Viewing 31 posts - 41 through 71 (of 71 total)
  • Are full face helmets becoming more mainstream?
  • ehrob
    Full Member

    Criticising people’s choice of protection is a total dick move. Why do people do this?

    FWIW I wear an open face and knee pads for pretty much everything in the UK.

    rocketman
    Free Member

    Have seen more around Cannock now the season’s started but still rare away from the tourist trails

    It’s an awkward decision really since so much of it is fairly undemanding climbing interspersed by occasional 10s of seconds of potential doom. Although a lot more people are incorporating Stile Cop where a FF makes absolute sense.

    Also an increasing number of people with two helmets, one strapped to their pack depending on where they are.

    nickc
    Full Member

    Criticising people’s choice of protection is a total dick move. Why do people do this?

    Isn’t it? I don’t know why people do it either, wear what you want

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    funkrodent
    Full Member

    Having lost one tooth and chipped others in an innocuous crash on relatively undemanding terrain, I can attest to the value of a FF. As mentioned in a previous post the old style FF helmets where/are heavy and restrict breathing too much to be a practical option for anything other than downhill.

    The new generation of “light” FF with detachable chinguards are a different beast. I bought the Bell Super 2R on the basis that I could run it with the chinguard in the pack, to be attached only when required. In truth, more often than not I couldn’t be arsed, but then found that in actual fact it is so easy to pedal, climb etc with the chinguard on that I don’t bother any more, I just ride it as a FF the whole time.

    As mentioned above I don’t get people who feel that it is some form of fashion choice. Same as with kneepads and elbow pads. I wear both. Why? Because I’ve fallen off without them and it hurts like hell. I’ve fallen off with them and it doesn’t. It’s a no brainer. Same with the new FFs. If you can wear one and be comfortable pedalling, climbing etc I don’t see why you wouldn’t. Given the choice I’d rather retain the rest of my teeth and as said above, it’s often crashes in the most innocuous areas that pan out the worst for you..

    surroundedbyhills
    Free Member

    I wear Shin/Knee pads on 97.5% of my rides, as a result of person experience, I insist my kids do too. The kids I coach, I also advise to wear them, some of them turn up in FF. A mate who is a dentist at a Childrens hospital, surprise surpise, always wears FF as does his son. I don’t judge anyone for their chosen level of protection. If they turn up with Velociraptors however, I shall point and laugh.

    ulysse
    Free Member

    I dunno if Mark 90’s remembers me smacking my mush on the handrail of a bridge crossing the Nene, and then losing a tooth in a saveloy on that evenings drinking sesh..
    £300 of your English earth pounds to have that badboy nailed back in, so I can well understand why that dentist and his lad ride FF

    blackmountainsrider
    Free Member

    i didn’t really answer the original question. I think they are becoming more mainstream, due to the improvements in weight etc. I wouldnt consider wearing any of my old ff helmets for an xc ride, but they were aall designed for dh use.

    cookeaa
    Full Member

    Criticising people’s choice of protection is a total dick move. Why do people do this?

    Oh please, they can file the appropriate “hurt feeling form” if the opinion of some interweb-nobody really matters to them…

    As other’s have already said, yes maybe the various storm troopers observed at the UK’s trail centres this weekend have circumstances which somehow dictate they need the ultimate level of facial protection… It’s their business and nobody’s going to tell them what to wear…

    FWIW I have taken my FF lid with me to places like Aston Hill, BPW, Cwmcarn, etc but much of the UK (including about 98% of Swinley) doesn’t really require it in my opinion, which should probably be disregarded…

    Don’t misunderstand, I’m not pointing and laughing at all FF users when I encounter them IRL.
    I’m a pleasant, affable chap whatever your attire, I’ll be nice, give you a tube if you have a flat and all the rest of it…
    I’ll just be quietly judging you in my head, that’s all… 😉

    DiscJockey
    Free Member

    After breaking my jaw about 6 weeks ago, I had no choice but buy a full-face if I wanted to keep riding off-road, as the risk of falling and breaking again has quite bad consequences. In it’s current state, it will take 6 months to heal properly.

    The Switchblade had just appeared on the market, so went with one of those. It felt slightly over-the-top at first, but I was just happy to be riding. Now I don’t feel too awkward wearing it, and if I see others in full-face riding up and down hill, they look ‘normal’ to me….so yes, perhaps things are changing…thanks to technological improvements to some degree.

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    I’m now the owner of a selection from my old 661 DH lid to a Met Parachute that didn’t quite fit right and now I have a very enduro fluro Giro Switchblade, I’m going to see how the switchblade goes down here in winter, the chin bar takes less than a minute to fit and wouldn’t go amiss on some of the trails around here. Our local new trails now include the EWS stages, mate went up to do the rocky one this weekend in his open faced lid and really didn’t like it so much rock out there.

