Gear for a beginner

[litewave]

31 minutes ago, East Coast said:

 

@litewave

Ordered this one in small. Was checking head sizing hopefully it fits my my head shape well.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0861Z4R7Z

 

Edit: Now I have to start looking for a visor for it. Guess I'll wait for it to arrive and make sure it fits well first

 

Upon looking at the helmet thread I must have missed it when I was initially keyword searching

AWESOME CHOICE! 

TLD helmets aren't cheap but they are very well-made and will protect your head as well as any helmet can. They also have fantastic artwork and TLD stands behind the product. You'll look and feel great, and you're sure turn heads with that design. I hope you can post some photos or video when you have time!

Also, I have the Stage and was concerned the size was too small at first. Once I swapped out the cheek pads and wore it a couple times it felt awesome.

 

Edited December 3, 2021 by litewave

[East Coast]

@litewave

Thx!

Too private to post pics of myself with the helmet on.

Thx for letting me know about your helmet and how it fit!

 

Last Edit:

Took a pic I felt comfortable to share and wanted to thank you again for helping me!

I love this helmet! It's the most comfortable, light weight, and best looking of all prior purchased (now returned )

 

Edited December 5, 2021 by East Coast
Added pic

[litewave]

16 hours ago, Planemo said:

I could never recommend the Steelbird. It looks amazing but every single one I have seen (irrespective of the ethnicity/head shape of the wearer) has the chin section much too close to the chin. Pretty useless as chin protection, but better than nothing for the rest of the head I guess. Build quality is also very low.

I would add the 661 Reset as a low priced, decent full face MTB helmet. I have one and it's built very well for the price.

Fox Proframe would fit into the high price bracket. A great helmet, with loads of ventilation.

But yeah, reading the helmet thread would be a good start

I have the Steelbird Air and wear it on occasion. The chinguard is close but no closer than the TSG Pass. It does not fit as well as the Pass but it's been ok for me after I broke it in. What I dislike about it is the hard plastic cover on the inside of the chinguard. I removed it once and discoved that it has what appears to be EPS foam that is the same thickness as the TSG Pass. I replaced the plastic cover with a dense 5/8" foam sheet cut from a camping pad that I attached with velcro to reduce possible injury to the chin and mouth. 

There are several Youtube videos about the helmet, including a few that show how durable the exterior shell is by smashing it repeatedly with a sledge hammer. What concerns me is the quality of the interior foam and how effective it may be. I only wear the helmet when tooling around on my NB1 E+ at slower speeds and would never consider riding with it on a fast wheel.

Edited December 3, 2021 by litewave

[East Coast]

@litewave

I noticed someone on YouTube had recommended it in one of their videos but found it hard to find, so I left it alone.

 

I wanted to buy one that was available with Prime and Free Returns so I can try it out and make sure it was going to fit comfy

[litewave]

Good decision. I wouldn't recommend the Steelbird for new riders but it's better than a cheap clamshell if your funds are limited. It also has a fantastic face shield with great visibility and looks awesome; and it only weighs 1100g.

Edited December 3, 2021 by litewave

[Planemo]

4 hours ago, litewave said:

 I replaced the plastic cover with a dense 5/8" foam sheet cut from a camping pad that I attached with velcro to reduce possible injury to the chin and mouth. 

Which kinda proves my point in that the chin section is too close.

The chin section should never, ever come into contact with the chin, whatever the mechanics of the crash.

But yeah, I take your point that adding some absorbing material is better than a hard piece of plastic smashing into your teeth.

[litewave]

7 minutes ago, Planemo said:

Which kinda proves my point in that the chin section is too close.

The chin section should never, ever come into contact with the chin, whatever the mechanics of the crash.

But yeah, I take your point that adding some absorbing material is better than a hard piece of plastic smashing into your teeth.

Again, comparing the Pass/Pro to the Steelbird, I think the Steelbird has slightly more space and generally the same type and amount of impact-absorbing EPS material.

I have face planted twice with my Carbon TSG Pass Pro which has the same or less space in front. I felt no impact to the jaw and mouth and hardly any shock to the head. I also do not use the extra horseshoe foam in the TSG because there is no room. 

[East Coast]

Did y'll get goggles too? If so which do you recommend?

I keyword searched the whole site and didn't find much.

