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Good helmet for slow uphill grinds on a hot day?

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beanbag

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Hello folks,
What's a helmet that has good ventilation at low speeds? I'm thinking of a slow uphill grind which is barely faster than walking speed. In this case, all the "wind tunnel" features of a helmet don't really work and the heat has to dissipate by steaming upwards thru the vents. I want an XC type helmet (not enduro or DH or anything) which can also be used for road rides. Must have a visor.

Haven't looked into helmets recently. My current one is a Giro Pneumo from 2012. It's a very open design and approx 250 g. Seems like helmets are a lot more "closed off" than from a decade ago. Is it new safety features or something? Is MIPS really that much safer?

PS: never bonked my helmet ever.
 
#5 ·
My last crash was actually on a steep uphill feature. Kinda glad I hadn't taken my helmet off. On hot climbs I really appreciate my old white Giro Aeon - lots of vents and the light color doesn't heat up from the sun much.
 
#6 ·
I just picked up an Oakley DRT5 in White. Good amount of vents and it has a built in gutter if you will to direct sweat out to your temple/ear.
-And the BOA retention system is insanely micro-adjustable. (y)
 
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#7 ·
EABiker said:
I just remove my helmet on long, low consequence climbs; it definitely cools things down a good bit.
Click to expand...
Same I remove my helmet if it is just slow grind. And nothing beats that feeling of a cold sweaty helmet going back on your head.
 
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#8 ·
From what I've read about MIPS, the test standards/tests they use are problematic. I'm not an expert, just someone who read a pretty serious review of them and then had comments from some avid cyclists with research/science/engineering backgrounds. I think the lab standards didn't really translate to the real world (maybe twisting of head and the dummy head was bald?)

My take it most new helmets are pretty darn good, especially if worn properly and worn snugly. I'm still amazed I'll see people riding on the commuter/MUP trails with helmets on backwards! If you've been riding for awhile, the comfort and fit and snugness of new helmets is light years beyond earlier helmets, in my opinion.

As for long climbs, just did my first two-hour uphill grind in the Pisgah area over Memorial Day. I have to say...I was not thinking about how hot my head was during the ascent;)

Not trying to pick a fight, but do you folks find that the visors do anything? I'm admittedly from a roadie and CX background and on really hot summer days wear a cap under my road helmet for sun/sweat. They seem to help, but the visor is right above your eyes. The visor on mtb helmets is so high up, I wonder if it shields much. I have a Giro mtb one and I leave the visor on, but I'm not sure it adds much sun protection.

However, I will not recommend those sombrero sun hat halo add-ons you can get that go over/around your regular helmet. Just saying...
 
#9 ·
beanbag said:
Hello folks,
What's a helmet that has good ventilation at low speeds? I'm thinking of a slow uphill grind which is barely faster than walking speed. In this case, all the "wind tunnel" features of a helmet don't really work and the heat has to dissipate by steaming upwards thru the vents. I want an XC type helmet (not enduro or DH or anything) which can also be used for road rides. Must have a visor.

Haven't looked into helmets recently. My current one is a Giro Pneumo from 2012. It's a very open design and approx 250 g. Seems like helmets are a lot more "closed off" than from a decade ago. Is it new safety features or something? Is MIPS really that much safer?

PS: never bonked my helmet ever.
Click to expand...
Yeah, the newer "trail" style helmets have more coverage area, and more impact protection. None of them are going to be cooler/more ventilated than the higher end, XC helmets. Although most brands still make an XC helmet focused on ventilation and light weight, they're not the hip new thing for marketing.
 
#10 ·
Wow. I'm absolutely shocked. 17 year old join date, never actually used a helmet.
 
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#13 ·
I have the Smith engage. Can't even tell it's on. Provides lots of protection. Some of my climbs are 30-40 minutes I wouldn't even consider removing it, but often see people with full face helmets resting them on their bars. Also get a white helmet if heat's a concern.
 
