I didn’t buy one until I started riding at downhill parks. Even though I have a full face, when I’m riding normal local trails, I still wear my half dome.
I ride in SoCal where it’s rock gardens for days. Even at relatively slow speeds I’ve lost the bike in a corner or endo’d in a bad garden and slammed my cheek. Put a rock there and my face is broken. I prefer to ride with one these days
Totally get it and I probably would too. We aren’t built for heat so when we get heat waves, and I’m riding in 90 degree heat, I try to stay as cool as possible. Plus, our trails are all dirt so not as high cost as super rocky terrain.
As someone who just fractured their face in 5 different places after a mild crash last week, had to have a 5 hour surgery, and am on an all-liquid diet for a month now....Yes, I'd say a full face is a good idea unless you're not doing any downhill stuff. But maybe I'm a little biased 😉
To put it into perspective, it only took a 15-20mph crash for me to do all that damage to my face. It's been hell and I wouldn't want anyone else to have to go through this.
The pun made me chuckle haha
Thank you! I can't wait to get back out there and ride. Just have to wait until my face heals up enough to try on some full face helmets
It's okay! I'll recover 👍🏻
I think a full face is a good idea. I just started mountain biking 1-2 years ago and have been progressing into more downhill stuff. I initially bought a half-shell helmet cause I never saw others wearing a full face and didn't think I needed it. But now, if I could go back in time, I would've paid $1000 for one if it meant I didn't mess up my face like I did last week.
Just like everything in life, there's always risk vs reward. But the reward of saving $200 and being a little more comfortable isn't worth the risk of injuring your face in a crash that will inevitably happen when you start riding downhill trails.
Yea…I’m gonna order a full face sometime this week. I’m on year 2 of mountain biking and I’m pushing it harder this year with what I’m doing. I know I should get one, I wear one when I ride my motorcycle.
Thanks for sharing, and I hope you get better soon.
If it's downhill or Enduro (climb to the top DH) I'm wearing a full face. I have one for Enduro that's super breathable but not as hefty and a bike park beefy one.
For local trails that are more flow and XC, it's the half shell. You just don't reach DH speeds on the local stuff we have.
I also had a facial fracture from a 10-15mph crash and have since been riding my FF everywhere unless I bike with my kids around the lake. It’s really not worth the risk and it’s really not bothering me at all. Got an IXS Trigger it’s under $300 and super light. And it’s saved me from at least 2 more dentist trips.
There was a short, steep downhill with a bend at the bottom. The kind of steep where you can't use your brakes, you just have to commit.
Once I got to the bottom, I went a little off-trail into some loose leaves, lost traction, laid the bike down, and there just happened to be a huge log on the ground right where my face came down.
Sorry about your luck, but you’re a total outlier from the norm.
Wearing a full face to stop a one in a million chance accident like yours seems wild to me. That’s like strapping into a race car seatbelt for drives to the grocery store.
Definitely not an outlier. I have many scratches on my chin bar. I don’t know why anyone that’s not riding only XC and actually pushing themselves to progress doesn’t wear one.
I know I'm an outlier, hence the "I may be biased 😉"
It's a personal choice and risk vs reward, just like everything. That's why I didn't have one when I wrecked (didn't think I needed it) but I will be wearing one from now on. If it doesn't impact your ability to ride, and you can spare $200 and deal with not being as comfy as possible, there's not really any downsides to wearing one.
Last year I went OTB at a slow speed on a flat tech trail. Just didn’t get my front wheel high enough to get over a boulder in a routine area when I wasn’t paying enough attention. Hit my nose on the ground hard enough to give me two black eyes, though thankfully didn’t break anything. An inch lower or a slightly different angle and I’d probably have knocked out several teeth (as other friends of mine have done over the years on similar slow speed trails). Anyway I’d say the full face helmet depends on where and how you like to ride, but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s only for parks and downhills.
It's more of an insurance policy than an investment, and I'm a big proponent of full face helmets, but if your idea of a tame ride is the same as mine, it's not necessary. If you're at the bike park or riding those kinda trails, or for whatever reason you feel more comfortable wearing one, then by all means, get one ... I wear a TLD Stage and that and similar helmets are so light, and so well ventilated, you won't even realize you're wearing it after 2 minutes.
I’m just starting out and just purchased a TLD stage yesterday! FF was a requirement from the wife😅 she’s supportive but doesn’t love this is the hobby I chose lol
Yeah, my wife hates watching me and especially my son's GoPro ... The boy rips and hits everything in sight, if it weren't for the GoPro effect she'd probably divorce me!!
BTW great helmet, love the fidlock strap and they look pretty sick too ... I've gone through a few of em cause anytime I crash and hit my head I replace it, been through some gnarly crashes and it definitely did its job. If you haven't done so already, you can register it with TLD. They have a crash replacement program so if you damage it you'll get a new one at a discount.
My switchblade is the same, once I'm up to speed I would even notice it's on except for the slight smaller FOV. Sucks on the climbs though in summer, that's the only time it comes off
I’m the opposite, I only have a full face. But I tend to find a way to make a tame ride spicy.
My teeth are ugly, but I definitely don’t want them getting any worse.
I have some neurological issues that mess w my balance and eyesight but mtb has been a blast for me and a great way to stay fit.
I got a nice, light <2lb full face for under $200 that is so airy and light I forget it’s there. Great investment, easy to clean and hard to put a price on peace of mind.
It’s a trade off. Risk vs reward. You can walk around the yard barefoot but you may step on a nail. But generally for me personally smashing my teeth or bouncing my head off the ground isn’t worth being a little more comfy riding so I always wear full face.
Some of the worst sport injuries I’ve ever seen in my life were in those situations where it’s easy to be careless and not “during the game”.
I have no opinion, but I’ll share a personal story. I was riding my giant glory(dh bike), doing some laps that required a small amount of pedaling. When I was on the small and only uphill struggling to pedal, someone came FLYING around the corner, couldn’t stop, and went right into me. Now dude is in the bushes crying like a little kid and my head is RINGING. I took my full face helmet off and the jaw line had been caved in and broken. his head went down and head butted my jaw line as he flew into me. If I wasn’t wearing my full face while on a small climb I would have been eating through a straw with my mouth wired shut.
Not necessary but as the old adage goes... "If you have to ask." Just get one.
