helmets: full face or standard

[FTA2R]

how does everyone feel about this?

how many of you wear a full face?

trying to decide if Full face is overkill (probably is, for me anyhow).

i ride on crowded slopes though, icy, and usually with music. few times that helmet has saved me i feel back and hit my head backward, never anything fwd. part of me says it's only a matter of time before some freak accident occurrs while I'm doing something else besides riding (like getting up from a fall or getting off the lift)

[Gecko]

My reason for not is more a temperature control thing...full face is just to damn warm. I wore my old Pryme full face BMX helmet once...not enough air to keep googles fog free or my head from sweating

[alexeyga]

My reason for not is more a temperature control thing...full face is just to damn warm. I wore my old Pryme full face BMX helmet once...not enough air to keep googles fog free or my head from sweating

Have you tried going faster? :D

[skipuppy]

I don't wear a full face helmet. It has definitely saved me from concussions multiple times. I don't think I have ever done anything where a full face helmet would have actually helped more so than what I was wearing. I actually feel that it would be more likely to shove my head backwards because it goes out so far (?) I don't know- I just feel uncomfortable with it.

[NMU Alpine Boarder]

Personally, I wear a BX style helmet. It's different, looks cool, and allows me to just have 1 helmet for freeriding and running gates.... I have never had an issue with the temperture. Infact, I think it's better for me cause I have to race and ride in colder than normal temps

[Gecko]

Have you tried going faster? :D

not every problem can be solved by going faster...it didn't matter what speed I was going nor did the temp matter (it was colder than a witches t1t in a brass bra)...

[NateW]

Full face, Giro. I figure if I'm going to wear a helmet, I'm going to wear the most helmet I can find.

[Guest SpecRaceM5]

I kinda want to get a full face like a street bike helmet. Problem is they weigh to much. I'm affraid the weight could hurt my neck in the event of a major fall. I dont wear a helmet at the moment, but kinda thought it would be cool to fly down the mountain then flip open the tinted visor once i get to the bottom. Lame I know. :rolleyes:

[RJ-PS]

Standard, but if I start bashing slalom gates I may get a chin bar to add on.

[Guest]

I ride NASTAR a lot, and I plan on getting this cool add-on from Giro to some of their helmets.

[AndyYT316]

I ride with a RED full face helmet, and I love it. It keeps me warm and it's got vents for the summer, which work great. I don't get too hot or anything. I like that helmet for doing boardercross and running through the trees. I just wear it all the time. I can't see myself wearing anything but a full face right now.

[lonerider]

I kinda want to get a full face like a street bike helmet. Problem is they weigh to much. I'm affraid the weight could hurt my neck in the event of a major fall.

I keep seeing this reason brought up by skateboarders. A fun fact you should consider is that a snowboard helmet (about 1 lbs) would add less weight to your head than having shoulder length hair (or dreadlocks).

Also, just think about what you are saying... if you are in a major crash... which would you rather have? Whiplash or a brain damage? It's like you are hanging off a cliff in over the Grand Canyon and worrying about drowning.

To be sure, helmet are designed primarily to prevent injuries from blunt force trauma to the head and do nothing for the neck and even increases the strain on your neck. But since the head weighs over 5 lbs already, it would increase the force of impact only by a 1/5th at most, but it decreases the amount of force on your skull by over 100 times.

[Dave*]

Full Face downhill mtb helmet, Six Six One to be specific, with foam plugs in the vent holes depending on the temps.

I have been riding full face about three years and only switch to half shell in the spring.

Bonuses are a lot less wind n sun exposure to a good portion of the face, potential to save my chiclets some day, as I am not a handsome fella I cant afford to get any uglier.

Downside is some very funky tan lines by the end of season, confuses the hell out of people at work.

As far as the chin bar digging in and wrenching the neck, it has never been a problem for me on either snow, dirt, or pavement.

Dave*

PS: noticed way more full faces on hill last year than previous years.

