Full face helmet for trail riding?

.blitz

There were quite a few guys wearing FF lids on FtD yesterday, looking hardcore to the power of max and high-fiving one another after cleaning section 8

So I called into Swinnos, tried on some FF helmets and whaddya know they are light and comfortable and I could be tempted to wear one on all but the hottest days.

What do you think?

grumsta

I was wearing one for a while when my XC helmet got broken and I was waiting for my new one (Madison sent me the wrong size TWICE!). It wasn't too bad actually - I just took it off and carried it for the climbs.

I noticed it made breathing heavily a little harder, especially if you were moving slowly.

Def wouldn't choose to buy one specially for XC riding though.

Anonymous

not for XC,, I use a P pot for that... dont like the traditional cycle helmets, personal opinion though. user a fox transition 08 helmet. got a trace snowboarding helmet for the winter though, that's got ear muff things...toasty

cee

Definately on DH tracks, but general trailcentre stuff and midweek xc....no thanks.

I have seen folks on full carbon xc bikes rocking full face helmets and full body armour though....I always try to leave the top before them :roll:

Raymondavalon

Depends - not all trail rides are created equal.. if there's trees on either side of a signletrack trail a FF hemet can be a blessing if things go wrong.
I am an advocate of protection but you don't want to look like like Darth Vader when cycling along the firebreaks of the New Forest...

Banned!

i usually wear my ff when riding the gnarly stuff. actually, I always wear my ff unless its on my bars.

who cares what you look like? you'll look a lot worse if you crash without a lid on.

lawman

i wear a ff for gnarly stuff like cwncarn, snowdon, but tbh ive gone back to my giro xen and i have to admit im seriously wondering why i perhaps "wasted" 80 quid on my 661 im lookin at the bern baker as replacement for my ff, id look in to them, they're like a pisspot with a peak

dave_hill

I have a full face lid, but it's reserved for the Lee Quarries and Stainburns of this world. It's just too hot for general use. But for gravity assisted/rocky/hooning about in old quarries, then it's a given.

P-Jay

Hmmmmm, a bit an "eye of the storm" issue for me. As a rule, no but:

I did the last few sections of Cwmcarn XC trail yesterday in a FF, full body armor, and on my DH bike (I was on an uplift day and fancied a go on the freeride track and it would be waste to ride the road back to the pick-up) and it wasn't the end of the world.

I'm riding in the technical cat next weekend on the Kona Mash-Up and will probably wear a FF as I only have to push on the downhill bits.

AND I used to wear a Met Parachute back-in-the-day.

But on everyday, run of the course, XC trails, nah the added protection wouldn't justify the extra heat and reduction in airway. I couldn't give a monkeys what people thought though.

Northwind

I've been really tempted by a specialized deviant- it's a full-facer but heavily vented, and folks do say it's not too brutally hot even in summer. But even my piss-pot is far too hot in summer, I couldn't ever see me wearing a regular full facer for most riding. You only need to look at the number of people at trail centres with a full facer strapped to their backs on the descents to see the problem, I'd sooner have a regular lid that I actually wear

bomberesque

meh ... no.

I have a DOT ff so there's no way in hell I would wear it on trails (actually, it's just too bloody hot full stop)

And I'm 40 and would look like a prick in one on a non DH trail / bike

elPedro666

So 'good idea, but too hot/restrictive to be practical'. I'll seventhish that! Bought a ff years ago as at the time I was getting into DH & dirt jumping but went back to XC and have never worn it, which is a shame, but my riding just doesn't allow it.

Almost on-topic, I also don't see p-pots being any use on trails (jumps, by all means) when the venting on a modern XC lid is so good you'd be mad to sweat buckets in anything else, surely?

joshtp

i can see why people do wear ff's for trail riding, but in my opinion its overkill, its like turning up at a go cart track in full fire suit and f1 style kit, you look like a bit of an idiot thats trying too hard. FF's are brilliant for DH, Freeride........ but for XC trail, and even AM, its major overkill. What winds me up is seeing people in full DH race kit on the clime at whites level, its stupid, not neccasary, even if you are going to do the black run.

gettricky

joshtp/mbukman wrote:

i can see why people do wear ff's for trail riding, but in my opinion its overkill, its like turning up at a go cart track in full fire suit and f1 style kit, you look like a bit of an idiot thats trying too hard. FF's are brilliant for DH, Freeride........ but for XC trail, and even AM, its major overkill. What winds me up is seeing people in full DH race kit on the clime at whites level, its stupid, not neccasary, even if you are going to do the black run.

I've just bought one for the alps, not used it on the bike yet.

Been considering wearing it in Wales just to get used to riding in it. But I'm a bit too vain to draw attention to myself. Its almost expected that you'll have to be doing giant air with tables tops to warrant wearing it

Kiwi Kranker

I think it will end up a lot like skiing and snowboarding lids and those who use them.

Some will wear FF some will not the perception of your own safety is up to you, if you ride faster, better or just enjoy your ride as you feel protected then I say wear it whenever and wherever you like (I would recommend not wearing it to the pub though...makes a pint bloody hard to drink).

Totally up to you, when it comes to your head dont by ruled by what others think, be ruled by what you think...unless its not wearing a helmet ...then you should be ruled what other mtbers think

joshtp

gettricky wrote:

joshtp/mbukman wrote:

i can see why people do wear ff's for trail riding, but in my opinion its overkill, its like turning up at a go cart track in full fire suit and f1 style kit, you look like a bit of an idiot thats trying too hard. FF's are brilliant for DH, Freeride........ but for XC trail, and even AM, its major overkill. What winds me up is seeing people in full DH race kit on the clime at whites level, its stupid, not neccasary, even if you are going to do the black run.

