Commuter style helmets (e-bike certified) for mountain biking, road cycling?

[Sophie777]

I need a new helmet, and came across "commuter" helmets rated for e-bikes (according to Dutch e-bike Standard NTA8776).
Examples:

1. Specialized Mode Helmet
Mode | Specialized.com

2. Trek Charge WaveCel
Bontrager Charge WaveCel Commuter Helmet | Trek Bikes (CA)

There are other helmets that are e-rated (meaning rated for the greater speeds of e-bikes, up to 45km/hr), but they are all (at least in Canada) commuter style helmets.

Reviews for the Specialized Mode and Trek Charge use terminology like "surprisingly good ventilation".

I am assuming e-rated helmets are safer than non-e rated helmets. But would these e-rated commuter style helmets be comfortable enough on hot summer days? Is the ventilation on these helmets "surprisingly good" as claimed in the reviews?

Or should I just stick with a conventional mountain bike or road bike helmet?

 

[Expidia]

I prefer an E bike rated regular helmet over any commuter helmet even if I only did commuting. Putting style over a head injury does not make sense to me.

I didn't think many would respond in this forum on your question as this forum is mostly geared to die hard up and down the mountain types.
Asking a helmet question will usually get responses, but as soon as they see the word "commuter" they skip over it.
But asking a "commuter" helmet question here on an Electric "Mountain" Bike forum . . . that's like asking what is the best bike bell or side mirror to use?

Once yu get to the $100 area, helmets are of similar quality, imported. Many bike companies just import and have them made with their name on them. I prefer buying from an actual helmet company. What you should be focusing on, in my opinion, is that whichever brand you buy it is a MIPS certified helmet. I noticed many manufacturers dance around and calling their helmets all sorts of terms and features that make them safer. Just buy a MIPS rated Helmet. It has an adjustable band inside the helmet, that keeps your head off the sides of the helmet so your head is "floating" inside.

Last summer, I had everyone in my family give away their bike helmets and I had them pick MIPS helemts on Amazon. 2- 4 year olds, 1-5 year old and a 12 year old plus two sets of parents. It was expensive, but the reason I'm such a MIPS proponent is I moved to where I live now 49 years ago and I opened a portable EEG ( electroencephalography) lab. And over the 10 years before I sold the lab I preformed many hundreds of the tests and I saw a lot of head injuries that could have been easily avoided with proper head protection.

Stay with the name brands. Bontrager is Trek's brand. It's OK, but I prefer the Smith or Giro brands for similar money.
I also don't like the closed commuter style models as those are going to be warmer in the hot weather even with a few vents. I recently upgraded my Ski Helmet to a $159 Smith MIPS helmet which is still vented, but for warmth it's a mostly closed style.

For emtb or regular biking I want as much air flowing through. We still have hot and humid days in the upper 90's here in the Northeast U.S. Also, some models have screens over the vents to prevent bugs flying into the vents and into your hair.

Beware of watching Youtubes or reviews in print as most presenters are getting free helmets, commisions or other free accessories to push certain helmets and their links take you to sites like Amazon. That's just the way products are marketed today since buying online is so convenient, rather than going into a store. Helmet sites like Giro also the abillity to printout a tape measure that you can measure your head for the correct size before you order.

What I like about Smith is their visor matches up with their Smith goggles perfectly. I like to use my Smith ski goggles when temps around here drop below 40 degrees and especially if it windy out.

Amazon has a number of good MIPS helmets in the $100 range and easy returns.

Good luck!

 

[Expidia]

I didn't think many would respond in this forum on your question as this forum is mostly geared to die hard up and down the mountain types.
Asking a helmet question will usually get responses, but as soon as they see the word "commuter" they skip over it.
But a "commuter" helmet question here . . . That's like asking in this forum what is the best bike bell or side mirror to use

Most helmets are of similar quality once you get to the $100 area. What you should be focusing on, in my opinion, is that which ever one you buy it is a MIPS certified helmet. I noticed many manufacturers dance around and calling their helmets all sorts of terms and features that make them safer. Just buy a MIPS rated Helmet. It has an adjustable band inside the helmet that keeps your head off the sides of the helmet so your head is floating inside.

Last summer, I had everyone in my family give away their bike helmets and I had them pick MIPS helemts on Amazon. 2- 4 year olds, 1-5 year old and a 12 year old plus two sets of parents. It was expensive, but the reason I'm such a MIPS proponent is I moved to where I live now 49 years ago and I opened a portable EEG ( electroencephalography) lab. And over the 10 years before I sold the lab I preformed many hundreds of the tests and I saw a lot of head injuries that could have been easily avoided with proper head protection.

