Are convertible full-face/half-shell helmets worth it?

[John_B]

Damn I wish those fit me.

[grinch]

Might cost a kidney or 1st born but...........

[klauss]

Bell Super 3R $120
https://www.sierratradingpost.com/be...ycling~d~13%2F

had that in my cart with three left, went to get my wallet and they were gobbled by the parsimonious TGR dentists. suppose i should have paypal'd that one.

[jackattack]

The super 3r is all over the internet for $160. Still a great helmet at that price.

[grinch]

Just the visors on those bells that drive me nuts. Just aesthetics but I’d go by a moto shop and try and score a cheap , longer and more square edged, visor to adapt to that super

[Andeh]

Oh ok. Makes sense. I’m thinking it’s a sweet option after trying it on. I guess I didn’t expect it to fit me as well as it did. I’m trying to ditch the camelback in favor of this mid size fanny pack I’ve been using. That’s why I was leaning toward that new bell super but I could where the proframe on the up and just stick the cheek pads in the fanny pack ez. Camelback gets hot and uncomfortable climbing a sun baked fireroad

I modified my Bontrager fanny pack with a couple of Lock Laces bungies looped through the bottle carrier to hold my Leatt (and before that Bell) chinbar. It works pretty well for climbs, but it flops around a bit so definitely worth putting it on for descents.

[grinch]

I modified my Bontrager fanny pack with a couple of Lock Laces bungies looped through the bottle carrier to hold my Leatt (and before that Bell) chinbar. It works pretty well for climbs, but it flops around a bit so definitely worth putting it on for descents.

Yes that’s what I was thinking. My midsize fanny pack has external holder for my knee pads and it’d be ez to put the chin bar in there. Or atleast until I tried that proframe and we started discussing the possible fit without cheek pads. They’re nice and also dh certified. I’m still thinking they’d be better/perfect with a dial/boa to secure them like a half lid when the cheek pads are out. With the air flow on the chin bar on the proframe it’d be close to a half shell or atleast without the cheekpads. Super ez to store those. I think I’ll probably procrastinate until the Troy Lee one comes out to compare. Decent price on the proframe I saw today(large in black or medium in yellow at the sale price)

https://www.competitivecyclist.com/f...roframe-helmet

[Toddball]

Small and Medium Giro Switchblades for $125:
https://www.bikenashbar.com/cycling/...t-gi-swt-md-mp

Reports of chin bar coming off in a crash have me waffling, though...someone please buy them out of Mediums so I don't have to think about this.

[jono]

Chin bar coming off...and not going back on? Or like the release buttons get bumped in a crash?

[Toddball]

Chin bar coming off...and not going back on? Or like the release buttons get bumped in a crash?

Not sure, the only incidents I've heard of are helmet-totaling crashes

[Supermoon]

Small and Medium Giro Switchblades for $125:
https://www.bikenashbar.com/cycling/...t-gi-swt-md-mp

Reports of chin bar coming off in a crash have me waffling, though...someone please buy them out of Mediums so I don't have to think about this.

I mean, is the chin bar coming off in a big crash necessarily a bad thing? If it take a big impact and breaks, it's kind of done it's job. Almost like a crumple zone in a car. I don't know if a crash is likely to have multiple impacts to the front of the head, or if it's really the initial impact that causes the damage.

I have no actual knowledge about it either way, but my first instinct wasn't to dismiss the helmet as not safe enough.

[jono]

I think the same. My wife got a concussion while wearing a ski helmet fat biking this winter and the helmet was no worse for the impact. She would have been much better off destroying a weaker one. (Old foam, but warm ear covers. Oddly, I had to take it from her even after that.)

[grinch]

Not sure but the way I understood it was the latches on the side released during a crash. Not sure how much resistance during a fall but it didn’t sound like a crumple zone type scenario . I’ve tried one on. It fit me well. Nice lid. Also put it on the back burner after hearing of the chin guard malfunction. Not sure I like the lower ear protection when it’s a half shell either. Just guessing it’d be hot or atleast a fair bit hotter than the new bell

[Supermoon]

Ah. Yeah, that sounds like a malfunction then.

[Toddball]

Ah. Yeah, that sounds like a malfunction then.

Read all about it:

http://forums.mtbr.com/apparel-prote...e-1041207.html

if you can get past the pointless arguing, that is

[joetron]

Check out the MET Parachute
https://rotoramerica.com/collections...ucts/parachute

We just brought MET in for distribution in North America I don’t have any time in the Parachute yet, but it’s got good reviews from Euroland.
It’s wicked light and has some cool features.

