Motorbike helmets - saefty advice
 

After meaning to get around to getting a road bike license for the last ten years, I've finally done so, and I'm buying myself a road bike for my 30th birthday.

As someone who wears glasses, I find the idea of helmets with a lifting chin guard quite a useful idea, but I'm a bit concerned by how safe they are compared to conventional full face helmet - I don't want to arse off and discover the hinges or locking mechanism giving way when the guard is supposed to be protecting my face.

Any experience/suggestions?

I've heard stories of people with the chin strap getting there noses ripped off in certain types of crashes, and other things. Personally, I don't bother with one on a bicycle, or on a motorcycle...when I get one. If you've GOT to have one, I'd get a full face, but that's just my opinion.

I don't know too much about the flip-up helmets, just make sure you get a full face weather it be flip-up or regular. Like 30% (don't remember the exact %) of helmet impacts are in the jaw area. Read Proficient Motorcycling by David L. Hough and you will find the exact %.

I'm well aware of the value of full versus open face - I've witnessed offs where the rider's chin guard was shredded. If they'd been using an open face, they'd be looking at a whole world of wired face and arse to chin skin grafts.

I just took the MSF course. And our instructor has the schuberth flip face helmet. He said that he was kind of claustraphobic so having the flip up helmet helps at traffic lights.

Here's an article on them too:
modular helmets

I looked at his helmet and it was nice looking and had a lot of features. I don't know about fit because it was too big for me to try on. I don't wear glasses so I'm happy with my full face shoei.

Thanks for that link.

i honestly wouldnt wear anything but a full face, the idea of my chin getting shredded to nothing scares the hell out of me

those flip up scare me 2.....just knowing that possibly it may just come up scares me.....i would much rather wear a full face and be better safe than sorry.....

Hey Rodgerd,

Both me and my dad have ridden for years, hes just bought a carsberg flip fron lid and reckons its the best one hes ever had. As he's getting on these days he has had to start wearing glasses for driving and says that there is plenty of room, even with the little internal flip down sun visor - have a look and see what you think.

Proof?
<img src="http://www.flamesonmytank.co.za/photos/busthelmet.jpg">

I've always worn a full face. When I was getting ready to purchase my first helmet a friend asked what would happen if I planted my face into a curb... so that pretty much sealed the deal.

The above pic is off of a helmet website, it wasn't me wearing that lid. But I think it shows what will get damaged in a good wipe out.

Ride safe.

I don't always wear a helmet but when I do I have two full face helmets to pick from.

full face.

I don't know what some of the riders who wear those dinky half-helmets are thinking. They shouldnt even wear a helmet at all.

I took a relatively low-speed dump on my old Kawasaki (young, learning to ride, found that gravel is sneaky and can jump out in front of you). I was wearing an open-face helmet with one of the snap-on 3/4 face shields (it was a while ago). Well, said shield hit first and snapped my head back, causing me to enjoy the feeling of gravel entering my body starting just below the point of my chin.

I am neither lying nor exagerrating when I say that I snapped the left arm off of the chair in the doctor's office while they were scrubbing the grit out of my chin and neck. Steel wool and an extremely caustic soap. I'll never forget that particular pain.

Moral of the story: full-face helmets are _good_