Stay with the name brands. Bontrager is Trek's brand. It's OK, but I prefer the Smith, Giro, Bell etc brands for similar money.
I also don't like the closed commuter style models as those are going to be warmer in the hot weather even with a few vents. I recently upgraded my Ski Helmet to a $159 Smith MIPS helmet which is still vented, but for warmth it's a mostly closed style.

For emtb or regular biking I want as much air flowing through. We still have hot and humid days in the upper 90's here in the Northeast U.S. Also, some models have screens over the vents to prevent bugs flying into the vents and into your hair.

Beware of watching Youtubes or reviews in print as most presenters are getting free helmets, commisions or other free accessories to push certain helmets and their links take you to sites like Amazon. That's just the way products are marketed today since buying online is so convenient

What I like about Smith is their visor matches up with their Smith goggles perfectly. I like to use my Smith ski goggles when temps around here drop below 40 degrees and especially if it windy out.

* see as an example, in the linked pic for these bike helmet brands . . . that most of these road bikers are wearing the cooler, vented helmet style: List of Bicycle Helmet Brands from A to Z

 

[irie]

Interesting article here about Wavecel vs MIPS.

MIPS vs. WaveCel: Which is Better and Do You Need Them?

The answer may surprise you...

www.cyclistshub.com

But as described in the above article, Wavecel safety claims may be suspect because:

The study from Legacy Research Institute in Portland, Oregon, evaluated WaveCel helmets as “significantly more effective than MIPS.” However, this study is controversial because it was led by Michael Bottlang, who invented the WaveCel system. He also licenses it to Trek.

My suggestion is that you should buy the best fitting and best ventilated MIPS helmet you can afford from a non mountain bike manufacturer. And at least a light colour because in summer sunshine darker colours absorb more heat. I wear a (white) Giro Manifest for trail riding* which fits me perfectly, but whatever you choose must be comfortable and well ventilated otherwise you will buy again.

Edit1: see that Expidia beat me too it!
Edit2: Manifest (not Tyrant)

* also have a white full face for stupid stuff

 

[Expidia]

Interesting article here about Wavecel vs MIPS.

MIPS vs. WaveCel: Which is Better and Do You Need Them?

The answer may surprise you...

www.cyclistshub.com

But as described in the above article, Wavecel safety claims may be suspect because:



My suggestion is that you should buy the best fitting and best ventilated MIPS helmet you can afford from a non mountain bike manufacturer. And at least a light colour because in summer sunshine darker colours absorb more heat. I wear a (white) Giro Tyrant for trail riding* which fits me perfectly, but whatever you choose must be comfortable and well ventilated otherwise you will buy again.

Edit: see that Expidia beat me too it!

* also have a white full face for stupid stuff

My 10 year old road bike helmet was a Giro and I also have several Bells. With all older helmets the pads that are either stuck on inside with two sided tape or velcro tend to rot out over the years. I even had an extra set the brand supplied and they rotted out inside the never opened bag!

The game for these manufacturers IMO is planned "obsolescence". They won't sell you just a set of new pads. They want you to buy another helmet! There are universal pad sets on Amazon, but if you read the reviews they are "all" crap. So when I bought my ebikes 8 months ago I just grabbed a name brand MIPS helmet off the shelf in a local bike shop for like $139. But when I bought the 7 helmets for my family I used Amazon. Problem with young kids is their heads keep growing so now I'll be on the hook buying 4 new expensive helmets every few years

Some brands even offer if you crash protection and will replace for free a banged helmet within the first 12 months of purchase. That's a nice bonus. I know the 2 dumps I took were within my first few months of ebiking.

You could not tell my 10 year old black Giro helmet apart from my 8 month old black Helmet other then the MIPS structure inside. One other nice change they made is the way the new visors are hinged onto the front and go up and down. I suffered for years continually reattaching visors with velcro on all my other helmets. As soon as the temps heated up in the summer, my old style detachable visors would fall off again

 

[Expidia]

For the benefit of others to see what MIPS inside looks like. This was the Cannondale helmet that I just grabbed off a bike stores shelf for like $139 just to get quicker protection on my new ebike. I was using an old analog Trek helmet. The dial in the back adjusts the headband and the yellow shell inside protects your head from the sides of the helmet. **" It works"** A few weeks after I got my new Trek I had the bike shop install smoother, faster tread type similar to the Crosscut Gravel that came on my Giant emtb. And I also went against the bike shops recommendations. It came with 2.4 inch wide Bontrager Trail, path and street tread style tires. Next day I was coming slowly (1-2 mph off some wet grass onto the sidewalk and the rear wheel sliiped out from underneath me. Next thing I knew was I was out for a few seconds after the right side of my helmet slammed onto the pavement. I was shaken up for about 30 seconds, got back on the bike and road home still somewhat shaken. I swapped back to the OEM tires the next morning .

