my first full face helmet: Must be good value!

Scratch n soda

Hi there,

I'm looking to buy my first full face helmet. Iv'e noticed some good deals on CRC but i only want to spend no more than £65. I've looked at the rampage on special offer but they have now run out of my size

Any suggestions? Needs to be kinda light and good looking :P

Also i live in cambridge so no bike shop has any full face halmets that i can try.. luckily CRC have a good return policy so i'm looking to buy from them

Cheers.

Stevo_666

The O'Neal Fury RL is around that price and gets a good write up in the 'Dirt 100' (not tried one myself). Good idea re: the CRC free returns system - it was hard for me to find a full facer to try on as well, luckily mine fitted first time round.

Scratch n soda

i was thinking one of these
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=60803
I looked at O'neal but wasnt sure if they were a good brand? i sort of picture them doing surfing products rather than mtb stuff

or anything of here, which is in my price range : http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Cate ... scountDESC

nicklouse

So which has the best fit for YOUR head?

That is what you need to find out.

I would never use a Fox or a TLD lid as they are uncomfortable or just do not fit my head.

felix.london

I got my Urge Down-O-Matic for £50 from CRC with various sales & discount codes. Very good helmet. Just keep your eyes peeled for a bargain

drtobiasfunke

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=72416
I have one of these and am happy with it, fits well and my head stays cool enough.

Scratch n soda

That's the problem. I Cant physically go and try one on becuase cambridge has no bike shops with full face helmets in. However on the CRc sizing chart, i belive i fit a medium.. I measured, with a tape measure, 1 inch above my eyebrow around the circumference of my head. This reached 57cm. Therefore i believe im a medium.

nicklouse

Scratch n soda wrote:

That's the problem. I Cant physically go and try one on becuase cambridge has no bike shops with full face helmets in. However on the CRc sizing chart, i belive i fit a medium.. I measured, with a tape measure, 1 inch above my eyebrow around the circumference of my head. This reached 57cm. Therefore i believe im a medium.

Tried billys.co.uk?

http://www.billys.co.uk/english/product ... 550&page=1

Scratch n soda

@ niclouse, thank you very much for that. I will definately pop in.. However would you say each helmet manufacturer has different sizes? e.g a TSG medium may not be a fox medium?

nicklouse

Scratch n soda wrote:

@ niclouse, thank you very much for that. I will definitely pop in.. However would you say each helmet manufacturer has different sizes? e.g a TSG medium may not be a fox medium?

A medium is a medium to the person who owns it.

Take MC lids I can not wear any Aria lid as my head is a Shoei shape.

I may take a large lid from Uvex but I find all TLD (hat I have tried) unwearable.

And I don't wear a DH lid for that long.

Buy online and be prepared to keep sending them back till you find on that is right.

Once you have done that then it all becomes easier untill you decide to change makes.


If you are planning on using it for anything other than DH then fit and ventilation become even more important.

Torres

Nick has it spot on; just because you "fit" in to one of the sizes of helmet according to a chart doesn't mean the shape of your head will fit in the helmet well.

At the end of the day (in my opinion of course) a helemt is the most important bit of gear you'll ever buy for your bike. Take your time, travel if you have to, and put your head in to as many helmets as you can. It seems like an odd way of doing it; but I always go helmet shopping without a budget and just buy the one that feels right. After all saving myself 50 quid now won't be much good to me when heads in bits on the trail.

delcol

agree with the above comments..

when i got my fullfacer i tried a few on.. weirdest thing is i tried a THE composit helmet on (THE vegas) and medium fit perfeect i tried a carbon one on and medium would not fit had to go large both were the same helmet just diffferent meterials.. my tld d2 carbon is medium...

when i killed my giro zen last year (big off) i wanted to replace it with a urge helmet or a 661 recon helmet i went to my lbs to try them but the urge would not fit me nor would the recon.. i treid on a few others to from different manufactures in the end i had to get another giro as their lids seem to fit my head shape..

so my advice would be try before you buy even if it means travelling to try a few lids on...
a poor fitting helmet aint to good in crash....

nicklouse

delcol wrote:

a poor fitting helmet aint to good in crash....

If it even gets worn.....

Anonymous

Problem these days will full face is not many shops stock them to try on (Evans even told me they plain don't now as "there's not enough demand, but we can order one in if you pay up in full in advance"!!).

Can try contacting the manufacturers though. I did that with Urge and they gave me a list of official retailers nearby. Not that many and bit of a drive but helps.

Otherwise yes, have to buy online, try and return. Just check the small print. Some (*cough* Cycle Surgery *cough*) won't take a helmet back. Argument is for H&S reasons, not because of your smelly head but because they can't prove it hasn't been in a crash and thus legally can't sell them on. At present though CRC seem to be okay with the returns.

CRC I'd say is where you'll get the best deals. Problem is they are specific to certain colours and sizes. If you're in the popular head sizes they're often more expensive. The freakish sizes tend to be discounted. Or you wait for a sale etc.

