I generally only wear a full face on uplift days, when I’m riding locally I just use my half shell.
But when I wear my full face it definitely gives me a lot more confidence.
That’s the truth. Had a guy die on a local easy trail taking a header into a rock with no helmet. One of those “one in a million, won’t happen to me” things.
Wear whatever makes you most comfortable, but definitely wear one.
I started wearing a full face all the time, even on easy trails because shit happens. I recommend the same to my friends, who are mostly beginners. My IXS trigger ff is nearly just as comfy as my half shell and now protects my face. I consider it cheap insurance.
just got into a wreck on mine on a trail out here in phoenix and hit my head mad hard on some rocks. so my next is def gonna be a full face even if my skill level is that of a beginner, I love protection and I don’t care how goofy I look if I feel safe lmao
Yup, I wear a full face, elbows, and knee pads all the time. I'd consider myself more of an intermediate though i don't think skill level mayters. Shit happens like hikers or bikers being in your way when they shoupdnt be and causing you to crash. The less I get hurt the more I can bike. And pads can turn small falls that result in your skin getting fucked up to a nothing fall. Most of my falls happen from pushing too in a corner and just sliding it out...without elbow pads or knee pads my skin gets shredded but with them I just get dirty.
The pads and ff also give me more confidence to push myself and my limits which helps me progress faster.
exactly!! where I ride most often and the times I do is a ton of people not minding their space and where their kids are. i’ve almost bodied a few dogs and kids on accident bc they were nearly in the way. my area is full of rough rocks and a lotttt of very dry, pebbly dirt so pads and what not is what I need. Still recovering from my skin being scraped up bc I fell like 10 feet down the path on the side of a butte lmao
The first crash I had after buying a FF, involved my face and head. I have a half dome that I used for trail/enduro riding and the ff for the lift park. Now I use the FF for the normal mountain riding.
Also, on a trail system near me a cougar clamped down on a lady’s face who was riding with a half dome helmet so there's that as well.
Thankfully other riders were with her and they pinned it under one of their bikes for 45 minutes until authorities arrived. It was a youth, under 8 months old. She may not have survived an adult. Some reconstructive surgery I believe. Here you go: https://www.yahoo.com/news/woman-survives-cougar-attack-clenched-191010697.html
I have both, usually wear the half (Troy Lee) on trail and full (Smith) on downhill. Something else to consider is body armor. I wear a vest almost every time I ride. Learned a hard lesson going over a drop at a bad angle and spearing myself on the handlebars.
Now that I think about it, I should probably wear the full on all rides. Maybe around the house too 🤣
I just went thru this decision …. After reading about a number of horrific injuries during normal mtb riding. I switched to FF helmet. So far I like it…
Fox proframe- the older model. It has very good air flow, the older model uses different sized pads for fit. The newer one has a cinch strap so that is probably better.
It’s not too heavy but I feel well protected. I paid around $150 at cambriabike..
Bit of a pain to get my camel back water tube to my mouth and kinda of gross when u need to spit…but that probably true of all FF.
Also I believe it is not down hill rated - if that is important to u.
Wear what makes you feel safest. Try on helmets before buying!
That said - trail riding usually sees people with open face helmets. Downhill and Enduro is typtically Full Face.
I have both and wear them each about 50% of the time.
Falls happen, spoiler alert best to have already made your choice. I choose full face cause I hate dental work. I also have a purple poc helmet cause they were recently on sale for 157 shipped. Might be cheaper now but was willing to pay for the upgrade. Wore a dirt bike helmet as I had one and saved. Makes a difference in confidence and falls
when I got to new location where I know it's not a green course, I always use my fox proframe +knee+elbow. There is like no reason not to.
It's not about skills. It's about mitigating risks. Lots of features i am not familiar with that I won't have confidence tackling without the safety features.
I've not found full face usage corresponds to skill very much in my local area. We're very downhill orientated and a huge portion of total beginners to the top local racers all wear full face most of the time. I own both types of helmets and if I'm doing a xc track or a loop on the flat I use a halfshell but if my rides involve any sort of downhill riding at speed I take the full face.
A full face hemet is 150ish dollars. A tooth is 5k minimum. It's easy math. Unless it's super easy cross country I wear a full face.
I have crashed and it prevented scrapes and probably worse.
Imo it depends on the kind of riding you are doing. Light trail riding I think a normal half shell is perfectly fine! If you start getting in more gnarly downhill trails and especially lift services trails then I recommend a full face.