Also, note they still even use the same cheapo pads as they did 10 years ago! You might want to invest in a spare set of pads before a helmet brand eliminates their current models.

 

[Cb750stu]

I actually can't believe there's a ebike rated helmet I understand there being a downhill rated helmet,
What's the difference with a ebike rated helmet???

 

[RustyIron]

There are other helmets that are e-rated (meaning rated for the greater speeds of e-bikes, up to 45km/hr),

I am assuming e-rated helmets are safer than non-e rated helmets.

Hey, Sophie.
I think your basic premise is flawed. eMTB's are not inherently faster than aMTB's, and both routinely travel at speeds greater than 45 km/h.

It sounds like safety is your primary concern. With that in mind, only buy a helmet from a top-tier helmet manfacturer. Whether it's a mountain bike helmet or an "eMTB" helmet is of little concern. Frankly, I don't even know what the latter would be. Regardless, it must have a MIPS design. This is 2023, accept nothing less. Get a helmet with a lot of coverage. Full face is best, but if not that, get a half lid with a lot of coverage on the sides and back.

 

[Expidia]

I actually can't believe there's a ebike rated helmet I understand there being a downhill rated helmet,
What's the difference with a ebike rated helmet???

Probably just marketing. But My Trek does an assisted 20 mph and the Giant did 28 mph. Yet the tires are only rated to 31 mph, yet going down hill I've hit 40 mph. Marketing or not if I had to pick between a non emtb rated model and one that was rated emtb . . . since I only have this one 74 year old head, I'll always pick the emtb rated MIPS model.

 

[Quinterly]

I think what everyone else has said here. E-bike rated is marketing. I get well above 40km/h on my acoustic fitness bike on the streets and since you have no motor assist above 32km/h on an e-bike, it's not faster than an acoustic MTB, road, bike, gravel bike, or fitness bike.

You want a good quality MIPS helmet that fits well and has plenty of ventilation. Bell, Smith, and Giro are all known quantities than make quality and safe products. Bontrager (Trek), Specialized, and Cannondale are bike manufacturers I'd probably trust that a MIPS helmet is a MIPS helmet and is good protection, but the value proposition is probably not as good as some others. You could also look at MTB/Moto gear companies like POC, FOX, TLD and find good quality MIPS helmets.

There is a ton of selection but focus on what actually matters: MIPS, fit, comfort and price (in that order).

 

[Sophie777]

I actually can't believe there's a ebike rated helmet I understand there being a downhill rated helmet,
What's the difference with a ebike rated helmet???

An "ebike rated helmet" meets the Dutch NTA-8776 standard. An ebike helmet is given the NTA-8776 standard if it can protect you at speeds up to 45km/hr (please don't ask me how they test for this, because I don't know). My understanding is that to meet the CPSC standard in the US and Canada (the equivalent European standard I believe is CEN), helmets must protect at speeds up to only 14mph (22.5kph).

Here are two references:

Helmets for Electric Bicycles

Bicycle Helmets: What are their limits?

The reason for starting this thread is that while researching helmets, some manufacturers advertised that their helmet(s) also met the Dutch ebike NTA-standard (protection up to 45km/hr).

In Canada, the only helmets I could find meeting that Dutch ebike standard are commuter style helmets. Bontrager and Specialized (as well as online reviews, for what they are worth) claim with respect to the commuter style helmets I linked to in my first post, that those helmets have surprisingly excellent ventilation (I'm paraphrasing).

I would feel safer wearing a helmet rated to protect up to 45km/hr, than one rated to protect up to only 22.5km/hr. But if I get a commuter style helmet meeting the Dutch standard and I overheat while riding - well that would not be so safe either.

I wonder if Bontrager's and Specialized' claims about the commuter helmets I linked to could in fact be true, that is, the ventilation on those helmets is surprisingly excellent? Or are those claims just marketing hogwash?

