Road Cycling - How can you tell if it is a road helmet

or a mountain helmet- what's the difference ?

A road helmet is typically smaller with more vents, but either helmet can be used for both purposes. Also, it says "road" or "mountain" on the box.

Typically, road helmets do not come with visors.

When I rip my visor off my helmet it transforms into a road helmet. When I duct tape it back on, it turns into a mountain bike helmet. It is a pretty sweet process if you ask me.

To tell you the truth, I don't really know. I assumed it was the visor thing.

I thought it was just the visor too. It kinda makes since really, the visor gets in the way visually on a road bike because your always leaning forward having to look up to see the road. Mountain bikers usually sit more upright and probably use the visor for protection.

Just a thought.
Dan.

Mtb'ers wear bmx or full face a lot now. Smash out plastics shell AND foamcore.

Mtb'ers wear bmx or full face a lot now. Smash out plastics shell AND foamcore.

It depends on what MTB discipline one's engaged in. I ride primarily cross-country and I wear a standard foam helmet (Giro E2). People doing lots of downhill, hucking, urban, skinnies and stunts are usually the ones sporting the full-face.

The visor argument is usually a moot point since many helmets have adjustable/removable visors. I think it has more to do with the vents as one poster has mentioned above. MTB helmets cool better at lower speeds but can get awefully noisy at higher speeds. That said, I wear a MTB helmet and use it for both road and offroad riding. I am however beginning to think that maybe I want to keep two helmets around. I find that sometimes my helmet hasn't had a good chance to dry out from the previous ride when I go to put it on. That's just a really nasty feeling.

I use my Specialized M1 for both on and of road riding. So to me it doesn't matter

I have heard that the vent positioning is different to compensate for the different rinding postures. I am not however a helmet designer so this is not fact.

"In Philsophical Fragments, Soren Kierkegaard inverted the Platonic pardigm, demonstrating that one cannot reason from essence toward existence; only from existence toward essence. Mountain bike helmets are, by way of their features, mountain bike helmets and not road helmets. So a mountain bike helmet is a mount bike helmet because it has a visor."

...Style Man, Bicycling July 2004 pg 42

I think too that one can wear the same helmet on road and offroad,
I was just afraid that I would be pulled over by the fashion police, but if everyone does it so I guess I have nothing to worry about.

I think too that one can wear the same helmet on road and offroad,
I was just afraid that I would be pulled over by the fashion police, but if everyone does it so I guess I have nothing to worry about.

Why care what others will think? The guy on the expensive Litespeed or De Rosa isn't going to return your wave anyway! Wear what you got or what is comfortable or what you like. My philosophy is if people don't like me for the way I am, scroooom.

The guy on the expensive Litespeed or De Rosa isn't going to return your wave anyway!

Ahhh... reverse-bigotry raises its ugly head...

Why care what others will think? The guy on the expensive Litespeed or De Rosa isn't going to return your wave anyway! Wear what you got or what is comfortable or what you like. My philosophy is if people don't like me for the way I am, scroooom.

Ahhh - I'll waive to you - I promise!

Why care what others will think? The guy on the expensive Litespeed or De Rosa isn't going to return your wave anyway! Wear what you got or what is comfortable or what you like. My philosophy is if people don't like me for the way I am, scroooom.

That's a very good point !!!

Ahhh... reverse-bigotry raises its ugly head...

When I am riding my bicycle I get waves from walkers, joggers, hybrid/mountain bike riders, but NEVER from other road riders. I don't know whats up with that.

I wear bmx because they are designed to take extream impact. They smash out like motorcycle etc. I ride quite fast, if it's designed to take concrete, it might work when I nail a tree headfirst.

It's...yellow, 40 band wavelenght florescent. Safety also. Ugly.

Pro-Tek make good lids, even skate lids will do. IMO.

Ahhh... reverse-bigotry raises its ugly head...

Nope. Personal experience.

It cracks me up that people get snobby about HELMETS, but I've witnessed it myself. Remember the early Bells? They were basically a lycra-covered 7-11 cooler you strapped to your head. We haven't come very far from that, it's mostly just cosmetics. I bet Giro makes 90% profit off their high-dollar lids (while laughing). There isn't any real wonder technology going on in there. At least not yet...I'm waiting for helmets that have true cooling systems built in.

It cracks me up that people get snobby about HELMETS, but I've witnessed it myself. Remember the early Bells? They were basically a lycra-covered 7-11 cooler you strapped to your head. We haven't come very far from that, it's mostly just cosmetics.

Don't I ever! This was me, circa 1990 with my then new MTB.

http://www.neebu.net/~khuon/images/cycling/bikes/Nishiki-Ariel.gif

If somebody´s trying to sell you a story that helmets are different then shop some where else . Expensive helmets have more vents / advertising , cheaper helmets have less of both - there are no cheap helmets , they all cost a fortune .

If you are wearing the helmet while on the road, it's a road helmet. If you are wearing it off-road, it's a mountain bike helmet. If you are wearing it in your car... you need help.

If you are wearing the helmet while on the road, it's a road helmet. If you are wearing it off-road, it's a mountain bike helmet. If you are wearing it in your car... you need help.


Nuff said