beans Posted August 16, 2021 Share Posted August 16, 2021 (edited) I plan to commute to work on my EUC. It is a longer ride (16 miles) and I'm now in the market for a helmet. What do you guys recommend for a helmet? I also want to use the helmet for shorted rides and going to activities so something portable would be nice. Should I buy a motorcycle helmet like Scorpio EXO AT950 and use my road bike helmet for shorter trips? Or should I get a convertible enduro mountain bike helmet that can function as a full face helmet AND a regular helmet, such as the Leatt MTB 4.0 V21? I don't really plan to go faster than 25 mph and I have good access to greenways/trails for getting around. Let me know! Thanks. Edited August 16, 2021 by beans 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..... Posted August 16, 2021 Share Posted August 16, 2021 (edited) Plenty of helmet thread around here. Its all opinions for the most part. I wouldnt use a motorbike helmet as they are simply too heavy. My Shoie rf only starts to get lighter at around 50mph, as it was wind tunneled/designed to do so. I dont think its worth the hasstle to wear a helmet that doesnt have a chin bar. My suggest would be to wear your comfy bike helmet for those slow <25mph day jaunts. If you plan to act like a vehicle and mess with traffic patterns, I'd opt for a ligh MTB helmet with chin. If you do mess with traffic patterns, try to remember that the same laws apply to you as the rest. Don't need a rider mowed down for blazing a light or ssgn! The leatt you linked looks good. I use a Bell DH sometimes (not often). I think its more about head shape and fit than anything. Just like shoes, you gotta try before you know. I assume you meant you ARE in the market for a helmet... Edited August 16, 2021 by ShanesPlanet 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beans Posted August 16, 2021 Author Share Posted August 16, 2021 7 minutes ago, ShanesPlanet said: Plenty of helmet thread around here. Its all opinions for the most part. I wouldnt use a motorbike helmet as they are simply too heavy. My Shoie rf only starts to get lighter at around 50mph, as it was wind tunneled/designed to do so. I dont think its worth the hasstle to wear a helmet that doesnt have a chin bar. My suggest would be to wear your comfy bike helmet for those slow <25mph day jaunts. If you plan to act like a vehicle and mess with traffic patterns, I'd opt for a ligh MTB helmet with chin. If you do mess with traffic patterns, try to remember that the same laws apply to you as the rest. Don't need a rider mowed down for blazing a light or ssgn! The leatt you linked looks good. I use a Bell DH sometimes (not often). I think its more about head shape and fit than anything. Just like shoes, you gotta try before you know. I assume you meant you ARE in the market for a helmet... Oops! Haha yea I meant I am NOW in the market for a helmet. Thanks for this info though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tawpie Posted August 16, 2021 Share Posted August 16, 2021 Do check the helmet thread... but. Bugs. They get in your eye so a visor or goggles are handy. Wet and cold. Solved by a waterproof balaclava or similar, but something else to put on and take off. I use a Bell Super DH with chin bar 90% of the time and have been happy with the choice, I will take the chin bar off when fooling around on the mTen but most of the time I think about the fact that a nasty face scar won't improve my looks. It gets noisy at 25 because of the wind but for me that's yet another warning that I'm probably going faster than I want to be going should I fall down. I have taken bugs in the eye, but prescription eyewear is mandatory for me so my choices are limited. For the upcoming winter I did buy a modular moto helmet that makes my head look GINORMOUS. It's heavy as lead, but when it's cool out my nose needs constant mopping so I really wanted a way to get the chin bar out of the way. Between the outrageously large looking head and fat pants stuffed with pads and the hi-viz coat, I do look like a circus bear. Prolly should add the pink tutu (another thread) to tie everything together. I'm not looking forward to the increased sound isolation between me and the environment or the reduced field of view, I do rely on sound quite a bit for situational awareness and like to look at the scenery—we'll have to see how much actual use it gets but the thing made the previous owner's head look bigger than mine and that's why I got a superior deal. You'll find most peeps 'round these parts wear Moto or TSG Pass, very few in MTB hats. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..... Posted August 16, 2021 Share Posted August 16, 2021 Visors are for wintertime. Don't forget the cheap sunglasses... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litewave Posted August 16, 2021 Share Posted August 16, 2021 (edited) Cool weather - TSG Pass or Pass Pro. It fits like a glove and looks awesome. Hot weather - any of the DH or MB helmets from Bell, Fox, Giro, Troy Lee, and maybe Leatt. MIPs is recommended. Keep the helmet weight at or below 1kg. Edited August 16, 2021 by litewave 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeptikos Posted August 17, 2021 Share Posted August 17, 2021 Most people will tell you to get a full face helmet. Once you've decided that much, you have two main choices to make: Do you want a face visor? Do you want motorcycle-level protection? Face visors are nice because they keep out more bugs/dirt/tree pollen/dust/rain than glasses or goggles can. The downside is that it makes the helmet hotter. If you're going 15-25mph in Seattle weather I think a face visor would be reasonably cool for you. The level of protection you want is kind of a tricky subject. If you're planning to fall and hit flat ground, then your forward speed actually doesn't matter (at least for a helmet). Mountain bike and downhill longboarding helmets can handle those impacts easily. But once you start mixing it up with traffic you can hit cars and that's worse. In most of the US, if you're going <=25mph, you won't be keeping up with traffic and are probably riding on the side of the road like a bicycle. So you can probably get away with a non-motorcycle helmet if you want. Here's a table with the options: Non-motorcycle Motorcycle Face visor Downhill longboarding Motorcycle w/ face visor No face visor Mountain bike Motocross Also look for the downhill mountain bike racing certification (ASTM F1952) if you want more protection than a regular bike helmet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GothamMike Posted August 17, 2021 Share Posted August 17, 2021 Glasses or visors should be mandatory. A bug or stone could blind you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPW Posted August 17, 2021 Share Posted August 17, 2021 I have a Leatt MTB 4.0 v21 and love it, having tried a couple helmets before it (including the TSG Pass). A couple things that matter to me (maybe less so for others): (1) I don't like how heavier helmets mess with my center of gravity. Both the Leatt MTB 4.0 v21 and TSG Pass are very light, but most motorcycle helmets are heavier (presumably to meet higher standards). (2) It really matters to me how well I can hear what is around me and my Leatt helmet is great in this regard. I feel like I have much better awareness. This is ultimately what bothered me with the TSG Pass - at least with visor down, my hearing felt very disconnected from my surroundings. Key disclaimer though - the vast majority of my riding is 15-25mph. At higher speeds would expect different criteria and preferences to apply (e.g. wind noise, aerodynamics, wanting more protection). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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