Fifty Plus (50+) - Visors on Cycling Helmets?

I was wondering why you very rarely see a visor on Cyclist Helmet. It seems like only the Mountain Biker or the nerd uses a visor on their helmet. I was wondering if it is just personal preference or it hinders performance?

Try riding a road bike in the drops with a helmet visor, and you will have your answer.

^^^ding ding, winner!

Makes sense.....thanks!

I have a visor on my helmet. I do mainly ride a mountain bike, but do some charity rides on skinny tires. The visor has never been a problem for me in the drops. And I am old and stiff necked.

who needs a visor when they make those cute little flip-up brims on cycling caps.

Better to wear a cycling cap underneath the helmet, although my position is still too tilted-forward to be comfortable. I tend to look UP when I ride, due to my low position (even on the tops) cultivated over 40 years of racing, and even the small visor on a cycling cap blocks the view too much for me. But a lot of guys wear the cycling cap in the rain because it not only shelters the eyes from the driving rain, it protects the head from the cold wind coming in thru the vents, and if you do it right, you can tilt the peak upward.

In the winter, I wear a cycling cap backwards underneath the helmet. This helps keep water off the back of my neck, and it keeps my head a little warmer, even when it's raining and even though most caps are made of cotton.

The visors on helmets tend to be too big and just get in your way. They also have too much of a motocross look to them to my taste.

I find that Oakleys fit perfectly into the front of Bell helmets (the expensive ones, anyway). I usually insert my Oakleys upside-down when I'm riding at night, but in the rain, you can insert them right-side-up and they hang down over the front of the helmet and act somewhat like a visor.

Luis

The stupid things fall off after a few weeks and get lost.

Paul

mine has one and I like it. it does help keep the sun and pricipitation out of my eyes

Try riding a road bike in the drops with a helmet visor, and you will have your answer.

This ^^^^^

OP, I resemble (resent) that remark about only nerds have visors on their helmets! I have a visor on my helmet and I have no problem riding in the drops for miles... My bike may have a more relaxed geometry than a pure racing bike, so that may be one reason I feel comfortable in the drops. I also kinda have a long neck, so I'm sure this feature of my anatomy helps in this situation. I also keep my take-a-look mirror mounted on my visor like this:

http://i842.photobucket.com/albums/zz349/Ambush_photos/003.jpg

who needs a visor when they make those cute little flip-up brims on cycling caps.
+1, the Chipster is right on the money once again. Who's our daddy?:D

All 3 of my helmets have visors. Never notice a thing. Then again I'm used to dirt bike helmets with visors, so...

Nerd? If anything the ones without visors look nerdy to me.
Have fun riding into the sun...

Been wearing one the last 4 yrs while riding my hybrid or MTB on the road and MUPs w/o any problem whatsoever! I don't ride road bikes any more; would not wear a visor if I did. As a former road racer, a visor wouldn't meet my look-like-a-pro-road-racer-at-all-costs look.;) Nevertheless, as cool as today's helmets look (even the lower priced ones), compared to how they looked 25 yrs ago, I don't think that that little visor puts you into nerdom.

Try riding a road bike in the drops with a helmet visor, and you will have your answer.

Highly unfashionable as well.

I have one and even in the drops it doesn't bother me at all. This is one of those to each their own deals for me.

We bent riders love visors.

That should serve as a warning.

We bent riders love visors.

That should serve as a warning.

Warning? For being bent or having a visor?

All 3 of my helmets have visors. Never notice a thing. Then again I'm used to dirt bike helmets with visors, so...

Nerd? If anything the ones without visors look nerdy to me.
Have fun riding into the sun...

+1!

I have three helmets, one with and two without visor. I can't say that I can notice much difference at the top of my field of vision.

Now I guess I have to worry about looking like a nerd if I wear the helmet with the visor. :( How old do I have to be before it just makes me look like a crusty old dude with a lot of character?:50:

We bent riders love visors.

That should serve as a warning.

+1

I love my visors when on my bents. I have one old helmet without a visor and have accidentally taken it a couple of times when on my bents. Hated it. As to them falling off, my most frequently used helmet is 4 years old and the visor has never come off.

I have one and even in the drops it doesn't bother me at all. This is one of those to each their own deals for me.

+1

and a visor is pretty useful when riding in the rain.

Highly unfashionable as well.

This.

(Rule # 35 : http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/ )

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I'm thinking about getting one of these:

http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product.asp?pfid=2043

I commute east in the morning and west in the evening, read sun in eyes. Cycling caps are too warm in the summer. Thus I use a visor when commuting but no visor when recreational road or mountain biking.

The reason many mountain bikers use visors is because they are bothered by the quick light intensity changes when riding in the woods.

And when it does rain, the visor helps keep the rain off the glasses.

Haven't we gotten past this kind of 'stuff'?
Can't we 50+'ers accept that we all will use what ever works best for us as individuals?
We should be well past the whole; on a road bike, you have to use a road bike helmet(shoes, pedals, short, etc) BS.

Try riding a road bike in the drops with a helmet visor, and you will have your answer.

