Fort Bill Red Run- "Full face, or not full face...

neil_sheehan2000
neil_sheehan2000 Posts: 529
edited August 2009 in MTB general
...that is the question; whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or-"

Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, I'm sure this has been asked before but damned if I can find it with the search function on this site: going to Fort William in a couple of weeks to try the new red run- would you recommend a full facer?

My mate and I are currently debating it- neither of us has a full face helmet, neither of us has ridden the Fort Bill red route, but we both frequently do Black/Red at Glentress with just our normal lids. Obviously a full face helmet will protect you more, and won't get too hot at Fort William, where there's precious little climbing involved (oh Gondola, how do I love thee!). Thing is, is there much more at Fort William to hit your head off of? To be honest, I'd rather not spend the money.
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Comments

  • timthetinyhorse
    timthetinyhorse Posts: 163
    are you talking about the downhill or XC? if your talkin about downhill fullface is always recomended as it will be far harder than glentress..............
    I recon im the tinyest horse you will ever see
  • Dowse40
    Dowse40 Posts: 102
    which red are you talking about,the world champs? We rode that last year and I can't see where you would need a full face. You may also be surprised at how warm it can get in the west highlands. Think gulfstream.
  • Bungalow Bill
    Bungalow Bill Posts: 643
    Better safe than sorry though dude, I wear full face out here not because I think it warrants it but its gona sting a little if I do stack on the rocks. Its 30+ degrees when I ride so Ir gets hot in my lid but it's saved me once so I put up with it :)
    I use all 9 inches.

    Sabrina
  • neil_sheehan2000
    neil_sheehan2000 Posts: 529
    Sorry, I meant the new downhil red route.
    timthetinyhorse: are you talking about the downhill or XC? if your talkin about downhill fullface is always recomended as it will be far harder than glentress..............

    Seems to be one vote for full-face then. Damn.

    EDIT- make that 2 votes!
    Meta
  • docker0141
    docker0141 Posts: 605
    neil_sheehan2000 wrote:
    is there much more at Fort William to hit your head off of?
    yes!

    if you don't want to spend too much money then you can hire a helmet from off beat bikes at the gondola station for £12
  • lm_trek
    lm_trek Posts: 1,470
    I rode it a few weeks ago in a normal lid, 100mm travel full bouncer. I will admit nothing particularly scary on the route. Up on the trail it was about 30% bikers full face 70% normal xc lids.

    As a normal red route, its more technical and would say its a possibly lower grade black route rather than a red! ive said before on another forum, about 2/3rds down prepare to be disappointed as it just stops and its fireroad or the proper downhill down the rest of the way!

    I did wear knee pads, to be on the safe side!
  • cee
    cee Posts: 4,553
    me and the boys are having a weekend in the fort on 11th september....

    saturday will be uplift day (full face helmets)
    sunday will be a 10 under the ben day (normal trail lids.)

    The uplift day will be a mix between the WC DH track and the new red track....but I will not be changing helmets between runs. fact is, i won't even take off my body armour...
    Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I believe in the future of the human race.

    H.G. Wells.
  • Pete-C
    Pete-C Posts: 353
    cee wrote:
    The uplift day will be a mix between the WC DH track and the new red track....but I will not be changing helmets between runs. fact is, i won't even take off my body armour...
    +1, tbh i found parts of the red worse than the WC track. Wear one you wont regret it
    "Its all fun and games till someone gets hurt, then its hilarious"
    Pitch Comp
  • lochussie
    lochussie Posts: 276
    There are bits on the red dh that are harder and rockier than just about anything on the GT black. If I had a full facer I would wear it but wouldn't buy one just for it, esp if you are on a trail bike cause that will mean you can't go that fast on the gnarly bits. As I just explained on another post, there is more singletrack dh (not sure if it's officially the red route) below where it crosses the WC dh.
  • dave_hill
    dave_hill Posts: 3,877
    lochussie wrote:
    If I had a full facer I would wear it but wouldn't buy one just for it, esp if you are on a trail bike cause that will mean you can't go that fast on the gnarly bits.

    Just because you're not going fast doesn't mean that if you bail you may not end up ploughing a face furrow.

    Personally I'd wear one. But then I am remarkably good looking and want to stay that way.
    Give a home to a retired Greyhound. Tia Greyhound Rescue
    Help for Heroes
    JayPic
  • dave_hill
    dave_hill Posts: 3,877
    docker0141 wrote:
    if you don't want to spend too much money then you can hire a helmet from off beat bikes at the gondola station for £12

    That's a fail. Would you wear a hired helmet? Do you know what's happened to it?
    Give a home to a retired Greyhound. Tia Greyhound Rescue
    Help for Heroes
    JayPic
  • docker0141
    docker0141 Posts: 605
    dave_hill wrote:
    docker0141 wrote:
    if you don't want to spend too much money then you can hire a helmet from off beat bikes at the gondola station for £12

    That's a fail. Would you wear a hired helmet? Do you know what's happened to it?
    they wouldn't hire out a damaged helmet would they?
  • dave_hill
    dave_hill Posts: 3,877
    docker0141 wrote:
    they wouldn't hire out a damaged helmet would they?

    I don't know, would they?