 

[Sophie777]

I didn't think many would respond in this forum on your question as this forum is mostly geared to die hard up and down the mountain types.
Asking a helmet question will usually get responses, but as soon as they see the word "commuter" they skip over it.
But a "commuter" helmet question here . . . That's like asking in this forum what is the best bike bell or side mirror to use

Most helmets are of similar quality once you get to the $100 area. What you should be focusing on, in my opinion, is that which ever one you buy it is a MIPS certified helmet. I noticed many manufacturers dance around and calling their helmets all sorts of terms and features that make them safer. Just buy a MIPS rated Helmet. It has an adjustable band inside the helmet that keeps your head off the sides of the helmet so your head is floating inside.

Last summer, I had everyone in my family give away their bike helmets and I had them pick MIPS helemts on Amazon. 2- 4 year olds, 1-5 year old and a 12 year old plus two sets of parents. It was expensive, but the reason I'm such a MIPS proponent is I moved to where I live now 49 years ago and I opened a portable EEG ( electroencephalography) lab. And over the 10 years before I sold the lab I preformed many hundreds of the tests and I saw a lot of head injuries that could have been easily avoided with proper head protection.

Stay with the name brands. Bontrager is Trek's brand. It's OK, but I prefer the Smith, Giro, Bell etc brands for similar money.
I also don't like the closed commuter style models as those are going to be warmer in the hot weather even with a few vents. I recently upgraded my Ski Helmet to a $159 Smith MIPS helmet which is still vented, but for warmth it's a mostly closed style.

For emtb or regular biking I want as much air flowing through. We still have hot and humid days in the upper 90's here in the Northeast U.S. Also, some models have screens over the vents to prevent bugs flying into the vents and into your hair.

Beware of watching Youtubes or reviews in print as most presenters are getting free helmets, commisions or other free accessories to push certain helmets and their links take you to sites like Amazon. That's just the way products are marketed today since buying online is so convenient

What I like about Smith is their visor matches up with their Smith goggles perfectly. I like to use my Smith ski goggles when temps around here drop below 40 degrees and especially if it windy out.

* see as an example, in the linked pic for these bike helmet brands . . . that most of these road bikers are wearing the cooler, vented helmet style: List of Bicycle Helmet Brands from A to Z

I am no expert on MIPS, but from what I've read, there is in fact no good evidence that MIPS lessens the severity of head injuries. What is characteristic of a good helmet is one that is round/spherical and smooth, which allows the helmet to glide on impact. Helmets with all those ridges (whether they have MIPS or not) get snagged on the ground when they impact, thereby increasing the linear impact force to the head. Also, those helmet ridges, by getting caught up on a root, rock,.. apparently also increase the chance of neck injury.

Commuter style helmets are round/spherical, and much smoother than the typical road or mountain bike helmet. So theoretically on impact, the head can glide, dissipating energy slowly.

 

[Sophie777]

Interesting article here about Wavecel vs MIPS.

MIPS vs. WaveCel: Which is Better and Do You Need Them?

The answer may surprise you...

www.cyclistshub.com

But as described in the above article, Wavecel safety claims may be suspect because:



My suggestion is that you should buy the best fitting and best ventilated MIPS helmet you can afford from a non mountain bike manufacturer. And at least a light colour because in summer sunshine darker colours absorb more heat. I wear a (white) Giro Manifest for trail riding* which fits me perfectly, but whatever you choose must be comfortable and well ventilated otherwise you will buy again.

Edit1: see that Expidia beat me too it!
Edit2: Manifest (not Tyrant)

* also have a white full face for stupid stuff

I definitely agree with you the claims made by Trek about Wavecel are suspect, for the reasons given in your post.
But MIPS apparently was disingenuous in their criticism of Wavecel, because their testing methodology of Wavecel was flawed at best, inappropriate at worst.

Trek's New Bike Helmet Is Causing Controversy

In any case, I have not seen anyone replicate Trek's findings about Wavecel.

Until we have an independent lab independently test the claims of both MIPS and Wavecel, we won't know which one is better, or even if either is good.

But it seems to make sense to me that a round smooth helmet, with minimal ridges on the shell surface, would lessen the risk of serious head injury in a crash. A thin MIPS liner, that can move maximally 10-15mm in a crash, less so.

 

[Sophie777]

Hey, Sophie.
I think your basic premise is flawed. eMTB's are not inherently faster than aMTB's, and both routinely travel at speeds greater than 45 km/h.