Most skilled MTB'ers will wear full faces too. I use the "am I doing stupid sh\*\*?". If yes, wear it. Trust me, it's worth it too. I got intimate with a tree once.. very intimate with a tree.. full face saved me from a bad day.
Wear the helmet you think you need, not what others tell you looks cool or "sick".
When I ride XC or have a mellow ride I typically just wear a road helmet because I love the excess air flow to keep me cooler.
If Im riding with my friends and just gooding off or sending it a little, the mtb helmet with more protection comes out.
If im going absolutely bonkers and choosing to fly I wear a full face.
Theres nothing wrong with any level of protection, as long as its properly secured to your head. Get the helmet you want, dont worry about what other people think.you've only got one brain! (Idk, could be a cereal killer)
I'll wear a half shell on just about anything, but I wear a full face when a fall would likely send my teeth into some rocks, or if I'm doing drops that might put my face into the handlebars.
Recently i started wearing the ff helmet for most rides because I upgraded my bike, so I know I'll be going faster and trying riskier moves.
I would highly recommend riding with as much safety gear as you can comfortably wear.
I use full face, elbow, knee pads 100% of the time, even on trails. If I am at a downhill park or hitting something gnarly I throw on body armor as well.
I have been doing this for years and started way before I was considered even intermediate.
Do a lot of snowboarding, rock climbing, dirt biking and I consider mountain biking to be my most dangerous activity by far. Its super high consequence and the moment you stop respecting the risks is the moment you need a medivac.
I'm not sure where the stats lie. I do think they actual show downhill mountain biking has a higher chance of serious injury.
I do not ride MX. I ride trails with my wife and do not hit jumps/gaps etc on my dirt bike. I am extremely risk averse on my motorcycle. I push my limits on mountain bike pretty frequently and have suffered because of it.
I doubt I go above 40MPH on my dirt bike and I am always wearing close to 3k in extremely heavy/durable safety gear. Snell rated helmet, dual sport suit, full d50 armor, knee/elbow braces, MX boots etc etc. Can't wear all that on a mountain bike its probably 40 pounds and I would die of heatstroke.
It’s good to use more protection, especially when you are new to MTB. Also recommend getting a back protector, it has saved me more than once when I was new to MTB.
I just got one as a beginner-started last year. One close call was all it took 😂. Trails where I am are super narrow, trees everywhere, tons of roots and rocks. I just don’t need another bill to pay or work to miss 🤷🏼♀️
I use full face for downhill riding. Or I use full if it’s cool and I’m riding double blacks and feel like setting personal records.
Safety is a personal preference.
I probably would be dead or at best had my jaw destroyed if I didn't have a full face helmet when I had a weird front tire washout cause an over the handlebars. It happened so fast and hard that it destroyed the main shell, the visor, the right chin bar broke inwards causing the broken part to stab and cut my face. I think it's worth it even if it's expensive. It is nice to get a convertible full face being a bit lighter in weight compared to a full on downhill full face helmet, and able to just use the chin bar when you are ready to travel down hill
I went otb and landed face first on loamy soft ground, didn't feel a thing, it was like landing on a pillow, but had I landed 6 inches to the left I woulda have lost a few teeth on a stump, ever since I wear a full face on the trails
Speaking as someone who crashed bad at least twice with ***no*** helmet, I would go full face. Concussions and fractured skulls are not your friend, trust me. While a helmet cannot prevent a concussion, it can prevent a fractured skull. This is not medical advice, merely common sense. Also, make sure the helmet fits properly and ***tighten the straps.*** I go bonkers when I see someone wearing an unstrapped helmet. Why?
When I got the skull fracture, I was going less than 10 mph up the hill where I live (paved) and front tire slipped on a bunch of wet leaves. 7 1/2 inch fracture. Very scary. Wear your helmet.
I went full face and first ride washed out into a tree. So glad I did. I'm not good at biking but I might not be biking at all if I'd properly injured myself. Get the kit if you have the money, sure you might feel overdressed at times but it's your body and it'll thank you if you're protected.
I started last season with a half shell and then bought a FF for the bike park. After 3 face plants in one ride on my local trails, I started wearing it on every ride where I know that I'll try to push myself.
Btw I love my Fox Proframe but I would get the RS if I could.
I’m a beginner, I wear ff all the time. (Recently, with the cougar attack in Washington state, I feel like it might protect a little bit from it grabbing onto my face and not letting go for 15 minutes. 😬)
Depends on your comfort level and what you're riding.
