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Helmet with chin or without?

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#22 ·
Full face helmets are a compromise in size, weight, ventilation, comfort and vision and even appearance. But if bash your teeth or chin a few times, it becomes worth it all of a sudden.

More injury to chin rotating the neck as Squashyo asks doesn't seem to be a major issue.

Good news is technology is helping the size, weight and ventilation a lot. People are now riding 6 hour climbing rides with it on. So the balance between convenience and safety tips a little bit towards a few more trail riders using full face.

In the winter, the lack of ventilation actually helps keep the head warm.

A really good helmet is the the MET Parachute. It is a very light full-face helmet good enough for trail riding. Chin guard is not removable.

Removable chin guards are still a developing category. The chin guards are easy to remove now but they're not that easy to put on. It becomes a raising your rigid seatpost up and down issue. So not a lot of people I know take them on/off during a ride.

Neck braces... seems to be a dying industry. The pros stopped racing with them so few ride with them now.

For Whistler and Northstar, full-face and neck braces are key because of the risks and the no-climbing aspect.

Squash should get the Hovding airbag helmet! The Bell Super 2R has a fit issue where it's very tight at the temples because of some reinforcement foam. The Super 3r solves this.
 
#23 ·
As a has-been moto rider I will say that I won't leave home (on a moto) without a full-face helmet.

Having said that, on a bicycle with only a (regular) bike helmet I do feel a bit naked and that nakedness feeling is what keeps me safe. I've never hurt myself badly on a bicycle and I'm not going to start now; MediCare coverage or not.
 
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#24 ·
Moe Ped said:
As a has-been moto rider I will say that I won't leave home (on a moto) without a full-face helmet.

Having said that, on a bicycle with only a (regular) bike helmet I do feel a bit naked and that nakedness feeling is what keeps me safe. I've never hurt myself badly on a bicycle and I'm not going to start now; MediCare coverage or not.
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Wait. Hurting yourself is a voluntary thing? I should really stop intentionally crashing.

[emoji6]

I wear a full face every ride. Because faces are super fragile and every once in a while I crash. I feel vulnerable enough with it and my knee and elbow pads when I'm going 20mph through rock gardens, that I'm not trying to crash. I do try and ride new features and push speed now and then and sometimes I out ride my (and very occasionally) the trails limits and crash.

Once, going down a rock ramp I went OTB and landed face down between two rocks. A few inches either way and a smashed mouth at the very least. Another ride I'm cruising down some rocky loose single track I'd ridden a ton of times at 16mph and next thing I know I'm rolling head over heels down the trail. Guess a baby head shot my front wheel sideways. Tooth ended up against rock at the end. Barely. No damage, but it was pure luck. So hence the full face.

I wear the Met Parachute. Doesn't feel much warmer than a half lid really.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
 
#25 ·
IPunchCholla said:
Wait. Hurting yourself is a voluntary thing? I should really stop intentionally crashing.
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Crashed on my head a few times racing DH or going hard on the big bike while wearing a full face. Definitely got my monies worth out of the chin bar. It's nice to have things covering your face and your ears.

Also crashed on my head having a spirited run on my favorite local trail in a half lid and somehow managed to get all helmet(and a concussion, doh).

I'd say crashing can be a choice. Just don't go as hard and take as many risks when you don't have the protection on. There are definitely some trails I wear pads, or full face helmet or whatever for, and then there's some I don't even wear underwear because it's hot out and I'm not worried about accidentally shi.... ah, what was the question again?
 
#26 ·
I bought the 2R after splitting open my chin & getting stitches after hitting a small jump I shouldn't have. I've come to wear it basically any time I ride anything technical, or am riding alone. I love how light and breathable my Smith Forefront is, but it just doesn't offer the same level of protection from stupid. At this point, over half of the people I ride with wear the 2R for the same reason.

Another nice thing about the 2R is the amount of rear coverage. I've gone OTB wearing that and had my bike hit me on the helmet, right at the top of my spine, and it just bounced off.

What I really need to find now is something to stop my shins from turning into hamburger from my flat pedals (and works with my AirFlex Pro knee guards), but that's a different story.
 
#27 ·
IPunchCholla said:
Wait. Hurting yourself is a voluntary thing? I should really stop intentionally crashing.

[emoji6]
Click to expand...
Agreed! Most crashes can be avoided by where you ride, how you ride and getting the skills and equipment to better our chances.

Riding in the 80% zone (of what your capable of) is a safe bet.

But that can mean boring rides and not progressing, learning, getting stoked anymore.

And let's not forget the crash of inattentiveness. Many, many serious crashes happen this way. Just losing focus and attention momentarily can slam you to the ground.

Sooooo. We can better our chances but crashing is inevitable. Protect always and focus. :)
 
Discussion starter · #28 ·
#32 ·
squashyo said:
I went in and tried on the 2R and it just didn't fit right.
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What part of the fit felt weird? If it was on the sides of your head about 2/3 back (just above/behind your ears, basically kitty corner to the temples), then there is a foam rubber self-adhesive pad on each side that can be removed. Lots of people have done this, there are threads on it. I had pressure in that exact spot, and removing those little pads fixed it. Could be worth a shot.

