Looking for a helmet with visor

allen-uk
allen-uk Posts: 146
edited March 2012 in Commuting general
Hello.

Getting old, so my eyesight isn't perfect, and glare (particularly from low sunshine) is a problem.

I also wear specs. Flip-up sunglasses are okay, but in some conditions everything goes black, which can be troubling.

What I'd like to try is a helmet with a full face visor (polaroid, hopefully). I've tried getting 'ski goggles' which are supposed to fit over your glasses, but they don't work too well.

Are there any cycle helmets + visors available? I say 'cycle' helmets, but any sort of helmet would probably do, although I don't really want to look a complete prune and use a motor-cycle helmet (odd enough looking as it is...)


Thanks.


Allen.

Comments

  • richVSrich
    richVSrich Posts: 527
    why do you want a helmet with a visor?

    why not some cycling glasses with an insert for your lenses - and these glasses have different coloured lens to change to depending on day / night etc, and you can also get polarised lenses to suit...

    (these glasses usually start from round £40-50, and they bit more for the insert) - so not much difference from new helmet..
  • t4tomo
    t4tomo Posts: 2,643
    flipping a visor up and down is a lot quicker than removing and changing lenses from glasses as you go! I think thats what teh OP is after.

    My mate I ski with had a perenial problem with glasses steaming up under ski googles but this year he pitched up with a visored ski helmet that he could flick up and down at will and didn't cause his specs to steam up. He did have an air of "helicopter pilot from a james bond film" about him, but they were damn effective. Don't think it was particularly cheap though.

    http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&qscrl=1&nord=1&rlz=1T4SKPT_enGB450GB451&q=visor+ski+helmet&ion=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1664&bih=822&wrapid=tlif133225566456810&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=tJtoT8P2MIeW0QXv1bCFCQ

    worth checking out although good for winter a ski helmet is too warm for summer when you'd expect most benefit from the visor.

    Alternative solutions is to have some prescription lensed sunglasses made up as my "free" second pair in a light coloured tint (blue or yellow works fine) rather tahn a dark tint - so fine for a dull day and or bright sunlight.
    Bianchi Infinito CV
    Bianchi Via Nirone 7 Ultegra
    Brompton S Type
    Carrera Vengeance Ultimate Ltd
    Gary Fisher Aquila '98
    Front half of a Viking Saratoga Tandem
  • allen-uk
    allen-uk Posts: 146
    Thanks for the thoughts - it tends to be the open side of my specs that really screws me with sideways glare. The ski-goggles I bought have tinted side panels, too, and work to a certain extent, but the whole rig of goggles and specs tends to slip down my nose!

    Just to describe the problem a bit more: I ride along, flip-up sunglasses on my specs, into the sun, and it's okay. But (a) when I hit shadow, it's a question of 'who turned the lights out?', and a quick flip-up to get the sunglasses out of the way before I contact something, and (b) when I turn 90 degrees and the low sun hits me with full glare from the SIDE, my elderly eyes can't cope with all that light.

    Hence the full-face visor.


    Allen
  • jejv
    jejv Posts: 566
    I did try a motorcycle helmet once. It lasted about 100metres. I realised that on a pushbike, my head was pointing down a lot more than on a motorbike. So I couldn't see forwards, through the part of the helmet above my eyes.
    And you might cook your head a bit if you go any distance.

    Time Trial Helmet ??
    Some of them have visors, but I have no idea what the optical properties are. It might be possible to make a polarised visor using the standard visor as a template.
  • allen-uk
    allen-uk Posts: 146
    Thanks for the further ideas.

    The closest I've come so far is this:

    http://www.manufactum.co.uk/bicycle-hel ... -p1444964/

    which is just the visor, for £38. That site talks about 'Kask' helmets, as per:

    http://www.kaskhelmets.com/

    and these go for £80+.

    Not that I do any of the sort of cycling portrayed on that site! Mine is far more sedate, but I suppose £120-ish to stay safer (I ride in London...) is money well spent.


    Allen.