Helmets with Peaks

ashleyyyy2011

Hi,

i'm looking at getting a new helmet, mine is 6 years old and has just taken a bit of a bump, so i have been looking at various helmets and don't understand why off-road helmets have peaks.

How does this improve things off road?

I spend a lot of time commuting on the roads so want a do it all helmet.

Cheers

nicklouse

help keep stuff out of your eyes.
sun.rain, mud, trees.

ashleyyyy2011

i still wonder if it really helps or if its a placebo effect

thistle_

It definitely helps keeping the sun out of your eyes.

Not sure about the others - the visor on mine is covered in splattered mud so it keeps that much out of my face but it's probably a small proportion of the total in my case.

Good Old Bakes

When I was buying a new helmet, I favoured peakless because I prefer a bit more peripheral vision - which is why I prefer beanie hats to baseball caps. I ended up getting one that was advertised as a road helmet and came sans peak but if you find a MTB helmet that suits you, you can always remove the peak if you don't get on with it.

apreading

I have always used helmets with peaks both on and off road. However, I dont think the peak has ever kept anything out of my eyes - it just doesnt come down low enough to do that IMO. Glasses keep sun, rain and insects out of my eyes.

Having said that, if I were buying now I would get one with a peak - if you dont want it they all unclip, but this gives you the choice.

felix.london

doesn't hurt to have something to take a bit of the impact off the helmet in a crash

Peak > Helmet > Head has gotta be slightly better than just Helmet > Head

...works on F1 cars anyway

ElliesDad

The peak does keep rain off your face to a certain extent, it also helps as a visor against the sun.

cooldad

felix.london wrote:

doesn't hurt to have something to take a bit of the impact off the helmet in a crash

Peak > Helmet > Head has gotta be slightly better than just Helmet > Head

...works on F1 cars anyway

Huh?

YeehaaMcgee

ashleyyyy2011 wrote:

i still wonder if it really helps or if its a placebo effect

The amount of sh*t splattered on the top of my visor would suggest that yes, it does work.
And they do nothing to compromise peripheral vision, since it's above your eyeline, not to the sides of it.

cooldad

And most importantly it stops you looking like a roadie.

felix.london

cooldad wrote:

felix.london wrote:

doesn't hurt to have something to take a bit of the impact off the helmet in a crash

Peak > Helmet > Head has gotta be slightly better than just Helmet > Head

...works on F1 cars anyway

Huh?

you know - breaks away on impact or takes the brunt of the force like a crumple zone on a car. Come on, work with me here man!

cooldad

felix.london wrote:

cooldad wrote:

felix.london wrote:

doesn't hurt to have something to take a bit of the impact off the helmet in a crash

Peak > Helmet > Head has gotta be slightly better than just Helmet > Head

...works on F1 cars anyway

Huh?

you know - breaks away on impact or takes the brunt of the force like a crumple zone on a car. Come on, work with me here man!

I would think the only person who could work with you is your shrink.

paul.skibum

cooldad wrote:

And most importantly it stops you looking like a dick.

fixed that for you. But +1

My mate used to enter road races in his peaked mtb lid splattered with mud just to piss them off, it probably pissed them off more when he won too.

stubs

If your riding in woods and you dont see a low branch till the last second you can look down and the peak will stop you getting an eye or mouth full of twig. As felix said they are also a bit of protection if you face plant my mate went body surfing over the bars at Gisburn and his peak twanged off a rock and kept his nose in one piece.

I unclip my peak sometimes when I am road riding it seems to help with the breeze over my nut.

YeehaaMcgee

stubs wrote:

I unclip my peak sometimes when I am road riding it seems to help with the breeze over my nut.

Now, it's a given that your helmet should be close to your nuts, generally speaking. However, I think you may be wearing your bicycle lid on th ewrong part of your body

Good Old Bakes

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

ashleyyyy2011 wrote:

i still wonder if it really helps or if its a placebo effect

The amount of sh*t splattered on the top of my visor would suggest that yes, it does work.
And they do nothing to compromise peripheral vision, since it's above your eyeline, not to the sides of it.

Oh dear Yeehaa. ‘Peripheral’ refers to the edge and can be up or down, as well as side to side, tch :roll: . And how the fubb can a peak stop you getting mud in your eyes, especially as it's, as you say, splattered the top of your visor..? Surely this can only be correct if - a) The mud is coming from above instead of coming up from the wheels; or b) You’re riding with your head down looking at your knackers instead of looking ahead? I’m puzzled.

paul.skibum wrote:

cooldad wrote:

And most importantly it stops you looking ultra stylish and just way too cool!

fixed that for you. But +1

Fixed it for you too sir.

YeehaaMcgee

Good Old Bakes wrote:

the edge and can be up or down, as well as side to side, tch :roll: . And how the fubb can a peak stop you getting mud in your eyes, especially as it's, as you say, splattered the top of your visor..? Surely this can only be correct if - a) The mud is coming from above instead of coming up from the wheels; or b) You’re riding with your head down looking at your knackers instead of looking ahead? I’m puzzled.

