Guys,

I am relativity new to the MTB world so be gentle. At the weekend I had an over the bar experience that I can’t say I was particularly fond of. Luckily I only cracked my bash hat and bruised my neck and shoulder a bit. I am still not sure how it happened, I can only see out of one eye which did not help, I was also surprised how quickly it all happened. What it did remind is how fragile you are at 43, I am sure I used to bounce a few years back. To make me feel a bit more secure and offer a bit more protection to my eye and face in general I am thinking of buying a Casco Viper helmet. Because of my sight and the effect of speed I am never going to be hurtling down the side of anything or breaking any XC records, I generally like plodding around the blue trails and woods etc.

The important question is, am I going to look a prat at places like Swinley etc with a full face helmet on?. I am often a bit too worried about what others think hence the question. Or should I just think sod them and get one and keep the looks in tact.
Cheers in advance,
Chris

I wouldn’t be too worried about what people think to be honest , You have your lively hood to think of . I’ve been at Glentress and some of my friends have mocked the full on stormtrooper look of people at the top of ‘Spooky’ , what they dont think about is that the guy may be self employed and he dosen’t want to hurt himself and need time off work with no income.
I wear knee pads and elbow pads these days as I have had a few injuries that could have been prevented in the past. Your right about not healing as quick as you used to though , I think we are all pretty bulletproof in our 20’s and there fore take more risks. If you were a full face it will probably inspire more confidence in your riding and may lead to less crashes in future.

crispy1970 – Member

The important question is, am I going to look a prat at places like Swinley etc with a full face helmet on?.

Perhaps- but really who cares? It is your face. Bit of eye protection is a good idea too, safety glasses or similiar, if you don’t already- keeps the mud out but also can protect from an unlucky impact (I put an ugly gouge in a lens of mine which might have been my eye instead…)

I draw the line when it starts to affect my ride- I wouldn’t wear a full on full face for trail riding, frinstance, done it occasionally and it’s not for me. Maybe the Viper is more suitable, don’t know.

I asked myself this very question the other day and I’m still not sure what the answer is. I don’t care about looks and how ott I look but I don’t see a full facer as practical. Just not breathable enough for me to wear at all times. I cant decide whether to get one and pick and chose when to wear it or wear and in between helmet at all times.

I can understand wanting to protect your eye from further abuse as my Oh also rides with only vision in one eye and I’m currently recovering a broken jaw with metal plates. Wear whatever makes you feel confident in your ride yet still allows you to have fun!

the casco is a bit desperate dan chin isn’t it…?

the met parachute is far more subtle, but offers similar protection

I regularly fall off and am older than you, but instinctivly my arms go out and I roll with it. Ive never ever chinned the ground in 25+ years.

I ride the Alps and do DH and generally try to jump/pump anything.

A normal XC lid is light and will give you some limited protection.

You will melt in a Full Face lid.

Sod what everyone else thinks do not be a sheep and tell yourself (or anyone that cares to mention your full facer that if you were as ugly as them then you probably would not bother either).

Chris, I’ve just got back from a weekend in CwnCarn and Afan.

I wore a Urge downmatic on the DH runs whilst the others were on normal trail lids, needless to say I came off hard (very hard) and landed headed first dragging half of CwnCarn with me.. had my goggles on as well which def helped.

Since my knee was shot to pieces I ended up on the freeride section and then on the trail (pointing downhill!) with the full face helmet. It was hot at times but honestly speaking couldn’t care less.

It also depends on hard you push the boundaries and you yourself know the risks you take or plan on taking, suit up for what you plan to do on the ride.

I wouldn’t worry about what anyone thought. Wear what ever you feel you need to.
I am 38 and fairly new to mtbing, crashed several times now, going over the bars a couple of times.
Both times through hitting patches of thick deep mud at high speed slowing me to a holt almost instantly catapulting me over the bars. And have got up laughing every time non the worse for wear.

Now I should imagine this is true of most crashes but then as another current thread shows you can find yourself quite seriously injured.

Amongst my list of previously broken bones all non mtb related the most serious was a fractured spine in a motorcycle accident. And so spinal damage through an mtb crash is the fear that lives at the back off my mind.

But then i have Broken an ankle playing football, so if wearing something will ease your fears and help you relax and enjoy your ride more what does it matter what anyone thinks.

Wouldn’t worry too much. There’s a guy round ours I see regularly using a Met Parachute to ride his road bike. Nobody stops and points and laughs at him.

cheers guys for the good advice.

As suggested I do wear glasses, I once had a fly in my good eye while riding and it was pretty spooky the lights going out.

The parachute looks better, or should I say less worse (if that make sense) but I don’t think they make them anymore. I have google’d them to death and can’t seem to find one. Anyone had any luck

try the spesh deviant and the threads been some discussion on FF for trail riding

I also joined in the thread on this the other, after having an unhealthy amount of dental work!

Like GolfChick, I was left equally unsure about my next move. I had kind of got over the ‘what will people think I look like’ bit (but only kind of!) but am still thinking I’ll fry on the general trail riding I do.

What size parachute were you after as winstanleys had a large left in stock the other day.

I am thinking of looking at the Spesh Deviant II and checking out its weight, etc. But do wish they hadn’t discontinued the MET though.

