First FF helmet

trigger118

Hi all,

I'm just moving into some DH and now that I have a proper DH bike (and that I've been told by three seperate people) I feel like I should buy a full face helmet.
It would be my first one and therefore I'm looking for something cheapish but obviously with good protection and something that looks decent so I wont get laughed at
Do I need goggles too? Or are they generally considered an extra?

Thanks

cooldad

Go and try some on.

nicklouse

trigger118 wrote:

Hi all,

I'm just moving into some DH and now that I have a proper DH bike (and that I've been told by three seperate people) I feel like I should buy a full face helmet.
It would be my first one and therefore I'm looking for something cheapish but obviously with good protection and something that looks decent so I wont get laughed at
Do I need goggles too? Or are they generally considered an extra?

Thanks

yes goggles are good. more-so if they have take-offs and get them at the same time from the same place so that you know that they work well together.

trigger118

Thanks Nick, forgive my ignorance but what do you mean by take offs? are those the tape things that clear the visor that I keep seeing in the DH World Cup?

That was my other question, compatibility, do most fit most or is it very specific?

ilovedirt

there's plenty of good quality cheap lids about, go to a few bike shops and try some on, it's important you find one that fits right (you'll know what does and doesn't fit).

Goggles are handy for when it's muddy/windy/bright. Tear offs are sheets of plastic that go over the lens that you can tear off when it gets mucky rather than clean your lens mid run. Personally I don't see the point unless you're racing, I've rarely had my goggles that muddy after one run. Plus they're litter. And yes they are specific to the goggle.

YeehaaMcgee

trigger118 wrote:

That was my other question, compatibility, do most fit most or is it very specific?

Most do fit most, but it's worth checking. Buy them from the same place, as Nick says, and check that the goggle fits properly into the facehole (for want of a better word)

trigger118

Haha facehole, I like it.

Tear-offs do seem a bit over the top to me, its got to be pretty horrendous conditions for your goggles to get that muddy surely, in one run at least.

nicklouse

trigger118 wrote:

Tear-offs do seem a bit over the top to me, its got to be pretty horrendous conditions for your goggles to get that muddy surely, in one run at least.

nope. you may not use any for months and then use three. they also off some protection to the lens.

trigger118

fair enough, they dont sound like a bad idea at all, just wondered if they were more for racers than casual downhillers

nicklouse

well many goggles come with them any way.

just think you are in the alps or some other area where the trails are long and downward sloping. they are very useful.

trigger118

Makes sense, thanks Nick and everyone else

ilovedirt

I'd rather cable tie a bit of inner tube between the brace and bottom crown than use tear offs. It's cheaper, more effective and you're not leaving litter in one of the most beautiful places on the planet (i really don't like tearoffs). The only times I physically couldn't see through my goggles in the alps this year was more to do with them fogging up than being covered in mud, and i rode in some seriously muddy conditions.

Generally speaking, most goggles will fit most helmets, however it is worth trying out. Don't worry about it too much, get the helmet first. Unless you wear glasses (like myself), getting goggles that fit isn't really that difficult/that big a deal.

felix.london

I know the proper advice is to go into plenty of shops and try them on for this magical fit etc But both my helmets I ordered online and they fit great. It may be to do with the fact I have lots of thick, curly hair - so just get an L/XL and they'll always feel comfy 'cos of the extra padding

Ended up getting the 2011 version of this for £50 from CRC last year!

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=69339


Great helmet. This summer it was very hot and once your moving this helmet keeps you cool and a lot of the time I forgot I was wearing it.

felix.london

...oh and I don't use tear-offs but then again there's no mud on my trails but even so, litter on mountains in any form is bad news :x

paul.skibum

Helmets - fit is key - I got a Kali Avatar as it fit me perfeck. The Carbon one came up to big luckily as it was way too expensive but I found the non carbon version lighter than any equivalent Fox or 661 and better fitted to my skull.

For goggles - go for Smiths goggles and you get the Roll Off system for very muddy days - its basically a little barrel device either side of the goggs that you can pull on a lever and it rolls a clean film of plastic across your goggs. Giving you a clear view from mud etc - there is a nack to properly setting them up which I believe you can get details of on Youtube but saves the whole tear off thing.

Personally as a non speed racer I find if I am getting mud splattered a quick stop and rinse deals with the prob (easy if I have a camelback with me)and I dont need the roll off system. Mid race run tear offs or the roll off might be a good thing but if you arent on timed laps who cares.

rockmonkeysc

Don't buy a cheap full face helmet. Buy the one which fits you best.
All full face helmets give a good level of protection, more expencive ones are lighter and have nicer, easier to clean lining.
Goggles are definately worth having but I don't like tear off's. People throw them down on the trail & no one picks them up. It's just litter and there is no excuse. I just carry a rag to clean my goggles before each run.
When you buy goggles make sure you can get replacement lenses, I can't get them for my Fox goggles.

.blitz

'Try some for size' is usually sound advice where helmets are concerned but finding somewhere that stocks more than just a few FFs can be difficult.