It sounds like safety is your primary concern. With that in mind, only buy a helmet from a top-tier helmet manfacturer. Whether it's a mountain bike helmet or an "eMTB" helmet is of little concern. Frankly, I don't even know what the latter would be. Regardless, it must have a MIPS design. This is 2023, accept nothing less. Get a helmet with a lot of coverage. Full face is best, but if not that, get a half lid with a lot of coverage on the sides and back.

I think the speed one can reach on an eMTB or an aMTB depends on the rider. The only time I hit speeds greater than only 32km/hr on my Trek Powerfly (speed at which the motor cuts off) is when I am going downhill (I am not a strong rider).

I think you are right that full face helmets are the safest. However, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like spending a whole Sunday afternoon in a full-faced helmet, especially given the type of riding I do. So I'm looking for the next best thing.

 

[Zimmerframe]

In Canada, the only helmets I could find meeting that Dutch ebike standard are commuter style helmets.

I think you'll find that only commuter type helmets will have been tested for this. Speed Pedelecs are invariably commuter bikes. Pedelecs are restricted to 25/32kph and don't require insurance/licence plate etc. Speed Pedelecs do. Most mountain bikes are NOT speed pedelecs.

A company will have to pay for additional testing to pass the NTA-8776 test, so they're not going to submit all their helmets for a test which has no relevance for 99% of their market for that helmet.

Historically, most helmet testing and approval ratings have been very basic. Fortunately there have been a lot more recent developments.

For ultimate strength and overall protection, yes, a full face will give you more than an open face helmet. Many these days also have a large opening and have good air flow. Though obviously it will be more restrictive and ultimately warmer than something which is only wrapped around part of your head.

Remember that a lot of traditional helmet design was based around trying to stop impact/fracture type damage. The reality is that more long term damage is caused from concussion type injuries, often debilitating people for life.

This is the reason we've seen more development into helmets which aren't just intended to stop skull fractures, but to absorb and dissipate energy - in turn reducing the concussive element of a head impact.

Mips allows movement causing deflection of energy. You can read as many reports as you like, but until you understand the fundamentals and know what you're actually looking for, you'll only read into the reports what you want to read.

The wavecell helmets are designed to compress and crumple. The Koroyd helmets do the same. There are even some cardboard ones which crumple on impact to absorb the impact energy and introduce more deceleration.

Personally, after a nasty accident, being knocked unconscious and suffering two weeks of bad concussion (my helmet stopped any fractures). I bought a Smiths Koroyd helmet, then the full face once that was available. Merely wrapping a smooth titanium ball around my head isn't going to stop brain injury !

 

[Expidia]

I am no expert on MIPS, but from what I've read, there is in fact no good evidence that MIPS lessens the severity of head injuries. What is characteristic of a good helmet is one that is round/spherical and smooth, which allows the helmet to glide on impact. Helmets with all those ridges (whether they have MIPS or not) get snagged on the ground when they impact, thereby increasing the linear impact force to the head. Also, those helmet ridges, by getting caught up on a root, rock,.. apparently also increase the chance of neck injury.

Commuter style helmets are round/spherical, and much smoother than the typical road or mountain bike helmet. So theoretically on impact, the head can glide, dissipating energy slowly.

Your head, you do you. I'm not into fashion. Get a nice pink round one then

 

[irie]

What is characteristic of a good helmet is one that is round/spherical and smooth, which allows the helmet to glide on impact. Helmets with all those ridges (whether they have MIPS or not) get snagged on the ground when they impact, thereby increasing the linear impact force to the head. Also, those helmet ridges, by getting caught up on a root, rock,.. apparently also increase the chance of neck injury.

Commuter style helmets are round/spherical, and much smoother than the typical road or mountain bike helmet. So theoretically on impact, the head can glide, dissipating energy slowly.

That is utter rubbish. End of.

 

[Zimmerframe]

ok .. so back to being more sensible ..

We can't knock @Sophie777 for researching and questioning which helmet will suit them the best and give them the most protection.

If you find something which says it will protect you to 25kph and something else which is "e" rated ?! and will protect you to 45kph, the first conclusion is that it must be better. If the sales pitch for that says it's achieved by x/y/z then we accept it.

There won't be a perfect helmet and one helmet which may protect well at one speed/angle of impact, maybe awful at a different speed/angle of impact - hence why many tests will disagree with each other. Then tests will test for impact protection, because it's easy to test for, where as shock and brain damage injuries will be much harder to develop a consistent and fair test for.

