Half face or full face helmet

[JoeBlow]

I've only been mountain biking for about 3 months but in that time I have found that my abilities have improved and my aspirations more ambitious. I ride mostly at FOD but I have also visited Bike Park Wales and FlyUp417 near Gloucester as they are nearest to where I live. When I started I bought the cheapest helmet I could find, a Giro at £39.99. Now that I am considerably faster and beginning to take a bit of air time I am feeling more vulnerable and the surface at 417 looks particularly unforgiving. I want a new helmet, My question is should I go Enduro, full face or one of those convertibles like the Bell Super DH. I'm never going to be hardcore at my age and I don't want to look like "all the gear and no idea" but I do come across many riders, even less able than me, riding full face. Any advice welcome.

Alan

 

[R120]

Personally I would go with one of the new breed of Enduro full faces, such as the Fox Proframe or Troy Lee Stage. They are lighter than the convertible helmets, and extremely well ventilated.

Never worry about what other think, smashing your face in is no small matter. If I am ever riding stuff where I think I am going to be pushing myself, I will go with my full face.

 

[Zimmerframe]

In a similar situation I started with a cheap decathlon helmet. Had a nasty crash and ended up with bad concussion (which would have been a fractured skull without it), so bought a smiths with koroyd as I wanted some form of crumple zone as well as just impact protection - for the next time !!

I then had a really nasty fall at speed on wet rocks (when riding in stupidly bad weather) and in slow motion saw my entire lower face being obliterated, but fortunately I was getting better at falling and managed to turn and roll a bit and missed my face. As usual I was riding well beyond my abilities, but getting on the bike is beyond my abilities so it's inevitable really !

So from there I bought a full face to wear on wet/slippy days when I thought I was more likely to have a (bad) accident. I've actually only worn it once, it wasn't too hot and it kept my head dryer than it would have been in the rain. My riding seems to have improved slowly so less feel the need for the full face and the weathers too hot really now.

At the time I did wish I'd just bought a convertible one.

 

[MattyB]

+1 for the lightweight highly ventilated Enduro helmets like the Proframe - if you want extra protection without excessive weight or heat they should suit you well.

 

[Zimmerframe]

+1 for the lightweight highly ventilated Enduro helmets like the Proframe - if you want extra protection without excessive weight or heat they should suit you well.

Wish I'd taken a few moments to ask .. though I do like my forefront .

 

[miPbiP]

In 20 years riding I never wore a full face except for a few minutes during an uplift day at BikePark Wales.

Those few minutes ended abruptly with my head on the rocks and it paid for itself easily.

 

[Benson]

Bell Super 3R with detachable chin guard, best of both worlds. It’s light and very well ventilated.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Those few minutes ended abruptly with my head on the rocks and it paid for itself easily.

I'm not sure if we should be worried about the body part of your icon ???

and was that before or afterwards ?

 

[Dax]

I'm never going to be hardcore at my age and I don't want to look like "all the gear and no idea"

I'm surprised you still care what you look like at your age.

I wear a full face for all riding now, teeth are expensive. Fox proframe for anything where I have to pedal, troy lee d3 for downhill.

 

[Zimmerframe]

I'm surprised you still care what you look like at your age.

Crap ! I wanted to say something like that and held myself back because I'm a very serious person ..

 

[Pdoz]

The trouble with convertibles is you will remove the chinpiece when you think you don't need it. ( at least I do on my bell / my daughter does with her leatt ) . Crashing hurts just as much when you don't expect to crash.....

Having said that, I still appreciate the freedom of being able to make that choice - especially on really hot days.

Ps the leatt dbx 3 ventilates a lot better than the bell, and is the same weight as a non convertible fox proframe - IF they fit your head they are a nice lid

 

[CjP]

I used to ride with an open face and then things started getting quicker and more dangerous. Now I only ride with my enduro.
In saying that, it is cold here and once the heat comes back I may go back to the open face on the “softer” rides.
I do like the security of my enduro helmets. Nothing worse than smashing your face on rocks and trees!

 

[Evolution Stu]

Full face for me, with my bad looks and age I can’t take any more bloody chances!

2018 MET Parachute.

 

[JoeBlow]

To let you all know I've just ordered a Bell Super DH. If I don't get on with full face at least I've got a good alternative to drop back on. I wasn't keen on previous convertibles as they were not rated for downhill which seemed a little pointless to me. The Bell Super DH is.

Al

 

[Zimmerframe]

Bell Super DH

Cool ! I want one ! Let us know how you get on with it.

2018 MET Parachute.

I like the look of the full face helmets where you can also see the "full face" .. I suspect they're more acceptable to other people out in the world and you look less like some disguised masked crusader tearing up the forest. The only thing with the 2018 MET Parachute is it looks a bit like you have to inflate your head once it's in the helmet ? ;-)

 

[Pdoz]

To let you all know I've just ordered a Bell Super DH. If I don't get on with full face at least I've got a good alternative to drop back on. I wasn't keen on previous convertibles as they were not rated for downhill which seemed a little pointless to me. The Bell Super DH is.

