# OK To Use A 'Road' Helmet for XC MTB Riding??



## bagz007 (Feb 3, 2004)

Im looking at getting a Giro Pneumo helmet. It's light, fits good, and looks, in my oppinion, beter than any MTB specific lid out there. Plus its been proven aerodynamic.

So is there any reason why I shouldnt buy it for XC MTB riding/racing??? 

Rob


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## Debaser (Jan 12, 2004)

*no.*

any helmet's going to work fine for you - i prefer my mtb helemets on any ride because of the visor, but that's me.

d


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## Mellow Yellow (Sep 5, 2003)

*It will work*



bagz007 said:


> Im looking at getting a Giro Pneumo helmet. It's light, fits good, and looks, in my oppinion, beter than any MTB specific lid out there. Plus its been proven aerodynamic.
> 
> So is there any reason why I shouldnt buy it for XC MTB riding/racing???
> 
> Rob


You just won't be able to add a visor in the future. But to answer you question directly, yes.


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## Barley (Jan 13, 2004)

*Same lid*

I have and use the same helmet, that you are thinking of buying, for both road and mtn. You actually can put a visor on it (at least last year's model), which I do from time to time. It's an awesome helmet - perfect for when you are in the bush and little wind to cool your lid in the summer months. Very comfortable and looks great too.


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## Casual Observer (Jan 12, 2004)

I think the only difference between road-specfic helmet and a mtb helmet is, in general, the number of vents. Road helmets, I think, typically have more vents. However, I think for the most part, they are okay.


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## Yeti_Rider (Dec 26, 2003)

*in many instances*



bagz007 said:


> Im looking at getting a Giro Pneumo helmet. It's light, fits good, and looks, in my oppinion, beter than any MTB specific lid out there. Plus its been proven aerodynamic.
> 
> So is there any reason why I shouldnt buy it for XC MTB riding/racing???
> 
> Rob


a "road" and a "MTB" helmet are identical except that the MTB helmet has a visor whereas the road helmet will not allow a visor to instantly be mounted. other than that, they're identical.

There are some road only models that may have more vents but all helmets pass the same testing (those that are certified at least) to get certified for use so from a protection standpoint they're all equivalent. One other minor difference on some road helmets is the amount of coverage on the side and/or back of the head.

YR


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## Pete (Dec 11, 2003)

Yeti_Rider said:


> a "road" and a "MTB" helmet are identical except that the MTB helmet has a visor whereas the road helmet will not allow a visor to instantly be mounted. other than that, they're identical.


My old Pneumo, a road helmet, came with a visor.

My new Pneumo, a road helmet, did not come with a visor or the mounting holes for one.


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## Casual Observer (Jan 12, 2004)

FYI, you can actually buy a visor that will mount to a road helmet. I'm not sure if it's specific to Bell helments, but it comes with three stick on posts that the visor "pops" onto. You don't actually have to have any holes on the helmet for the visor.


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## bagz007 (Feb 3, 2004)

*What exactly does a visor do?*

.....besides blocking some sun , what else does a visor really do?
I mean, if its only to block the sun, would'nt a pair of good shades do that??, not to mention protect your eyes from debris, bugs, branches, mud, and propelled horse feces by your buddy in front of you.

Rob


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## WarrGuru (Dec 20, 2003)

*Better than just sunglasses*



bagz007 said:


> .....besides blocking some sun , what else does a visor really do?
> I mean, if its only to block the sun, would'nt a pair of good shades do that??, not to mention protect your eyes from debris, bugs, branches, mud, and propelled horse feces by your buddy in front of you.
> 
> Rob


The visor on the helmet along with sunglasses provide the best in visibility. It's easier to see if your eyes are shaded......even if you're wearing sunglasses.

Having said that....I've read that it's actually safer to ride without a visor simply because the visor can get caught on stuff when you crash...possibly shifting the helmet on your head. The recommendation was to buy a helmet that is as rounded as possible to lessen the chance of it gettig hung up on something.

I doubt if the recommendation was based on actual testing, but it does tend to make sense if you think about it.

btw....I wear an MTB helmet with a visor.


