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Visors on Cycling Helmets?

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Old 04-11-12, 12:25 PM
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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?
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Old 04-11-12, 12:27 PM
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Try riding a road bike in the drops with a helmet visor, and you will have your answer.
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Old 04-11-12, 12:29 PM
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^^^ding ding, winner!
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Old 04-11-12, 12:51 PM
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Makes sense.....thanks!
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Old 04-11-12, 01:00 PM
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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.
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Old 04-11-12, 01:16 PM
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who needs a visor when they make those cute little flip-up brims on cycling caps.
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Old 04-11-12, 01:21 PM
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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
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Old 04-11-12, 01:38 PM
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The stupid things fall off after a few weeks and get lost.

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Old 04-11-12, 01:42 PM
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mine has one and I like it. it does help keep the sun and pricipitation out of my eyes
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Old 04-11-12, 01:43 PM
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Originally Posted by Shimagnolo
Try riding a road bike in the drops with a helmet visor, and you will have your answer.
This ^^^^^
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Old 04-11-12, 01:53 PM
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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:

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Old 04-11-12, 02:00 PM
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Originally Posted by chipcom
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?
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Old 04-11-12, 02:12 PM
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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...

Last edited by bigbadwullf; 04-11-12 at 02:16 PM.
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Old 04-11-12, 02:29 PM
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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.
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Old 04-11-12, 02:42 PM
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Originally Posted by Shimagnolo
Try riding a road bike in the drops with a helmet visor, and you will have your answer.
Highly unfashionable as well.
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Old 04-11-12, 02:45 PM
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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.
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Old 04-11-12, 04:21 PM
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We bent riders love visors.

That should serve as a warning.
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Old 04-11-12, 04:25 PM
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Originally Posted by Dudelsack
We bent riders love visors.

That should serve as a warning.
Warning? For being bent or having a visor?
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Old 04-11-12, 09:00 PM
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Originally Posted by bigbadwullf
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!
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Old 04-11-12, 09:24 PM
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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?
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Old 04-11-12, 09:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Dudelsack
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.
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Old 04-11-12, 10:03 PM
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Originally Posted by jbman100
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.
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Old 04-11-12, 10:39 PM
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Originally Posted by billydonn
Highly unfashionable as well.
This.

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Old 04-11-12, 10:43 PM
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I'm thinking about getting one of these:

https://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product.asp?pfid=2043
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Old 04-11-12, 10:59 PM
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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.
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