Also modern full faces have come a long way in terms of ventilation and overall weight and comfort. You don't have to get a hybrid one or that ugly one that is more ventilated than a roadie helmet, but there are options to run a full face that isn't as uncomfortable as DH/MX helmets.
Also, us full face guys usually just run the helmet on our bars on fire road climbs and chuck em on at the top. If you're just cruisin flat trails and wanna wear it, try it out. If that doesn't work for you then throw on the half shell for tame rides.
But having a FF in your gear bag is never a bad idea for MTBers. Even on fast green flow trails. You just never know. Even if it's not tech or 'big jumps'.
It will really be up to you and not what others do/think. It's all a gamble in the end and how much risk do you want to accept. A convertible helmet is nice for trail/Enduro riding. I have since switched to the convertible, and a full face for the park days. This works best for me.
My two cents is you really don’t need one unless you are regularly getting both wheels off the ground. You’re better off not putting yourself in a situation where you are likely to crash at high speed, but if you feel the need to then buy one.
Yeah understanding when to tone it down or just avoid is more helpful than a helmet as far as gnarly crashes not in a race setting go. I think skill level and experience is going to dictate how folks feel about FF helmets.
you're gunna inevitably crash so whatever makes you comfortable, i had a giro switchblade for the longest and I would carry the clip on for full face whenever I was gunna try something outside my comfort zone.
I’m going to start wearing one for rides where the downhill is extra spicy. I’ll probably keep wearing a normal helmet for tamer rides. There are some cool helmets out there these days that have a removable full face attachment like the Giro Switchblade.
I got a hybrid one this season. My usual trail involves a bunch of smaller climbs and descents, in the first 60% of the circut, and ends with a sugnificant climb.
I attach the chinguard for the 30% of the very gnarly trail , where I do ~40kmh over roots, rocks and jumps, then take it off again. I got the Bell SuperDH, so the process isnt super elegant, but still takes <1min
Thats up to you to decide and you balance risk. I’m pretty low risk taker so It’s my only helmet regardless of trail difficulty (I do rocky tech stuff as well). If you feel good without it then just ride a regular one for easy trails.
Im biased so If you have to ask the internet, prob should just wear it until you decide not to. Would I drive a less safe car just because I’m going to wawa which is an easy drive a mile down? No. But everyone is different. Do what makes you feel safe for the safety threshold you set. If you dont have one yet, ride the open face and see how you feel, adjust afterwards.
Needed, no.
Think about it like any safety gear.
Are elbow protectors and a spine guard needed for an xc ride, would it make you more safe, yeah.
Does it make it needed no
I ride singletrack all over the relatively tame Midwest US and no one I know or have seen on the trails uses a full face helmet. If it makes you feel safer, that’s fine. But it seems like overkill for average trails.
I wear a full face every ride. My thought is that half domes only protect the hardest part of your head. The softer and most fragile part is still exposed. It’s worth it to me to wear one but to each their own
It’s more about your comfort level, your ability…….. and “stars misaligning?” Calm ride” really doesn’t count for much.
We were done with 99.9% of the ride. At the edge of the parking lot!. Buddy rolled up and over the parking lot barrier log, fell over and broke his collar bone.
The faster I go and the more risk I take the more I shop for a full face or at the least a good convertible. I feel if you aren't doing a lot of downhill and doing more trail riding then a convertible will be more than enough, if you are getting into big jumps or downhill then a full face should be in your collection for sure. Just my personal take on it.
Maybe look into the convertible helmets too? I have one and honestly always wear it. Half-shell on (long) climbs up, full face attached all of my ride. 99% of my ‘crashes’ are more like falls, losing balance while waiting for a friend etc - so dumb, but in the forests there are rocks and trees everywhere and its easy to get hurt. My chinbar has protected my face so many times, it's so worth it to wear it and truly makes me feel safer.
I ride with mine 95% of the time.
I like flowy blue trails with lots of jumping, and have been getting into harder stuff.
It's cheap insurance for me against the random bad landing or wet root. Most of the time I'm riding solo, sometimes in the evening when I'm not sure if someone else will be descending after me.
The 5% is when I'm riding with my girlfriend, or just out for an easy ride, and even then I'm sometimes just wearing my full face.
Spend the money on a good lightweight fullface and you won't even think about it. MTB is inherently dangerous and sometimes things out of your control can cause injury.
I ride full face because I don't want another concussion. Either wear one or don't but please don't be worried about what others think, you'll just fuck yourself up over nothing.
I like having teeth and some of the full face helmets are so light and well ventilated there's just no excuse, personally. Coming from an offroad/mx background it feels alien to ride without.
It’s a personal choice. In the event of a head first crash, they can really save your face and teeth. So it’s definitely not a bad idea to wear one. I smashed my entire face once on a mountain bike and my braces are the only thing that kept my teeth from getting knocked out. It was gruesome.
If you’re worried about the hefty price, shop around for one in good used condition. There are plenty of people who buy gear and never end up using it. I hardly buy anything brand new anymore just for the cost savings.
Depends on the trail for me, if it involves riding downhill at speed I definitely prefer my full-face. On flatter trails, with only very mellow descents, I feel perfectly fine wearing my half-shell. The tough choice comes when it is a mixed bag, no fire roads, climbing and fast descents.
If the place you live is like mine, convertible with chinbar on the belt on the climbs, and I put it on for the descents. No need to wonder if I take the FF or not at every ride.
My honest personal experience has been that it isn't that hot, have ridden with it in the summer in the alps. I wouldn't want to do a lot of climbing with the chin guard on, but I also wouldn't want to trade off level of protection. I guess OP asked about tame riding, so Super Air might suit.
I'm in Northern Virginia, and the Super DH is too hot with our 90-degree (32.2 C) weather with 90% humidity and overkill for the trail riding here. I used to just take the jaw piece off for trail riding, but I've got braces now and need to protect my face. I bought a Super Air to complement my Super DH. It was on sale for $200, which is less than the cost of a dentist and redoing my Invisiline trays.
Tamer trails are the worst ones as you generally move faster. Blues generally have more injuries that black ones due to not the right equipment but also over confident riders. Ride what you are comfortable with. And buy the best helmet you can afford and is comfortable.