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## Belfrey (Jan 12, 2004)

bagz007 said:


> .....besides blocking some sun , what else does a visor really do?
> I mean, if its only to block the sun, would'nt a pair of good shades do that??,
> Rob


I actually prefer not to ride with a visor, but they can be helpful in tandem with sunglasses... they reduce glare from direct sunlight that hits your glasses.

In some conditions, say a sunny day where I'm going through a forest with a relatively open canopy, the alternating sunlight and shade can make it seem like I'm looking at a strobe light through my glasses as I ride. Enough to make me consider a visor, sometimes.

Some manufacturers might also claim that they help channel air into the vents... probably the effect is negligible.

edit: I see WarrGuru beat me to most of the explanation


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## jreed3 (Feb 12, 2004)

*Getting a visor.........*

Skinny tire...do you know where you can get that visor? I was given a Cratoni Twister a few months back and it didnt have the visor. I cant find one anywhere


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## Debaser (Jan 12, 2004)

just to be clear, because i wasn't, there's no reason not to use a road helmet. i thought i was answering yer question, and then looked at my post and got confused as to what i said. silly me. please accept my humble apology for being confusing. 

d


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## Casual Observer (Jan 12, 2004)

I think I got it at a LBS (probably 3 years ago). I'm 99% positive it was made by Bell, but there may have been a disclaimer that you can only use it with Bell helmets.

Another option is to go old school, and wear a cycling hat under you helmet.


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## BadHabit (Jan 12, 2004)

Night riding near oncoming cars--you can tilt head/visor down and eliminate glare. Nice in rain as well.


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## limba (Jan 9, 2004)

You SHOULD wear a road helmet and that's a great one.My old helmet came with a visor and I hated it on the road or in the trails.My new helmet doesn't have a visor and it's great.
Buy that helmet!


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## EpicRide (Feb 2, 2004)

*yeah, visors may be nice...*

I used to ride with a "Mountain" helmet since it was "better" than a road helmet. I was really exhausted after a long ride, headed for the parking lot. Because I was so tired, my neck posture wasn't so great, and therefore I was looking at my front wheel a lot. Next thing I know, I'm on the ground and my head hurts. I hadn't seen a tree branch in the trail because of the visor on my helmet.

I suppose that I may have hit the branch even with a road helmet, but I love the extra periphery that a road helmet affords. Wear glasses for protection from sun and low flying critters...


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## EveryDaysANewDay (Jan 13, 2004)

*First of all...*

First of all...you don't even need a helmet. Just duck tape some pieces of styrofoam around your head and save a buck or 2. jk.


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## adaml (Jan 12, 2004)

*I like the visor*

I like the visor mainly for protection against overhanging branches when I look down to avoid getting smacked in the face with a small tree limb. But as far as road helmets, most of the people I ride with wear them on the trails.


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## thegood (Jan 11, 2004)

*I like my Pneumo*



bagz007 said:


> Im looking at getting a Giro Pneumo helmet. It's light, fits good, and looks, in my oppinion, beter than any MTB specific lid out there. Plus its been proven aerodynamic.
> 
> So is there any reason why I shouldnt buy it for XC MTB riding/racing???
> 
> Rob


I was a dumbass and left my MTB helmet (Giro E2) and other stuff on top of my car and drove away...I ended up buying a Pneumo, and I really like it. It fits really well and it looks good. It's a little smaller and lighter than the E2, but I still feel protected. BTW mine did come with a removable visor (03 model).


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## george_da_trog (Jul 1, 2003)

Mr. Blackwell says you can't wear a road helmet with baggies. So if you wear a road helment, you have to wear lycra... but if you're into lycra then you're set.

george


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## Guest (Feb 13, 2004)

*i found a pneumo on the road*



bagz007 said:


> Im looking at getting a Giro Pneumo helmet. It's light, fits good, and looks, in my oppinion, beter than any MTB specific lid out there. Plus its been proven aerodynamic.
> 
> So is there any reason why I shouldnt buy it for XC MTB riding/racing???
> 
> Rob


and i use it every mountain ride now.

sometimes i find the lack of a visor a pain, but love the helmet is because it's really, really light. yes, i like it a lot, but i'd probably not buy one, too expensive for a trade-show monkey. at any rate, mine has little chingaderes on each side that look like visor mounts.

if you can afford it, then by all means go out and buy that helmet.


