Over the course of the last two and a half decades of normal xc/trail mountainbiking, I have seen the increase in popularity of normal open face helmets (early/mid 90s), knee pads (c.2010) and in the past couple of years elbow pads are now pretty common.

Yesterday at Glentress there were loads of folk wearing full face helmets. I’m reasonably attuned to these things and I’d be confident they weren’t doing gnarly off-piste steepness.

Are full-facers gaining in popularity for xc/trail riding?

I’m starting to notice much more people riding in the peaks with the removal chin guard type helmets

Some people value their teeth and facial features more than others it seems.

Very trendy now obviously. Perceived image of being a hardcore moutain biker.

Blame enduro i reckon.

There is a guy in town who commutes wearing one on a BSO.

Threads about people wearing full face helmets seem to have become less mainstream recently.

Nice to see again as I miss the times when we had one every week.

Thing is, back in the day, a typical full facer was heavy, hot, expensive and claustrophobic to wear, so you didn’t unless you really needed too (ie doing DH)

Today, not only are Full facers a lot cheaper, but the modern enduro style ‘cross over’ helmets with detachable chin guards are wearable on all day XC rides, so people do!

The fullfaces have got a lot better for this sort of thing- my Urge was one of the most trail-worthy helmets when it came out but pedalling in it still sucked- but the newer Parachute and Proframe and the like, and especially the convertible ones, change that a lot. So people who would have liked to do it before but were put off by the practicality might now find it a more viable option.

I’m not sure it’s actually much more popular- there was a wee spell a while back when a lot of people were riding around with cheap 661s on their camelbaks, for maximum protection (I remember seeing a dude at kirroughtree, riding around mcmoab with no helmet on and a fullface on his back…) That seemed to die off a bit, on account of it was incredibly daft.

I was the victim of a hit and run about 7 years ago whilst on my bike.

I woke up in an MRI scanner, which was disconcerting to say the least.

I’d fractured the bottom rear of my skull and still suffer the effects to this day.

Three days ago I went to buy a new helmet. Deliberated for ages over the cost of a Super 3R.

Ultimately I came to the conclusion that no protection can possibly be enough protection. How can I value £200 on components over £200 on the safety of my head?

So full-face it was (with a removable chinguard). Rode Llandegla full-face in the heat on Saturday and it was surprisingly cool.

The new Fox full face enduro one looks the bollocks – think it will replace my DH lid as well my trail helmet – for all but pure xc duties.

Yeah, quite tempted to pick one of those up- I don’t really like fullface, I just wear it for dh and even then not always (riding up innerleithen doesn’t make the descent any different from bussing up after all) but I can see me using a Proframe or similar for a lot more- less downhilly uplifts like BPW, alpy trail riding.

Endurobrollie.

I have had a Bell Super 2r for abour 18 months when I first got it detached the chin guard for climbs but not long after stopped bothering to detach it because it didn’t bother me on the climbs. I’ve done a few ride in 30 degrees heat and it was still fine.

I’ve tried the MET Parachute, Bell Super 2r, Giro Switchblade and Fox Proframe. If I needed a new one tomorrow it would be the Fox.

I rocked up at a pub in Bakewell today wearing my Super 2r – had just done a DH section, so had the chin guard on. I probably looked a bit of a **** (nowt new there then). I looked more of a **** last summer though, when I fell off on an innocuous piece of trail, concussed myself and broke my jaw, on my own in the woods. I’d have been unscathed, had I been wearing it then

Saw 2 guys with fullfacers at Swinley today – why not? It is teh gnaaar!!

I’m amazed everyone else without got out alive.

I have seen a couple of people riding round town in them lately, they could have been en-route to do some radness at the BMX track I suppose…

And saw a couple of (IMO) unnecessary FF lids being worn at swinley on Saturday morning, again they could have been utter pinners…

But in answer to the OP’s question, no I don’t thinks they’re “mainstream” I think they’ve always been some people’s idea of “bonus risk compensation”… You’ll still look like a bit of a dick wearing one if the situation doesn’t really call for it…

Some people over-assess risk, then over-compensate accordingly…

You’ll still look like a bit of a dick wearing one if the situation doesn’t really call for it…

Where as I’m of the opinion that you should train at trail centres in the kit that you are going to race in….or at least hit good descents in.

The Fox seems to be so well ventilated, I don’t see why you wouldn’t ride in one for anything but gravel riding.

I must admit, I see the guys in the full facers at places like Swinley and think why? But then again face first into a tree at 30mph hurts just as much at Swinley as it does in the Alps.

Where as I’m of the opinion that you should train at trail centres in the kit that you are going to race in….or at least hit good descents in.