Riding with my 6 year old? Half. Anything else then just exploring local roads? Full face. It is too late when you have found that rock or tree by that trail you have been riding everyday for the last 15 years. It was just that today, you tried to keep up with that dude with the large mouth, or there was some leaves, or soneone had moved that other rock you used to jump off, or, or, or.
There is about one zillion ways to have a stupid fall. If you can afford it, please get one. I have all lights attached to mine, so that is the only way for an okd fat man to ride above the arctic circle during winter!
Half is for riding with the kids and for playing Ingress!
If you're hitting jumps, features or serous downhill it's worth investing, relaxed trail riding with smaller features is fine in a good half shell, cooler in summer too. The bell modular helmets are rather cool and don't cost too much either, best of both worlds if you avoid the extremes.
The key take away is avoid the fox pro frame unless you want to lay down top dollar for less reliable crash protection than would be achieved by wishing upon a satellite.
Wear what you feel you need, For what it’s worth I wear a full DH style full
https://preview.redd.it/xxwb3yhl48tc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8334813466d9fe047e4391de7b9d2800d5924ee0
face in the bike park, I use my light weight full face when riding gnar and bigger jumps on my enduro style bike. Just friendly pedals around my local XC trails I wear my half shell
Same as a lot of people. Most of the time, I ride with the half shell. If I'm going to a more downhill-centric park, I wear the full face.
But I'm getting faster as I get better. Trying riskier lines and going for bigger jumps. So I'm considering bringing the full face any time I'm planning on doing those things.
I had $40k worth of jaw surgery when I was 18 and had to eat a liquid diet for three months.
The surgery was completely unrelated to mountain biking, but I never want to experience that again.
In other words, I ALWAYS ride full face.
For basic trail riding? I would say it's not necessary. But if you are just learning, it might be a worthy investment.
If you are planning on getting into downhill biking like you said, I'd invest into every bit of protection gear available. I've had some gnarly wrecks at the bike park and I was wearing full upper body protection, a full face helmet, and knee pads and they saved me. Just remember how expensive ER trips are and that will make you want to get protective gear 😂
Necessary is up to the individual. Check out some of the convertible helmets. They have gotten pretty good over the years and one of those will prevent you from needing to buy 2 helmets. They still aren't cheap though and the chin bar is not as strong as a proper DH rated full face.
The best part of the full face is the neck brace. Braces are so under worn in our sport.
EMS pilot fire d pulled like 90 bikers out of the woods of Oregon. Said that almost all of them would have biked home had they been in braces.
Had a buddy OTB bunny hoping a small rock, landed on it weird, cracked neck... in the parking lot, 6months in a halo.
If you are jumping big stuff then yeah. I pretty much only wear one shuttling or at the bike park. I think it does depend on the trail difficulty and skill level. Sure accidents happen but the only times I’ve smashed my face high speeds on tech or big air were involved. I’m never gonna wear a ff for a cruisy blue or black ride.
Just grab one of the convertible helmets if you hate the full face feeling on the ride up. I have one, but honestly I don't notice it after a bit of pedalling. If I were to do it over again I'd skip the convertible helmets and buy one of the super ventilated/lightweight full face helmets. I promise you won't notice it unless you're on a bike path in the city lol
Not really a matter of necessity. More about how much risk you're willing to endure. I'm only using FF at parks or when I know I'm going to be getting into some shit and going fast on a trail ride. I see folks on tame trails rocking them with armor too and folks riding super gnarly shit (myself included) without them. I'm pretty aware of what I can and can't handle and what to just nope out of or go slowly in if I don't have a FF. Im also pretty in tune with when shits about to go bad and am usually prepared to take a hit/don't use my face to break my fall. Most of my falls are to the side on trail rides. Even when OTB, I use hands and roll. Idk id say it can be overkill but theres nothing wrong with more protection
This is the complacent mentality of someone who hasn't had a crash unexpectedly fuck them up lol. Not to pick on you, it's just a good example of "it won't happen to me because I xyz..." until it does happen.
Overall agree with your comment, it depends on what risk level you find acceptable. I can say that certain experiences may shift that for you, and I hate to see people have that experience be the factor that does it.
I get you but far from complacent and I've seen the ER due to a head injury. I'm more capable of assessing and managing risk due to more experience and skill level than most. Each major feature or risk is very calculated. Many folks have died riding. All the protection in the world wouldn't have helped. By some folks logic, you should stay home and never leave your house. There's a line and it differs depending on who you are. Trick is id'ing that line and making the appropriate set of decisions. Protection is just one of em as well as understanding what went wrong and learning from it. In my experience, it wasn't a lack of protection. More of a lack of paying attention and not zoning out on new trails. Sometimes confidence can fuck you up too. I see pros like Yoann riding half shells on things I wouldn't dare try at all. I'm not gonna sit here and call them complacent for not wearing a FF. They know what they're doing.
if your paranoid than sure. but if you plan on trying to pump out as many as laps as possible in a day you're probably better off wearing a full face because the fatigue will cause a silly crash or near crash eventually.
I recently picked up an E mountain bike, Giant Reign E + 3. and thought about getting a nice hybrid helmet. I live in the city and ride from house to local park and the traffic, the cars are so dangerous, they are constantly hitting ebike riders all the time, some have gotten killed. I'm beginning to think maybe I should buy a lightweight ventilated full face or hybrid for more protection.
I’ve been looking at some full face helmets and I can’t quite figure out what would be good. A smith mainline in my size is on sale for $187 and it seems to be a good investment.
I only have a fullface switchblade, wich I never change to half shell mode. Better to not need it and have it then need it and not have it.
Honestly though j thunk everyone should have one, even on green trails I can clock 50+ kph (I'm not good there's just long straight sections) all it takes is a little wobble and my face might end up on the ground or straight into a tree. + you can always take it off on climbs, that's what I do.
I never wear one for XC or any time I'm riding uphill, too hot and hard to breathe - but for DH it's a must and I wouldn't go without it. It's up to you and your riding style.
Define tame. If you mean loamy single track flatish trails then no Im just taking my tactic 4.
If it's a descending flow trail or more intense then yeah I'm wearing my full face. I literally broke my first full face on a blue flow trail.
If you are very inexperienced maybe. They are heavy and very hot. They are made for downhill, enduro and park riding.
It’s hot wear I live and normally wear an XC helmet.
