Helmet Advice
 

I was just at a bike shop and happened to hear the sales person speaking with a customer. The sales person was telling the customer that they needed a different helmet for mtb than for road.
I ride both and I use the same helmet, which is my road helmet.
Is there a difference between them? other than the visor?
2nd question. Do you keep yours for longer than the 5 year recommended duration? Personally, I keep them for as long as they are in good condition, without putting a limit on them.

the padding dries out and doesn't provide the same amount of shock absorption. but mine are old :(

Mountain helmets are essentially road helmets with visors - - with the exception of the newer crop of rounded-profile "enduro"-styled helmets. Personally, I prefer the more rounded profile for all of the reasons cited by the BHSI.

As far as when to replace, BHSI agrees with you that - - with proper care - - they can last longer (http://www.helmets.org/workshop.pdf). But remind yourself that the EPS styrofoam in helmets is one of the least-stable of all the styros as far as exposure to the elements; so with minimal care, storage somewhere in direct sunlight, etc., YMMV and 3-5 is still a good rule of thumb.

Mine stay's inside the house in the A/C except when It's going with me to the single tracks.
If I land on my head real hard I replace it, I do crash and hit things so mine is kinda ugly after two or three years.
I just got a new one this past winter.

OP look for a little more coverage in the back.. like Mine: The Rally

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=442374

First Look: Bontrager Rally and Lithos all mountain helmets - Mtbr.com

Others,
Bell Stoker,

Or the Giro Feature below:
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=442375


FYI, My Visor is real handy when I loose a fight with a face slapper, I can drop my face and the visor shields my eyes.

If you like air time or rock gardens at speed or get the down hill bug go with a full face,, dental work is very spensive..

[QUOTE=osco53;17679233

FWI, My Visor is real handy when I loose a fight with a face slapper, I can drop my face and the visor shields my eyes.

If you like air time or rock gardens at speed or get the down hill bug go with a full face,, dental work is very spensive..[/QUOTE]

Lol. I live in Florida so hills are not much of an issue. My wife, like my mom before her, has the no face rule. Other injuries are ok but not to the face. Chicklets are never fun to pick up so I will value your advice.

Reaaally ????

Guess you haven't been on the Swamp trails yet,,,
Ridgeline at the Scrub ,, Balm Boyette ,, a full face would not be over kill there.
or at Alafia
Yeah try Roller coaster after the roller flow... The hills we have go down,, not up, but then ya gotta go up to get out :P

SWAMP Mountain Bike Club Trails in Florida
Check out some Video's and the park maps...

30+ mph down hill speeds happen on Ridgeline ...

The Scrub Is my home XD
,
,
,
Chicklets,,, LOL

I live in Jacksonville. We do not have those rides here. We would have to go down to Ocala to the more challenging trails. We have Penny Farms, Hannah Park and Ft. Clinch but they are not even close to what you are referring to. Lots of roots but not exactly hilly. I do not have the time to travel a few hours to get to the more challenging tracks. Perhaps when my 8 yr old gets older and more ready for those we will start hitting them again. Prior to having a family we would go to Moab once a year and to North Georgia. Those were always great trips. I can't wait until my son is ready for that type riding. Of course by that time, I will be to old frail.

To my knowledge, there's no big differences between a road bike helmet and mtn bike helmet, other than what others have said thus far (visor and "fit"). However, MIPS is a relatively new concept, so if you're looking for a new helmet anyway, you might want to consider one that has MIPS. I'm looking at the Smith Forefront, as just one example. It's pricey, but what a sweet looking helmet.

A others mentioned, road and mtb helmets are similar, but like FliesOnly1 said there are some new ones with MIPS technology, this helps reduce concussions. As someone who has suffered a few concussions, I don't want to minimize the risk as much as possible, so I bought a POC Trebec Race with MIPS, i really like it.