Mountain Biking - Full Face Helmet

Hi guys,

Im concidering buying a full face helmet, I ride xc most of the time but my favorite trails are pretty aggressive. Sometimes I drop my saddle and throw on a pair of plat form peddles and hit the downhill track, but find myself holding back due to my xc safety gear not giving me much confidence through rock gardens and big jumps.

Should I invest in a full face helmet?

Any recomendations?

Can they be used for xc or are they too hot & heavy?

Thanks

I would buy some knee/shin guards before I bought a full face helmet

If you're hitting jumps, drops and such big enough to warrant it, yes, you might want to consider it. Plus what Taylor said about knee/shins for sure. A compromise that a lot of people use for aggro trail riding is a skate-lid-style helmet. More protection than an XC helmet (in theory anyway) and they still have some venting and an open face.

Oh, and yes, a full-face is hot and heavy for normal trail riding. If you want to tote your FF and guards along, you might want to check out the Dakine Nomad pack.

I always ride with a full face. I don't really feel like breaking my jaw or anyother part of my face because I didn't wear the proper helmet.

best piece of safety gear is knowing how to fall. Practice the tuck and role, it has served me well. I have a buddy that should wear a full face walking to the mall as well as riding an xc trail. Its your mug but i personaly would only wear one for the Kamikaze runs

I went for an XC ride in a full face. It was hilarious - twas a busy trail, and i was warming down after many a DH run. It was hot and uncomfortable. But i was teh coolest. I even put tape on the strap!

That Fox helmet sounds like your kind of bag. The flux? Or transition?

If your not falling, your doing something Wrong LOL.
If you feel you need the helment man, get it.
All it takes is one rock for you to bust your head.

If your not falling, your doing something Wrong LOL.
If you feel you need the helment man, get it.
All it takes is one rock for you to bust your head.

true but his question was full face or an open face helmet

Without soundin like a d*ck...I am expierianced and have learnt how to fall properly over the last 12 years (the hard way), I have a decent Giro xc helmet but I just think I might need something more, it will probably serve me more for my own courage than safety! I see some people on my local trails dressed like cyborg ninja's ( ill admit it they look pretty cool) but then i think some of them are all show when I see there none aggressive riding style!

You can't really put a price on safety. You may talk of learning how to fall the proper way, but that might not be enough.

FF helmets are heavier and hotter (I mean this as in they're hot for riding, and cool at the same time :p).

You could get something like a skater helmet, with back of the head coverage. I'm getting a Fox Flux. It's designed for XC (in terms of vents), but offers the back-of-the-head protection.

Those Fox Flux are pretty cool looking to, might be the perfect compromise...

try a specialized deviant full-face. may not be as strong as they come, but certainly light and very well ventilated.

My Deviant held up well when I had a big spill. I wasn't sure about the hard foam structure inside (instead of soft motorcycle-style padding) but like you said it helps make it light, and I do a lot more xc than downhill so it suits my needs.

I like the removable jaw piece idea, but who's going to pay 200$ for something so fugly

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=10718

I like the removable jaw piece idea, but who's going to pay 200$ for something so fugly

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=10718


I actually love the look of that helmet and am thinking of getting one! It's the first helmet with a removable face guard I've seen that looks like it will genuinely protect you when you need it to.

That was worth the bump.

But atleast you searched :|

A full face is cheaper than reconstructive surgery. I ride DH with one like everyone doing serious DH should.

True story - a riding friend of mine was considering a full face, made up his mind and bought a 661. First ride out with it on, lost control at speed, hit a tree and obliterated the "full face" part of the helmet. He was fine.
Hindsight is 20/20, but that was a good purchase on his part.

I got a Giro Remdy, not so hot in March. A friend of my wife’s went out on his own with regular helmet took a simple fall (broke his jaw and cell phone). Had to hike back ten miles holding his jaw. After that even thou I’m not the gnarliest rider I went full face.

Having a Full Face and a XC lid, it depends on the type of riding I'm doing. All mountain type, I'll use the xc helmet, more DH/freeride, I'm using the Full Face.