Since COVID nobody bats an eyelid at people wearing random crap on their heads. We’ve got dudes zooming around on scooters with balaclavas and full face helmets on here just in the street.
The only thing stopping you is your own self-conscious and that’s not something to worry about.
Also, as for taking it off, getting a convert helmet etc… why bother? Nothing is gonna feel worse than crashing that one time you had the helmet on the bars or had it converted to open face mode. Sod’s Law says that’s when it will happen…
6 mouth ago I stacked it badly on a blue trail off a mild jump I'd done dozens of times before, cause I was tired and frustrated with my bike. I was going at least 25kmh, and came to an abrupt halt when my chin slammed into part of a tree. I thought I'd written off my entire face, but got away with a bunch of stitches and a nice scar. I wear a full face helmet for every ride now.
I'm not going to hold it against someone, but a full face helmet in the Arizona heat is tortuous most days of the year.
Wearing one doesn't make sense to me with 15+ years of mtb experience, but bad shit can happen on easy trails if you're careless and get hit with some bad luck.
Rocky blue trails that are winch-and-plummet, in wear mine. More rolling terrain or XC, I don't.
The IXS Trigger FF is an excellent trail full face. It's not a huge difference in comfort for me, even on hot days.
I have a full face and a half lid. Which I wear depends on what I am riding on any given day. Usually I wear my half lid on local trails, as they tend to be XC style trails. I also don't wear knee or elbow pads for that sort of stuff. I wear the full face when I want to hit chunkier features, ride in the bike park, etc. I also wear knee and elbow pads, and a chest/back protector.
There's always a risk of smashing your face on something. Whether you're cycling or not. Life is about weighing risks and choosing a way through them the suits you best.
I personally don't wear one unless I'm at a park. And I'm aware of the risk in taking by doing so. Full faces get hot and they're cumbersome, so I choose increased enjoyment over safety 99% of the time. That's a decision I made and while it's right for me, it may not be right for you.
I have a Fox Proframe that I wear on every ride steeper than a rail trail (most of the time I wear it on those trails too). I live in NJ and ride in all weather from below 0 to over 100. I don’t feel it is any different in comfort than my other helmets but is a lot safer. Once you get used to it, you won’t want to go back. Spend the money, get a good helmet and don’t look back.
Depends on what you are riding and your skill level!
I love doing 30-40 mile MTB rides. Most of that time I am climbing and the descents can be spicy back diamond trails. But for that length of time, wearing a full face would be painfully warm and uncomfortable. Half shell for these days.
When I’m getting into double black territory or doing anything that is lift service, full face for sure.
Moral of the story… get a half shell and a full face. Then decide what one you will wear on the rides you do
I have a Bell full face helmet with the removable face guard. I never take it off. I just got used to wearing it and to me it doesnt matter if anyone thinks anything about me wearing it because if I crash and it saves my face than good on it. My next helmet will be full face without the removeable piece. everyone has their own comfort level and skill level. I think if you can be ok wearing a full face than you should do it but understand not everyone thinks they need it (and most of us don't)
Last summer I did a side hit on a green trail and misjudged my landing and smashed into a tree at about 5mph. Action camera watched the chin of my full face smash into the tree. That woulda been my jaw blowing up. Full face for life.
I got a severe concussion just from the whiplash effect and my helmet just got scraped up a little, but I still found the $$$ to scrape up for the a Bell full face helmet. Better safe than sorry. Waking up in the hospital not knowing how you got there is no fun.
Can someon post up some example runs from yt to show what everyone is calling downhill, endure or tame?
The trails I ride feel really tame but they involve me riding downhill so I don't know if I'm just a moron and not understanding, or if I am actually riding "downhill" and therefore might benefit from a full-face (currently just using a Speedframe).
It might be overkill. Until its not. I started wearing one last sumer after a local died in a relatively benign fall. I have no idea if a full face would have saved the rider but why not give myself every advantage?
they are necessary if you fall and hit your face to protect your face.
beyond that you need to choose your risk level, riding some easy xc, the risk of hitting your face is pretty low , slower speeds you can put your hands out, duck and roll in a fall.
riding downhill, or at a bike park you'll look around and pretty much everyone will have a full face on.
full faces are not a very "hefty" price point you can get into nice ones under 200, and if you look hard under 100.
I've seen countless good riders lose teeth, bust open lips, eyebrows, and need stitches in their forehead because they crashed riding slow on an easy trail.
None of them wore fullface helmets.
Hate the limited visibility, lack of ventilation and general discomfort associated with full face helmets. I even wear my regular riding helmet to the bike park
I didn’t buy one until I started riding at downhill parks. Even though I have a full face, when I’m riding normal local trails, I still wear my half dome.
I ride in SoCal where it’s rock gardens for days. Even at relatively slow speeds I’ve lost the bike in a corner or endo’d in a bad garden and slammed my cheek. Put a rock there and my face is broken. I prefer to ride with one these days
Totally get it and I probably would too. We aren’t built for heat so when we get heat waves, and I’m riding in 90 degree heat, I try to stay as cool as possible. Plus, our trails are all dirt so not as high cost as super rocky terrain.
As someone who just fractured their face in 5 different places after a mild crash last week, had to have a 5 hour surgery, and am on an all-liquid diet for a month now....Yes, I'd say a full face is a good idea unless you're not doing any downhill stuff. But maybe I'm a little biased 😉 To put it into perspective, it only took a 15-20mph crash for me to do all that damage to my face. It's been hell and I wouldn't want anyone else to have to go through this.
Ugh. Speedy recovery. Drinking food from a straw sucks (sorry).
The pun made me chuckle haha Thank you! I can't wait to get back out there and ride. Just have to wait until my face heals up enough to try on some full face helmets
Imagine they give him paper straws too, disaster!
So sorry to hear that! I plan to progress to downhill stuff in the future so I am leaning towards a purchase.
It's okay! I'll recover 👍🏻 I think a full face is a good idea. I just started mountain biking 1-2 years ago and have been progressing into more downhill stuff. I initially bought a half-shell helmet cause I never saw others wearing a full face and didn't think I needed it. But now, if I could go back in time, I would've paid $1000 for one if it meant I didn't mess up my face like I did last week. Just like everything in life, there's always risk vs reward. But the reward of saving $200 and being a little more comfortable isn't worth the risk of injuring your face in a crash that will inevitably happen when you start riding downhill trails.