I’ve been riding in the Roam for the past week. Great lid. Light, comfy, good protection.

[californiagrown]

I mean, is the chin bar coming off in a big crash necessarily a bad thing? If it take a big impact and breaks, it's kind of done it's job. Almost like a crumple zone in a car. I don't know if a crash is likely to have multiple impacts to the front of the head, or if it's really the initial impact that causes the damage.

I have no actual knowledge about it either way, but my first instinct wasn't to dismiss the helmet as not safe enough.

Riding some DH this weekend i saw a penny on the side of the trail amongst some cut logs. Ended up cracking my visor, and had shards of wood sticking out of the vents on my chin. Very happy that the chin doesnt detach or crumple or i would have needed emergency dental surgery 2+ hours from the nearest dental surgeon. First time i put my expensive Carbon D3 w/MIPS to use and am very happy with he result. I had an older cheap Giro full face previously and would get my bell rung a little bit each time i hit my head at all. This time, even while i was in the fetal position making weird noises with the air knocked out of me i had the thought "wow i cant believe my head is totally fine".



you want crumple zones (the crushable foam, or mips, or ability for helmet to rotate slightly when the chin catches), but you also dont want the helmet to explode or disintegrate or you will get your face dented in. A car has crumple zones AND a roll cage/no-crush zone so the passengers don't get crushed.

[Supermoon]

Riding some DH this weekend i saw a penny on the side of the trail amongst some cut logs. Ended up cracking my visor, and had shards of wood sticking out of the vents on my chin. Very happy that the chin doesnt detach or crumple or i would have needed emergency dental surgery 2+ hours from the nearest dental surgeon.



you want crumple zones (the crushable foam, or mips, or ability for helmet to rotate slightly when the chin catches), but you also want a damn rollcage to that you dont get your face dented in.

Yeah. That makes sense. I hadn’t really thought through all of the scenarios. I was thinking of it flying harmlessly off to the side somewhere, but the more likely scenario is that it would just get pushed backwards.

[forty]

chin bars exploding sharp plastic bits into my face sounds far worse than eating dirt...
i dont trust any of the first few versions of the removable style full faces, havent messed with latest versions so cant comment, they need to be super solid and have serious padding or else are more of a liability than a help, when you smash your face into the ground the helmet is gonna move and your face is going into that chin bar no matter what, if its not padded that sharp plastic is gonna do some damage to your grill, legit full dh lid for me

[John_B]

I saw a penny on the side of the trail

I'm going to have to remember this for the next time I wreck myself.

[Toddball]

Well the Bell Super DH is on sale for around $200-$240 lots of places online; I pulled the trigger on the last size M I could price match at evo, will see how it works out. If it doesn't fit it will be for sale on here.

e.g. Steep and Cheap

[John_B]

Goddamn I wish companies would make these in an XL/XXL.

[grinch]

Goddamn I wish companies would make these in an XL/XXL.

Friend is in the same boat. He found Troy Lee designs full face fit him but balked at the price then found a good deal on a POC that fit as well. Usually POC are pricey too. Not sure where he found the deal. Their full face doesn’t have removeable chin but they do have rather big vents

[Andeh]

I discovered during yesterday's ride that the right side hook on my Leatt convertible had fallen off somewhere in between the truck and the top of the climb. It fits snug enough into the slots (and still had 1 more working latch) that I rode it the rest of the day, but that's pretty disappointing considering it's just over 3 months old. I've emailed Leatt to see if they'll send me a new latch. If not, I'm going back to Bell.

[evdog]

I mean, is the chin bar coming off in a big crash necessarily a bad thing? If it take a big impact and breaks, it's kind of done it's job. Almost like a crumple zone in a car. I don't know if a crash is likely to have multiple impacts to the front of the head, or if it's really the initial impact that causes the damage.

I have no actual knowledge about it either way, but my first instinct wasn't to dismiss the helmet as not safe enough.

A friend of mine had a a Giro switchblade. During a crash the plastic in the chin bar cracked and caught his lip, tearing his cheek clean open half way to his ear (google glasgow smile for a visual). This was the original switchblade mind you. I'm sure the newer versions are more stout. But if I'm riding something that is full face worthy I'd rather wear a real one. I'll strap it to my pack for the climbs if need be. Or switch with a half lid at the top, euro style...