Advocacy & Safety - Are full-face helmets overkill for cycleing?

As my first opening post and thread to this forum, I have a question to ask. It will be spring soon in my area, and I am wanting to upgrade my helmet before my first ride for the year.

I have a regular bicyclist helmet. But I got recently interested in those full-face/Pit-Crew helmets. Would the full face and pit/crew helmets be practical for a casual rider?

If anyone has a full-face helmet, please share your opinions. :)

Yes, it's way overkill in most cases.

I wear a full face for downhill only stuff where I can ride a chairlift back to the top. Its simply not practical for riding a bicycle when you are exerting yourself as you will be sweating way too much. I guess if its cold enough outside it may work alright.

Not to thread hijack but kind of a similar question: How come we never see the pros in full leather motorcycle gear practicing their high speed descents and cornering?

Good point. I won't mind the sweating in return for safety. I was at my local bike shop earlier and I browsed their helmet section. IMO, the newest helmets that I saw there were so light and almost... frail looking. They did not look safe to me by much.

I wear one for commuting. It is a Giro Remedy, I will be getting a MET Parachute for the summer though. Although I did ride my Giro through a summer where it was hitting about 30-35 degrees C. Not too bad to be honest.

I prefer full face, as if / when I go down I can see my jaw / chin / cheek area coming into contact with the road and I'd rather have some protection there than none at all.

No, not when cycleing. But when cycling, that's a different story.

-Kurt

Just skip the helmet altogether. Nothing bad will happen.

Not unless you are doing the sort of cycling where you are likely to crash head-on into a wall or tree. The most frequent accidents, where helmets help, are low speed topples hitting the side of the head. Look for ease of adjustment of straps.

Good point. I won't mind the sweating in return for safety. I was at my local bike shop earlier and I browsed their helmet section. IMO, the newest helmets that I saw there were so light and almost... frail looking. They did not look safe to me by much.
Like conventional bicycle helmets, if looking and feeling safe is important to you, go for it.

Just skip the helmet altogether. Nothing bad will happen.

Plus it would interfere with my headphones

Not to thread hijack but kind of a similar question: How come we never see the pros in full leather motorcycle gear practicing their high speed descents and cornering?

Because the leather isn't aero enough? That's my guess -

The added weight would help gain speed if the aero drag was kept the same. Hmm... May be a market opportunity. ;)

I prefer full face, as if / when I go down I can see my jaw / chin / cheek area coming into contact with the road and I'd rather have some protection there than none at all.

141596
Chart showing percentage of damage to post-crash helmets studied

That chart is for motorcycles, but I wonder how much different a bicycle related one would look.

141596
Chart showing percentage of damage to post-crash helmets studied

That chart is for motorcycles, but I wonder how much different a bicycle related one would look.

Thanks for that, makes me feel better about looking stupid! But hey, I think car drivers look stupid sitting there in traffic jams!

I wear a full face helmet when the risks I'm taking call for it, i.e. downhilling drunk in dark, wet and/or icy conditions in close proximity to other drunk cyclists.

OTOH, for normal everyday commuting and riding around the city, I often completely forego any sort of helmet when the weather's nice these days.

Its overkill only if you want it to be. If you feel safer, and if that's what it takes for you to go and ride, who is anyone to argue?

Its overkill only if you want it to be. If you feel safer, and if that's what it takes for you to go and ride, who is anyone to argue?

No, no, no. You've got it all wrong. Road cycling helmets are by far the safest option for road cycling as that's what they were made for. Ask any roadie what type of head protection must be worn during road cycling and they'll tell you the same. Don't F with the status quo.

;)

We have a thread about this every few weeks

I find them comfortable for DH mountain biking general riding in weather below ~10C.

Often uncomfortable in warmer temps.

I'm not going to touch what helmet type, if any, is "overkill".

Good point. I won't mind the sweating in return for safety. I was at my local bike shop earlier and I browsed their helmet section. IMO, the newest helmets that I saw there were so light and almost... frail looking. They did not look safe to me by much.

Pretty much you do not sweat more, it just has no where to go and fogs up the visor. It not only makes you miserable, but in significantly increases the chance of an accident by impairing vision.