See I’m not sure we are quite talking about the same people here… Many of the riders I see trundling about in FF lids don’t look like they’re training for a season of #Enduro or DH racing… And they’re not wearing minimal FF lids with vents or removable chin guards, good old fashioned full fat DH lids…

But sure, if you are training for something Enduroey that needs you to be able to dance with heat stroke for several hours in lots of kit, including a FF lid, then that’s a fair enough reason I suppose…

Part of it is the re-designation of “XC” rides as “trail/enduro” rides, which means that wearing “enduro/DH” paraphernalia for them is fine.

Wear whatever. Here in Hong Kong the climate is far too disgustingly hot and sticky to be wearing or carrying much clobber for about 2/3rds of the year, so my full protective gear comes out only when I’ve got an uplift. The rest of the time it’s an XC lid only and not doing anything too daft.

🙂

See I’m not sure we are quite talking about the same people here… Many of the riders I see trundling about in FF lids don’t look like they’re training for a season of #Enduro or DH racing..

A very PC way of putting it. I’m guessing it’s a risk thing for a lot of these people. Watching some of them wobble around, i’d probably be head to toe in armour too.

Having tried the new Fox lid, it does ventilate well, better than my D3, but not even close to the A1, which is still hot anyway. No way i’d wear one unless I had to (or felt the need to).

And saw a couple of (IMO) unnecessary FF lids being worn at swinley on Saturday morning, again they could have been utter pinners…

Hmm, yep but I saw a bunch or two with no helmets at all Sunday as well as quite a few with FF.

Out of the two the ones without helmets seem to have the most restricted vision … or perhaps just a feeling on invulnerability.

In my experience those with FF helmets don’t push UP the more downhill or stop for a bit of a chat round a blind corner with their bikes across the trail.

A whole bunch of mostly no-helmet’s were on the “New trail feature” and one had an interesting riding style of putting the front brake on in front of the small drop-off … I have to presume he was planning a front flip /sarcasm (why else would you stick the brakes on before a drop off) but it didn’t work out and he hit a tree though he was lucky and didn’t hurt himself… then his buddies all (mainly without any helmets) stood around blocking the trail for 10 minutes whilst other riders had to come round the corner and stop ….

Perhaps they just wanted to stop my 7yr old showing them how trivial the new feature is???

Another bunch of “no helmeters” were pushing up the actual trail (not along side but the actual trail) on Red 25 … and me, the 7yr old and 3 “FF helmeters” had to wait … and even then you have no idea if they decided to suddenly stop in the middle round the blind bend..

Frankly I have no problem with people wearing FF helmets …. I don’t wear one but I don’t have any issues with 90% of those that do… whereas 90% of the “no helmet” crowd are just complete ass-hats who not only have no regard for THEIR safety but usually illustrate they have no regard for anyone elses either.

The met parachute is very well vented, I’ve worn mine for EWS tweedlove etc, get a bit sweaty but the extra protection is worth it imho
Certainly a world apart from my old gyro remedy
Not much sweatier than an A1

The Fox seems to be so well ventilated, I don’t see why you wouldn’t ride in one for anything but gravel riding.

I have tried one and I felt it was still pretty restrictive in terms of air flow and “catching breath” I only wear a full face on uplift days. I really struggle to catch a satisfying breath with any kind of restricted airflow and find them quite claustrophobic. The new fox looks great in the flesh, but for the money its not significantly different from other options.

it is in line with general safety trend isn’t it. See also ski/snowboard helmets, hand sanitiser and not letting kids climb trees

On the subject of full-facers being unneccessary and/or dickish, is that not exactly the same thing which held back other bits of armour from wider acceptance, but then a tipping point was reached and we all started wearing them?

I felt very sheepish when I first started rocking knee-pads for merely trail centre red/black type stuff. But now they’re ubiquitous. Then elbows followed. Will full face follow?

Awesome thread…. very STW this is turning out to be 🙂

We were at GT yesterday and while we saw a few nobbers (was it you all parked in a group blocking the exit, fast exit too, at the end of Hush Hush?), no FF’s.

But if you want/need to wear one, please do.

Spotted a few yesterday and have no problem with the choice of headgea. But the head scratcher was there were some that didn’t have knee or elbow pads. There’s a lot is going to interface with the ground before your face hits!

When does a ride warrent a FF?? When you land on your face? In my experience it could be anytime!

Offs don’t always happen when you’d expect and sometimes the ‘silly’ ones can be the worst.

OP said some didn’t look to be ridding ‘gnarly off piste’…don’t know about others but I ride sometime Blues can be just as dangerous…take Degla for example…the Blue is so so fast and you could as easily take a nasty tumble there at speed as you would anywhere else on the trail!