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## moab63 (Dec 29, 2003)

*I personally use one and a lot of the guys I ride with*



bagz007 said:


> Im looking at getting a Giro Pneumo helmet. It's light, fits good, and looks, in my oppinion, beter than any MTB specific lid out there. Plus its been proven aerodynamic.
> 
> So is there any reason why I shouldnt buy it for XC MTB riding/racing???
> 
> Rob


also wear road ones, they are usually lighter also you dont look like a freak. I wear sunglasses for the sun, since the visor doesn't really do much when I had a helmet with one.


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## Trevor! (Dec 23, 2003)

bagz007 said:


> .....besides blocking some sun , what else does a visor really do?
> I mean, if its only to block the sun, would'nt a pair of good shades do that??, not to mention protect your eyes from debris, bugs, branches, mud, and propelled horse feces by your buddy in front of you.
> 
> Rob


To me a visor is the most annoying thing on the trails. Its the first thing that comes off my helmet. For me it gets in the way. I like to have the best visibility, and too me a visor can be a little restrictive.

Trevor!


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## Ghisallo (Feb 8, 2004)

I have the grey Pneumo and I use it for road riding only. I spent so much for it I'd hate to scratch it on limbs or something. So I wear a big, fat, 4 year old Bell that I wouldn't miss. 

I realize that's a bit fuzzy on the logic, but there it is.


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## limba (Jan 9, 2004)

https://www.usacycling.org/gallery/albums/album70/Cross_Country_Worlds_096.sized.jpg
Visors suck


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## bike_freak (Dec 24, 2003)

*also....*

Apparently a difference between some mountain and road helmets is that road helmets have different vents cause with road riding you are riding at higher speeds so you can get away with more streamlined vents or something. But with mountain biking, you are ususally not going at high speeds so big open vents work better. I can't remember where I heard this, but it's possible.


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## dang (Jan 20, 2004)

my pneumo helment came with a visor and never used it.


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## fonseca (Jan 12, 2004)

limba said:


> https://www.usacycling.org/gallery/albums/album70/Cross_Country_Worlds_096.sized.jpg
> Visors suck


Wow, road racing on Mtn bikes....There's just *so* many branches the need a visor to block them on that huge swath of pavement and gravel. I know that's *exactly* how my singletrack looks.


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## Moo Shoo Pork (Jan 17, 2004)

*About Visors*

I currently use a Bell Alchera road helmet and it beats any mtb specific helmet I have used in terms of breathability and field of vision. It is about as light as some lighter weight MTB helmets, but since not having the visor my field of vision is much better. Visors, especially when riding XC, can force you to put your head and neck in uncomfortable positions to see ahead of you. Don't get cought up in the arguement that if "you wear this or have that your that type of rider." I never got into what everyone else was doing. People who are dictated by what other people think are more and into "Form/Fashion" over "Function." Heck, I ride bar ends on my 2" rise handlebars so that my wrists and hands don't hurt after 3 hours of XC riding. And, most people think it is taboo to do this. Who care what other think as long as makes you happy.

So, as long as it is as safe as a MTB helmet (which all of them are), I say go for it.


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## T 3 (Jan 12, 2004)

*Cycling Taboos ?*

Most cyclists seem to be very independent.Around here they equip their bikes in their 
own way and the priority is usually comfort over everything else.That type of thinking is more the rule than the exception among those I encounter,good for them,bad for me.
There's a certain elegance in putting together a ride that is built for speed and works in concert with the rider to promote endurance."Function" means different things to different people.Last summer I saw a few MTB's with outrageous saddles that had to be 
six inches thick.The funny thing is that it's the guys like me using a saddle that weighs less than 200 grams,that have to field all the dumb questions about "How could that possible be comfortable?"



Moo Shoo Pork said:


> Don't get cought up in the arguement that if "you wear this or have that your that type of rider." I never got into what everyone else was doing. People who are dictated by what other people think are more and into "Form/Fashion" over "Function." Heck, I ride bar ends on my 2" rise handlebars so that my wrists and hands don't hurt after 3 hours of XC riding. And, most people think it is taboo to do this. Who care what other think as long as makes you happy.


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## Spoiler (Jan 29, 2004)

*Source for add-on visors*

http://www.lizardskins.com/products/miscvisor.html

It's soft and flexible, so it won't crack or snap off.


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