[yoos]

Obvious choices for eye protection include:

1. bicycle glasses -- should be good enough for speeds up to 40kph at least. They usually provide enough protection from debris/obstacles, have thought-through aerodynamics to provide comfortable air-flow. The field of view is also typically excellent, especially for glasses with no or minimal frame. They are also cheap, light and can double as sunglasses when not riding
2. bicycle goggles (mask) -- better protection, but more expensive. Sometimes have limited field of view and you have to test whether they are compatible with your helmet in terms of fit
3. ski/snowboard goggles -- same as 2, but for cold weather. Higher chance of incompatibility with full-face helmet (because ski/snowboard helmets usually come without chin guard)
4. motorcycle goggles -- haven't researched this option but this seems like option 1 prepared for really high speeds, hence a frame and worse field of view. 

I use option 1 with a bicycle helmet (full-face or not) when it' not so cold and a TSG Pass (no glasses since there's a visor) in cold times. I also have option 2 but have never used it yet.

[East Coast]

@yoos

Thank you! Now I understand the different types.

I ordered the following after I posted this qa, seems to be option 4. I read by other EUC users on Reddit that they like it too.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y6269FT/

Can you share a link of the option 1 you got?

 

Edited December 5, 2021 by East Coast

[yoos]

8 hours ago, East Coast said:

Can you share a link of the option 1 you got?

Here's a link, but it's decathlon. If am remember correctly, decathlon is not present in the US. It should be good value, and definitely better than some noname from aliexpress but you can get much better glasses at higher price.

The mouth cover on the mask you got might help against wind and dust, but will not save you from a face plant, keep that in mind.

[litewave]

On 12/2/2021 at 8:54 PM, East Coast said:

Last Edit:

Took a pic I felt comfortable to share and wanted to thank you again for helping me!

I love this helmet! It's the most comfortable, light weight, and best looking of all prior purchased (now returned )

 

 

Lookin good! I just love TLD and wish I had the space and the budget for a few more helmets 

Edited December 6, 2021 by litewave

[Circuitmage]

On 12/1/2021 at 7:37 PM, East Coast said:

@Circuitmage

When you turn with that helmet can you have full range of motion around your neck?

I ended up returning the one I got and now have the following which are hard to my head so see well sideways and making me wonder if they're both having:

 

 

So, I would say that really depends on your comfort level in turning your head. It is just slightly less easy to turn my head with MC helmet on, but I do it. 
I was happy to see that when I started riding an EUC, my old MC skills came into play where turning my head to look back was natural. Some people do not like turning back. In that case you can get a mirror for your helmet.

Since I am only looking for cars or scooters coming up behind me, I only need to look back for a quick turn. I know I don't look back for as long as I used to on a MC, as the MC was more stabilized while moving than the EUC is. It does take a split second of mental preparation to turn the head.
 

[litewave]

It can be tricky/scary as a beginner learning to look back safely, but I think we all get comfortable doing so eventually. Still, you may not hear or sense any reason to do so and get an unpleasant surprise by a/an [e]bike or other vehicle (Tesla, etc).

I tried helmet mirrors and found them to be a challenge to attach and use, especially on more than one helmet. I recently started using a cheap hand mirror which has been working well so far. @Ben Hatfield posted a recent (and really cool) video showing how to use it. I have the same one and have attached it to the back of my Demon Flexmeter wristguard with 2" industrial velcro.

 

 

 

Edited December 6, 2021 by litewave

[.....]

3 hours ago, Circuitmage said:

 

So, I would say that really depends on your comfort level in turning your head. It is just slightly less easy to turn my head with MC helmet on, but I do it. 
I was happy to see that when I started riding an EUC, my old MC skills came into play where turning my head to look back was natural. Some people do not like turning back. In that case you can get a mirror for your helmet.

Since I am only looking for cars or scooters coming up behind me, I only need to look back for a quick turn. I know I don't look back for as long as I used to on a MC, as the MC was more stabilized while moving than the EUC is. It does take a split second of mental preparation to turn the head.
 

Funny how we simply don't realize the things we learned in the past. I too noticed that turning to look on an euc, is similar to how we train ourselves to look on a bike. For me, its simply a matter of dropping the shoulder that is opposite the way I want to look. It kind of causes a body twist against the looking direction and forces you to stay centered and use your neck more. I tried little mirrors, but the images are so damn small and curved, it was taking too long to focus and was a danger. I mean, seeing motion was easy, but actually recognizing what is back there, not so great. Even on a motorcycle with mirrors (cars too!), you should be turning your head to look directly before lane changes or turns. Mirrors dont replace the need to LOOK, they merely compliment it and add another layer. Safety gear comes second by miles, to basic skills and good habits.