#14 ·
beanbag said:
Hello folks,
What's a helmet that has good ventilation at low speeds? I'm thinking of a slow uphill grind which is barely faster than walking speed. In this case, all the "wind tunnel" features of a helmet don't really work and the heat has to dissipate by steaming upwards thru the vents. I want an XC type helmet (not enduro or DH or anything) which can also be used for road rides. Must have a visor.

Haven't looked into helmets recently. My current one is a Giro Pneumo from 2012. It's a very open design and approx 250 g. Seems like helmets are a lot more "closed off" than from a decade ago. Is it new safety features or something? Is MIPS really that much safer?

PS: never bonked my helmet ever.
Click to expand...
Coolest in my experience is the POC Tectal....you don't even know it's there frankly.
 
Discussion starter · #15 ·
nayr497 said:
From what I've read about MIPS, the test standards/tests they use are problematic. I'm not an expert, just someone who read a pretty serious review of them and then had comments from some avid cyclists with research/science/engineering backgrounds. I think the lab standards didn't really translate to the real world (maybe twisting of head and the dummy head was bald?)

Not trying to pick a fight, but do you folks find that the visors do anything? I'm admittedly from a roadie and CX background and on really hot summer days wear a cap under my road helmet for sun/sweat. They seem to help, but the visor is right above your eyes. The visor on mtb helmets is so high up, I wonder if it shields much. I have a Giro mtb one and I leave the visor on, but I'm not sure it adds much sun protection.
Click to expand...
Retro curmudgeon in me wonders what is the point of MIPS when a helmet can already shift around on your head by a little bit.
Yes, I use a visor to help keep the sun out.
Also, on these slow miserable uphills on a hot day, the flies also buzz around me, and so I wear a mosquito net over the helmet and the visor keeps the net off my face.
 
#16 ·
I don't know if MIPS works or not, but I can tell you that koroyd stuff is the business. A friend of mine went head first into a tree at speed while wearing a smith mainline helmet. He said he could feel the helmet absorb the impact, and afterward he didnt have any post concussive symptoms.
 
#17 ·
nayr497 said:
From what I've read about MIPS, the test standards/tests they use are problematic. I'm not an expert, just someone who read a pretty serious review of them and then had comments from some avid cyclists with research/science/engineering backgrounds. I think the lab standards didn't really translate to the real world (maybe twisting of head and the dummy head was bald?)

My take it most new helmets are pretty darn good, especially if worn properly and worn snugly. I'm still amazed I'll see people riding on the commuter/MUP trails with helmets on backwards! If you've been riding for awhile, the comfort and fit and snugness of new helmets is light years beyond earlier helmets, in my opinion.

As for long climbs, just did my first two-hour uphill grind in the Pisgah area over Memorial Day. I have to say...I was not thinking about how hot my head was during the ascent;)

Not trying to pick a fight, but do you folks find that the visors do anything? I'm admittedly from a roadie and CX background and on really hot summer days wear a cap under my road helmet for sun/sweat. They seem to help, but the visor is right above your eyes. The visor on mtb helmets is so high up, I wonder if it shields much. I have a Giro mtb one and I leave the visor on, but I'm not sure it adds much sun protection.

However, I will not recommend those sombrero sun hat halo add-ons you can get that go over/around your regular helmet. Just saying...
Click to expand...
I only keep the visor on my helmet as a place to stash my goggles against.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
 
#18 ·
The trendy new enduro full face helmets, like the Troy Lee Stage, have taught me that all the vents on top seriously help with ventilation when there isn't any airflow. They don't compel me to take off the helmet, unlike the helmets that only focus on channeling frontal air flow.
 
#19 ·
In that case I just remove my helmet and hook on bars or strap into backback. Only for slow, non technical type climbs where there is little risk of falling backwards or off the bike. And only on trails or fire roads where we don't expect or can easily see oncoming riders.
 
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