full face helmet or not??

[Cavi]

Soo, most of the time I just trail ride, but not the case when I go to Tahoe or Truckee or even Mt Shasta, I get a bit of DH trails, I do not jump or anything, but still I worry. I was a dirt bike rider who always wore full gear, other than the one time I had only one knee brace on and I crashed and of course landed on the non protected knee. Either way I worry. I am considering getting a Fox Proframe and seeing if I can convincing myself to wear the thing most of the time, if not all. I will also mention that my son was in a bike crash two years ago, at night in the rain and no helmet, so totally stupid on his part but either way he hit chin first and broke his jaw in 3 places. and it send him in to clinical depression, which is apparently normal after a bad concushion

 

[Slowroller]

Search is your buddy

To go full face or not that’s the question?

So I’ve spent a number of hours looking at helmets and reading forums. Makes me wonder just how many on here use a full face for every day riding? I don’t, but I have a really good open face mips helmet which gets used every ride. I’ve never questioned using a full face in the past thinking...

www.emtbforums.com

 

[Andrie]

Safety is always about compromise. More safety is usually more uncomfortable, either motorcycling, car racing or biking. In racing we are regulated on what is required of us, not in regular day to day. Even then some choose more than minimal required and some choose the minimal. In the end it all comes to you on how adverse are you on assessing risks.
Personally, I ride motorcycles and race cars and could not get used to run without full face helmet. I just feel naked. I do understand that some people feel suffocated using full face helmet.
It’s your choice. Only you can do the risk assessment and take the necessary safety measure to make yourself feel comfortable.

 

[steve_sordy]

@Cavi If you worry, armour up! You are supposed to be enjoying yourself and you can't do that if you are worried all the time.
Don't give a flying fart to what you think you look like and even less to what you think others think you look like.

 

[Mikerb]

there are options for full face helmets now that are relatively light with plenty of venting and minimal intrusion on your sightline...some even with removeable chin guards. The thread referenced a bove has loads of info.

 

[Stretch40]

Hi I've just had a big off and immediately bought a met parachute MCR best of both worlds also leatt body armour for when I can ride after Xmas ? I won't ride without it now ?

 

[carlbiker]

Soo, most of the time I just trail ride, but not the case when I go to Tahoe or Truckee or even Mt Shasta, I get a bit of DH trails, I do not jump or anything, but still I worry. I was a dirt bike rider who always wore full gear, other than the one time I had only one knee brace on and I crashed and of course landed on the non protected knee. Either way I worry. I am considering getting a Fox Proframe and seeing if I can convincing myself to wear the thing most of the time, if not all. I will also mention that my son was in a bike crash two years ago, at night in the rain and no helmet, so totally stupid on his part but either way he hit chin first and broke his jaw in 3 places. and it send him in to clinical depression, which is apparently normal after a bad concushion

Sorry to hear about your lad!

I see the pro YouTube riders face planting and all sorts without FF and just cringe.....if it can happen to those guys what chance do us mere mortals have? I’ve tried the pro frame, wasn’t blown away but sure it will do its job. I personally went for Smith Mainline which also has a crumple layer called koroyd. Alternatively there’s the POC Coron airspin which is carbon and can recover from having an impact or if you want best of both worlds Bell super DH which you can take the chin off if your doing lower risky stuff.

This might be useful, go check the face plant out! ?

 

[Manuelo]

Definitely full face or in my case i have a giro with removable jaw protection. Certified downhill with and without jaw protection. I wanted the removable one but i see myself more and more using it in full face configuration.

Redirect Notice

 

[R120]

Wear whatever you are comfortable with, better to be over protected than under!

 

[MrSimmo]

Definitely FF for me. Dont really care if anyone thinks I look weird, better to look a bit over protected than a sporting a smashed up jawbone missing teeth fashion statement.

I've had quite a few serious off's over the years, both racing and not - trees hurt when taking them to the face! .. and crashing (for me at least) could happen at any time rather than purely when I'm pushing the limits.- Example which people who have visited Bike Park Wales may appreciate - 2019 I was chasing a time down the A470 line, no probs at all; jumped on Bluebell for an easy peddle down, misjudged a tiny tiny jump and face planted a tree.

