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

[Rosemount]

If you run around calling everyone who makes different choices to yourself an "idiot" you have probably far bigger issues .

Practice what you preach Gary ...

 

[MrSimmo]

Seems like there's loads of FF questions this weekend ? ?

I wear a helmet with removable chin bar but find myself leaving the chin bar on more and more; mainly as speeds are increasing significantly. The time I don't wear one (yesterday for example), is the time that my body decides it wants to eject itself over the bars and into the nearby woodland.

I'm old enough not to care what people think anymore, but even so - my kids are wanting FF helmets as they think "they're cool" so maybe there is a FF trend coming!

 

[highpeakrider]

So another schoolboy question.

Elbow, knee and shin guards are great in winter as we wear trousers and jackets.
What happens in summer when it’s short sleeves and shorts?

 

[MrSimmo]

So another schoolboy question.

Elbow, knee and shin guards are great in winter as we wear trousers and jackets.
What happens in summer when it’s short sleeves and shorts?

Same for me - Elbow, Knee and Shin Guards; but with Shorts + Tshirt.

 

[Mteam]

Full face is reserved for uplift days only, if I'm doing any pedalling uphill (on ebike or normal bike) I just wear a normal xc lid , in this case a bell super R. I cant pedal up anything significant wearing a full face helmet, its too hot a sweaty and restricts breathing too much - even the newer very well ventilated full faces. Same goes for pads/body armour - its no fun pedalling uphill in that gear

For quick rides around the local raods and tame bridle ways I wont bother with any helmet.


Its personal choice though, if you want to wear full face and full body armour for a (in theory) gentle ride then go for it.

Not sure why some of the people above are attacking gary for his personal choices - sounds sensible enough to me.

 

[steve_sordy]

So another schoolboy question.

Elbow, knee and shin guards are great in winter as we wear trousers and jackets.
What happens in summer when it’s short sleeves and shorts?

"Thighflash" is not a good look! I wear 3/4 length trousers all year round. They have zip vents on the thighs and I don't find them too hot at all. You can get longer length sleeved tee shirts, but I don't bother. "Upper arm flash" doesn't seem to be a thing.

 

[steve_sordy]

Another thumbs up for the Met Parachute. It is very well vented, and its light too. The chin bar does not come off.

I don't wear it on my day to day trails, only if I'm going somewhere harder than my usual.

 

[Gary]

"Upper arm flash" doesn't seem to be a thing.

Maybe not but in it's absence you seem to have fully commited to "Chin flash"

 

[steve_sordy]

Maybe not but in it's absence you seem to have fully commited to "Chin flash"

No chin flash with my fetching silver-grey beard!

 

[Gary]

My point was .Your chin is visible below the chin guard mate. Potentially rendering it rather useless.
a pretty common mistake TBH

raising the peak and tilting the helmet forwards slightly will improve this design flaw but a better designed full face helmet would be a better choice

 

[steve_sordy]

My point was .Your chin is visible below the chin guard mate. Potentially rendering it rather useless.
a pretty common mistake TBH

raising the peak and tilting the helmet forwards slightly will improve this design flaw but a better designed full face helmet would be a better choice

Looks like I fitted it on incorrectly then. I will remember that for next time. It sure feels very solid and secure and protective.

I'm not certain as it's a several years old photo, but that bit of beard covered flesh between the strap and the chin piece might just be my throat bulging down because I had the strap too tight. My actual chin is higher up. The front part of my chin is slightly forward of my top lip.

 

[Gary]

It's a poor design.

 

[Zimmerframe]

It's a poor design.

I've been saying that about @steve_sordy 's head for years ..

 

[Banktramp]

You never go out with the intention of having an accident, but its good to know that riding harder on an ebike you are protected either way, I'm 40 did downhill timed events a few years back and think its a comfort thing. I've had some big offs this past few months and was glad I had a FFH on, doesn't matter what other people think, you have to do what you feel comfortable wearing.

 

[Slowroller]

I wear a Fox Proframe all the time except on the road, I like the additional coverage and see little downside over a half lid.

 

[Pdoz]

It's a poor design.

Gary, what type of injyry do you think Steve is likely to risk by exposing the sides of his double chin?


The last thing I'd be doing is trying to tilt that chin bar even further down . I guess I'm far more concerned about impact injuries to the fixed facial structures than the (mobile) jaw. Five point facial fractures result in this deeply disturbing gurgling noise as people choke on their faces. Then there is that sickening crunching sound as you pull the face forward to help them breath....

 

[Gary]

The last thing I'd be doing is trying to tilt that chin bar even further down .

I didn't mean just the chin bar. I meant the whole helmet just far enough down so the chin bar is actually covering his chin. But looking at it again you're right there's really not all that much more room for rotating it down further and the actual chin bar is a complete joke. It'd make more sense to just take the thing off and stick it in the nearest bin.
I totally agree with you about the coverage a full face helmet should have and that thing is a massive failure on that front

 

[Zimmerframe]

choke on their faces.

There's nothing worse than choking on your feces.

 

[Gary]

someone elses?

Debatable I suppose

 

[Rahr85]

I wear a Fox Proframe all the time except on the road, I like the additional coverage and see little downside over a half lid.

