Ride_better

I have a mountain bike, but only ride on road, because the down hill track is under construction. I need to get a new helmet, and I belive that a full face down hill helmet would protect your head better that a standard helmet, because your face and jaw aren't exposed. I want to get a bell sanction, but I was wondering if you guys would think it would be weird to wear a full face on a paved bike path.

UmneyDurak

Would you not wear it if people say it will look weird?

velociraptor

Someone cares what anonymous avatars on the internet might think about something?

AristoNYC

Yes, but it will be better than wearing nothing.

trainsktg

Weird perhaps, but overkill most certainly.

Keith

Xherion

I have never seen a full face helmet on the road. I would imagine it would be uncomfortably hot and you'd really notice the weight on long rides. You'd also probably get a lot of odd stares. But to each his own. I doubt a full face helmet would be that much safer on the road since it's pretty uncommon to crash and hit the lower part of your face.

seau grateau

Your head will probably explode from overheating before it ever hits the ground.

noodle soup

A full face helmet for road cycling is overkill. I've messed up my face a few times in road wrecks, but the skin on the face heals very quickly.

Serious damage to the face, from road cycling wrecks, is quite rare.

I'll link photos in a PM if you doubt my experiences.

DrIsotope

How about a (admittedly more pricy) Bell Super 2R? Removable chinguard, so you can convert it back-and-forth from a full-face to traditional XC helmet.

noodle soup

Giro used to offer a helmet like that too. It was similar to a XC-mountain bike helmet, but had a bolt on jaw piece for added protection when needed.

I wanted to buy one, but it didn't fit my head properly.

f4rrest

Maybe get the body armor to go with it. Then you'll be a conversation starter for sure.

stockae92

more protection, yes. but it won't be comfortable. I can't imagine the heat, and the weight, also the field of view when looking out traffic.

ok, it may look a little out of place as well.

I would just buy a low cost helmet for road, lower cost helmet nowadays already looks pretty decent.

softreset

I've seen full-face helmets, knee pads, elbow pads and even chest protectors on cyclists (who are on road bikes) while traveling on our local MUP. But over 30+ miles you're bound to see just about anything (including wildlife).

I sold an Emonda SL6 to a gentleman last week who wore a Troy Lee Designs full face helmet. It definitely looked "odd" but I certainly wasn't going to judge him. I'd rather see someone wearing a helmet that they're comfortable in, versus no helmet at all.

gl98115

Not too long ago, cyclists wearing any helmet were considered odd. Helmets were judged to be too heavy and too hot to be practical.

Wear what makes you comfortable.

Marcus_Ti

Go to the local football player supplier.

jon c. 

Years ago I did a face plant in a motorcycle crash and wore full face thereafter. But I wouldn't consider it on a bike. I don't think the chances of that type of injury are nearly as significant and I think it would be way too hot.

seau grateau

And then join the X-Men.

Machka 

Sounds like it would be really uncomfortably hot.

AristoNYC

that was fantastic

RobbieTunes

Protect yourself the way you see fit. In your riding, if you've seen the helmet make a difference, and the style of helmet make a difference, by all means get the one you want.

I've had a full face motorcycle helmet very likely save my nose and jaw area, so when I ride motorcycles, it's full face, period.

I've gone down a couple of times off of bikes, and the helmet took a blow; hard to tell if if saved skin or skull.

I ride a face shield helmet because I really like it, but otherwise, it's simply a helmet. I rarely go off road and if i had the cajones for that downhill stuff, I'd be wearing my motorcycle helmet, I think. Tree's don't seem to move out of the way.

Camilo

Or maybe wear a helmet in your car, or a helmet when you're walking or getting into your bath tub. That's when you're apt to get a head or face injury.

PaulRivers

Yeah.

The problem is that you're not simply getting "more protection".

You can ride with more gear on a motorcycle or dirtbike because the bike provides the power. On a bicycle, your body provides the power, and when it works it generates heat.

There is quite a bit of disagreement over whether it's necessary to wear a helmet on a bike at all, and if or how much wearing a helmet actually helps in a crash. They've done studies and found that countries that instituted helmet laws did not improve on the proportion of people who died in bike accidents, suggesting (though not proving) that perhaps helmet use does not improve risk of death in an accident.

My problem would be that by wearing a fuller helmet you're greatly increasing the heat that your body is retaining, and any safety benefits you might gain from a fuller helmet are lost due to poor thinking due to overheating.

I also never hear of someone being thrown off their bike and getting a chin injury. Lots of other injuries - breaking their collarbone is the most common I've heard of. I know someone who broke their hip from biking. I'm not saying "never" but it doesn't seem to be a very common injury to break your jaw or something from a bike accident for some reason.

Just conjecture, but that's my thought on it.

cyclistca

I use to see a guy wearing one ever morning on my commute. He seemed to be okay. Will you look like a dork? Yes. Will you get really hot? Yes. If neither item is a concern of your go for it.

Gasser5.2

If you do go full face, just don't get black. People will think you ride for Team ISIS.

floridamtb

bubblewrap