As R120 says, it's a personal decision; whatever you're comfortable with.

 

[apac]

"(SOME)" Full face helmets are like E'bikers....cumbersome, hot, heavy and restricting in head movement and vision. I think that makes them more dangerous as the biker loses agility and awareness.

Though I do tend to take one to Bike Park Wales... and was glad I did, as last time I thumped my head on the floor quite hard.

 

[Zimmerframe]

EMTBer's are cumbersome, hot & heavy with restricted head movement and vision.

I don't think you can cover that with a blanket statement.

Some Full face helmets are hot. Some are heavy. Some can be restrictive, especially if worn in conjunction with a neck brace. Some have a reduced field of vision.

But some are not. I find my Smiths Mainline to be none of those, since I've had it I've worn my Smiths Forefront 2 only one time and that was just because the Mainline had been through two incidents severe enough to warrant replacement, should have been changed after the first one really, but at two days old I couldn't bring myself to do it.

It's realistically no hotter than an open face Forefront, maybe marginally, but not enough to be uncomfortable. Whilst my mates remove their polystyrene no face helmets and pour the sweat out, I'm fine..

It heavier, but not enough that you notice it. Vision is not restricted. My head bobbles around just as much as normal.

If I have one complaint, it's that hearing is slightly more restricted, but that's probably more of a personal thing.

I can safely say it 100% saved me from becoming (more of) a vegetable on at least one occasion .

 

[apac]

Edited my post so it less blankety

I don't think you can cover that with a blanket statement.

Some Full face helmets are hot. Some are heavy. Some can be restrictive, especially if worn in conjunction with a neck brace. Some have a reduced field of vision.

But some are not. I find my Smiths Mainline to be none of those, since I've had it I've worn my Smiths Forefront 2 only one time and that was just because the Mainline had been through two incidents severe enough to warrant replacement, should have been changed after the first one really, but at two days old I couldn't bring myself to do it.

It's realistically no hotter than an open face Forefront, maybe marginally, but not enough to be uncomfortable. Whilst my mates remove their polystyrene no face helmets and pour the sweat out, I'm fine..

It heavier, but not enough that you notice it. Vision is not restricted. My head bobbles around just as much as normal.

If I have one complaint, it's that hearing is slightly more restricted, but that's probably more of a personal thing.

I can safely say it 100% saved me from becoming (more of) a veget

 

[manueloFRCR]

Full Face for me. I also have a Giro switchblade. The less experimented you are (my case) the more you need protection. Second funny though, the more you gain experience the more you push yourself... So After cracking 2 times some ribs. I prefer FULL FACE helmets,

serious knee protection with fine gloves. Age is also to take into consideration.

As a side comment, If you are already really good, or if you do not play or push yourself I guess a normal helmet if fine.

 

[Mikerb]

I second @Zimmerframe comments. I also have the Smith Mainline and now use it on all "proper" rides. The only time I use an open face helmet is for Lockdown bridleway type rides. The full face is good at keeping my ears warm this time of year! The only drawback or change of approach I have experienced is use of the water bottle. I now mostly use an aquapac rather than a water bottle.

I do think there is a market for a modified type of water bottle that has a short extendable/retractable drinking spout which would make it easy to use the hole in the front of the chin guard rather than having to remove the helmet.

 

[Zimmerframe]

I do think there is a market for a modified type of water bottle that has a short extendable/retractable drinking spout which would make it easy to use the hole in the front of the chin guard rather than having to remove the helmet.

I did wonder about that with mine, if someone made a 5cm flexi tube with a slide mechanism similar to the water bottle top which would just replace the existing top - or even a whole new screw on lid with a pipe ..

I have since discovered though that I can tilt the bottle in to touch my top lip and squeeze and that works - I had a couple of early wash outs until I got the technique correct. This is going to vary though on different sized heads/helmets/face shapes as to whether it works or not.

It might even be possible to just add a short length of tube onto the top of the existing bottles ..