Ditto. Unless it is very warm i've found it suprisingly comfortable to wear and personally i feel a lot safer with it on. The added benefit being since buying it i have been to some parks that require a full face.

Initially i was put off by the cost but the wife made a very compelling argument in terms of the cost which it is potentially avoiding.

 

[HORSPWR]

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 they are for the young that go downhill very fast.

Now at 60 , retired and riding alot I've started the question this.
The driver really was the move to my Whyte 160, and I keep thinking I’m riding a lot faster, not really rough stuff, just the standard Peak District stuff, no bike parks.

I don’t have a habit of putting myself in silly situations, having a bad back and missing disc I try and keep myself safe.

But as winter comes in and I blast down lanes and roads at 30mph plus I keep questioning doing it in an open face with no chin or cheek protection.

I fully understand it’s a personal thing, but do wonder what risk I’m taking, what would the benefit be, what is the downside, would I get extra protection from the howling wind and rain.

What does the EMBT collective think about using full face for aggressive cross country?
I wonder what percent of the people on here use one, especially us over 60 youngsters?

You don't have to be going fast to fracture you cheek bone, smash out your teeth and break your jaw but it depends on the level of risk your are prepared to take with an open face helmet.

Me, I use an open face and have had some cracker crashes, I'm just very lucky I didn't suffer any face damage. I did break my collarbone in April and put a massive dent in the back of my helmet and since then I have backed off the pace a fair bit, I reckon I'd go full face in the future though if I keep riding.

 

[leftside]

Bell Super DH every ride. Chin bar off for the climbs, chin bar on for the DH. I would have lost part of my chin and teeth without it this season. The helmet is a good compromise between protection vs air flow.

 

[Tim1023]

Initially i was put off by the cost but the wife made a very compelling argument in terms of the cost which it is potentially avoiding.

Nice to know that your wife wants your face to remain roughly how it is!

 

[Doomanic]

There’s a few folks on this thread saying a FF has saved their faces/jaws/teeth several times. Surely if you have a crash that bad you would replace the helmet after the first one???

 

[Pdoz]

There’s a few folks on this thread saying a FF has saved their faces/jaws/teeth several times. Surely if you have a crash that bad you would replace the helmet after the first one???

$300 of helmet tossed in the bin a few times works for me. I've thrown out $900 motorbike helmets that were only a couple of weeks old and been glad I was wearing something new.

PS I've seen $12,000 of dental work . My wife face planted a rock bush walking- 2 years of regular visits, dragging down what was left of the roots to her front teeth so implants could be inserted... FF helmets are cheap

 

[MrSimmo]

$300 of helmet tossed in the bin a few times works for me. I've thrown out $900 motorbike helmets that were only a couple of weeks old and been glad I was wearing something new.

PS I've seen $12,000 of dental work . My wife face planted a rock bush walking- 2 years of regular visits, dragging down what was left of the roots to her front teeth so implants could be inserted... FF helmets are cheap

Agree!

Some guy at Hindhead the other day was riding around with a jaw brace! Apparently he went down one of "the easy trails" which he'd ridden many times, hit a slippery root, arse over face, end result was his mouth was wired shut.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Nice to know that your wife wants your face to remain roughly how it is!

I think mine would take a similar view point - but only from the aspect of "Oh god, imagine if it was even worse ! "

 

[steve_sordy]

I didn't mean just the chin bar. I meant the whole helmet just far enough down so the chin bar is actually covering his chin. But looking at it again you're right there's really not all that much more room for rotating it down further and the actual chin bar is a complete joke. It'd make more sense to just take the thing off and stick it in the nearest bin.
I totally agree with you about the coverage a full face helmet should have and that thing is a massive failure on that front

The one I have is the 2017 version, here is a review by MBR who gave it 9/10. The helmet passes the ASTM international standard for full-face helmets.

MET Parachute helmet review - MBR

Reinvented for enduro racing, the MET Parachute is equally suitable for trips to the bike park as well as just about anywhere with challenging terrain.

www.mbr.co.uk

I don't do proper DH, and this helmet seemed a good purchase.

 

[steve_sordy]

Gary, what type of injyry do you think Steve is likely to risk by exposing the sides of his double chin?
...........

Err, I do not actually have a double chin. That slight bulge in the pic is a combination of my beard and that fact that the strap was too tight.

 

[JoeBlow]

Agree!

Some guy at Hindhead the other day was riding around with a jaw brace! Apparently he went down one of "the easy trails" which he'd ridden many times, hit a slippery root, arse over face, end result was his mouth was wired shut.

I've come off only a few times but in each instance it was on very easy ground. I once fell over and down a slope because the ground I put my foot on whilst inspecting the drop ahead was not ground at all but branches, gorse and moss and off I went down the slope leaving the bike on the trail.

I'm going to FOD tomorrow geared up a little more for winter than summer so I think I'll go FF as I can put the helmet on my pack and ride up the push up sans helmet. I have a Bell Super DH but I struggle to put the chin guard on with the helmet already on my head. Perhaps I need to practice this. Does anyone else have the same problem with this particular helmet?