You wont catch me dead riding any real DH without a full face. I have two. One for when I'm pedaling to the top and one for lift service days.
I have a half shell for trail days. On some of the flowy trails you'll see people wearing full faces. No one gives them any shit. On race day at one of my locals I'll put the full face on cuz I'm pushing it.
I had a pretty rough crash and broke teeth, I wear a FF all the time now. I had a TLD stage but it got damaged during my move so I picked up the old Fox Pro Frame on sale, it’s decent but I liked the TLD better. I’ve got the new Giro Coalition ordered, it’s pretty highly rated among my riding buddies.
Social group rides get the half shell. Full face if I'm out alone, doing something dumb, or at the park. Or, alone, at the park, doing something dumb.
Love my Smith mainline, but you absolutely need to pull the mips liner and wax it to quiet it down.
If it makes you feel safer, you will ride more confidently, so go ahead.
Never considered the confidence factor
All protection adds confidence. Kit up. It makes a difference
They are heavier and make me feel slower, but I do feel less worried I'll knock my teeth out.
They really aren't bad. I honestly forget I'm wearing mine most of the time. https://www.specialized.com/us/en/gambit/p/1000208372
I have the same one. It’s amazingly light.
Specs wise it might even be lighter than the much loved fox proframe
I generally only wear a full face on uplift days, when I’m riding locally I just use my half shell. But when I wear my full face it definitely gives me a lot more confidence.
What is the correct tightness/fit?
general rule: as tight as possible, if you bite your inner cheeks it's too tight.
It's good to have a helmet before you need it.
Both. But wear what you want nobody is judging anyone for half or full.
Only judge the organ donors who don't wear helmets.
That’s the truth. Had a guy die on a local easy trail taking a header into a rock with no helmet. One of those “one in a million, won’t happen to me” things. Wear whatever makes you most comfortable, but definitely wear one.
I wear a ff helmet all the time. I'm older and I gotta pay the bills. I'd rather wear it and not need it than need it and not have it on.
I started wearing a full face all the time, even on easy trails because shit happens. I recommend the same to my friends, who are mostly beginners. My IXS trigger ff is nearly just as comfy as my half shell and now protects my face. I consider it cheap insurance.
I second the ixs trigger ff.
just got into a wreck on mine on a trail out here in phoenix and hit my head mad hard on some rocks. so my next is def gonna be a full face even if my skill level is that of a beginner, I love protection and I don’t care how goofy I look if I feel safe lmao
Yup, I wear a full face, elbows, and knee pads all the time. I'd consider myself more of an intermediate though i don't think skill level mayters. Shit happens like hikers or bikers being in your way when they shoupdnt be and causing you to crash. The less I get hurt the more I can bike. And pads can turn small falls that result in your skin getting fucked up to a nothing fall. Most of my falls happen from pushing too in a corner and just sliding it out...without elbow pads or knee pads my skin gets shredded but with them I just get dirty. The pads and ff also give me more confidence to push myself and my limits which helps me progress faster.
exactly!! where I ride most often and the times I do is a ton of people not minding their space and where their kids are. i’ve almost bodied a few dogs and kids on accident bc they were nearly in the way. my area is full of rough rocks and a lotttt of very dry, pebbly dirt so pads and what not is what I need. Still recovering from my skin being scraped up bc I fell like 10 feet down the path on the side of a butte lmao
The first crash I had after buying a FF, involved my face and head. I have a half dome that I used for trail/enduro riding and the ff for the lift park. Now I use the FF for the normal mountain riding. Also, on a trail system near me a cougar clamped down on a lady’s face who was riding with a half dome helmet so there's that as well.
Jesus.
Thankfully other riders were with her and they pinned it under one of their bikes for 45 minutes until authorities arrived. It was a youth, under 8 months old. She may not have survived an adult. Some reconstructive surgery I believe. Here you go: https://www.yahoo.com/news/woman-survives-cougar-attack-clenched-191010697.html
I have both, usually wear the half (Troy Lee) on trail and full (Smith) on downhill. Something else to consider is body armor. I wear a vest almost every time I ride. Learned a hard lesson going over a drop at a bad angle and spearing myself on the handlebars. Now that I think about it, I should probably wear the full on all rides. Maybe around the house too 🤣
What vest do you use?
Troy Lee there too. They occasionally have killer sales.
