..Does everybody take them? Or do people just use their normal lid?

Just curious

Mixture. I've been several times and have just used my XC lid. Lots of people using full facers also.

Normal lid, it's just the same as the UK, it just goes on a bit longer…

I never get why folk ask about taking different kit there that they don't use in the UK, unless the riding they are planning on doing is similarly different (which would be bizarre to me).

full face.

the alps makes you go much, much faster. its also consistently significantly steeper and for longer.

if its so similar to UK riding… why are you bothering to go there?

If you can let me know where there are mountains in the UK that are as steep or as continous as the Alps then I'll be very happy. I don't think there are in most people's back yards.

It is steeper, you'll be doing more descending and you'll gather speed much, much more quickly than you will on your usual ride in the UK.

If you're riding all day XC epics then a full-face will be too much. If you're riding the lifts then get a full-facer, unless face surfing the trail won't spoil your holiday (or youthful good looks of course).

As others have sort of said, surely it depends what riding you're doing.

I took both last year and used an XC lid for the PPdS (and was glad I had) and a full-face for the rest of the week when we were almost riding almost entirely DH runs (and I was glad to have it on too).

I never get why folk ask about taking different kit there that they don't use in the UK, unless the riding they are planning on doing is similarly different (which would be bizarre to me).

Don't most people tend to do slightly more hardcore riding when they go out to the Alps – eg uplift, bigger drops, steeper, longer, faster descents? Kind of the point of going for a lot of people.

I took one and only wore it on the last day at Les Arc's- partly cause i had carted it there and i just felt like it.

Otherwise, Xen all the way every day. It was so bloody hot though i don't think i would take a FF again – it was a trade off of visibility through the gallons of sweat dripping into my eyes and keeping my gorgeous good looks safe or taking a risk on the buffness and having good visibility.

The GF loves the scarred look so the Xen won.

Full face – £50 – Much more protection.

I dont see why you wouldnt buy one unless you plan on just doing xc stuff.

I've been a couple of times now, the first time i went with a dh bike so took all the kit, last year i went and did similar riding but with a group of XC riders but just took my normal lid. Didn't ever feel that i needed the full face but having already put 30 stiches in my face from a face plant i've always got the idea in the back of my mind.

Keep balancing it with the 'accidents can happen at any time' rationalisation

if your just going for a pootle around then a normal helmet will be fine. if your going to push yourself (it's hard not to) then a full face.

just another excuse! i've heard more ' oh i'm not doing that jump/drop/run because i have the wrong helmet/pedals/pads' than i can count.

get yourself helmetted up, and get loose!

You're paying for a lift, so take the heavy, stronger helmet

Having wiped out numerous times in the alps, I was very glad of my stormtrooper outfit: crash, get up, laugh, carry on..

Why I ride the alps everyday. With a standard lid on 😉

Similar to ridung in the UK, if I'm just riding DH then Full face and armour, if I riding up a lot then not a FF. When in the Alps the availablitiy of lifts and big DH runs means I ride that way more than not, so the DH lid gets used more…

Why I ride the alps everyday. With a standard lid on

The chip on your shoulder probably helps prevent any serious injuries as well though Juan.

I have both and switch between them depending on which trails we're riding.

Flowing singletrack days, days with lots of pedalling – XC lid

Downhill tracks, steep/uber-technical trails, chairlifts only – FF

If guests coming on one of our holidays ask, I advise them to bring an XC lid for a cross-country epic trip or a backcountry week, either for a Classic Singletrack (lift-assisted) week and definitely a FF for a DH week.

Horses for courses!

i didn't the first time i went on a lift-assisted holiday. Smashed face up on 1st day, knocked unconcious, 2 days in hospital, ruined holiday.

I bought one the next time and made use of it on the first day, went over the bars and whacked the chin guard on a rock. Got up, carried on.

you don't generally do 10,000ft+ of descending every day for a week in the UK.

The chip on your shoulder probably helps prevent any serious injuries as well though Juan.

Nae, that is what heavy bikes are for they don't brake, therefore you don't fell off 😉

I wore one last year – I knew I'd be riding that bit harder, and to be honest the trails are not steeper/technical than many I've encountered in the UK (and just wear a lid for), but it's the length of the descents, and thus the combination of open speed, eye and arm fatigue, and proper big rocks, that made me weigh up the consequences in favour of a full face!

Plus it's more surface area to stick my sponsors on…..

DrP

Plus

you are riding all week and not just a sunday or weekend.

