Peaked Helmet or not?

belter

Hi guys,
Beginner here who has never owned a helmet.

I have found a helmet that fits nice (read up about it and I think it fits as it should) but it is not the typical peaked mtb helmet.

Do the peaked mtb helmets offer any really significant advantages over the unpeaked road type ones? If they do I will continue my search.

How important is that peak?

Cheers

geordiefreerider

The unpeaked versions are normally found strapped to the head of a raving lunatic who lives in a ward, the peaked versions are found strapped to the heads of raving lunatics that ride mountain bikes. I hope this in depth analysis helps you out !!

BorisSpencer

You could always stick a little bit of velcro in the middle of the front, and make a couple of holes in the sides of the shell. Then it will look like your peak has snapped of in a heroic and manly off, that way tou can wear your comfy helmet without fear of being shunned by the more acceptable breed of cyclist.

hucking_fell

The peaks are only there to ensure you put the helmet on the right way round.

EDIT - If the sun bothers you wear a baseball cap under it. That way the little metal stud on top can puncture your head the first time you come off and headbutt a tree. Not that that's ever happened to me or anything :oops:

belter

lol



OBTW any sensible answers please?

supersonic

Women seem to prefer a nice smooth helmet, but I prefer mine peaked as the liquid rolls off better.

dave_hill

supersonic wrote:

Women seem to prefer a nice smooth helmet, but I prefer mine peaked as the liquid rolls off better.

Fnarr Fnarr!!!

Seriously though, off-road helmets tend to incorporate peaks because there's fewer issues with aerodynamics. But again, they all conform the same standards, so if it feels right and you're happy with it, does it really matter??

Cunobelin

Helmets should ideally be smooth and uniform. When you heiyt a surface they should slide along as the energy decreases. There is (disputed) evidence that peaks can catch on the ground in an "off" and transfer this energy to the wearer , this can cause rotational injuries to the neck and head.

There is also some (anecdotal) evidence of peaks causing facial injuries if they snap in a collision, although this is old and tends to be less of a problem with modern helmets. Having saisd that it is being replaced with injuries caused by the whole visor detaching as they have become less brittle and fixed.

geordiefreerider

A post on here a few weeks ago described a rider being a victim of a attempted robbery to steal his bike, the guy headbutted the would be robber with his helmet on and the peak split his face open - thats a good enough reason for me to have a peak, add to that my carbon knuckle gloves and they better be brave to take my bike !!

hucking_fell

I had a shot on a road bike and had to remove the visor off my helmet in order to see where I was going. With my head down and my ar$e up, roadie stylee, I was looking over the top of my specs too. Maybe that's why roadie helmets don't have peaks.

.blitz

Gotta have a peak so that everyone knows you're a hardcore mountain biker.

Thewaylander

I always have a peak, keeps the rain out ya face a bit in wales, and when there is a really steep hill, i can put my head down and the peak blocks the view of the nasty mean hill.

llamafarmer

I just think peaks look better. There's aero and visibility issues for roadies to consider, but for mtbing it's not a problem.

What helmet were you looking at? Sometimes they're on display in shops or on websites without the peak fitted, but there's one in the box.

nicklouse

it also helps keep branches away from your face. (Ok twigs attached to Branches).

zero303

Peakless but only because Madison sent me the roadie version by mistake when I claimed a crash replacement.

I actually quite like it, actually looks better (compared to the same in MTB version), besides makes people think I'm really fast and serious and awesome and they can keep thinking that

King Donut

From what I can gather it's all down to riding position. As Hucking Fell says a peak can restrict your view when riding in roadie position so they tend not to bother with them. I'll always wear a peak off road cos it keeps rain and sun out my eyes and i thikn they look miles better.

Whats the helmet?

Surf-Matt

Got a Spesh 2D on order - seems you are "allowed" to wear it with or without a peak. The Ionos was a peakless step too far for me - just too roady for my liking, despite being near enough helmet porn (tsk tsk).

Daz555

I prefer the look of my lid without the peak, plus I never really felt any real benefit by having it on (rain, sunshade etc).

Surf-Matt

There is a long straight piece of road on my morning ride - without my peaked visor I'd now be blind as the sun is almost directly in my eyes without it!

cat_with_no_tail

My Scott Fuga has one of those Magneto Peak thingys, so you can have peak on for MTB hardcore-ness, and peak off for Roadie shaved legged, bum in the air-ness (should you be that way inclined).

Only thing with that helmet is, my peak recently snapped after falling off a desk in the office onto a carpeted floor. Rung Scott who told me that a replacement peak would be a whopping 15 english squids. Needless to say, selotape till I got home, followed by Superglue FTW :P

papasmurf.

Helmets are for gayers..





:P

Durbat

My peak snapped orf the other day and I can't find a replacement cos the helmets been replaced with a newer model.
I like a peak for winter commuting on dark nights when car drivers just have to put full beam on to confirm there really is a cyclist on the road in the dark.

elPedro666

I seem to have 'lost' my peak, it just wasn't there when I got back to the car Tues night. Thinking back, I imagine it was while I was dropping four meters off the side of a cliff, head first through a gorse bush collecting a million tiny spikes that are now embedded all over my hands & fingers so that I can't touch anything without in in being agony!

Erm, point was I didn't notice it was missing for the rest of the ride so it can't be that big a deal.

*yes, four meters IS a cliff

pirwin1

I crashed the other week and lost the peak off my helmet in the process. Didn't notice until I got home though so it can't really have been doing much.

Unless I find it next time I pass where I crashed, I will be riding peakless from now on. I've already received some stick for it just when I told one of my mtb friends about losing it, wonder what they'll say when I go riding with them with no peak!

plasma_man

Peaked looks better, more hardcore. The rain runs off better, the sun doesn't get in your eyes and the flies keep out your eyes a little bit better. My Giro Xen peak can be moved
forward and back quite a lot, it doesn't slip either....I thought it was a bit gimmicky at forst but realise its actually quite usefull. On the fast flats through the forest, I have the peak as low as possible, keeps beasties out my eyes, on the slower bits, I lift it up to get a better FOV etc.

blister pus

helmet without a peak in the sun or rain is worthless to me.

elPedro666

How does the peak keep flies out of your eyes?! Are you thinking of a visor...?

I suppose it might stop those pesky, vertical dive-bomber flies...