Because the peak, and your head is angled slightly down!
Mud gets thrown up in front of you, you then ride into it - which is why those neoguards, or a bit of innertube ziptied to the fork crowns work so well.
now, with your head, and helmet angled slightly downwards, you prevent a surprising amount of that crud from entering your eyes.
As for visors spoiling your vertical peripheral vision - what the hell is there that you want to see anyway? Either bright sinlight, rain, or crap heading straight for your eye sockets.

chez_m356

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

Because the peak, and your head is angled slightly down!
Mud gets thrown up in front of you, you then ride into it - which is why those neoguards, or a bit of innertube ziptied to the fork crowns work so well.
now, with your head, and helmet angled slightly downwards, you prevent a surprising amount of that crud from entering your eyes.

+1, obviously someone hasn't done enough riding to experience this

Good Old Bakes

chez_m356 wrote:

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

Because the peak, and your head is angled slightly down!
Mud gets thrown up in front of you, you then ride into it - which is why those neoguards, or a bit of innertube ziptied to the fork crowns work so well.
now, with your head, and helmet angled slightly downwards, you prevent a surprising amount of that crud from entering your eyes.

+1, obviously someone hasn't done enough riding to experience this

You're quite correct, I haven't. That's one of the reasons why I'm on here. To learn from you more experienced riders. Shall I log out and come back again in three years...?

chez_m356

Good Old Bakes wrote:

chez_m356 wrote:

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

Because the peak, and your head is angled slightly down!
Mud gets thrown up in front of you, you then ride into it - which is why those neoguards, or a bit of innertube ziptied to the fork crowns work so well.
now, with your head, and helmet angled slightly downwards, you prevent a surprising amount of that crud from entering your eyes.

+1, obviously someone hasn't done enough riding to experience this

You're quite correct, I haven't. That's one of the reasons why I'm on here. To learn from you more experienced riders. Shall I log out and come back again in three years...?

you could try listening to the things that people with more experience say without rubbishing it, but saying that, there's a lot of crap spouted on here

YeehaaMcgee

So are you here to argue, or to learn?
Either way, behaving like a prize c0ck is not going to achieve much.

cooldad

I there a competition around here to be the prize c0ck?
I'm in.

chez_m356

cooldad wrote:

I there a competition around here to be the prize c0ck?
I'm in.

you've got no chance, you have to be able to use CAP LOCK and have special dust caps to be up for that prize

cooldad

Bugger. Even as a c0ck I fail.

Good Old Bakes

chez_m356 wrote:

Good Old Bakes wrote:

chez_m356 wrote:

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

Because the peak, and your head is angled slightly down!
Mud gets thrown up in front of you, you then ride into it - which is why those neoguards, or a bit of innertube ziptied to the fork crowns work so well.
now, with your head, and helmet angled slightly downwards, you prevent a surprising amount of that crud from entering your eyes.

+1, obviously someone hasn't done enough riding to experience this

You're quite correct, I haven't. That's one of the reasons why I'm on here. To learn from you more experienced riders. Shall I log out and come back again in three years...?

you could try listening to the things that people with more experience say without rubbishing it, but saying that, there's a lot of crap spouted on here

I asked a question about something that, because of my inexperience, I couldn’t understand and the poster answered satisfactorily. End of. Then you chip in with your correct, yet superciliously made remark. Thank you.

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

So are you here to argue, or to learn?
Either way, behaving like a prize c0ck is not going to achieve much.

Both it would seem. Thanks for your previous answer regarding the mud by the way. Just a shame about the ingnominy of your last post.

YeehaaMcgee

Good Old Bakes wrote:

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

So are you here to argue, or to learn?
Either way, behaving like a prize c0ck is not going to achieve much.

Both it would seem. Thanks for your previous answer regarding the mud by the way. Just a shame about the ingnominy of your last post.

Well, with responses like this:

Good Old Bakes wrote:

Oh dear Yeehaa. ‘Peripheral’ refers to the edge and can be up or down, as well as side to side, tch :roll: . And how the fubb can a peak stop you getting mud in your eyes, especially as it's, as you say, splattered the top of your visor..? Surely this can only be correct if - a) The mud is coming from above instead of coming up from the wheels; or b) You’re riding with your head down looking at your knackers instead of looking ahead? I’m puzzled.

What the hell do you expect, a warm welcome and a cup of tea?

Good Old Bakes

Milk and two sugars please...

chez_m356

Good Old Bakes wrote:

Milk and two sugars please...

....don't take anything too personally, this is quite normal on here

Good Old Bakes

chez_m356 wrote:

Good Old Bakes wrote:

Milk and two sugars please...

....don't take anything too personally, this is quite normal on here

I know mate, I don't. Duking, banter, it's all part of the fun and I do respect the technical advice given out.

rockmonkeysc

Not wanting to look like a roadie is a good enough reason to have a peak on my helmet.