    Just because you can't see any damage to a helmet doesn't mean that it hsn't been subjected to abuse - I wouldn't use a hired helmet if it came with a mattress wrapped round it.
    Give a home to a retired Greyhound. Tia Greyhound Rescue
    Help for Heroes
    JayPic
  • Yukon Lad
    Yukon Lad Posts: 423
    if you're getting the gondola then i would take a full-face as if you crash then it will give you much better protection and give you the confidence to go faster, but if you're cycling up then i would take a normal trail helmet

    Yukon Lad
    Drop, Berm, Jump, Sky, Sky, Sky, Sweet Beautiful Earth OUCH, OUCH,OUCH, ****! GORSE BUSH!!!

    Giant Yukon FX2
    Kona Stab Deluxe 2008
  • Joe_Pineapples
    Joe_Pineapples Posts: 1,718
    FF pretty much all the time nowadays. The Fox Flux (which is cheap sh*te) only comes out when I know I'll be taking it nice and easy.
    Saw the aftermath of a big spill last year and that was that for the open face for me.
    '16 Radon Swoop 210
    '15 Radon Slide 9.0 HD
    '05 Rock Lobster Team TIG S.L.
    Restless Natives
  • neil_sheehan2000
    neil_sheehan2000 Posts: 529
    Right, fine, I'll get a full face!

    grumble, grumble... stupid bloody expensive hobby... grumble...
    Meta
  • Joe_Pineapples
    Joe_Pineapples Posts: 1,718
    Just do as you're told, there's a good lad.
    '16 Radon Swoop 210
    '15 Radon Slide 9.0 HD
    '05 Rock Lobster Team TIG S.L.
    Restless Natives
  • docker0141
    docker0141 Posts: 605
    you wont regret it, better safe than sorry
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    neil_sheehan2000 wrote:
    Right, fine, I'll get a full face!

    grumble, grumble... stupid bloody expensive hobby... grumble...
    Don't just buy the cheapest or best looking one from the interweb either, make sure you get one that fits YOUR head properly, or it could prove less than useless.
  • neil_sheehan2000
    neil_sheehan2000 Posts: 529
    @yeehaamcgee- Did do. Went to my LBS to try on a range of them (was quite surprised I'm only a Medium, actually), and then came home and ordered one off the internet. But yes, good advice there.
    Meta
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Well, you lose points for not helping out your LBS, but good on you for getting a proper fit :lol:
  • neil_sheehan2000
    neil_sheehan2000 Posts: 529
    A fifty pound discount, yeehaamcgee, a fifty pound discount! Also spent a goodly while trying on elbow pads too with no intention of paying full price for them- mwa ha hah!

    I spend enough at Dales (my LBS of choice) as it is, actually- only last week I gave them £60- so I didn't feel all that guilty...
    Meta
  • Joe_Pineapples
    Joe_Pineapples Posts: 1,718
    Don't even get me started about Dales! :evil:

    Never again!
    '16 Radon Swoop 210
    '15 Radon Slide 9.0 HD
    '05 Rock Lobster Team TIG S.L.
    Restless Natives
  • docker0141
    docker0141 Posts: 605
    What's the problem with dales???

    i haven't had any problems with them
  • Joe_Pineapples
    Joe_Pineapples Posts: 1,718
    A self-destructing 3 week old Specialized Deviant that took an argument to get replaced.
    '16 Radon Swoop 210
    '15 Radon Slide 9.0 HD
    '05 Rock Lobster Team TIG S.L.
    Restless Natives
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    neil_sheehan2000 wrote:
    A fifty pound discount, yeehaamcgee, a fifty pound discount! Also spent a goodly while trying on elbow pads too with no intention of paying full price for them- mwa ha hah!

    I spend enough at Dales (my LBS of choice) as it is, actually- only last week I gave them £60- so I didn't feel all that guilty...
    Ah, but you DO lose 3 internet points. :lol:
  • docker0141
    docker0141 Posts: 605
    i mainly buy tubes, lube etc, never anything big so cant really agree or disagree with you
  • Pete-C
    Pete-C Posts: 353
    Joe_Pineapples wrote:
    A self-destructing 3 week old Specialized Deviant that took an argument to get replaced.
    what part "self destructed"? Its not Dales fault for not replacing it, its totally up to specialized whether or not to do it under crash replacement. My mate had the peak threads stripped on his THE full face and Dales replaced it with a carbon version ( original was a composite) even though silverfish were only willing to replace it like for like
    "Its all fun and games till someone gets hurt, then its hilarious"
    Pitch Comp
  • seandonaghy
    seandonaghy Posts: 44
    Like to point out Pete that silver fish were willing to replace like for like or better if the same one could not be sourced. However Dales took along time to get the problem resolved. Personaly I find Dales very good and helpfull, they sorted my BB out with out any problem and the staff are very helpfull. You work in Dales so clearly you are going to say they are good.
    http://p1.pinkbike.com/photo/2996/pbpic2996858.jpg
  • Northwind
    Northwind Posts: 14,675
    I just wore my regular helmet... But, there'd be no shame in wearing a full face, there's a lot of descending on big hard rocks and there's plenty of opportunity to go over the bars onto said big hard rocks then bounce down a rock staircase for a bit on your head, should you mess up. So it's not just the toughness of it, it's also the situation you'll be falling in if you do which makes the big difference I think. If I had one i'd have worn it but I didn't feel I had to get one, if you know what I mean. I was fully padded up but then, I always am.

    I was generally impressed with offbeat and I don't think they'd knowingly hire out a damaged helmet, but of course you never can tell what's happened to the foam, it can be damaged internally and not visibly.
    Uncompromising extremist

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