PS…don’t run one yet for Trail ridding but think I will some with me newer light weight breathable generation.

I have been to Thetford with a Full face before as I had no idea what the trails were like.

Their description of the Beast sounded pretty hardcore.

It was ok, I didn’t need the FF I wouldn’t wear it to a place like that.

I sometimes were a pie case to my local most of the time a Full face, my confidence and ability to walk away increase somewhat.

my kid wears one just for sitting on rocks

I generally wear my parachute if I’m out without Lewis but I’ll put my half shell on when I’m with him as I’m not going full endure.

The new fox helmet looks hot and although lewis has a super2R I wouldn’t trust the chin bar for myself.

Haters gonna hate subject, I think. I’m a huge fan of the (‘new’) Parachute.

My first took many hits in the Basque including a comedy scraping myself off my bike when I didn’t see the second low branch and stood back up. It got retired after that week, but certainly did its job. I didn’t find it overly sweaty or that it restricted breathing for climbing. It did complicate drinking from a camelbak but not impossibly. Drinking from a bottle or eating with it on were out obviously. I was fine strapping it on at the start of the morning and keeping it on til lunch, then again in the afternoon. I guess some people are just sweatier than others.

I’ve bought another and really have no problem wearing it as a general MTB lid around the Peaks. If I messed myself up badly, life would suddenly become very complicated, hence I take what I see as reasonable precaution. They are expensive in the UK.

I wear knee pads for most Trail riding esp if I don’t know the place but might dispense if I do know somewhere well and assess it as a low risk. I’m very lax about elbows, I don’t really like elbow pads tbh. I would wear a standard xc lid for commute/general riding etc, tootling along the Monsal trail or whatever in a FF would be silly!

howsyourdad1 – Member
it is in line with general safety trend isn’t it. See also ski/snowboard helmets, hand sanitiser and not letting kids climb trees

Does depend on your outlook and possibly job. I’m anal about hand sanitizer at work, but I work in a hospital. If I worked in an office I wouldn’t see the point.

crimsondynamo – Member

On the subject of full-facers being unneccessary and/or dickish, is that not exactly the same thing which held back other bits of armour from wider acceptance, but then a tipping point was reached and we all started wearing them?

I think it’s the same process but not necessarily the same outcome. With knee pads it seemed to be a mix of acceptance and practicality, just the same as fullface- there used to be few really practical all-day knee pads. But it’s been a really slow process that, people who’ve never worn them still think they’re chafey or restrict your pedalling (and people who decide to try knee pads often get suckered into buying minimal ones for the same reason).

@poah, is that Comrie’s perfect sitting-on-rock?

@poah, is that Comrie’s perfect sitting-on-rock?

yes it is.

I fell off on the black down twice within 30s only wearing a half shell. will teach me to abandon my child at the picnic area I suppose ha ha ha ha

So, I’ve had too many close calls. Three crashes in 2 years where I have been lucky not to do serious damage to my facw/ head all 3 still resulted in cuts to my face. I’m buying a new full face before I ride. The thing is I regularly ride trails where a lot of people are on dh bikes with ff helmets etc. I don’t think I’m going much slower on my 6 inch bike with an open face helmet either. Some of the trails we ride are far harder than the dh tracks at fod etc.

I’m currently of work with a cut up lip, chin and nose and a right hand an wrist that I can’t use at all.

I’ll wear whatever it takes to keep me safe from now on.

EDIT – I forgot to I add, I also don’t care whether others want to judge me either.

It’s all about your own risk assessment innit?.

I’m quite happy to wear open face helmet and minimalist pads (despite Northy opining on them on a daily basis but others have different experiences/opinions/priorities. I try not to judge the guy riding blue or red routes with FF and body armour, as I don’t know his situation. Could have health issues, could be self employed or could just fall off regularly.

Blaming enduro Nairnster? Get over yourself.

Offs don’t always happen when you’d expect and sometimes the ‘silly’ ones can be the worst

Cedric Gracia springs to mind, that has to be one of the worst things if seen, for such an innocuous Pootle with your mates ride

Warning, graphic femoral arterial injury content

https://m.pinkbike.com/news/Video-CGs-Bloody-Crash.html

I see more of them about around the Peak, and agree that they are becoming more mainstream. As noted, individuals make their own risk assessment and their is more choice nowadays for what to buy, which is a good thing. When I was first ridding around the Peak it was on a rigid bike, and if i wanted a full facer I would have probably needed motorbike helmet, and coming from this probably influences the fact I just wear a pretty standard xc lid. Outside of the more extremes of the sport one person’s xc is anothers trail shredding etc etc but if you are happy and comfortable in the gear you ride all is good to me.