full face helmet for commuting
 

Hello to evryone, what do you guys think of using full face helmets for commutng in town? pros and cons comapared to a normal helmet


best rrgards

Heavy, hot, uncomfortable, reduced vision, looking like a clown.

I think a motorcycle helmet would be too much, but a bike/skate helmet with a face shield might work. Hmmm...a clean, dry face after riding to work/school? I wouldn't mind that at all.

In the cold stuff I use a thin Balaclava and Visorgogs. Works for me. The visors keep my face warm, and fit over my eyeglasses with a wider field of vision. Besides, I like how the balaclava hides my face. And it gives the cagers the impression that its colder than hell outside, even tho us bikers know that its not that bad if your dressed for it. I commute in the cold everyday and I'm quite comfortable in it. To keep your visors/goggles or faceshield from fogging up. Rub a thin coat of shampoo or hand soap, then wipe off with a soft cloth(no paper towels) in a circular motion. Your welcome.

I meant a helmet like giro remedy or specialized deviant, I think those are for BMX or something, I think they would be safer in traffic and little warm for the winter, but I am not sure if can be too much and will look a litlle weird

like so? Great on the MTB in the winter... gets a bit hot in the hotter days of summer....feels pretty gosh darned safe though.

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/372/prymealblk0bp.jpg 980 grams.

This one has a built in air-filter:
http://craphound.com/images/breatheairhelmet.jpg

I was thinking of getting a BMX helmet for winter riding. Don't know if I'd wear it the rest of the year though. I noticed I have reduced periphial vision when I wear goggles.

Cons:
1. Heavy. Somewhat. There are some that weigh only a little more than a normal helmet: Casco Viper and MET Parachute. Unfortunately only sold in Europe, but thanks to the internets, can be bought here: chainreactioncycles.com.
2. Hot. Not necessarily. The Specialized Deviant is reportedly as cool as the Giro Xen due to the 21 vents. Of course the insulating properties can also be a pro in the winter.
3. Reduced vision. MTB'ers report most full face helmets not to be an issue (see reviews at mtbr.com), but of course something that protects your face probably does get in the way more.
4. Clownish. Yes, you may be ridiculed for wearing one, but mainly from the other cyclists you hang around. You shouldn't wear one if you don't take peer pressure well or you have a fragile ego.

Pros:
1. Obviously, better protection for the face as well as back of head and neck.
2. Keeps you warm during cold-weather riding.
3. Motorists may give you more respect on the road since you look more like a scooter/motorcycle.

No. I would rather ride without a helmet.

I've used a MET Parachute on my daily commute for the last 18 months and really like it. I bought it after a high-speed face plant the resulted in a $9000 dental bill (gotta love Toronto's streetcar tracks!). Unlike some of the BMX/DH helmets, this one is very light and not at all hot (it also offers less protection in the event of a crash). Neither have I had a problem with it obscuring my vision. It also converts to a normal helmet quite quickly (three screws). I had to order it in from the UK, and it is a bit pricey but I feel it is worth it.

Just ordered my Visorgogs :) Thank you! ;)

In winter?

Daily.

Send in the clownz.

Great, soon enough the do-gooders will be trying to force these things on us, in place of those little styrofoam beanies we have now.

If you are cold, wear a baclava, or skee mask.

I hear tin foil hats can prevent this, though.

+1

I ride on a 3 speed upright, not exactly setting a land speed record. The helmet I do wear is mainly because I've got a collection of concussions that have already resulted in epilepsy so it would be pretty dumb to tempt fate further. Any crash that would require more protection than the simple helmet (Bell Metro, if anyone cares) is going to involve me getting plowed by a crazy-@$$ Baltimore driver and I'll have enough other problems that a fancy/expensive helmet isn't going to save me.

I use a regular helmet, balaclava, ski goggles, and last-but-not-least; a bar-end mirror to compensate for the reduced peripheral vision.

The morning rides so far have been down to 5*F and that has worked very nicely.

And great answer ghettocruiser!!

Wouldn't a full face helmet restrict your peripheral vision too much? What about just a balaclava and a normal helmet like others have mentioned?

I tried that once and it took me a WEEK to get the crumbs out of my hair.

I caught that one, too. I just wasn't as quick on the draw as yourself.

That's hilarious! :D

Do what you feel is right for you!
 

I wore a full faced helmet with goggles last winter on all of the cold or rainy days. I used mirrored goggles from Oakley. Don't have them right in front of me but they are the double-lens ones that do not fog up...ever. Expensive. My eyes felt GREAT as my commute was 17 miles directly into the sunrise going to work, and 17 miles into the sunset on the way home. Beautiful lenses.

Look like a clown??? I was riding a freakin' Pugsley. Somehow, it just looked and felt right. Full faced does give one a feeling of security somehow. Took a few days to get used to the more limited vision but eventually no prob. A little heavy but you get used to it.

http://12.152.111.66/joeybike/full_faced_helmet001.jpg

I'd be glad if full-face helmets caught on. Those of you who use them could then join the ordinary helmet threads on Bikeforums. When the usual suspects start fantasizing about those of us who ride without helmets dying within a week-- because every third poster has had his "life saved", and usually more than once, by a bicycle helmet-- you all can imagine, luridly and pubicly, what the faceless-helmet crowd will look like with a jaw fractured in tweleve places, or no teeth, or cheek bones shattered like china. I'm looking forward to it!

I've been using this helmet for 2+ years for daily commutes.

Works great ! I would not use anything else.

But does it come with a light saber? :D

Most bicycle accidents without helmet lead to skull damages.
Most bicycle accidents with usual bike helmet avoid about 30% of the skull damages. (c.f. Swedish STRADA accident database).

No data on full-face bicycle riders is available since numbers are too low to reach to any statistically relevant conclusion.

It seems obvious, that full face helmet will reduce the skull damages caused when
the traditional bicycle helmet is pressed backwards.
It also seems reasonable that full face helmets will help avoiding mandibular damage (symphysis or tooth loss).
Risks on additional risk for spine damage has been reported since full face helmets weigh more than traditional bike helmets. Nevertheless, bicycle crash speeds are
comparatively low so this might not be even a measurable effect.

I commute 50km a day (round trip) and I always use a Bell Drop full face helmet. Before that I had a Bellistic.

Vision is not reduced too much, with a full face helmet, you will learn to turn around your head a bit more than you are used to. A potentially healty side effect is,
that car drivers realizing to be watched at tend to behave more careful.

Bell helmets are very well ventilated, they do not get too hot (outside temp up to 28C), nevertheless, the advantages are great in winter time. No need for
balaclava towers and other constructions - simply switch to a motorbike helmet when temperature is below -5C.

Using to do downhill, I simply put on my downhill gear at home before biking to the hills. Then I used the stuff for commuting and felt terribly
watched during the first weeks. Nevertheless, things settled down after a while and now i feel unprotected without the stuff.

So my recommendation: Simply use a full face helmet whenever you feel for it.