The important question is, am I going to look a prat at places like Swinley etc with a full face helmet on?

I wouldnt give a second thought to what the style police might think of you & get what you feel is right for you.

My 2c on the Casco as Ive had one. Its a good lid & you do feel more protected thats for sure. Its not particularly heavy or hot & its really quite easy to breathe in, though I would take the chin bar off for long climbs (but thats the work of about 30 seconds & it stuffs quite nicely into a Camebak. Overall I recommend it to those who are looking for a bit more protection than a normal xc style lid but dont want a regular full-face.

Christof on here was selling a parachute a month ago, not sure if he sold it or not, it was a large, he doesn’t have email in profile.

worth putting wanted advert up?

Because of my sight and the effect of speed I am never going to be hurtling down the side of anything or breaking any XC records

Alos a one eyed rider but far from the slwoest downhill..it heplps knowing a trail though to be fair
nothing to say on helmets beyond wear what you wish for the sake of safety. Like wearing pads it is your knees you are protecting so your choice

Yup, they have been discontinued by the looks of it.

I have a Casco viper and most of my pals do to!

They wear theirs all the time but I only put mine on in the Alps or similar.

I find them very comfortable, breezy, lightweight lids with just that bit more protection. Its not as constricting or as heavy as a “proper” full face lid, which is why I like it. You can hear whats going on around you still and your bonce doesn’t boil in them.

The chin guard comes off in seconds with no tools and the helmet is just as comfortable without the chin guard.

Id recommend one to anyone and if its what you feel you need then sod what others thing and get yourself one.

Who stocks Casco?

A quick google on my phone only had ‘out of stock’ from crc and tredz.

I have posted on this before but can’t find the thread now.

I have had Met Parachutes before, they are weak and I have shattered the chin guard twice, once causing me a fair injury…. I now have a Casco Viper which has taken a couple of blows and done a fine job… I have broken the tensioning system now so will be getting another.

I use mine for DH uplifts, the Alps including the Mega twice and when riding tech trails on my own which I do regularly, I even wear my pressure suit on these occassions.

People are welcome to poke fun at me but I am still riding after some pretty big offs and I am still devilishly handsome 😛

Well I was happy until I just read MBnut’s post, I had ordered the one from Winstanleys thanks to Normal man. I think they just look a bit better.

Mbnut, what was the impact like that shattered yours, did you use it for general plodding around trails or something a bit more than that.

It’s a shame Giro don’t do their chin guard helmet anymore. I think there is a definite space in the market for trail/enduro style helmets with a removable face part. but it has to be strong.

The Casco chin bit looks good. But the rest of the helmet doesnt suit (the back looks very Xc style and not in keeping with the front.

Something like the Giro Hex or the Bell Super Helmet would suit a face guard and give good protection to the back of your head.

GC – I was just going to send you a message asking how you were doing. Hope it’s healing okay.

The met was ok but I smashed one with a side impact that broke the side of the chin guard away and the next one went on a front impact and stuck some helmet in my neck…

The Casco has taken much more abuse and is still intact…

Probably best to look abroad for them, they are expensive but I like them though as mentioned a new design with better rear protection would be nice.

Never understood how the Met offered any additional protection. If you land on the chin piece it’s going to snap, and probably end up in your face.

I’ve seen that happen on a full face helmet and it’s not pretty. Always struck me as a marketing ploy with no real protection benefit. At least that Casco looks a bit more substantial.

Agree with the other,
Yes, you might look a pratt.
But who cares? Really? And does it matter?

I would perhaps put some effort into trying to work out what happened though. PPE should be your last line of defense. Not falling off is more desirable, but if you must fall off, not landing on your head should also be considered as an option. I know it sounds flippant, but knowing why you came off and how to fall are two things that will help you enjoy your riding a lot more.

If you want it, wear it.
Do you need it?
No, not until the moment you really really do.
As a piece of riding gear it makes an order of magnitude more sense than grown men squeezing into hot pants and tube tops to ride, but plenty do.

Crell – Member

Never understood how the Met offered any additional protection. If you land on the chin piece it’s going to snap, and probably end up in your face.

Nah, not always, I’ve seen some perform really well under hard blows. I don’t like the design much though- the “jawbone” sticks out an awfully long way for my taste, which means more leverage, and the retention doesn’t feel that good either so it can move around more.

I have a met parachute and I feel sure it saved my teeth in a face first fall from quite a height. The chin guard didn’t snap. My arm did though.

I ordered a casco viper recently online from velodrome shop (or something similar). Anyway, long story, but waste of time, they didn’t deliver got my money refunded. So if you find a decent supplier of a casco I’d be interested.

brooks cycles £125 deleiverd

Bike24 have them… expensive though as you order the helmet and chin guard seperately.

Having had a good 5 years service or more from my £41 Ebay purchase many years ago I can’t complain.

Cratoni Shakedown?

If you hate the chin piece you could always remove it.

You do realise that wearing a helmet actually makes it more likely that you’ll crash? Just wear a bandana and you’ll not only look like a pirate but you’ll be much safer too

😉

Crispy,
Did you search on this? There are lots of posts.

I have Specialised Deviant which I rate for comfortable AM. You wont be looking a prat in one of these (you dont want to worry about that..oh, wrong forum :-)) and it will be more robust than Cratoni or the Met designs.