Anyway, cheap and good value, 661 Evo, or similar. Couldn't try one on locally but gambled on a medium based on the size chart. Fits. Though do wonder if it should be a bit snugger. It's a tight fit to pull over the head which is correct, but once on it's not feeling as snug as maybe it should, though the foam is up against the cheeks. Anyway I kept it so done now.

rockmonkeysc

I use a Urge Down-O-Matic, excellent helmet but they don't fit a lot of people. Different manufactrers helmets are different shapes as well as different sizes. I find I can't wear TLD or THE helmets.
Order a few from CRC and send back the ones which don't fit.
Avoid polycarbonate helmets, very light & cheap but very flexible, I wouldn't trust one. Also avoid Cratoni helmets, really nasty, poolry made with a chin bar so short you can still mash your face in to the ground.

Scratch n soda

Thanks for all the responses! everso helpful! Tomorrow i'm going helmet hunting However i noticed one of you guys said that if you use it for other stuff than Dh ventiliation becomes important.. well that's what i need. I'm going to use at bikeparks, but also in switzerland for enduro rides... Si i was thinking last night ( my life revolves around my bike gear ) That a good ventalited helmet will give me tons more pleasure when riding.. any suggestions for that description?

nicklouse

Scratch n soda wrote:

Thanks for all the responses! everso helpful! Tomorrow i'm going helmet hunting However i noticed one of you guys said that if you use it for other stuff than Dh ventiliation becomes important.. well that's what i need. I'm going to use at bikeparks, but also in switzerland for enduro rides... Si i was thinking last night ( my life revolves around my bike gear ) That a good ventalited helmet will give me tons more pleasure when riding.. any suggestions for that description?

Buy a standard helmet for the enduros.

And as most bike parks in the hills ave uplifts and don't need much pedalling then it does not matter.

felix.london

Full face for Alpine Enduro's? Yuk.

Something like this might be better;

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=69331

felix.london

...although for anything other than lift accessed DH/Bike Park in the Alps I'd wear a normal XC lid but something with some extra back of the head protection.

miss notax

felix.london wrote:

I got my Urge Down-O-Matic for £50 from CRC with various sales & discount codes. Very good helmet. Just keep your eyes peeled for a bargain

I got one of these a month or so ago (sadly not for £50 !) and i'm realy pleased with it. Fits great, although I have a weird shaped head so that might mean that they don't fit anyone else

Scratch n soda

felix.london wrote:

Full face for Alpine Enduro's? Yuk.

Something like this might be better;

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=69331

I only have enough cash to buy one lid, therefore i'm going to go for a well ventilated one so i keep cool I notice these urge Down-o-matic's keep cropping up! Going to keep my eyes peeled for a deal on those

nicklouse

Then buy a standard one and save for a fully.

Scratch n soda

nicklouse wrote:

Then buy a standard one and save for a fully.

When i say i only have enough cash for one, i meant i have this http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... tAodylGcoA

I use that for Wales, bikeparks but now im realising that if i crash, my beautiful face ( at least i think so... ) and genius brain will be like mush.

felix.london

miss notax wrote:

felix.london wrote:

I got my Urge Down-O-Matic for £50 from CRC with various sales & discount codes. Very good helmet. Just keep your eyes peeled for a bargain

I got one of these a month or so ago (sadly not for £50 !) and i'm realy pleased with it. Fits great, although I have a weird shaped head so that might mean that they don't fit anyone else

I didn't think me head was weird shaped..but maybe it is :? Lots of thick curly hair means pretty much any XL helmet I try on fits like a glove..extra padding

miss notax

That's what it is then - a FF for us curly haired types

nicklouse

Scratch n soda wrote:

nicklouse wrote:

Then buy a standard one and save for a fully.

When i say i only have enough cash for one, i meant i have this http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... tAodylGcoA

I use that for Wales, bikeparks but now im realising that if i crash, my beautiful face ( at least i think so... ) and genius brain will be like mush.

Yep I have two of them as the ventilation is so poor.

I also have two fullys one as back up or if one is just too wet.

But only one proper MTB lid as it works as it should.

Get a proper MTB lid and enjoy it.

And save for a fully while trying on as many as you can so you know what fits.

You could look at some of the "combo" lids like the met parachute but they are really neither good or offer the protection you seem to want.

Scratch n soda

Thanks nic, thats been a great help, Definately food for thought. As said above the sixsixone helmets offer amazing value.. Thats the evolution for £55.. do you think they are any good?

cat_with_no_tail

I just bought one of these: The ONE Tiki Carbon. Going for an absolute STEAL on winstanleys. £80, down from £230.
It's light, it fits my noggin really well. seems reasonably well vented (well enough for proper DH anyway). Padding is great, comes with a spare visor AND a swanky bag for carrying.
And it looks farkin LOVELY!

Certainly worth a try, you can always return it if it dosent fit too and it wouls STILL be a bargain.