[jdgang]

I ride with just a standard Red Shawn White helmet. I would think that a full face would just be to damm hot

[Neil Gendzwill]

not every problem can be solved by going faster...it didn't matter what speed I was going nor did the temp matter (it was colder than a witches t1t in a brass bra)...

How cold does it get where you ride in Japan?

[Guest Randy S.]

I have a full face, but don't often ride with it. Mostly I use my Gyro or K2 lid. For full-on high-speed racing I'll wear the full-face. Otherwise its just too hot, even with its vents. I have the Gyro full-face. What I'd really like is a bicycle style helmet with a full-face protector. That way it would have tons of venting plus the mouth guard. I can't wear an un-vented helmet, too damn hot. In all my years of skiing and riding, I've only had two crashes where I hit my face. One was with no helmet, and a helmet would have saved me - I'd have hit on my forehead. I broke my goggles in that one - it was my 2nd year snowboarding and I caught a toe-edge while sliding heelside. The other was with a helmet where I lost an edge at high speed. I slid for a while on the side of my face. My helmet at the time came down over my ears. I got a little bit of rash on the side of my chin, but that was all.

I think that except for a big face impact, a normal helmet is plenty of protection. So I wear mine in BX style competition and in SG.

[Hagen]

I also own both - full face (RED) and regular (giro with the build in speakers). I mostly wear the giro - not only because I like to listen to tunes while riding but also because it's more comfortable.

The RED helmet I mainly bought for racing - i.e. boarder cross. But then I didn't really get to ride too many USASA boarder crosses, so it's collecting dust... And when I ride it I usually get annoyed by it - try to blow you nose with a full face helmet...

Hagen.

[Rob-CanCarve]

I have been wearing a Giro Flint Full Face and love it.

Actually saved my face at ECES in Maine - Jim and I had a "small" incident and I landed face first into corn snow - without it my face would have been hamburger (not that wouldn't be an improvement).

The Flint is a nice helmet, because it is really a Ravine with the Visor and Full face added - always can be removed.

Just my 2 cents

Rob

P.S. You can't spit in a full-face

[Guest SpecRaceM5]

I keep seeing this reason brought up by skateboarders. A fun fact you should consider is that a snowboard helmet (about 1 lbs) would add less weight to your head than having shoulder length hair (or dreadlocks).

Also, just think about what you are saying... if you are in a major crash... which would you rather have? Whiplash or a brain damage? It's like you are hanging off a cliff in over the Grand Canyon and worrying about drowning.

To be sure, helmet are designed primarily to prevent injuries from blunt force trauma to the head and do nothing for the neck and even increases the strain on your neck. But since the head weighs over 5 lbs already, it would increase the force of impact only by a 1/5th at most, but it decreases the amount of force on your skull by over 100 times.

I think you are missunderstanding me. I was talking about a helmet such as the ones used in auto racing or superbike racing, with the built in visors. These helpets are heavy and in the sports they are used in, a hans device which helps support the head is used for neck portection in the event of an accident. In a violent fall, a helmet of some decent weight such as the ones I was talking about, could very well snap your neck. Which made me wonder if anyone made a light weight helmet with built in visor or wind screen that was designed for mountain biking or something that usualy uses a light weight helmet. Does that make sence?

[AndyYT316]

I think I saw an ad for helmets like that with a visor a few years ago. It was either in transworld or snowboarder. They looked really funky, but if you like that kind of stuff go for it. I'm not sure of the name of the company, but you could probably do a google search for it or something. Good luck!

[lonerider]

I think you are missunderstanding me. I was talking about a helmet such as the ones used in auto racing or superbike racing, with the built in visors. These helpets are heavy and in the sports they are used in, a hans device which helps support the head is used for neck portection in the event of an accident. In a violent fall, a helmet of some decent weight such as the ones I was talking about, could very well snap your neck. Which made me wonder if anyone made a light weight helmet with built in visor or wind screen that was designed for mountain biking or something that usualy uses a light weight helmet. Does that make sence?