Edited December 6, 2021 by ShanesPlanet

[.....]

On 12/4/2021 at 4:55 AM, yoos said:

Obvious choices for eye protection include:

1. bicycle glasses -- should be good enough for speeds up to 40kph at least. They usually provide enough protection from debris/obstacles, have thought-through aerodynamics to provide comfortable air-flow. The field of view is also typically excellent, especially for glasses with no or minimal frame. They are also cheap, light and can double as sunglasses when not riding
2. bicycle goggles (mask) -- better protection, but more expensive. Sometimes have limited field of view and you have to test whether they are compatible with your helmet in terms of fit
3. ski/snowboard goggles -- same as 2, but for cold weather. Higher chance of incompatibility with full-face helmet (because ski/snowboard helmets usually come without chin guard)
4. motorcycle goggles -- haven't researched this option but this seems like option 1 prepared for really high speeds, hence a frame and worse field of view. 

I use option 1 with a bicycle helmet (full-face or not) when it' not so cold and a TSG Pass (no glasses since there's a visor) in cold times. I also have option 2 but have never used it yet.

You forgot about cheap sunglasses

[Paul A]

Motorcycle Helmet Light Strip, Night Riding Signal Helmet EL Light Sticker, 3 Mode Led Helmet Light Strip 

Various colours.

Three settings (continuous, slow blink, fast blink).

Self adhesive.  Great visibility for night.

Amazon, EBay.

 

[East Coast]

@Circuitmage

I can relate. I bike and have a scooter. I'm used to quickly looking behind me with no helmet on. I got the helmet below for my Ninebot Max and I can easily look behind me quickly. Guess the full face just require me to adjust a bit.

[East Coast]

@litewave

Thx!

@Ben Hatfield

Watched the video looks amazing!!! Makes me eager to learn ASAP

Makes me think you recorded in Europe?

Which helmet were you using in the video?

 

[East Coast]

@Paul A

Looks great! Keyword searched and didn't find the helmet. Maybe it's only available in your area

[Paul A]

@East Coast

https://www.amazon.com/AUTOFACE-Motorcycle-Helmet-Riding-Sticker/dp/B09K57GD2X/ref=mp_s_a_1_11?crid=10D2MHM097HFQ&keywords=helmet+led+light+strip&qid=1638926132&sprefix=helmet+led+%2Caps%2C576&sr=8-11

Search for other colours/designs on Amazon: 'helmet led light strip'

Colours like red (rear stop light), deep blue (police lights), could be confusing, and draw attention from police.

 

Might be easier to tape a strip of velcro onto top of helmet.

Tape the other connecting velcro strip onto the small battery/control box for the strip lights.  Blu-Tac other bits if needed.

 

Makes it very easy to attach/remove the battery/control box as required.  The wires just click together for easy connection.

 

Otherwise use the extension wires, and have battery/control box in pocket.  Long wires flapping around though.

 

 

Edited December 15, 2021 by Paul A

[East Coast]

Thx! @Paul A

[Circuitmage]

@ShanesPlanet Good point. I do also look back when I'm driving my car. In fact, I just bought a late model car (2020 ) that has collision and lane detection. So everytime I switch lanes I get a beeping sound. I am hoping my safety skill do not slack with this technology. Always have to look!

 

[Penelope91]

On 12/7/2021 at 6:30 PM, East Coast said:

@Circuitmage

I can relate. I bike and have a scooter. I'm used to quickly looking behind me with no helmet on. I got the helmet below for my Ninebot Max and I can easily look behind me quickly. Guess the full face just require me to adjust a bit.

This one looks really comfortable

[Paul A]

@Penelope91

 

A Triple Eight helmet like the one above is designed primarily for the lower speeds of skateboards, roller blades, etc. 

These are usually used on bicycle paths, skate parks, etc.

A person on a skateboard has a fairly good chance when coming off, to be able to run and maintain upright.

The helmet design leaves the face very exposed.

 

An EUC travels at a much higher speed, possibly on roads with cars.

Road surfaces that can be slippery, bumpy, potholed, hazardous etc.

There are many possibilities for a failure, crash, accidents on an EUC.

At the higher speeds, there is very little reaction time available for the rider.

This means a "face plant" is much more likely than at lower speeds on a skateboard, roller blades etc.

 

Please purchase and use products that have been designed and manufactured for the intended purpose of use.

There is a reason why there are safety standards, certifications, reputations of brands......

 

Hope that helps.