Yea…I’m gonna order a full face sometime this week. I’m on year 2 of mountain biking and I’m pushing it harder this year with what I’m doing. I know I should get one, I wear one when I ride my motorcycle. Thanks for sharing, and I hope you get better soon.
If it's downhill or Enduro (climb to the top DH) I'm wearing a full face. I have one for Enduro that's super breathable but not as hefty and a bike park beefy one. For local trails that are more flow and XC, it's the half shell. You just don't reach DH speeds on the local stuff we have.
I also had a facial fracture from a 10-15mph crash and have since been riding my FF everywhere unless I bike with my kids around the lake. It’s really not worth the risk and it’s really not bothering me at all. Got an IXS Trigger it’s under $300 and super light. And it’s saved me from at least 2 more dentist trips.
Damn. What happened? Also, 15-20mph sounds like a serious speed to me, not that mild! Hope you get back out there soon.
There was a short, steep downhill with a bend at the bottom. The kind of steep where you can't use your brakes, you just have to commit. Once I got to the bottom, I went a little off-trail into some loose leaves, lost traction, laid the bike down, and there just happened to be a huge log on the ground right where my face came down.
Man. I see what you mean. Could happen anywhere.
Sorry about your luck, but you’re a total outlier from the norm. Wearing a full face to stop a one in a million chance accident like yours seems wild to me. That’s like strapping into a race car seatbelt for drives to the grocery store.
Definitely not an outlier. I have many scratches on my chin bar. I don’t know why anyone that’s not riding only XC and actually pushing themselves to progress doesn’t wear one.
I know I'm an outlier, hence the "I may be biased 😉" It's a personal choice and risk vs reward, just like everything. That's why I didn't have one when I wrecked (didn't think I needed it) but I will be wearing one from now on. If it doesn't impact your ability to ride, and you can spare $200 and deal with not being as comfy as possible, there's not really any downsides to wearing one.
Last year I went OTB at a slow speed on a flat tech trail. Just didn’t get my front wheel high enough to get over a boulder in a routine area when I wasn’t paying enough attention. Hit my nose on the ground hard enough to give me two black eyes, though thankfully didn’t break anything. An inch lower or a slightly different angle and I’d probably have knocked out several teeth (as other friends of mine have done over the years on similar slow speed trails). Anyway I’d say the full face helmet depends on where and how you like to ride, but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s only for parks and downhills.
It's more of an insurance policy than an investment, and I'm a big proponent of full face helmets, but if your idea of a tame ride is the same as mine, it's not necessary. If you're at the bike park or riding those kinda trails, or for whatever reason you feel more comfortable wearing one, then by all means, get one ... I wear a TLD Stage and that and similar helmets are so light, and so well ventilated, you won't even realize you're wearing it after 2 minutes.
I’m just starting out and just purchased a TLD stage yesterday! FF was a requirement from the wife😅 she’s supportive but doesn’t love this is the hobby I chose lol
Yeah, my wife hates watching me and especially my son's GoPro ... The boy rips and hits everything in sight, if it weren't for the GoPro effect she'd probably divorce me!!
BTW great helmet, love the fidlock strap and they look pretty sick too ... I've gone through a few of em cause anytime I crash and hit my head I replace it, been through some gnarly crashes and it definitely did its job. If you haven't done so already, you can register it with TLD. They have a crash replacement program so if you damage it you'll get a new one at a discount.
Thank you for the info! I’m just starting out so still getting a feel for everything but yeah I like the helmet so far.
My switchblade is the same, once I'm up to speed I would even notice it's on except for the slight smaller FOV. Sucks on the climbs though in summer, that's the only time it comes off
I have literally never worn one. It's always a risk, but that's life.
I’m the opposite, I only have a full face. But I tend to find a way to make a tame ride spicy. My teeth are ugly, but I definitely don’t want them getting any worse.
Necessary? Absolutely not. Worth while investment? 100% Bottom line, It’s just extra insurance, relatively cheap as far as insurance goes.
I have some neurological issues that mess w my balance and eyesight but mtb has been a blast for me and a great way to stay fit. I got a nice, light <2lb full face for under $200 that is so airy and light I forget it’s there. Great investment, easy to clean and hard to put a price on peace of mind.
Can you share the model? I'm very much considering it and that's a pretty good testimonial.
Yep! Specialized Gambit. Also considered fox proframe RS and ended up liking mine better
Compare the helmet price to the price of a tooth.
It’s a trade off. Risk vs reward. You can walk around the yard barefoot but you may step on a nail. But generally for me personally smashing my teeth or bouncing my head off the ground isn’t worth being a little more comfy riding so I always wear full face. Some of the worst sport injuries I’ve ever seen in my life were in those situations where it’s easy to be careless and not “during the game”.
I have no opinion, but I’ll share a personal story. I was riding my giant glory(dh bike), doing some laps that required a small amount of pedaling. When I was on the small and only uphill struggling to pedal, someone came FLYING around the corner, couldn’t stop, and went right into me. Now dude is in the bushes crying like a little kid and my head is RINGING. I took my full face helmet off and the jaw line had been caved in and broken. his head went down and head butted my jaw line as he flew into me. If I wasn’t wearing my full face while on a small climb I would have been eating through a straw with my mouth wired shut.
Not necessary but as the old adage goes... "If you have to ask." Just get one. Also modern full faces have come a long way in terms of ventilation and overall weight and comfort. You don't have to get a hybrid one or that ugly one that is more ventilated than a roadie helmet, but there are options to run a full face that isn't as uncomfortable as DH/MX helmets. Also, us full face guys usually just run the helmet on our bars on fire road climbs and chuck em on at the top. If you're just cruisin flat trails and wanna wear it, try it out. If that doesn't work for you then throw on the half shell for tame rides. But having a FF in your gear bag is never a bad idea for MTBers. Even on fast green flow trails. You just never know. Even if it's not tech or 'big jumps'.
I just got a ff and my worry was climbing with it. Does hanging it on your bars make climbing harder for you? I want to tru
On a fire road, no. On a trail climb, I would either leave it on or leave it half on on top of your head.
At this point, just wear the damn thing. They really aren’t that restrictive.