Al

Unless you intend to race, the dh certification is questionable - it's based on the amount of deviation of the chin piece / the number of impacts it can withstand. I like to think of a chin piece like a crumple zone in a car - sacrificial protection for both my face AND neck.

 

[JonnyLevo34]

I go with the Bell Super DH and where the chin guard attached all the time. Even the steepest most technical climbs don't make me uncomfortable enough to want to take it off. I would try the Fox proframe again next time, it didn't feel comfortable when I tried the first generation ones.

 

[JoeBlow]

Unless you intend to race, the dh certification is questionable - it's based on the amount of deviation of the chin piece / the number of impacts it can withstand. I like to think of a chin piece like a crumple zone in a car - sacrificial protection for both my face AND neck.

That seems a strange thing to say. Surely it's a validation that the helmet will protect you better than a helmet that is not certified. Otherwise what's the point of certifying anything?

 

[steve_sordy]

Bell Super 3R with detachable chin guard, best of both worlds. It’s light and very well ventilated.

I have a Bell Super (see my signature pic) that I use just as a Trail helmet. It looks great and it works really well. It doesn't look like something's missing at all (like the old Met Parachute did). I didn't buy the chin guard to go with it because I already had the new Met Parachute (proper full face, not detachable chin guard). If the Bell Super fits you, and you want one helmet to do both duties, then I can recommend it.

 

[Pedro78]

To let you all know I've just ordered a Bell Super DH. If I don't get on with full face at least I've got a good alternative to drop back on. I wasn't keen on previous convertibles as they were not rated for downhill which seemed a little pointless to me. The Bell Super DH is.

Al

It's a great helmet..you won't be disappointed ?

 

[Pdoz]

That seems a strange thing to say. Surely it's a validation that the helmet will protect you better than a helmet that is not certified. Otherwise what's the point of certifying anything?

The dh certification is simply a line drawn in the sand by a sporting organization, they decided to set a standard based on chin piece deflection / number of impacts required for destruction. So if you want to race in dh events, you need to play by their rules/ decisions.

For the rest of us, we are free to do our own research then decide on the compromise between weight / ventilation / and the risk of a rigid chin-piece contributing to neck injury, or even head injury.

Unfortunately, the science just isn't there yet. We have lots of data related to motorbike ROAD accidents - nb full fave road helmets are now designed to slide , unlike our off road helmets.. We know irregularities such as go pro brackets / wireless communication devices double the risk of neck injury , so manufacturers responded by designing brackets that detached on impact. We also know anything that increases tangential impact increases both neck AND head injury risk. Hence mips etc.

What we don't know, is if an impact absorbing chin piece offers more or less protection from these tangential forces . We probably never will, because someone in the sport decided rigid was a good idea, so people will buy " dh certified" helmets rather than the ones the helmet manufacturers decided were a good design.

For what it's worth, I have a bell. It fits me well which is the only reason I bought it instead of the leatt which was lighter, offered better visibility and better ventilation. I don't race, so wasn't concerned about dh standards

 

[TommyBall]

Whatever you pay for an expensive helmet it's cheaper than getting your teeth replaced....

That was my mates thoughts and I bought the bell DH feller. It's pretty cozy. Wanted a pink one to go with my other pink bits but you can't win em all.

 

[sparkydirty]

I splurged on a Bell Super 3R, has the most ventilation Ive seen in the removable chin/face guard group. The chin bar also removes with no tools, 3 lock down latches for easy swap. Going to get winter use out of it snowboarding as well with a decent skullcap/balaclava.

 

[Akiwi]

I'm a bit late to the party, but I got the ALPINA King Carapax Helmet earlier this year for my heavier rides at Lake Garda.
I like that you can remove the chin guard, as I definitely don't always need it.
Ig I am riding with my wife for example, I don't do any hard core steep technical stuff, so it is nice to be able to remove it.
Also means the helmet fits better on my backpack. Also it is a lot easier to drink something without the chin guard. However, when I want to let my wheels roll on the steeps and technicals, I certainly feel more confident with the extra protection.

 

[55plusmxinsanity]

100% Trajecta did its job today, I was bombing one of my trails with a 20 drop-off and cross rutted the landing:

Lots of blood too

 

[steve_sordy]

I have broken every helmet I have ever owned, apart from the two I have now. I remind myself of that whenever it comes time to get a new one.

 

[MinusPrevious]

Bell Super 3R with detachable chin guard, best of both worlds. It’s light and very well ventilated.

Just bought the 3R based on this post & some internet research. Want to truly thank you fine Gents for helping me spend my quid

 

[StevoKickstart]

I have the Proframe; excellent and light. I don't even notice that I am wearing it
Face and teeth preservation is paramount for me!

 

[Paceman]

I have a Troy Lee D3 full-face I use for bike parks, and a Giro Switchback I use the rest of the time (it's convertible so chin guard on for rowdier stuff / colder weather, chin guard off for XC miles). Previously had a Bell Super 3R which also worked well.