If you had something 18mm inside diameter for a Spesh bottle or 20mm for a Camelbak Podium bottle you could probably warm the tube up in hot water, squeeze it over the flange and the bottle would work as normal.

 

[Mikerb]

water bottles with drinking tubes do exist but not ones that fit a bottle cage.

Hydrant 1 Litre Water Bottle with Drinking Tube - Drinking Bottles : Complete Care Shop

 

[Zimmerframe]

water bottles with drinking tubes do exist but not ones that fit a bottle cage.

Hydrant 1 Litre Water Bottle with Drinking Tube - Drinking Bottles : Complete Care Shop

Yup, you might as well just use a camelbak or waist hydration pack in that case ?

Wine bottles were obviously designed for full face helmets, but none fit in a Kenevo cage.

 

[HikerDave]

My next helmet will have a lightweight face guard; about six weeks ago my bike was upset by a loose rock that I hit just wrong before a fast corner and I went over the bars. I wasn’t strong enough to keep my face from smashing into a rock and the resulting puncture wound on my nose bled enough so that my face was caked with blood when I got home. If I was ten years younger I probably would have been able to keep my face off the ground but now it’s time I get better protection.

 

[StuR]

Definitely full face DH type helmet when I intend to ride downhill trails , alpine jollies ,bike parks etc
Sounds obvious but seen plenty of people riding those trails in an XC lid
Currently using an Urge down o matic

I'm finding im using a vented full face more and more on my normal rides
The trails I normally ride on my doorstep in Forest of Dean are a combination of all sorts of Gnar and easyish access trails and typically I end up riding a combination of both . This type of helmet seemed more sensible

Using a Met Parachute at the mo

Extra protection for the rowdy bits , ventilation for the climbs .
I get a few strange looks when I end up on a link up family trails , but I really couldn't give a fudge
Also enables me to wear a scull cap or balaclava , for warmth in the winter , whilst looking less of a twat .
I'd have no hesitation riding trail centres or natural stuff like the Brecon Beacons using a vented full face , cos there are plenty of places to hurt myself there as well .
Tend to use my Half lid less and less , usually when I only intend to go for a bimble

 

[kombos]

I'm starting to wear my Bell 3R more over my open face TLD helmet. I find it to be just as comfortable and I feel more confident in it.

 

[steve_sordy]

I wear my Bell 3R without the chin piece (or was it the 2R when I bought it?) Anyway, I bought it as a trail helmet because I liked the robustness of it. I'm wearing it in my sig (look left).
I use a Met Parachute for the bike parks.

 

[apac]

Sorry, I just could never wear a helmet with the word Bell stamped on the front? , never mind how much protection it gave me. That sticker would off quicker than the tags.

 

[Mikerb]

ding dong

 

[MrSimmo]

Sorry, I just could never wear a helmet with the word Bell stamped on the front? , never mind how much protection it gave me. That sticker would off quicker than the tags.

I’ve got a Bell Super 2R and one of my funny fcker mates got a sticker saying “End” and stuck it on there ?

 

[apac]

I’ve got a Bell Super 2R and one of my funny fcker mates got a sticker saying “End” and stuck it on there ?

Exactly!

 

[Zimmerframe]

Sorry, I just could never wear a helmet with the word Bell stamped on the front? , never mind how much protection it gave me. That sticker would off quicker than the tags.

You could have a big sign on your wall with your rule :

"BELL" - Ends Here.

 

[apac]

You could have a big sign on your wall with your rule :

"BELL" - Ends Here.

Isn't there a place in England called Bell end?...... Bell End - Wikipedia

it actually acknowledges the slang term in the wiki description??? "The village shares its name with the British slang for the glans penis.[3]" << DO NOT CLICK THIS LINK

 

[Zimmerframe]

Isn't there a place in England called Bell end?...... Bell End - Wikipedia

At least that would have answered @kombos's question if he reads it all

Lets hope this thread doesn't turn into the "unfortunately named villages" thread

 

[apac]

Whatever you do , do not click on the glans penis link. Oh, it maybe too late if you are reading this.?