    I’d probably take one out in places like the lakes too where the trails are some of the top end technical stuff and anything that involves a lift up.

    stevextc
    Free Member

    As other’s have already said, yes maybe the various storm troopers observed at the UK’s trail centres this weekend have circumstances which somehow dictate they need the ultimate level of facial protection… It’s their business and nobody’s going to tell them what to wear…

    FWIW I have taken my FF lid with me to places like Aston Hill, BPW, Cwmcarn, etc but much of the UK (including about 98% of Swinley) doesn’t really require it in my opinion, which should probably be disregarded…

    Don’t misunderstand, I’m not pointing and laughing at all FF users when I encounter them IRL.
    I’m a pleasant, affable chap whatever your attire, I’ll be nice, give you a tube if you have a flat and all the rest of it…
    I’ll just be quietly judging you in my head, that’s all…

    Thing is you don’t need a FF until that split second BEFORE your face smashes into something hard.

    Your face hitting a tree at 20-30 mph its irrelevant as to the technical grade of the trail…. and the reason you do might be completely out of your control like a wheel collapse or tyre…

    Last weekend I was cheerfully riding a non technical section (@Swinley) (only red as its joining 2 reds) following the kid and not paying attention and the font wheel just went into rut, OTB and head hits a tree… but not damaged (even helmet seems uncracked)

    Weirdly a twig managed to go between tyre and rim and a whole load of muck, pine needles and couldn’t get the damned thing to hold pressure but some nice bloke lent me a tube … (I’m sure he was quietly judging who goes out without a tube) … but I’ve ridden the same place well over 100 times..

    Gotta be a 100:1 chance that a twig would do what it did…

    If anything it’s the non technical where I’m going faster and not paying attention and trees to hit that perhaps a FF might be a good idea. Not that I’m going to buy one… but enough not to laugh if others are wearing one.

    Dan Atherton was just messing about on his jumps…

    Watty
    Full Member

    I’m with nickc, wear what you’re comfortable with. Out of interest, I’d like to hear from anyone who’s crashed wearing a full face lid and thought ‘thank **** I was wearing that’ and those that suffered nasty injuries despite wearing a FF. For balance you understand.

    blackmountainsrider
    Free Member

    Watty,

    many years ago, i knocked myself out on my dh bike. I the jaw protection was caved in. I couldnt eat properly for weeks, and had a stiff neck for a long time. I dread to think how bad it would have been without a full face. I should have learned from that

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    Out of interest, I’d like to hear from anyone who’s crashed wearing a full face lid and thought ‘thank **** I was wearing that’ and those that suffered nasty injuries despite wearing a FF. For balance you understand.

    Where do I start…
    plenty in DH they do a job, the design now means less of the downsides for the plus sides.

    eyestwice
    Free Member

    could be self employed

    This is a good point. I’m self employed and simply can’t afford to be injured for any length of time. If bubble wrap wasn’t so sweaty then I’d consider making a suit from it.

    Tom_W1987
    Free Member

    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.

    Joking right? Just tried one on. The chinbar is loads better vented than my Bell Super 2R and the top is at least as well vented as an A1.

    Cant say for sure until I ride in one – but it felt like it would be the best vented full facer on the market..

    Northwind
    Full Member

    Tom_W1987 – Member

    Joking right? Just tried one on. The chinbar is loads better vented than my Bell Super 2R and the top is at least as well vented as an A1.

    To be fair, I own buckets that are as well vented as an A1

    littlegirlbunny
    Free Member

    Interesting

    I was thinking it was the opposite. I rarely ever wear a full face now as spend so much time pedalling up on a 160 mm rather than pushing up with a DH bike even though riding the same trails. Full faces only really come out for us when we are either a) on a bus b) sessioning short sections or c) doing very long ups and then very rocky/tough descents

    There is always compromise in everything we do and I always make an assessment of whether I want to wear knee pads (most times), a full face (sometimes), gloves (not always), or body armour (never anymore, and I never wear a neck brace now either)

    I guess maybe there is so much cross over between the types of trail riding now that you are seeing cross over of protection. Does anyone even really consider whether they ride xc/dh/enduro, I’m betting not, I’m betting most times, there is a bit of everything in a ride. So those who used to ride DH all the time maybe see less full faces, and those who never went with the ‘bike big and push’ thing are moving toward the lightweight full faces as they ride those DH trails.

    Either way it’s cool – ultimately it’s surely up to the rider.

    Tom_W1987
    Free Member

    Opposite for me Bunny, came from more of a DH background – so used to full facers and pretty much happy to ride all day in one of the new enduro type designs.