Actually wearing one is the first step, so yes, it needs to be comfortable in both fit and temperature regulation.

This is a friend of mine from a couple of years ago on a road bike fall (lots of other helmet comments in this thread and other similar threads) :

Latest full-face helmets with detachable chin-bar recommendations please

Hi all, I have been wearing a FOX Proframe for over 2 yrs now (only whilst riding my mtb though!); and its time for a new one. For those of you that have experience of the FF helmets with detachable chin bars, please could you offer your feedback. I have a funny shaped back of my head, its flat...

www.emtbforums.com

She had a helmet on. Road bike. No witnesses, but where she fell, she can't have been going more than about 10kph. She has no memory of it, was in hospital for several weeks and still has speech difficulties and various other problems. Sometimes it's just the angle and way that you fall.

 

[Expidia]

Here is a commuter model that is highly rated (by Steam Boat Willy) . . . It's round and the ears fold back in a severe crash

 

[irie]

I just see this ... smooth .....

Or this .... "Fortunately, his head glided avoiding further injury ......"

Though, maybe they could apply wavecell and Mips to trees instead ?

Perhaps the best round/spherical and smooth helmet which glides on impact would be a clean shaven head!

Now there's a thought.

 

[Expidia]

Question: when I drive around states like FL and RI . . . since Motorcyle helmets are not required in some states (I see maybe 1/2 the motocycle drivers wear them when they are not required) . . . so in states or countries that do not require a helmet . . . do all Emtb riders still wear helmets in states where motorcyle helmets are not required?

 

[Expidia]

Emtb style vs Commuter style. Both of these styles shown are certified YIPS.

 

[Ark]

I actually can't believe there's a ebike rated helmet I understand there being a downhill rated helmet,
What's the difference with a ebike rated helmet???

Probably the price
Pedelec rated helmet sure.... but "ebike" come on.
You can probably get motor bike helmets for cheaper than cycling ones anyway if youre really going that fast

 

[Sophie777]

Well I don't think there is a definitive answer as to whether meeting the Dutch NTA-8766 standard means that a helmet is safer.
But based on the comments here in this thread, I just picked up a road helmet (Bontrager wavecel), and I ordered the Specialized mode mips commuter helmet. There were hefty discounts on both, allowing me to avoid decision paralysis .

Assuming the Specialized commuter helmet fits well and is comfortable - that is the helmet I intend to wear most of the time (I kind of trust the Dutch authorities). I will keep the Bontrager helmet for the hotter days.

Thanks everyone for your comments!

 

[Sophie777]

Well I don't think there is a definitive answer as to whether meeting the Dutch NTA-8766 standard means that a helmet is safer.
But based on the comments here in this thread, I just picked up a road helmet (Bontrager wavecel), and I ordered the Specialized mode mips commuter helmet. There were hefty discounts on both, allowing me to avoid decision paralysis .

Assuming the Specialized commuter helmet fits well and is comfortable - that is the helmet I intend to wear most of the time (I kind of trust the Dutch authorities). I will keep the Bontrager helmet for the hotter days.

Thanks everyone for your comments!

I just received the Specialized commuter helmet - it fits well and is comfortable.

I am going to mark my previous post as the answer; well at least a resolution to my query.

Thanks again everybody for your comments!

 

[Thinkology]

I think the speed one can reach on an eMTB or an aMTB depends on the rider. The only time I hit speeds greater than only 32km/hr on my Trek Powerfly (speed at which the motor cuts off) is when I am going downhill (I am not a strong rider).

I think you are right that full face helmets are the safest. However, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like spending a whole Sunday afternoon in a full-faced helmet, especially given the type of riding I do. So I'm looking for the next best thing.

I know I’m late to this game and you’ve made your decision, but I’ll say that I have been genetically blessed by both parents with sweating 90% from my head. It sucks and there is no helmet made that is ventilated enough.

Having said that, on the MTB when I’m going down, time slows way down. And when you’re going face-first, watching that ground coming at you faster than you can react…knowing that this is at the very best going to be a broken nose…you literally have the time to wish you had bought that full-face and just taken a moment to stop occasionally and take it off to cool your head down with a damp bandana before continuing.

Be safe!
-Mike

 

[Expidia]

Here is the other thing that always bothered me when I see the bike pathers riding an ebike with those round commuter type helmets on . . . I always say to myself . . . Why would anyone want to look like "Sergeant Schultz" while riding their ebike?