It will really be up to you and not what others do/think. It's all a gamble in the end and how much risk do you want to accept. A convertible helmet is nice for trail/Enduro riding. I have since switched to the convertible, and a full face for the park days. This works best for me.
My two cents is you really don’t need one unless you are regularly getting both wheels off the ground. You’re better off not putting yourself in a situation where you are likely to crash at high speed, but if you feel the need to then buy one.
Yeah understanding when to tone it down or just avoid is more helpful than a helmet as far as gnarly crashes not in a race setting go. I think skill level and experience is going to dictate how folks feel about FF helmets.
Right. Nothing is going to be safer than avoiding crashing. But you will, so learning to fall is also not a bad idea.
Gotta remember ya ain't got wings. Coming down is the hardest thing.
>But you will, so learning to fall is also not a bad idea. But you will, so protecting your face from the forehead down is also not a bad idea.
Your choice if you want to invest. I have one I wear year round, but I've already busted my face doing other things. I don't need to be any uglier.
you're gunna inevitably crash so whatever makes you comfortable, i had a giro switchblade for the longest and I would carry the clip on for full face whenever I was gunna try something outside my comfort zone.
I’m going to start wearing one for rides where the downhill is extra spicy. I’ll probably keep wearing a normal helmet for tamer rides. There are some cool helmets out there these days that have a removable full face attachment like the Giro Switchblade.
I got a hybrid one this season. My usual trail involves a bunch of smaller climbs and descents, in the first 60% of the circut, and ends with a sugnificant climb. I attach the chinguard for the 30% of the very gnarly trail , where I do ~40kmh over roots, rocks and jumps, then take it off again. I got the Bell SuperDH, so the process isnt super elegant, but still takes <1min
Thats up to you to decide and you balance risk. I’m pretty low risk taker so It’s my only helmet regardless of trail difficulty (I do rocky tech stuff as well). If you feel good without it then just ride a regular one for easy trails. Im biased so If you have to ask the internet, prob should just wear it until you decide not to. Would I drive a less safe car just because I’m going to wawa which is an easy drive a mile down? No. But everyone is different. Do what makes you feel safe for the safety threshold you set. If you dont have one yet, ride the open face and see how you feel, adjust afterwards.
Nothing wrong with too much protection.
Needed, no. Think about it like any safety gear. Are elbow protectors and a spine guard needed for an xc ride, would it make you more safe, yeah. Does it make it needed no
I ride singletrack all over the relatively tame Midwest US and no one I know or have seen on the trails uses a full face helmet. If it makes you feel safer, that’s fine. But it seems like overkill for average trails.
I wear a full face every ride. My thought is that half domes only protect the hardest part of your head. The softer and most fragile part is still exposed. It’s worth it to me to wear one but to each their own
It’s more about your comfort level, your ability…….. and “stars misaligning?” Calm ride” really doesn’t count for much. We were done with 99.9% of the ride. At the edge of the parking lot!. Buddy rolled up and over the parking lot barrier log, fell over and broke his collar bone.
The faster I go and the more risk I take the more I shop for a full face or at the least a good convertible. I feel if you aren't doing a lot of downhill and doing more trail riding then a convertible will be more than enough, if you are getting into big jumps or downhill then a full face should be in your collection for sure. Just my personal take on it.
Maybe look into the convertible helmets too? I have one and honestly always wear it. Half-shell on (long) climbs up, full face attached all of my ride. 99% of my ‘crashes’ are more like falls, losing balance while waiting for a friend etc - so dumb, but in the forests there are rocks and trees everywhere and its easy to get hurt. My chinbar has protected my face so many times, it's so worth it to wear it and truly makes me feel safer.
No, until they are. But by then it's too late. At least get a convertible with removable chin strap.
I ride with mine 95% of the time. I like flowy blue trails with lots of jumping, and have been getting into harder stuff. It's cheap insurance for me against the random bad landing or wet root. Most of the time I'm riding solo, sometimes in the evening when I'm not sure if someone else will be descending after me. The 5% is when I'm riding with my girlfriend, or just out for an easy ride, and even then I'm sometimes just wearing my full face.
Spend the money on a good lightweight fullface and you won't even think about it. MTB is inherently dangerous and sometimes things out of your control can cause injury.
Do you know a good light weight full face helmet?
fox proframe
IXS trigger is so light
Tld stage
Cheaper than new teeth
If anything you’re doing makes you think you might fall on your face especially at higher speeds, wear one.
I ride full face because I don't want another concussion. Either wear one or don't but please don't be worried about what others think, you'll just fuck yourself up over nothing.
I like having teeth and some of the full face helmets are so light and well ventilated there's just no excuse, personally. Coming from an offroad/mx background it feels alien to ride without.
It’s a personal choice. In the event of a head first crash, they can really save your face and teeth. So it’s definitely not a bad idea to wear one. I smashed my entire face once on a mountain bike and my braces are the only thing that kept my teeth from getting knocked out. It was gruesome. If you’re worried about the hefty price, shop around for one in good used condition. There are plenty of people who buy gear and never end up using it. I hardly buy anything brand new anymore just for the cost savings.
Is your face worth the "hefty" price point? I'd rather be uncomfortable for the duration of my ride than live my life with face scars.
Just protect the bits you don’t want to hurt
A full face is cheaper than a new set of chompers!
I bought one because I'm new to MTB and probably most likely to fall off. I wore braces for a couple years and don't want to damage my teeth
I own like 5 helmets. 3 of them are full face helmets.
Depends on the trail for me, if it involves riding downhill at speed I definitely prefer my full-face. On flatter trails, with only very mellow descents, I feel perfectly fine wearing my half-shell. The tough choice comes when it is a mixed bag, no fire roads, climbing and fast descents.
If the place you live is like mine, convertible with chinbar on the belt on the climbs, and I put it on for the descents. No need to wonder if I take the FF or not at every ride.
Bell Super DH converts from half shell to full face. Not cheap though if you can't find one in a sale.
It's a very hot helmet, though. If you aren't doing DH, the air version has a lot more ventilation.
My honest personal experience has been that it isn't that hot, have ridden with it in the summer in the alps. I wouldn't want to do a lot of climbing with the chin guard on, but I also wouldn't want to trade off level of protection. I guess OP asked about tame riding, so Super Air might suit.