I as a guide mostly wear a xen, and a full facer with the DH FR boys.

I would like a casco helmet with removable chin guard though!

"that is what heavy bikes are for they don't brake"
Apart from meta 55s do break ..

I just haven't got round to buying one. If I was to buy one I'd buy the specialized one because it has XC type venting on the back of it. £100ish has put me off so far

Having only ever took a 5" FS (shod with 2.5" tyres) and knowing I'd be riding some uphills has something to do with it though

I never get why folk ask about taking different kit there that they don't use in the UK, unless the riding they are planning on doing is similarly different (which would be bizarre to me).

I took my full face because most of the stuff I did in the Alps was full-on DH and the rest was very fast-paced. In the UK those two enjoyable features are significantly rarer and shorter and much more time is spent riding up and along than down, so a non-FF is nicer to reduce heat buildup and matches the lower risk. If I'd ridden a lower/less speedy/more tame section of the alps I'd use a normal lid.

It basically comes down (oddly) to how much climbing you're doing for me. If its just a single climb then descent ride or uplift, then take the full face cos you don't need to keep taking it on and off as much. If you're going to be doing some proper up and down XC stuff then a full face is just a pain in the arse.

Full face helmets make more sense in the Alps because you'll climb for an hour or so, pad up then plummet back down so you can strap your helmet onto your pack for the climb then pad up at the top. Not many places you can do that in the UK.

i live here in austria and wouldnt think twice about not taking my fullface out. i would use the recreation type helmet for xc etc… but anything technical i would go for a ff. on the fact that your on a mountain riding in the middle of a trail and smacking my face in isnt on the high list of things if i come off.

i riding lake garda this summer and wouldnt think twice about taking it there.

also nordkettern also i take it every weekend when riding there also.

hmmmmm

ps thats not me by the way just google search for mtb crash crash

if im going on an xc holiday i take my xc bike and xc lid eg chamonix
if im going on a dh holiday eg the mega dh bike and dh lid pretty simple really

Thanks all for proving my point for me.

I think the reason they ask is because they're not sure what % of what type of riding will be available, so they're trying to gauge what the general opinion is.

Apart from meta 55s do break ..

Ermmm I have yet to see one breaking… I mean really see one. Not a mate of a mate has a driver who know someone… You know what I mean.
But al does have a point…

ive seen one break, well me and mate were in the peaks

he texted when he got home saying he found a crack in the shock mount when cleaning

Apart from meta 55s do break ..

Ermmm I have yet to see one breaking… I mean really see one. Not a mate of a mate has a driver who know someone… You know what I mean.
But al does have a point…

I've nothing against the Meta but surely this is old news now. Yes they did (08's & 09's) break. I personally know three Meta 5 owners who have had their 08's and 09's replaced with 2010 models in the last few months.

There are plenty of people who live out here who don't even own a full face. I have one – but it's rarely used…

if you're going to hammer the downhill tracks then sure, use one. but if you're just riding XC with the use of the lifts, then I don't see the point.

So, this all now begs the question about when "just riding XC" becomes "DH". Someone mentioned Chamonix as a non-FF venue, but Chamonix XC can be completely mental.

I'm currently planning a 3 week trip to a variety of Alpine locations, and a variety of riding, I wasnt really intending on categorising every riding day in to XC / DH / FR and god know what other marketing category. Damn, more work to do!

the answer is simple.

If you fall off and break your chin, you needed a full face.
If you don't fall off and break your chin, you are ok with an xc lid.

do you feel lucky, punk, or are you confident in your own ability?

I've ridden a week with an XC lid and two-weeks with a full-facer. I felt more comfortable/safer with the full-facer.

didn't come off but saw a mate go face down which convinced me to buy a full-facer. In fact three of us bought one that lunchtime.

This topic is completely pointless. It's personal preference. Decide the risks/payoffs yourself. If you don't fall off then any/no helmet is fine. If you do then a full face is almost certainly better (as long as it's not too heavy)

This topic is completely pointless. It's personal preference

s'true, altho the same could be said for virtually every thread on this forum.

I meant in a way that no one else's opinion can be truly helpful as the downsides to a full face are entirely obvious and the value of one's own face/ knowledge of one's own succeptibility to crashing and personal. There's no absolute measure of pros/cons when safety is involved. It's just risk vs hinderance.
Tyres for example can have an absolute qualities such as grip, rolling resitance, sidewall vigour etc