Helmets With or Without Sun Visor
 

Hi Everyone

I know this may be a lame question, but I would appreciate some feedback. My current Bell helmet has a sun visor. I found a Giro helmet that fits snug and is on sale at a deep discount. However, it does not come equiped with a sun visor.

For those of you who have used both over the years, do visors really block out sun and glare? Will I notice a difference without the visor? What are the pros and cons of visors?

Any opinions would be grealy welcomed.

Thanks

there are always sun glasses.

Helmets with visors are for aficionados :P

Please leave the visor off. Sunglasses work fine! Plus, if you can see the road with a visor on your helmet, you aren't aero enough!

Glasses, no visor

Living in an area where there is PLENTY of sun, I have given visors a try.

I've found that while riding any of my road bikes with hands on the hoods , a visor blocks my vision of the road ahead. Riding with hands on the drops is even worse. I have to crane my neck into an extremely uncomfortable position to see ahead. Or, slide the helmet back on my head, thus raising the visor so I can see. Not very good options.

On a mountain bike, with a more upright position, it's not an issue.

Definitely get a helmet with a visor. All pro rhode bikers use them. Don't be n00b.

Visors are for mountain bikes. I rarely see roadies using visors. You can buy a helmet with a visor (mountain bike helmet) and then take the visor off.

A visor makes a great parachute to slow you down.

Sunglasses don't block enough sun for me. They just make me think it's darker until my eyes adjust -- then it feels bright again.

I've got a Giro Xen (MTB helmet) that has a huge visor. It's almost enough to substitute for a baseball cap visor. If I wear it on the road bike, I have to hold my head up pretty far -- just a bit farther up than if I were trying to see through the lenses of my glasses.

I've also got an S-Works. Specialized sells the same helmet as road and MTB models with the only difference (that I can see, anyway) being that the MTB one is in a different color. Mine's matte black and came with a visor. It's a much smaller visor than what's on the Xen, and from my eyes, it doesn't block much more than the front edge of the helmet itself (I wear it down to my eyebrows). It also doesn't block any of the view through my glasses, so it practically doesn't obscure any useful parts of my vision. But, it's just enough to add some sun blockage.

In the case of the S-Works visor, I'll usually leave it on when it's sunny, then take it off as the sun goes down or when I'm in an area that's mostly shade. It's very easy to detach one-handed and stick in a jersey pocket. I also feel like the front of the helmet vents better without the visor.

I want a couple new helmets ... a green one and a titanium one ... and I'd like to try them with visors because I live in a part of the world with a lot of very strong sun in the summer, and a high number of incidences of skin cancer. I have ridden with a visor before, and it blocked my vision, but I'd like to try again.

I've also just picked up a new pair of sunglasses today (prescription) and have light white arm "warmers" to help protect me from the sun.

You should use a visor if it works for you. More importantly, if someone on BF asks you about it, just lie and say you ride visorless. Then you will still be cool.

I prefer w/o visor based on looks

Used a visor when I first started road cycling - but as flexibility was gained and I got lower, it had to go as I couldn't see the road anymore.

I never use a visor on the road because my head is so low that it would block my view. I sometimes put it on for mountain bike rides.

Cycling cap.

To distill, Most folks find a visor tends to block their vision on a road bike, but not in a more upright position on a MTB.

Hence, as a matter of style, they tend to look out of place when riding on the road.

So if it blocks your vision, or you care about how you to look to (some) others, don't ride with a visor on the road.

Install for MTB.

Remove for road.

took 15 posts to get here?

i always wear a cap

I wore a cap a few days ago to block the rain, but otherwise, they're just too warm for me during the summer. I'm also not sure if I like how the helmet fits when it has to ride on top of a cap.

the pearl izumi tech caps work fine (at least for me) in 90 degree weather when paired with a halo headband

The guy at the LBS told me pretty much what's already been said...road = no visor, mtn. = visor. He said the real benefit is when you're biking through the woods, you can use the visor to knock the small branches out of your way. It gives your face a little more protection. Really no need for the visor on the road b/c it's too small/high to really do anything to help with the sun unless you're riding around noon.

+1 to what everyone else has said. I'm new to road bikes and bought a helmet with a visor because it was cheap and just happened to be the most comfortable one at my LBS. I quickly realized that my view was obstructed, particularly in the drops. Depending on the kind of helmet you have, you can just pull out the visor as it attaches via tabs/inserts. Mine was a low-end Bell.

I thought this was the purpose of the visor. It had nothing to do with the sun.

Ding Ding Ding! We have a correct answer!