The entry level helmets tend to be a little basic but quite user-friendly. Not everyone likes the fully enclosed sensation of a FF and 661's Evo for example is quite open and airy. It has a wide aperture, the padding is fairly minimal like an open face bicycle helmet and it is reasonably well vented.

A 'proper' DH helmet by contrast will be a snug fit around the neck and ears, the aperture will be smaller and the chinguard closer to the mouth.

When you're trying them for size a general rule-of-thumb is that with the helmet fastened, your face should move with the helmet as you move it from side-to-side. You should also not be able to remove the helmet by pulling it up and over your head from the back.

If you have a local bike shop, ask them to get some Fox helmets in for you to try. Fox Europe are somewhere in Gateshead and apparently they don't mind sending a few helmets out on a sale-or-return basis.

And there's more to goggles than keeping your face clean. A good fitting pair will provide a nice little 'cocoon' and reduce the wind roar associated with descending because as we all know the key to going fast is to reduce the sensations of going fast.

felix.london

I'll second the goggle thing. Def worth spending on a decent pair and not only for the better lenses

I had a big off in the summer and went face first into a huge rock (scary moment) the side of the 'face-hole' took most of the impact but I had a big bruise on my cheek wear the goggle was smashed into my face - if I'd been wearing a cheap pair I reckon there would have been more damage to my face

nicklouse

.blitz wrote:

A 'proper' DH helmet by contrast will be a snug fit around the neck and ears, the aperture will be smaller and the chinguard closer to the mouth.

sorry i have to pull you up on the last bit. they tend to be longer on the chin guard. so save your face as it plows a furrow in the ground.

welshkev

cooldad wrote:

Go and try some on.

this^^^^ i have an extra large full face helmet but wear a m/l normal helmet.

also i picked up a really nice set of oakley goggles off here for £12

ilovedirt

felix.london wrote:

I know the proper advice is to go into plenty of shops and try them on for this magical fit etc But both my helmets I ordered online and they fit great. It may be to do with the fact I have lots of thick, curly hair - so just get an L/XL and they'll always feel comfy 'cos of the extra padding

Ended up getting the 2011 version of this for £50 from CRC last year!

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=69339

Great helmet. This summer it was very hot and once your moving this helmet keeps you cool and a lot of the time I forgot I was wearing it.

You got lucky dude, I ordered my 661 comp from CRC last year which fitted fine. I went to order a THE lid this year after i wrecked my 661 lid in the alps, and when it arrived it was a terrible fit. Not down to the sizing, just the fact that the helmet wasn't at all the same shape as my head, my chin stuck out the bottom and the chin guard was in front of my nose! Anyway, I sent it back and tried a few out instead and ended up with an o'neal airtech. Trying them on is the only way really, I'll not order one online again.

trigger118

Has anyone had any experience with Bluegrass lids? It's what the LBS stocks a couple of

trigger118

LBS are ordering me in a Bluegrass Explicit lid to try on, they had one in the shop which was a fraction too big so am trying a size down, reviews seem to be pretty good, the ones that I've found anyway.

Should I be looking for any particular stickers of standard or anything like you get with motorbike lids? I'm assuming thats all moderated before they get to the shops?

ilovedirt

There are no real standards with MTB lids, however from what I hear, the bluegrass ones are decent.

trigger118

I'm looking at Oakley goggles to go with them, should they fit? Is there any way of telling before buying?

ilovedirt

Not a clue, google. It's pot luck really, see if your LBS has any in stock, they often have more goggles in stock than helmets because they're cheaper. If you find somewhere that has a lot of BMXs/has a BMX race team, they're more likely to have more full faces and goggles in stock.

paul.skibum

From what I can tell most goggles fit most helmets - there doesnt seem like a lot of variety in goggle sizes or design - the Oakleys and Smiths we sell are pretty much identical to one another and fit the same on my lid (just not on my face).

Seen a few Bluegrass lids over here, look very well made but aside from that I know nada about them.

I still say Smiths Goggles are the way forward due to the non tear off thing for clearing mud.

ilovedirt

To be fair, it's only strange helmets like the urge downomatic that have problems with goggles fitting.

trigger118

Are Smiths better than Oakleys then in your opinion? theres some cheap but good Oakleys on CRC thats all, I'm looking at the crowbar at the moment

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=16131

paul.skibum

I dont think there is a lot of difference - I am a Smiths fan for winter gogs as Oakleys dont fit my face but for the summer both sets seemed to be pretty much the same and there is little to no technology in the lenses.

I like the Smiths Roll Offs system (basically a pod that can be mounted on either side of the goggles with a thin film of clear plasic between them - you pull a lever and voila clears muddy old film out way and puts clear one in - some much more environmentally sound than tear offs).

The Smiths Fuel v.2 Sweat X is pretty much the same as the Crowbar and the same price (at least in Canada)

trigger118

ah ok, interesting, is the roll off system reliable? or just another thing to go wrong? does it last a while too? Cant see it being much use if it doesnt last long and costs lots for a new pod thingy, sorry for all the questions!