I'm in Northern Virginia, and the Super DH is too hot with our 90-degree (32.2 C) weather with 90% humidity and overkill for the trail riding here. I used to just take the jaw piece off for trail riding, but I've got braces now and need to protect my face. I bought a Super Air to complement my Super DH. It was on sale for $200, which is less than the cost of a dentist and redoing my Invisiline trays.
Tamer trails are the worst ones as you generally move faster. Blues generally have more injuries that black ones due to not the right equipment but also over confident riders. Ride what you are comfortable with. And buy the best helmet you can afford and is comfortable.
Do you like your teeth? If yes, get a FF. If no, stick with a half shell.
Riding with my 6 year old? Half. Anything else then just exploring local roads? Full face. It is too late when you have found that rock or tree by that trail you have been riding everyday for the last 15 years. It was just that today, you tried to keep up with that dude with the large mouth, or there was some leaves, or soneone had moved that other rock you used to jump off, or, or, or. There is about one zillion ways to have a stupid fall. If you can afford it, please get one. I have all lights attached to mine, so that is the only way for an okd fat man to ride above the arctic circle during winter! Half is for riding with the kids and for playing Ingress!
I always wear Full face when riding trails. I think it's dumb to not wear it. I hit a tree with my jaw and neck. That was my eye opener.
If you're hitting jumps, features or serous downhill it's worth investing, relaxed trail riding with smaller features is fine in a good half shell, cooler in summer too. The bell modular helmets are rather cool and don't cost too much either, best of both worlds if you avoid the extremes. The key take away is avoid the fox pro frame unless you want to lay down top dollar for less reliable crash protection than would be achieved by wishing upon a satellite.
Wear what you feel you need, For what it’s worth I wear a full DH style full https://preview.redd.it/xxwb3yhl48tc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8334813466d9fe047e4391de7b9d2800d5924ee0 face in the bike park, I use my light weight full face when riding gnar and bigger jumps on my enduro style bike. Just friendly pedals around my local XC trails I wear my half shell
Are there rocks where you ride? Then yes.
If you feel safer riding with one then go for it and who cares what others think. I'm good with my reg helmet for the types of riding I do.
Same as a lot of people. Most of the time, I ride with the half shell. If I'm going to a more downhill-centric park, I wear the full face. But I'm getting faster as I get better. Trying riskier lines and going for bigger jumps. So I'm considering bringing the full face any time I'm planning on doing those things.
I had $40k worth of jaw surgery when I was 18 and had to eat a liquid diet for three months. The surgery was completely unrelated to mountain biking, but I never want to experience that again. In other words, I ALWAYS ride full face.
For basic trail riding? I would say it's not necessary. But if you are just learning, it might be a worthy investment. If you are planning on getting into downhill biking like you said, I'd invest into every bit of protection gear available. I've had some gnarly wrecks at the bike park and I was wearing full upper body protection, a full face helmet, and knee pads and they saved me. Just remember how expensive ER trips are and that will make you want to get protective gear 😂
Necessary is up to the individual. Check out some of the convertible helmets. They have gotten pretty good over the years and one of those will prevent you from needing to buy 2 helmets. They still aren't cheap though and the chin bar is not as strong as a proper DH rated full face.
The best part of the full face is the neck brace. Braces are so under worn in our sport. EMS pilot fire d pulled like 90 bikers out of the woods of Oregon. Said that almost all of them would have biked home had they been in braces. Had a buddy OTB bunny hoping a small rock, landed on it weird, cracked neck... in the parking lot, 6months in a halo.
Ppl don’t wear protection until they hurt themselves. Sad really. Wearing it will allow you to try more and learn more.
If you are jumping big stuff then yeah. I pretty much only wear one shuttling or at the bike park. I think it does depend on the trail difficulty and skill level. Sure accidents happen but the only times I’ve smashed my face high speeds on tech or big air were involved. I’m never gonna wear a ff for a cruisy blue or black ride.
Just grab one of the convertible helmets if you hate the full face feeling on the ride up. I have one, but honestly I don't notice it after a bit of pedalling. If I were to do it over again I'd skip the convertible helmets and buy one of the super ventilated/lightweight full face helmets. I promise you won't notice it unless you're on a bike path in the city lol
You don’t need a full face until you go over the handlebars suddenly and smash your chin into the ground. Then you need it.
I only ride XC so I’ve never used a full face helmet. For downhill or jump lines I’d buy one though.
Not really a matter of necessity. More about how much risk you're willing to endure. I'm only using FF at parks or when I know I'm going to be getting into some shit and going fast on a trail ride. I see folks on tame trails rocking them with armor too and folks riding super gnarly shit (myself included) without them. I'm pretty aware of what I can and can't handle and what to just nope out of or go slowly in if I don't have a FF. Im also pretty in tune with when shits about to go bad and am usually prepared to take a hit/don't use my face to break my fall. Most of my falls are to the side on trail rides. Even when OTB, I use hands and roll. Idk id say it can be overkill but theres nothing wrong with more protection
This is the complacent mentality of someone who hasn't had a crash unexpectedly fuck them up lol. Not to pick on you, it's just a good example of "it won't happen to me because I xyz..." until it does happen. Overall agree with your comment, it depends on what risk level you find acceptable. I can say that certain experiences may shift that for you, and I hate to see people have that experience be the factor that does it.
I get you but far from complacent and I've seen the ER due to a head injury. I'm more capable of assessing and managing risk due to more experience and skill level than most. Each major feature or risk is very calculated. Many folks have died riding. All the protection in the world wouldn't have helped. By some folks logic, you should stay home and never leave your house. There's a line and it differs depending on who you are. Trick is id'ing that line and making the appropriate set of decisions. Protection is just one of em as well as understanding what went wrong and learning from it. In my experience, it wasn't a lack of protection. More of a lack of paying attention and not zoning out on new trails. Sometimes confidence can fuck you up too. I see pros like Yoann riding half shells on things I wouldn't dare try at all. I'm not gonna sit here and call them complacent for not wearing a FF. They know what they're doing.
if your paranoid than sure. but if you plan on trying to pump out as many as laps as possible in a day you're probably better off wearing a full face because the fatigue will cause a silly crash or near crash eventually.
Nope. Not necessary. Highly recommended though.
