Posts
95
Joined
12/27/2017
Location
Reno, NV
US
Edited Date/Time
11/14/2019 10:25am
We used to just have two styles of helmet: half-lid and full face. My friend, Jon, would often joke about how heavy we would get on our trail bikes with so little protection. Today's riders (and brands) are wising up.
Lately, the 3/4 Lid has been on the rise. We have offerings from Fox (Dropframe), Giro (Tyrant), and possibly others in the pipe. Part of me likes the idea of more coverage/safety and part of me couldn't be bothered to spring for one.
What do you, oh insightful Vital community, think about the run of new lids? Is the coverage worth it without the chin-bar? Are these a great compromise or a great gimmick?
flashback
Lately, the 3/4 Lid has been on the rise. We have offerings from Fox (Dropframe), Giro (Tyrant), and possibly others in the pipe. Part of me likes the idea of more coverage/safety and part of me couldn't be bothered to spring for one.
What do you, oh insightful Vital community, think about the run of new lids? Is the coverage worth it without the chin-bar? Are these a great compromise or a great gimmick?
flashback
Poll
If you want to look like Cousin Eddie, go ahead and get on the 3/4 bandwagon.
More protection the better as long as my head does not get too hot.
I see a lot of racers and consumers that have suffered accidents where they have hit their head, not once have I said with a half shell "Damn, if they only had their ears covered". So its 'perceived' protection IMO.
Added heat and weight, why not just wear a proper lightweight full time full face like a TLD Stage, Proframe, etc...?
I think it's pretty gimmicky, but ain't hatin' on anyone who runs one, I know a guy who loves his, he's riding more, so F it, whatever it takes to get people out on their bikes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EoQEP4Ws3w
After 8 surgeries, i wear a full face on pretty much every ride (Bell Super,) but I don’t really see the point of these 3/4 helmets.
If I wasn’t as concerned about the compromised structural integrity of my face, I would feel just fine with the occipital protection that most trail helmets offer these days.
BTW, I do have an Elmer Fudd hat too.
1 - There’s an argument (made by a medical friend of mine in ICU) that you can reconstruct a face but not a brain. He sees some (not all of course) head trauma victims wearing a full face with untouched faces but brain injuries, and some wearing a half lid with smashed up faces but untouched brain. In simple terms the face is a natural and effective crumple zone, take that away by wearing a full face and you transmit more force to the brain. (I know it’s more complex than this, but brighter people than me think the argument has merit and, as a Dad of a 12 year old shredder, it makes me think about what helmet he rides and when). So maybe a 3/4 lid keeps the ‘crumple zone’ and gives extra protection to the side and back of the skull. Or maybe we need to be talking about how well chin bars ‘crumple’ on our better DH helmets.
2 - a mate of mine recently injured his neck badly going OTB and face planting hard. He was wearing a half lid. Two independent neuro surgeons first asked, on seeing his X-ray, what helmet he was wearing - full or half. Both said if he was wearing a full face he would be dead as the chinbar would have further extended his neck. The take home message from them both was that if you want to wear a full face then also wear a neck brace (I know, that’s another debate).
So for now I buy my son the best half lid I can (and this is where the 3/4 lid might come in if they start making more options), and will get him a neck brace to wear when he runs a full face.
I have a 'trail' lid for XC but, If I'm going fast enough to feel the need for goggles then the full face comes out. My one exception is the skate park but, I've seen a lot of riders smash their faces up an get concussions even with the 'park' lids on. Scary to watch the riding that goes down in street an skate parks with no lids at all!!
but, it's their own choice so...........
I cut out the chin from an old Scott Spartan helmet. It is my favorite helmet I have though I wish it was more breathable so I could run it in summer for climbing.
Wrecking is still something either completely under our control or utterly unforeseen and you cannot name WHERE you take the hit.
I would much rather be aware of my surroundings in a Troy Lee A1...than dizzy, hot and fussy & maybe a bit loopy from the heat in a 3/4 lid.
I quit wearing my full face once I got my first switch blade. It's a D3 that is hands down the comfiest helmet ever, so I said fuck it and hacked the chin guard off and now that's my favorite helmet for anything not climbing. It's big, hot, but I still have my visibility and feel safe. Why does it matter? I realize not having a chin bar has plenty of drawbacks, but I'm not a fan.
All these helmets are just more options. How is that bad? Even if 90% of people don't want a product if it helps get the other 10% on bikes what's the harm? I have been waiting since I started riding in the mid 2000s for more ear covering options so I'm ecstatic with all these new helmets. I'm glad I was able to finally upgrade from my old Protec Full Cut with ghetto mounted trail visor.
Wear what you want and ride bikes. When it comes to accessories and protection, more options are good. If you don't like it don't run it.
Final thought, I blasted my first switchblade getting blown on a windy day on a medium table. Slapped my dome hard. Rock caught and dented my switchblade on the upper forward part of the right ear flap. Checked with all the specialized/giro/fox/POC half shells my store carried at the time and from my best guessing none of those other helmets had the coverage to stop that rock.
Seriously though, this helmet, or a full face would have saved me.
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