I've been riding a road bike in the drops while wearing a visored helmet for ~7 years. I have no idea what "answer" you're referring to.

"Rule #35 // No visors on the road.
Road helmets can be worn on mountain bikes, but never the other way around. If you want shade, see Rule #22."

That is all.

If anything the ones without visors look nerdy to me.
Have fun riding into the sun...

tee-hee!

I recently made a simple visor to mimic the small brin from cycling caps. It velcros into the helmet, and works fine. Doesn't catch the wind and pull on my helmet, it does shade my eyes a bit (bigger would shade more but also catch more wind) and I can removed it at will. I made it from one of those 99cent foam visors from Hobby Lobby.

Here in Florida, with the strong sun, I always use a visor and, frequently, wear one of those tennis visors under the helmet.

Once your neck muscles toughen up, looking ahead is no problem on the drops with the visors.

[Nerd? If anything the ones without visors look nerdy to me.
Have fun riding into the sun...QUOTE=Bob Ross;14089310]tee-hee![/QUOTE]

That is why sunglasses exist.

As a bent rider, I sit upright. I buy helmets with visors to keep the sun out of my eyes and cut down on sun exposure. Different strokes for different folks.

[Nerd? If anything the ones without visors look nerdy to me.
Have fun riding into the sun...QUOTE=Bob Ross;14089310]tee-hee!

That is why sunglasses exist.[/QUOTE]

I wear them too. What's best? To cut down the direct sun with a filter(sunglasses) or eliminate it altogether(visor) and cut down the rest of the light with sunglasses and have them for protection :)

The eye doctor in me says: Read the last sentence.

That is why sunglasses exist.

I wear them too. What's best? To cut down the direct sun with a filter(sunglasses) or eliminate it altogether(visor) and cut down the rest of the light with sunglasses and have them for protection :)

The eye doctor in me says: Read the last sentence.[/QUOTE]

Edit: OK, don't quite get how the 'quotes' got fouled up here; BBW didn't say "That is why sunglasses exist" ... that was my s.a. reply to Bob Ross's "Tee Hee" in response to BBW; below is my response to BBW's most recent ... oh, never mind -- my head hurts!

Eminently sensible; but I'm a slave to the mindless God of Fashion. Cheers!

I've had a visor on all of the helmets I have owned. Even with wrap-around glasses, I still have some problems with light getting in from the top of the glasses. The visors eliminate that problem for me. I ride the drops quite a bit and have never had an issue with the visor getting in the way of being able to see. In Florida, the bike caps are just too darn hot to wear under a helmet.

Highly unfashionable as well.

The fashion train I ride is coal fired!

Comfort beats fashion every time. I use the visor and wear polarizing sunglasses.

^^^^This, plus we need all the protection from glare to guard against developing cataracts.

Highly unfashionable as well.

To say nothing of being non-aerodynamic. Why, they probably cost a rider .01 mph. :D

Haven't we gotten past this kind of 'stuff'?
Can't we 50+'ers accept that we all will use what ever works best for us as individuals?
We should be well past the whole; on a road bike, you have to use a road bike helmet(shoes, pedals, short, etc) BS.
Accept? Never! Do what I tell you to.

Anyway, I think the best thing is to wear a cycling cap (I have two from Walz) and put your helmet over it. It's comfortable, stylish, and keeps the sun out of your eyes.

i ride a hybrid on bike paths.
my helmet has a visor.
i need it to keep the glare of my glasses.
it also aids in cooling my head by redirecting more air on to the top of my head.

I know the "Rules" state that if you need a visor, wear a cycling hat. But that's impractical, I sweat too much, and it's too hot in summer. (Okay - I'm kidding about the "rules" - I'll do a count some time to see how many rules I violate.)


I recently made a simple visor to mimic the small brin from cycling caps. It velcros into the helmet, and works fine. Doesn't catch the wind and pull on my helmet, it does shade my eyes a bit (bigger would shade more but also catch more wind) and I can removed it at will. I made it from one of those 99cent foam visors from Hobby Lobby.

Great idea!


...frequently, wear one of those tennis visors under the helmet.


I should look into that too.

It's not the cycling cap that is too hot...it's the damned helmet. The added advantage of a cycling cap under a helmet, if helmets are your thing, is that you bald folks don't get the funny tan lines on your noggin! ;)

My helmet has a visor. I like it. I keep my Take A Look Mirror attached to it. I wear a skullcap under my helmet, like the one below. I like it too.

244880

I used to use a visored helmet, but I had to lift my head to see, which caused me to change my riding position,which made my brooks saddle chafe, and it was harder to reach the downtube shifters, so no more Brooks or friction for me. All because of a visor :)

I wear my visored helmet backwards because I'm one of the cool kids.:lol:

When I bought my a new helmet (a Giro) it came with a visor, it looked kind of goofy and I took it off. So when I ride now the helmet goes on.... over the baseball cap with a BIG visor. Tim

I wear my visored helmet backwards because I'm one of the cool kids.:lol:
:lol:

I've always been careful not to ride wearing my pocket protrctor. I didn't realize that the visor would still define me as a nerd. If I remove it can
I regain my street cred?