very well aerated. I have only worn it in the Summer and it was great. Not sure how cold it will be in the Winter though!

Those black discs near the interface between the chin bar and the top of the helmet look as though they hide attachment bolts. They may well do so, but they are not accessible without (I suspect) damaging the helmet. Unlike its predecessor, this version of the Met Parachute does not have a detachable chin bar. It is a size large and it weighs 745gm.

 

[z1ppy]

Suggest you either go to your LBS and try on as many different manufacturers helmets and sizes as you can to find the ‘one’ for you or........
order loads of helmets from Chainreaction and send back what you don’t want via there free postage returns service.

Unfortunately I'm actually struggling to find LBS with much stock, and this is when I have several good LBS's, but keeping FF helmets isn't a priority to them (Or they've sold off their 2019 stock in the sales, & are awaiting the 2020 kit). I should have tested some when I was a BPW's...
My friend did the CRC thing with pads, but I'm sure my last Wiggle purchase wasn't free returns, I will go this way if I have too..

 

[Dax]

Fod, bpw, etc have a fairly good stock.

Totally agree with kiwi, fit is very personal.

 

[Doomanic]

I now have a Fox Proframe that I haven’t worn in anger yet because I keep missing the big rides.

You mean rides where you might crash?

I mean rides with you, I haven’t crashed since you got grounded by DIY...

 

[p3eps]

+1 for the Fox Proframe. Had it for a couple of years now. Light, comfortable and well ventilated.

 

[Zimmerframe]

I mean rides with you, I haven’t crashed since you got grounded by DIY...

I thought that was what you guys did at the dentists ?

 

[Dax]

I mean rides with you, I haven’t crashed since you got grounded by DIY...

You're welcome?

 

[R120]

I echo others thoughts on here and would go with a Fox Proframe or Troy Lee stage - the current generation of "enduro" full faces are lightweight and very well ventilated, I regularly ride my Proframe in all conditions and have never felt it was too heavy or hot.

One thing worth pointing out is that you would usually use goggles with a full face, and actually the goggles are more likely to make you heat up that the helmet itself.

There is nothing wrong with wearing glasses with a full face, (though it might be considered an on hill fashion faux par by some!), and goggles do help with holding a hemet in place to a certain extent.

I personally use goggles with all my helmets, and for the majority of my riding, as I have an eye condition called Continual Retinal Erosion that was caused by getting crap in my eye a few years back that I didn't deal with properly at the time, so am very conscious of getting anything in my eyes.

 

[Gemini2k]

Detachable ones are a joke. The chin bar won’t provide any protection. Just get a regular full face or a moto full face.

 

[Pdoz]

Detachable ones are a joke. The chin bar won’t provide any protection. Just get a regular full face or a moto full face.

do you gave proof of this?

I'm currently in the detatchable is best of both worlds camp , but if there us any data showing real world failures I'd love to see it.

I put my $ into 2 non dh certified luds, the leatt and the bell above. For non racing crashes I'm comfortable with a chin piece that deforms beyond some arbitrary race standard and I prefer the lighter weight for less neck injury risk.

More importantly, I like primary prevention - if it's over 36 c the chin piece comes off. My fried and dried brain doesn't work.

 

[aarfeldt]

Detachable ones are a joke. The chin bar won’t provide any protection.

You are completely wrong.
I personally took a massive hit from below directly on the chinbar, and it saved my chin.

 

[Doomanic]

Which helmet?

The Switchblade has DH certification and it weighs a ton.

 

[Dax]

Weighed the helmets that are kicking around, all in medium:

fox proframe 750g
troy lee d3 carbon (2014) 1100g
troy lee d3 carbon mips (2019) 1068g

 

[Pdoz]

Z1ppy, perhaps ask yourself why the dh certification is important to you?

The bell super air comes in at 640 g , and whilst it doesn't meet dh certification - bell is investing their r+d / production / advertising $ into extra head injury protection - the " flex spherical" AND mips rotational force protection.

Positives - Light - so theoretically better neck protection , well ventilated, possibly better head injury protection

Negative - a chin bar that deflects a bit more than some arbitrary dh racing standard?

If you were racing or regularly crashing in rock gardens I wouldn't even suggest it, but when I reflect on the ways I use my super 3 r I'll be investing in a super air next helmet. eg yesterday I was playing around in some steep UPHILL rock gardens in about 30 c temps but high smoke levels from bushfires. I removed my chin piece just so I could breath better - pretty stupid in rock gardens even if the speeds were low ? A better ventilated chinpiece would have been nice, but I suspect I'd have resented something like the fox simply because I didn't have that choice.

 

[stiv674]

Well after much deliberation I've just ordered the Bell Super 3R MIPS, hopefully it will arrive by the weekend so I can try it out, for comfort etc not how good the crash protection is...

 

[Pdoz]

Well after much deliberation I've just ordered the Bell Super 3R MIPS, hopefully it will arrive by the weekend so I can try it out, for comfort etc not how good the crash protection is...

The chin pads are adjustable - ie you can remove some of the foam - just jn case you find yourself struggling to get it on / off ( they ship it set up for chinless people who never smile.)

 

[stiv674]

The chin pads are adjustable - ie you can remove some of the foam - just jn case you find yourself struggling to get it on / off ( they ship it set up for chinless people who never smile.)

Good to know, I don't smile that often but I do have a chin