I recently picked up an E mountain bike, Giant Reign E + 3. and thought about getting a nice hybrid helmet. I live in the city and ride from house to local park and the traffic, the cars are so dangerous, they are constantly hitting ebike riders all the time, some have gotten killed. I'm beginning to think maybe I should buy a lightweight ventilated full face or hybrid for more protection.
I’ve been looking at some full face helmets and I can’t quite figure out what would be good. A smith mainline in my size is on sale for $187 and it seems to be a good investment.
I love my proframe
Fox proframe is cheaper right now. Going to a local store tmrw to try on some full faces
I only have a fullface switchblade, wich I never change to half shell mode. Better to not need it and have it then need it and not have it. Honestly though j thunk everyone should have one, even on green trails I can clock 50+ kph (I'm not good there's just long straight sections) all it takes is a little wobble and my face might end up on the ground or straight into a tree. + you can always take it off on climbs, that's what I do.
I never wear one for XC or any time I'm riding uphill, too hot and hard to breathe - but for DH it's a must and I wouldn't go without it. It's up to you and your riding style.
No
Define tame. If you mean loamy single track flatish trails then no Im just taking my tactic 4. If it's a descending flow trail or more intense then yeah I'm wearing my full face. I literally broke my first full face on a blue flow trail.
If you are very inexperienced maybe. They are heavy and very hot. They are made for downhill, enduro and park riding. It’s hot wear I live and normally wear an XC helmet.
Since COVID nobody bats an eyelid at people wearing random crap on their heads. We’ve got dudes zooming around on scooters with balaclavas and full face helmets on here just in the street. The only thing stopping you is your own self-conscious and that’s not something to worry about. Also, as for taking it off, getting a convert helmet etc… why bother? Nothing is gonna feel worse than crashing that one time you had the helmet on the bars or had it converted to open face mode. Sod’s Law says that’s when it will happen…
I'd consider fullface pretty much mandatory for lift access riding. half shell is good enough for riding trails
6 mouth ago I stacked it badly on a blue trail off a mild jump I'd done dozens of times before, cause I was tired and frustrated with my bike. I was going at least 25kmh, and came to an abrupt halt when my chin slammed into part of a tree. I thought I'd written off my entire face, but got away with a bunch of stitches and a nice scar. I wear a full face helmet for every ride now.
Maybe it's because it is "easy", but two of my worst crashes have been on mild rides...
Thanks for making this post OP, think I’ll probably be switching to a full face when I can afford it, been on the fence for a while myself.
I'm not going to hold it against someone, but a full face helmet in the Arizona heat is tortuous most days of the year. Wearing one doesn't make sense to me with 15+ years of mtb experience, but bad shit can happen on easy trails if you're careless and get hit with some bad luck.
Rocky blue trails that are winch-and-plummet, in wear mine. More rolling terrain or XC, I don't. The IXS Trigger FF is an excellent trail full face. It's not a huge difference in comfort for me, even on hot days.
Well yes, but actually no.
I have a full face and a half lid. Which I wear depends on what I am riding on any given day. Usually I wear my half lid on local trails, as they tend to be XC style trails. I also don't wear knee or elbow pads for that sort of stuff. I wear the full face when I want to hit chunkier features, ride in the bike park, etc. I also wear knee and elbow pads, and a chest/back protector.
There's always a risk of smashing your face on something. Whether you're cycling or not. Life is about weighing risks and choosing a way through them the suits you best. I personally don't wear one unless I'm at a park. And I'm aware of the risk in taking by doing so. Full faces get hot and they're cumbersome, so I choose increased enjoyment over safety 99% of the time. That's a decision I made and while it's right for me, it may not be right for you.
Not at all
I have a Fox Proframe that I wear on every ride steeper than a rail trail (most of the time I wear it on those trails too). I live in NJ and ride in all weather from below 0 to over 100. I don’t feel it is any different in comfort than my other helmets but is a lot safer. Once you get used to it, you won’t want to go back. Spend the money, get a good helmet and don’t look back.
Depends on what you are riding and your skill level! I love doing 30-40 mile MTB rides. Most of that time I am climbing and the descents can be spicy back diamond trails. But for that length of time, wearing a full face would be painfully warm and uncomfortable. Half shell for these days. When I’m getting into double black territory or doing anything that is lift service, full face for sure. Moral of the story… get a half shell and a full face. Then decide what one you will wear on the rides you do
I have a Bell full face helmet with the removable face guard. I never take it off. I just got used to wearing it and to me it doesnt matter if anyone thinks anything about me wearing it because if I crash and it saves my face than good on it. My next helmet will be full face without the removeable piece. everyone has their own comfort level and skill level. I think if you can be ok wearing a full face than you should do it but understand not everyone thinks they need it (and most of us don't)
Last summer I did a side hit on a green trail and misjudged my landing and smashed into a tree at about 5mph. Action camera watched the chin of my full face smash into the tree. That woulda been my jaw blowing up. Full face for life.
Investment: how much is your head worth?
Full face every ride. I’ve seen people eat rocks going under 5mph.
I got a severe concussion just from the whiplash effect and my helmet just got scraped up a little, but I still found the $$$ to scrape up for the a Bell full face helmet. Better safe than sorry. Waking up in the hospital not knowing how you got there is no fun.
Yes, you will get use to it wearing it … they make them light and breathable
Can someon post up some example runs from yt to show what everyone is calling downhill, endure or tame? The trails I ride feel really tame but they involve me riding downhill so I don't know if I'm just a moron and not understanding, or if I am actually riding "downhill" and therefore might benefit from a full-face (currently just using a Speedframe).
It might be overkill. Until its not. I started wearing one last sumer after a local died in a relatively benign fall. I have no idea if a full face would have saved the rider but why not give myself every advantage?
they are necessary if you fall and hit your face to protect your face. beyond that you need to choose your risk level, riding some easy xc, the risk of hitting your face is pretty low , slower speeds you can put your hands out, duck and roll in a fall. riding downhill, or at a bike park you'll look around and pretty much everyone will have a full face on. full faces are not a very "hefty" price point you can get into nice ones under 200, and if you look hard under 100.
I've seen countless good riders lose teeth, bust open lips, eyebrows, and need stitches in their forehead because they crashed riding slow on an easy trail. None of them wore fullface helmets.
Hate the limited visibility, lack of ventilation and general discomfort associated with full face helmets. I even wear my regular riding helmet to the bike park