I know I will get a lot of smart ass answers but just why do road helmets typically have no visor, mountain bike helmets do? Road riding is usually out in the sun, where a visor would have some value, and mountain biking is usually in the woods, where there isn't much sun. I know it goes back awhile too, in the mid 90s at least, mtb helmets had visors and road helmets didn't

Visor on mtb helmets are designed to get trees and such out of the way, not keep the sun out. If you notice many visors have holes in them, that doesn't make sense for sun.

Wear glasses.

+1

it's racer-influenced fashion, like most things roadie. even though most roadies are not racers.

anyway, when you're in the drops going fast, a properly fitted road helmet will sit low on your forehead but not so low as to block your vision. a visor would make you bend your neck too much.

but, for most riders who are more upright, a visor won't get in the way. wear what works for you.

first post is correct.

never thought of that

MTB visors aren't specifically for the sun so glasses make the most sense and if you want a visor just wear a cycling cap under your helmet.

I was expecting something along the lines of "visors look more woodsy" but everything said makes sense. I was out riding today and was just bored cause I was by myself and forgot music and got to thinking about it when I went by a trailhead with a bunch of mtb'ers loading up their bikes. I raced mtb for a really long time and always wore visors, without ever knowing why.

Yeah company line is that it's for branches and not for sun.

That make sense. It would be a lot harder to see in the drops or a very aero position if you had a visor...

Plus a visor isn't as aerodynamic.

Hm good question i couldnt say

In the blazing Arizona sun I keep the sun off my nose and cheeks by wearing a Headsweats cap that has a large sun visor and neck protection. The cap is made of the same fabric the jerseys are and help keep the head cool too. Sometimes a person gotta do what a person gotta do.

Some road helmets have or had visors. The do keep the sun off of your glasses, which improves contrast.

Wow I expected one or two smart ass answers. So how about this one, why are camelbaks so popular among mtb'rs but roadies hate them?
Or, why the difference in pedals and cleats?

Camelbacks are popular for mountain biking because it's hard to drink from a bottle if you're on a bumpy road or a downhill. They're not popular in road biking because it sucks to suck, and its easy enough to reach down and get a drink. Also if you're biking when it's really muddy, drinking from a water bottle can be gross sometimes because it gets so dirty.

There are different pedal and cleats because that's the way the economy works. Different company have different ideas and want to keep things different in order to get an advantage over their rivals.

It is important to be able to walk up trails mountain biking. This makes shoes with tread and a recessed cleat pretty much necessary. There is no such requirement for road biking.

:facepalm:

Whoops I thought he was talking about something else.

Mountain bike pedals are also designed to not get clogged up or have muti-sided entry. A good example is the Crank Brothers Eggbeaters.

Cycling cap under helmet. Problem solved.

Edit: Dammit, roadiejorge beat me to it.

They also help keep the rain out of your eyes/off your glasses.

Enjoyed the BF economics lesson.

I like the visor for riding in the dark. It's useful for blocking the glare of oncoming headlights when the car gets close. Also, it's a handy spot to mount a small light to use for reading a map, computer, etc.

(You must free your inner Fred, of course, for any of this to be meaningful)

My explanation is a bit different.

On a MTB, you're in and out of the woods, and you want to be able to see the detail in the trail. Roads, generally, are much more evenly lit.

Your eyeball works like the auto-iris in a video camera. If there's too much light, it closes. When it's dark, it opens.

The visor helps you to control the contrast between light and dark.

So to recap, evolution works.

I go with a cycling cap. I get all the bennies of a visor, plus it keeps the bugs out of my hair, helps to wick sweat, and prevents sunburn on my head.

I ride a mountain bike and a road bike (though not at the same time) and I don't bother removing my visor when I'm going to ride the road bike. My (diminishing!) potbelly currently precludes a very aerodynamic position anyway, so I don't have to worry about the visor blocking my vision. I do wear sunglasses, as well.

I still like using a hydration pack on the road bike, regardless of how it "looks," for a few reasons: it holds a good amount of water, I can stuff a freezer ice pack inside the bladder to keep the water cool, it holds my wallet and keys, food, and I can stuff some extra things in there if I need to (e.g. undies if I'm going to work; I wear a uniform so I don't need to bring normal clothing as well.) I've been using one for years on my mountain bike no matter what kind of riding I'm doing, and I just like it more than reaching down for a water bottle. Plus, I can't drop the hydration pack when I'm zipping along either.

+1 I've experienced this with a visor before, had to crane my neck a bit more to see forward because the visor was getting in the way.