Yea, I was keying on the fact that you don't wear a lighter helmet either and wasn't sure if the weight issue applied to that as well. I know very little about motorsports, but from what I read the Hans device is only used for car racing. Motorcyclists have no such neck protection and their helmets weight 5 pounds at the most. I still don't think neck snapping from whiplash is the main danger in a major crash and they go over 100+ mph. Motorcross helmets are around 3 lbs... downhill skateboarders use modified ones (http://www.timeshipracing.com/safety.htm) to race at over 55+ mph, so I think that would do for your needs.

Is your worry about neck injury based on some knowledge or previous experience, or is it your own private concern?

[Guest SpecRaceM5]

Yea, I was keying on the fact that you don't wear a lighter helmet either and wasn't sure if the weight issue applied to that as well. I know very little about motorsports, but from what I read the Hans device is only used for car racing. Motorcyclists have no such neck protection and their helmets weight 5 pounds at the most. I still don't think neck snapping from whiplash is the main danger in a major crash and they go over 100+ mph. Motorcross helmets are around 3 lbs... downhill skateboarders use modified ones (http://www.timeshipracing.com/safety.htm) to race at over 55+ mph, so I think that would do for your needs.

Is your worry about neck injury based on some knowledge or previous experience, or is it your own private concern?

I am into cars and racing, which is where my concern for using one of their helmets while snowboarding came from. I have raced and worn motorsport helmets before and can only imagine what an accident would be like while wearing one. Another area they are used is karting, and they use neck braces there so there is some issue with their weight. I'm sure superbike riders have some form of their own neck protection seeing as the hans device is designed for cars. Also if you look at mnt. bike helmets and other extreme sport helmets, they are all light weight. This leads me to believe that neck injury was taken into mind when designing them. If you have ever worn a motorsport helemt you could understand my concern. I will likely just get a full face or open face normal snowboarding helmet.

[lonerider]

I am into cars and racing, which is where my concern for using one of their helmets while snowboarding came from. I have raced and worn motorsport helmets before and can only imagine what an accident would be like while wearing one. Another area they are used is karting, and they use neck braces there so there is some issue with their weight. I'm sure superbike riders have some form of their own neck protection seeing as the hans device is designed for cars. Also if you look at mnt. bike helmets and other extreme sport helmets, they are all light weight. This leads me to believe that neck injury was taken into mind when designing them. If you have ever worn a motorsport helemt you could understand my concern. I will likely just get a full face or open face normal snowboarding helmet.

Good points.

[FTA2R]

the response to this thread.

M5,

the visor deal is bad ass! could be like some of the NFL running backs with the darkened visor- I think Ricky Williams or Jarod Payton waer em- seems like they'd fog up though.

re: helmet weight, I also know nothing abotu motorsport helmets, but my common sense tells me that if you're in a major accident, it's better to have any helmet than no helmet...thx for the informative / intersting replies.

Barry

[mirror70]

These helpets are heavy and in the sports they are used in, a hans device which helps support the head is used for neck portection in the event of an accident. In a violent fall, a helmet of some decent weight such as the ones I was talking about, could very well snap your neck.

This reasoning doesn't really apply to an accident on a snowboard. The two reasons for the HANS device in auto racing (prevention of fatigue and accident protection) are resultant from the fact that in a race car, your body is fixed and your head is free to move about. This is not the case in snowboarding, where both are free. If you hit a wall driving, the car and your body stop, while your head keeps moving. If you hit a wall snowboarding, both stop.

No neck protection is used in MotoGP or FIM Super bikes. The collars worn karting are strictly for lateral protection, again because your body is fixed and your head is free.

if you look at mnt. bike helmets and other extreme sport helmets, they are all light weight. This leads me to believe that neck injury was taken into mind when designing them.

These helmets are lightweight for performance (and to some degree comfort), not safety. Think of the money and effort spent trying to drop fractions of ounces from bikes. Why gain it all back with an overly heavy helmet?