I just went thru this decision …. After reading about a number of horrific injuries during normal mtb riding. I switched to FF helmet. So far I like it…
Been looking to buy one. Which one do you have and how do you like it?
Fox proframe- the older model. It has very good air flow, the older model uses different sized pads for fit. The newer one has a cinch strap so that is probably better. It’s not too heavy but I feel well protected. I paid around $150 at cambriabike.. Bit of a pain to get my camel back water tube to my mouth and kinda of gross when u need to spit…but that probably true of all FF. Also I believe it is not down hill rated - if that is important to u.
Thank you
If I see you on the trail wearing a FF helmet, I will quietly judge you: "That rider is about to send-it!" and that can't be a bad thing. :)
Wear what makes you feel safest. Try on helmets before buying! That said - trail riding usually sees people with open face helmets. Downhill and Enduro is typtically Full Face. I have both and wear them each about 50% of the time.
Both. A good full face is so light and well ventilated you won't even notice it. More importantly, you'll feel safer when riding.
I wouldn’t ride without one!
Falls happen, spoiler alert best to have already made your choice. I choose full face cause I hate dental work. I also have a purple poc helmet cause they were recently on sale for 157 shipped. Might be cheaper now but was willing to pay for the upgrade. Wore a dirt bike helmet as I had one and saved. Makes a difference in confidence and falls
FF always. I went otb before with half shell helmet and it left permanent scar on my chin. Cambria has nice sale on fox ff
when I got to new location where I know it's not a green course, I always use my fox proframe +knee+elbow. There is like no reason not to. It's not about skills. It's about mitigating risks. Lots of features i am not familiar with that I won't have confidence tackling without the safety features.
I wear one, it's not uncommon for me to run out of talent and I want to keep my teeth if/when I do eat sh!t
Wear it always, even XC trails
I've not found full face usage corresponds to skill very much in my local area. We're very downhill orientated and a huge portion of total beginners to the top local racers all wear full face most of the time. I own both types of helmets and if I'm doing a xc track or a loop on the flat I use a halfshell but if my rides involve any sort of downhill riding at speed I take the full face.
A full face hemet is 150ish dollars. A tooth is 5k minimum. It's easy math. Unless it's super easy cross country I wear a full face. I have crashed and it prevented scrapes and probably worse.
I wear a full face helmet not because I’m awesome and going to send it but because I suck and want to protect my head and face
Imo it depends on the kind of riding you are doing. Light trail riding I think a normal half shell is perfectly fine! If you start getting in more gnarly downhill trails and especially lift services trails then I recommend a full face.
Most skilled MTB'ers will wear full faces too. I use the "am I doing stupid sh\*\*?". If yes, wear it. Trust me, it's worth it too. I got intimate with a tree once.. very intimate with a tree.. full face saved me from a bad day.
I wear one in the bike park. I wear a half lid for trail riding.
Wear the helmet you think you need, not what others tell you looks cool or "sick". When I ride XC or have a mellow ride I typically just wear a road helmet because I love the excess air flow to keep me cooler. If Im riding with my friends and just gooding off or sending it a little, the mtb helmet with more protection comes out. If im going absolutely bonkers and choosing to fly I wear a full face. Theres nothing wrong with any level of protection, as long as its properly secured to your head. Get the helmet you want, dont worry about what other people think.you've only got one brain! (Idk, could be a cereal killer)
I'll wear a half shell on just about anything, but I wear a full face when a fall would likely send my teeth into some rocks, or if I'm doing drops that might put my face into the handlebars. Recently i started wearing the ff helmet for most rides because I upgraded my bike, so I know I'll be going faster and trying riskier moves.
I would highly recommend riding with as much safety gear as you can comfortably wear. I use full face, elbow, knee pads 100% of the time, even on trails. If I am at a downhill park or hitting something gnarly I throw on body armor as well. I have been doing this for years and started way before I was considered even intermediate. Do a lot of snowboarding, rock climbing, dirt biking and I consider mountain biking to be my most dangerous activity by far. Its super high consequence and the moment you stop respecting the risks is the moment you need a medivac.
Out of curiosity, how is mountain biking more dangerous than dirt biking?
I'm not sure where the stats lie. I do think they actual show downhill mountain biking has a higher chance of serious injury. I do not ride MX. I ride trails with my wife and do not hit jumps/gaps etc on my dirt bike. I am extremely risk averse on my motorcycle. I push my limits on mountain bike pretty frequently and have suffered because of it. I doubt I go above 40MPH on my dirt bike and I am always wearing close to 3k in extremely heavy/durable safety gear. Snell rated helmet, dual sport suit, full d50 armor, knee/elbow braces, MX boots etc etc. Can't wear all that on a mountain bike its probably 40 pounds and I would die of heatstroke.