As far as the MET Parachute goes, that's a good option if you're planning on wanting the chin bar 100% of the time. On my 2R I wear the chin bar maybe 10% of the time, and when it's off it's way more comfortable and ventilated than any full face will ever be.

Regarding shin pads, the G-Form knee/shin combo pads are awesome. Single pad that covers both knee and shin, super comfortable for all-day rides, also doubles as poison oak protection. Win-win!
 
#33 ·
I've run the Bell since it was just the "Super" and I picked up the very first 2R that went out the door at Art's Cyclery the day they released. I have 2-2R's that I rotate through and absolutely love them in both configurations. Somebody above mentioned the 2R fitting differently near the temples vs the original Super. You can refer to the long running thread I started a couple years ago "The Official Bell Super 2R" thread. I explain why...in short, if you don't like that fit, pull the 2 thin, dense pads out that are stuck into the liner above the ears. Original fit prevails. The Super 3R does NOT have those pads and feels more like the original...but it's not stoopid-cheap on sale like the 2R.

Take note, tooth replacement (implants) are about $3-4000 a pop, not covered by dental insurance, and can take about a year and a half to complete the arduous and oftentimes very embarrassing process in the case of #8 & #9 (2 front/top). I know this "times 2" and it's a f*ing nightmare to go through. It's sort of shutting the barn door after the horse is gone in my case but I almost always strap my chinbar to the outside of my Mule NV to snap on when I get to the top for the faster downhill portion of my ride. If I extend my typical rides, I generally leave the chinbar in place and go about my ride. I've done this regularly in 80-100* Wx here and it's not been an issue for me.

Fortunately, I have no experience in "testing" the chinbar but regardless, I highly recommend it.
 
Discussion starter · #34 ·
jimw said:
What part of the fit felt weird?
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Maybe I need to try again but when I put on the large, there was too much side to side play meaning there was a gap in the temple area...felt too round maybe? I tried the Medium and it was too small. I should try again though just to be sure...I felt weird trying on a helmet in the store knowing I wasn't going to buy it there...I like that shop.
 
#35 ·
sizing is a bit weird on the 2r, i had to size down from large to medium on it, with regards to the 2 little pads that are glued on.. they conform to your head as it gets warmer, so putting on the helmet for the 1st time, it will feel off.
 
#36 ·
The Large MIPS version fit me better than the non-MIPS (there's a definite difference,) but as others have stated the original fit differently than the 2, which I'm sure is different than the 3, and so on. I only wear the chin bar when racing or riding something that I know is above my skill level (which could be any trail on any given day, LOL!) Pics of my original Super with chin bar after it mostly saved my face, although I was still knocked out and effed up for a while...
 
#37 ·
f0nz0 said:
sizing is a bit weird on the 2r, i had to size down from large to medium on it, with regards to the 2 little pads that are glued on.. they conform to your head as it gets warmer, so putting on the helmet for the 1st time, it will feel off.
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Those glued on pads at the temples were put there to pass the side impact test (without any cracking) given the additional buckle hardware. They're the reason the fit is so odd. A medium Super 2 fit me perfectly and the Super 2r would cause a pressure point on those pads. Sizing up to a large is not a good option since then the rest of the helmet is too big and loose.

With more engineering and design time, they solved the issue with the 3r. So yes, do not but the 2r unless you try it on and are assured there's no annoying pressure points. It should feel equally snug/comfortable on all contact points to your head.

The other thing is since MIPs is so new, a lot of manufacturers just put the mips on existing shells and it takes up room. So a medium non-mips may fit perfectly and a medium mips will be tight on you. So test fit if possible.
 
#38 ·
turfnsurf said:
The Large MIPS version fit me better than the non-MIPS (there's a definite difference,) but as others have stated the original fit differently than the 2, which I'm sure is different than the 3, and so on. I only wear the chin bar when racing or riding something that I know is above my skill level (which could be any trail on any given day, LOL!) Pics of my original Super with chin bar after it mostly saved my face, although I was still knocked out and effed up for a while...

View attachment 1115084 View attachment 1115085 View attachment 1115086
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We GOTTA hear more about this crash. Holy yard sale.
 
#39 ·
Yup, it was one for the record books. Someone at Bell asked to use the helmet for R&D cuz they hadn't seen a chin bar break before this. I can't say too much about the crash though because I don't remember much! Suffice it to say it happened while racing at Northstar, I had a 3'rd place podium the previous year and was trying to do better. Gypsy into Livewire...failed.
 
#40 ·
turfnsurf said:
Yup, it was one for the record books. Someone at Bell asked to use the helmet for R&D cuz they hadn't seen a chin bar break before this. I can't say too much about the crash though because I don't remember much! Suffice it to say it happened while racing at Northstar, I had a 3'rd place podium the previous year and was trying to do better. Gypsy into Livewire...failed.
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Broke the chin bar. Damn. That chin bar flexes quite a bit but it's designed not to reach your chin in any impact. It's great protection I think.
 
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