141596
Chart showing percentage of damage to post-crash helmets studied

That chart is for motorcycles, but I wonder how much different a bicycle related one would look.

Is that showing that there is more damage on the right-hand side?

Looks fairly evenly distributed between the left and right side. I just posted the pic to show nearly 35% of damage occurs in the, unprotected by traditional bicycle helmets, jaw area.

I don't commute in a full-face, though... I mean, come on.

I don't commute in a full-face, though... I mean, come on.

http://www.dropmachine.com/media/data/500/IMG_0511-XGA.jpg


There you go boyz... full face helmet, hi-viz colours, daytime running lights, grotesquely prominent corporate branding... and I'm on a friggen MUP.

http://www.dropmachine.com/media/data/500/IMG_0511-XGA.jpg




I didn't know there was a red Stig (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stig) who rode a bicycle...

That get-up looks toasty...

He was probably racing his team van. ;)

There you go boyz... full face helmet, hi-viz colours, daytime running lights, grotesquely prominent corporate branding... and I'm on a friggen MUP.

What lap time did the Stig do in that thing anyway?

-Kurt

What lap time did the Stig do in that thing anyway?

Irrelevant. I pinch-flatted on the speed-bump test.

Plus it would interfere with my headphones
OTOH full face helmets are perfect for the installation of stealth headphones in those jurisdictions where psycho cyclo nannies send uniformed agents to rob anyone who has the temerity to use theirs in public.

OTOH full face helmets are perfect for the installation of stealth headphones

Hypothetically speaking, I could install earphones behind the removable liner in my helmet so that I could just plug in the headset whenever I put my lid on (the wire could stay in my jacket) and have tunes ready to go, from my phone in my pocket, which would also allow me to do one-touch answer of incoming calls.


In fact, I think you can see the hypothetical microphone for my hypothetical heatset under my chin in that hypothetical picture of me.

I wear a full face for downhill only stuff where I can ride a chairlift back to the top. Its simply not practical for riding a bicycle when you are exerting yourself as you will be sweating way too much. I guess if its cold enough outside it may work alright.

Not to thread hijack but kind of a similar question: How come we never see the pros in full leather motorcycle gear practicing their high speed descents and cornering?

Ever tried those things on? They are heavy, limit flexibility, and you can get very hot in them, and thats on a motorcycle. Now imagine riding your bike and your body generating heat by working. You'll roast a live.

Coming from someone who wears a full face - you don't roast alive. If you are worried about that then get a MET Parachute.

Most responses against are from people who don't use them.

Wear what you feel comfortable in. I prefer full-face, some people don't. Try it out and see how you feel.

Thanks for the replies. If I want a full-face then I'd have to go look into a motorcycle shop instead. I'm wondering... how snug should the helmet be on the head? Should it be loose or a rather squeezing tight fit? :bike2:

Coming from someone who wears a full face - you don't roast alive. If you are worried about that then get a MET Parachute.

Most responses against are from people who don't use them.

Wear what you feel comfortable in. I prefer full-face, some people don't. Try it out and see how you feel.

From what i've heard the jaw-piece on the MET parachute is just window dressing. It will break off easily and is not as strong as a real FF helmet. If you want/need a serious FF helmet, get one, yes it is hot but oh well.

From what i've heard the jaw-piece on the MET parachute is just window dressing. It will break off easily and is not as strong as a real FF helmet. If you want/need a serious FF helmet, get one, yes it is hot but oh well.

True, however when I get one I am going to pad the mouth piece slightly, and am pretty sure it will give more protection than having nothing there!

Ever tried those things on? They are heavy, limit flexibility, and you can get very hot in them, and thats on a motorcycle. Now imagine riding your bike and your body generating heat by working. You'll roast a live.

Yeah, I never ride my motorcycle without full leathers - I think I have twice in my entire lifetime and it was for less than a mile each time.


How come we never see the pros in full leather motorcycle gear practicing their high speed descents and cornering?

I was talking about while descending so they wouldn't be putting out any effort. And just for practice, obviously it wouldn't be practical to wear them during a race.