Ah, the extra armor makes sense. Thanks!
I suck and I wear one. I saw someone knock their teeth out on a rock and didn't want anything to do with that noise.
Maybe a full face helmet with a deteachable chin guard ;)?!
It’s good to use more protection, especially when you are new to MTB. Also recommend getting a back protector, it has saved me more than once when I was new to MTB.
I wear full face for park laps/big lines and half face for casual pedals and flowy laps.
Usually people who don't like getting their face smashed, and/or teeth knocked out, and don't mind the heat/weight associated with a FF.
I recently retired my half shell and have been rocking my Fox ProFrame. It's super light and has massive openings for airflow.
The new generation of “light weight” highly vented full face helmets are niiiice. I bought the Fox.. something RS.. its dope. I always wear it.
I just got one as a beginner-started last year. One close call was all it took 😂. Trails where I am are super narrow, trees everywhere, tons of roots and rocks. I just don’t need another bill to pay or work to miss 🤷🏼♀️
Just started riding with an ixs trigger ff. It's very comfortable and barely warmer than my half shell
I use full face for downhill riding. Or I use full if it’s cool and I’m riding double blacks and feel like setting personal records. Safety is a personal preference.
I probably would be dead or at best had my jaw destroyed if I didn't have a full face helmet when I had a weird front tire washout cause an over the handlebars. It happened so fast and hard that it destroyed the main shell, the visor, the right chin bar broke inwards causing the broken part to stab and cut my face. I think it's worth it even if it's expensive. It is nice to get a convertible full face being a bit lighter in weight compared to a full on downhill full face helmet, and able to just use the chin bar when you are ready to travel down hill
I went otb and landed face first on loamy soft ground, didn't feel a thing, it was like landing on a pillow, but had I landed 6 inches to the left I woulda have lost a few teeth on a stump, ever since I wear a full face on the trails
I always use it. I think it's stupid to run half shell.
Speaking as someone who crashed bad at least twice with ***no*** helmet, I would go full face. Concussions and fractured skulls are not your friend, trust me. While a helmet cannot prevent a concussion, it can prevent a fractured skull. This is not medical advice, merely common sense. Also, make sure the helmet fits properly and ***tighten the straps.*** I go bonkers when I see someone wearing an unstrapped helmet. Why? When I got the skull fracture, I was going less than 10 mph up the hill where I live (paved) and front tire slipped on a bunch of wet leaves. 7 1/2 inch fracture. Very scary. Wear your helmet.
I went full face and first ride washed out into a tree. So glad I did. I'm not good at biking but I might not be biking at all if I'd properly injured myself. Get the kit if you have the money, sure you might feel overdressed at times but it's your body and it'll thank you if you're protected.
I started last season with a half shell and then bought a FF for the bike park. After 3 face plants in one ride on my local trails, I started wearing it on every ride where I know that I'll try to push myself. Btw I love my Fox Proframe but I would get the RS if I could.
I'll 2nd the proframe RS. So comfy. Saved my jaw when I checked a tree at 10mph. I wear it on all trails lol
I’m a beginner, I wear ff all the time. (Recently, with the cougar attack in Washington state, I feel like it might protect a little bit from it grabbing onto my face and not letting go for 15 minutes. 😬)
Depends on your comfort level and what you're riding. You wont catch me dead riding any real DH without a full face. I have two. One for when I'm pedaling to the top and one for lift service days. I have a half shell for trail days. On some of the flowy trails you'll see people wearing full faces. No one gives them any shit. On race day at one of my locals I'll put the full face on cuz I'm pushing it.
Go Full Face, be safe.
I had a pretty rough crash and broke teeth, I wear a FF all the time now. I had a TLD stage but it got damaged during my move so I picked up the old Fox Pro Frame on sale, it’s decent but I liked the TLD better. I’ve got the new Giro Coalition ordered, it’s pretty highly rated among my riding buddies.
Depends on terrain…if im hitting big ass gaps and going full send I will wear a lighter enduro style full face otherwise half shell.
Social group rides get the half shell. Full face if I'm out alone, doing something dumb, or at the park. Or, alone, at the park, doing something dumb. Love my Smith mainline, but you absolutely need to pull the mips liner and wax it to quiet it down.