Helmet peaks are dangerous…discuss

In my experience they usually end up rotating in a crash, often into the face causing cuts, grazes and poked out eyes.

Plus, what's the point of them? If it's sunny, I have my sunglasses on.

Your problem doesn't seem to be that you have a helmet peak, but that when you fall you decide to headbutt the floor instead of breaking your trajectory with your arms.

Agree with mr Agreeable 😉

Big rock for shoulder, peak on nose

Tracey

1 they do a good job of keeping the sun out of your eyes when you dont have your sunnies on.

2 They stop you looking like the human cannonball.

3 Your a roadie if you dont have one.

The point? Well, apart from rain deflection and sun shade, they can also act as a way of getting more air through your vents. Plus, they indicate that you are not a roadie.

As to them rotating? Tough one. The recent crashes I've seen have involved the peak merely popping off, as most manufacturers seem to have reaslised that this is a simple solution to that problem.

From the broken 'English' of your post I take it you have had both eyes poked out. Congratulations on your internet ability despite your evident disability.

Mr Agreeable – Member
Your problem doesn't seem to be that you have a helmet peak, but that when you fall you decide to headbutt the floor instead of breaking your trajectory with your arms.

I'm not sure that's a very agreeable thing to say. It's not actually happened to me personally, since I rarely headbutt the floor. But I've seen it happen to friends.

No idea I wear a bmx style skid lid or a full face so the problem doesn't affect me.

I rode into the back of a stationary lorry once thanks to mine. At least I didn't look like a roadie though……..

Mate fell off at the weekend. Hit his helmet (Hmmm) and the peak pinged off. He got more damage caused by the glasses he was wearing.

Never ever had any worries about the peak tbh

Well your post wasn't very "Glen" or very "H" but we'll let it slide. 🙂

How come your friends keep getting their eyes poked out by their helmet peaks? Are they Cyclops? Or Manga characters?

I've been riding with helmet peaks for about 18 or 19 years, still waiting for a horrible injury from them.

I've got a 2" scar across my forehead from a helmet peak rotation.

the helmet saved my head from significant trauma so I can't really complain.

I do try and wear peaks slightly higher up the hat now though.

I've had more than my fair share of "OHMYGODI'MGOINGDOWNHEADFIRSTAGAINARRGGGHHH!!!" crashes, including, ohh, 3-4 wrecked helmets. Never had the slightest problem with peaks though.

As far as I can tell, if the peak hurts you in a crash, it was a poor quality, ameteur crash with not anwhere near enough committment or lack of skill that would otherwise ping said peak off into the distance or shatter it completely, along with your helmet, in a proper fast, hard stack.
I suggest therefore, if that is your problem, to use more speed, less brakes, and less skill to crash harder, to avoid this happening.

Mountain biking comes with certain risks. Anyway, chicks dig scars, as evidenced by Tracey's big grin.

They may be dangerous in some cases, but more importantly, they are pointless, the sun hardly ever shines here, most muck comes from the tyres and not from above where the peak sits, and since a lot of MTBers ride on the road from time to time as well, why bother with it at all…

Nope, never had peak rotational problems in a crash.

Ive got scars everywhere from biking, as have the girls, all part of the fun

Tracey

As it seems to be in vogue on other recent threads, can I be the first to advise attending judo classes so that you can learn how to fall?

(Idlejon – 15 years of headbutting floors with no peak rotation and no judo classes either. Plenty of concussions though!)

Managed to head butt a grassy berm in a rather exciting off on Hagg farm last night, and absolutely no chance of getting my arms in the way first. Giro Xen peak pinged out of it's left slot. It didn't stab me though. I should try harder. Prior to that it was nicely keeping the heavy rain out of my eyes.

I'm more than certain my Giro Athlon's peak would pop off or come away before it rotated down onto the face.

Just because some Helmets have dangerous peaks, doesn't mean the peaks themselves are dangerous.

excuse the gormless expression, it's genetic, Met 5th Element peak damage just below pirate hat;

my whole forehead was blue the following day so I'm sure the hat more than did its job.

A question to all the people who reckon they've been injured by their helmet peaks – what would you have landed on instead? A soft fluffy pillow?

I had a head-on with a car. The peak embedded itself in windscreen of the car. No snapping off or rotating. Not had a peak since.

I think I've stated that the hat worked a treat.

The peak however, has left me with a permanent visible scar which feels like the result of poor design (not that I'm suing anyone).

wwaswas, I refuse to believe that a look that gormless can be wholly attributed to genetics. I rather suspect that you've been working on it.

They are so unsafe, World Cup downhillers signed a petition to keep them on their lids.

Maybe the though process was anything that adds to the risk in the event of a crash is an incentive to stay upright?

alright;

"gormless expression a result of; genetics plus 40 years of practice plus a severe blow to the head"

sadly, havign just looked in the mirror the latter appears to be only responsible for about 10% of the gormlessness.

They are so unsafe, World Cup downhillers signed a petition to keep them on their lids.

That means nothing. These must be the only people in any speed based sport to demand that they wear clothes that slow them down.

If they thought it looked cool, they'd have umbrellas bolted to their heads and parachutes floating out behind them.

My peak is held on by velcro. It falls off when I hit things.

I clearly remember years ago when I had a Troy Lee peak on my Bell Image helmet flying off over the handlebars, as I landed head & peak first my peak (attached by velcro) came off & I clearly remember as I was hitting the ground thinking….

so that's why they're attached by velcro.. my memory of events after that is a little more sketchy…

I fail to see how riders say a peak is useless if you're wearing sunnies. The peak shades your eyes making sunnies more effective, especially when the sun starts to get lower, when it starts to shine over the top of your shades. Also it helps keep some rain out of your eyes and off your glasses. Can't say about peaks rotating, I've only hit the ground once in twenty-odd years of riding in such a way that my helmet hit the ground and got marked, and that was the side of the peak on my Xen. Made my ears ring, but no other damage to my head or hat. Knee, yes, and Howies jacket, too. 🙁

Peaks are utterley pointless full stop. How do you think roadies survive without peaks? Just a fashion thing for those chained to the marketing mans will.. be a man (or woman) and burn your peak today! I haven't used one for 10 years and have never felt better!

How do you think roadies survive without peaks?

Speaking personally, by wearing my rapha tweed-effect cap under a peakless helmet. Not only does this shade my eyes, it makes me look particularly masculine. 😉

I think the falling off is more dangerous than the peak, in fact I generally feel the peak on my helmet is very very harmless when I'm not falling off. It's like stating that items in your backpack may stick in you when you fall off so keep you backpack empty, or your handlebars or chainring may gouge or stick in you when you fall off, so ride without them 😕

Speaking personally, by wearing my rapha tweed-effect cap under a peakless helmet. Not only does this shade my eyes, it makes me look particularly masculine.

I think the word you're looking for is '****t'.

Peaks and Rapha, don't do it kids!

cloth caps under helmets FFS! What is wrong with some people?! I bet you look a right miserable chump as well (sensu Lord Mandleson), the two seem to go hand in hand.

BigDummy – Member

Speaking personally, by wearing my rapha tweed-effect cap under a peakless helmet. Not only does this shade my eyes, it makes me look particularly masculine.

You are Jimmy Sommerville, and I claim my £5

Peak on all my E2s has just popped off harmlessly each time. As did the peak on my MET before that. I like peaks, shades my eyes from sun, rain, hail, sleet, branches … I even, shock, horror, wear one on the road quite a lot.

Even with sunnies on its nice to just be able to tilt your head a bit and cut even more sun out so you can see where you're going when its very bright.