I've just bought one for the alps, not used it on the bike yet.

Been considering wearing it in Wales just to get used to riding in it. But I'm a bit too vain to draw attention to myself. Its almost expected that you'll have to be doing giant air with tables tops to warrant wearing it

i'll be watching, i'll be watching. :twisted:

Banned!

i will say this again.

WHO CARES WHAT YOU LOOK LKE|!?!|

for all you guys know the guy in the FF could have been recovering from surgery or had his jaw broken or any damn thing. you want to act like little girls and snigger, then go ahead. who gives a toss what you think anyway?

paul.skibum

Bit much for most trail riding I'd say.

I had a full on slam into a tree a good few years back and wore a met parachute when I got back on bikes. Took the chin guard off after maybe 3-4 months of getting too hot and still wear the lid now (must replace it actually!)

I've ridden int he alps pletny of times and still hit the DH runs on my patriot with an ordninary lid but I dont go big even if I do go reasonably quick so maybe if you limit the air time you wouldnt need to bother either?

I know we used to giggle at the guys with big bikes and armour as we overtook them on hardtails and xc gear but thats bike guides with time on their hands for you.....

Northwind

paul.skibum wrote:

I know we used to giggle at the guys with big bikes and armour as we overtook them on hardtails and xc gear but thats bike guides with time on their hands for you.....

Heh, the implication being that slow nervous riders need armour less than more experience, skilled riders? Seems to me they're the ones that crash the most.

Banned!

nope, just another one of the yawnsome 'only hardtail riders can ride a bike properly' posts made by insecure imac customers.

Naveed

Can't believe but I have to agree with JC on this one - what a pointless post. :shock:

grumsta

I'm sure people laughed at me for going round XC routes in the Lakes in my full facer, but then I was wearing it because I had cracked my XC helmet by landing on my head after cocking up a jump in the Avalanche Enduro in Kielder.

So in fact I was wearing it because I am more core, not less. :P

People should wear whatever they feel most comfortable/confident in really.

joshtp

Jesus_Christ wrote:

nope, just another one of the yawnsome 'only hardtail riders can ride a bike properly' posts made by insecure imac customers.

just another one of those " i can wear a full face and body armour wile riding my DH bike on the local fireroad xc loop, if i want to" I think you are the insecure one, paranoied by all the 14 yearolds, like me, that overtake you on cheap hardtails

junglist_matty

Does anyone really care? I mean so what if some tosspot thinks you look like a right pr!ck wearing a FF lid on a trail centre? You may think just the same about them riding a 5k bike going 1mph but does it matter? No!

FFS, people worry too much about other people's opinions... Just go out and have fun, if that means inspiring confidence by wearing a FF lid then wear one - regardless of how fast, slow, big or small you ride.

marinman1

this seems a pointless question to me, if you feel a full face helmet will protect you then of course its the sensible thing to wear. twice recently i have f****d up my face in crashes, both times i thought "a full facer is overdoing it here" you dont need to be riding DH to faceplant on concrete or hit a tree.

zero303

I have seen folks on full carbon xc bikes rocking full face helmets and full body armour though....I always try to leave the top before them

I have found that 9 times out of 10 that does usually mean stop gassing and start the descent! It's normally a bunch of bankers from London down at Afan for the weekend...

That said, I know I ought to wear my knee pads a bit more often - a mate of mine (very capable rider) had a nasty one at the Wall on the graveyard section and was thrown down the side of the slope a fair way - was in a bit of a mess although epic respect for actually riding the trail back down before going off to Cardiff A&E to be stiched up!

paul.skibum

My comment yesterday was not supposed to annoy anyone - Whilst I was in Les Gets we had all sorts ride there - many were exceptional riders totally using every inch of there travel and flying down the DH courses and I agree some of the less experienced but giving it a go guys probably did need the FF helmets.

On a given day though either on my patriot or my hardtail I could give a lot of full sussers, full armour guys a run for their money - I wore a xc lid but arm ad leg pads. I didn't lauch the big jumps particularly but I'd clear the table tops and get air here and there.

I know my riding improved that summer so it didn't suprise me I could rip past guys on better bikes - if nothing else I knew the course way better so picked a better line. still didn't want a full face on though.

Mr Wu

Jesus_Christ wrote:

i will say this again.

WHO CARES WHAT YOU LOOK LKE|!?!|

for all you guys know the guy in the FF could have been recovering from surgery or had his jaw broken or any damn thing. you want to act like little girls and snigger, then go ahead. who gives a toss what you think anyway?

I have to say i totally agree with this, I wear a full face for XC and AM, main reason being i seem to come off alot and if im honest like to feel safe when i do so, i honestly (without sounding all horrible) could not give a flying fuk wether i "look right" or not, ill remind you of how much of a tw@t i look when your in next months MBR with half your face hanging off.

Nuff love.

mottles

Dont understand why anyone would care what they look like. Me and my friend where riding Afan monday and he came a cropper. He was very lucky not to break his jaw, needed a facial surgeon to sort him out.

If its the choice between keeping my jaw intact or worrying about what some randoms think about how I look I know what ill be choosing from now on

Tahoe_eNVy

any suggestions on best model FF and goggles for xc? what are some of you running?

joshtp

mottles
What do you think of the aggressor, iv had mine for a couple of weeks, and thinks its amazing, how long does it take the fork to bed in proporly, i want to know if its gonna get any better than its already awsome performance have you had the same problem as me, with the tst2 adjuster not working? any fixes? would like to know what other owners think of the bike!