    I find them brilliant, after years of breathing in my own carbon dioxide and burps.

    me1tdown
    Free Member

    I broke my jaw* a few years ago, it wasn’t very nice, and I don’t want to do it again! So that’s why I tend to wear my full face on any rides where it’s practical to do so.

    More generally, people are riding much more difficult/steep trails faster than they used to on bikes which are much more capable. I think that, on average, the risk as increased and it’s only logical that riders would want better protection.

    Also, proper full faces are much better/more vented/lighter. I’ll definitely be getting a fox proframe when I can afford it. The Met Parachute doesn’t fit me (too short, doesn’t cover my chin properly). I’m not really interested in convertible helmets without downhill certified chin bars.

    *fell off the road bike, it was a bit unlucky.

    crimsondynamo
    Free Member

    The judgemental thing is a two way street though.

    I’m sure I’m not alone in judging myself more harshly than i judge others. I smashed my knees up a couple of times before i eventually bought knee pads.

    For some reason i was happy to be technically inept and short on courage without wearing pads, but the moment armour was donned i felt that i would be upping the ante. i.e I would attract higher expections both internally from within myself, and externally to the outside world.

    Poopscoop
    Full Member

    They aren’t for me personally, or my mincing style of riding but if more people are wearing them I guess that has to be a good thing.

    moonsaballoon
    Full Member

    Bell super and a normal ixs lid here . Wear the super at races and inners and the normal lid everywhere else .
    When I bought the full face every time I went out in the normal lid I was very aware that if I had a big off and lost my teeth then I would feel even worse as my full face was sitting at home in the garage unused so there is part of me that thinks if you have spent the money you might as well wear it

    ulysse
    Free Member

    Watty – Member
    I’m with nickc, wear what you’re comfortable with. Out of interest, I’d like to hear from anyone who’s crashed wearing a full face lid and thought ‘thank **** I was wearing that’ and those that suffered nasty injuries despite wearing a FF. For balance you understand.

    Was riding the last bit of singletrack at Lee Quarry a few year back, a couple of kids on jump rigs sessioning the tabletops, one had a spectacular off, gravel rash right in the hole between his ff chin bar, a million to one chance.
    Anyhoo, we stopped him wobbling once it was clear the bleeding wasn’t bad, fixed his bike and my mate in front and me behind got him and his mates behind me, to ride down to his ‘Rents waiting in the car park.
    Coulda been worse, thank God it wasn’t

    Think that was the day I landed hard on the Patriot on the skills section, and snapped the saddle

    eddiebaby
    Free Member

    Normal hat plus I bought a POC Cortex when Canyon were doing them silly cheap. I’ve worn it three times around the quarries on Portland where I scare myself and once elsewhere totally safe but it’s the only helmet that has a gopro mount.
    I felt silly. But safe as I couldn’t hear the sniggers.

    chiefgrooveguru
    Full Member

    The first time I wore my full face I almost broke my neck on GBU at FOD. I’m doubtful a normal helmet would have stayed in one piece after the first big hit and managed to protect me as I bounced down the hill.

    I only normally wear it for uplift days though I did wear it for a winter XC ride once to keep my ears warm! I’d wear it more in the winter if I could mount my helmet light on it.

    Regarding other protection, last year I had a nasty off an innocuous bit of singletrack and my knee left a dent in my hardtail’s top tube. That’ll teach me to not always wear knee pads!

    nealglover
    Free Member

    Joking right? Just tried one on.

    He said he’d tried one.

    Not “tried one on”

    I presumed he’d ridden in it, as I’ve never had a problem “catching breath” while stood in a shop.

    Tom_W1987
    Free Member

    It has a massive gaping hole all along the chinbar – I’m not sure you could make a chinbar on a helmet any more ventilated! 😀 Maybe with some 60mm pc intake fans 😀

    ChuckMorris
    Free Member

    I’m considering the Giro Switchblade for my next lid. The detachable chin guard looks like a great idea.

    singlespeedstu
    Full Member

    The switchblade is a nice lid but a little hot if your only moving slowly even without the chinbar.
    Great as an open face for techy trail where you want more protection but still be able to breath normally.

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    Chuck Morris – Member
    I’m considering the Giro Switchblade for my next lid.

    2 days of use so I’m obviously now an expert… try it with and without, it’s not that easy to get on and off for me with the chin bar on, fitting the chin bar means slotting 2 locating pins into the right holes, it’s easy to miss and you need to slightly squeeze the chinbar to get it in.. then in clicks into place.

    Wearing it feels like a good FF lid, but the vents and the MIPS keeps it cooler, the ear covers are not as bad as it seems. 1 dry day and 1 very wet day so far…

Viewing 31 posts - 41 through 71 (of 71 total)

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