Where Have All The Chin Bars Gone?

Great article for discussion. I'm an orthopedic spine surgeon and so thought I might comment on some common misconceptions about Full Face Helmets. I can't find any data that shows they are better or worse at preventing spinal injuries and certainly in my practice I have found most patients with a spinal injury were wearing half shells (granted their are a lot more riders wearing half shells). In the US NICA doesn't allow racing for kids with a full face, but in our league we give exemptions regularly. This rule is in place due to a fear that in the setting of a spinal injury a full face helmet is more dangerous to remove than a half shell. First if you suspect a spinal injury only EMS should be removing the helmet and there are safe ways to do so (including cutting the chin bar off). Second, there is no data on this for mountain biking I can find most people are using old football helmet data. I do see a lot of facial injuries in mountain bikers wearing half shells. I'm not sure full faces prevent concussions better (I've had concussions in both). As far as not looking cool that appears to be regional, we have a lot more folks I see on the trail starting to wearing FF and we all wear glasses. If you are going to wear goggles you better have some serious steeze. What do I do? I wear a TLD stage most of the year and if I am going on anything gnarly. July and August I tend to wear a half shell. Coaching I tend to wear a half shell. I've never had a patient that regretted wearing a FF helmet though, so I should probably just wear one all the time. 

PS: I also see a lot of elbow injuries, and I hate scrubbing for surgery with road rash forearm (our trails are cheese graters) so I wear pads (I have sets of Leatt, TLD). Operative elbow fractures tend to have inferior functional outcomes compared to knee fractures.

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1) Look good
2) Feel good

Safety third.

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I had a terrible crash this summer at mACH speed deep deep in the mountains smashed my helmet and my face into a downed tree wear off the side of the trail… For Christmas my partner got me a TLD stage and I plan to wear it any time I am expecting to go MACH speed, or when trees are around- which is almost all our rides. I’m fully embracing the full face trail mode. On my moto I wear that big stupid road moto helmet to go the gas station for m&m’s. It’s just a proper vibe. When riding wear a proper helmet. Period. We are dads and teachers and people really rely on us to be ALIVe. 

One thing to note: I watched a great friend fully head trauma //blood everywhere// majorly damaged with vocal and convulsive expressions once: it changed my experience forever with helmets. And we were just cruising around not really doing any actual riding…. It caught me off guard emotionally to have this man I respect who was very large and smart and strong just turn into a vegetable in front of me. Because helmets. Or in his case, JRA on a spring day.

You can’t pass that experience along very effectively. But I have riding buds that I hope will never know how that feels because I’m not opening that box: I just wear it.

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I work in the Emergency Department, I ride with a full-face pretty much all of the time. I'll spare you the details of why that is but I'm sure you can use your imagination. My helmet does not have a chinbar, it is a proper DH carbon specialized helmet, but I am chinbar curious. I'm going to get myself one of those HAF-CLIPs right now!

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I bought a Leatt 4.0 Enduro convertible fullface helmet last year after a big crash at the bottom of a big roller, where two key rocks in the transition shifted out as I began braking for the following exposed corner.  They shifted out and stuffed my front wheel.  From near vertical from about 15 feet up to face plant onto some very sharp rocks.  Broke and displaced my whole zygomatic arch aka cheekbone, blew out the orbital floor of my right eye socket, fractured down my right sinus, stitches in a few spots on my face along with a glue job on my chin.   UGLY with a capital UGLY.  My right cheekbone is not as prominent now cause it got pushed in, and I have a dent under my eye that I can feel with my finger but nothing you can see.  But all in all I was extremely lucky.  No teeth damage other than some nerves along my top teeth and the right side of my upper lip that are still not entirely 100%, and no damage to my eye or anything else.  Could have been a WHOLE lot worse.  I think if I was wearing a fullface, I´m fairly confident that I would have had no major injuries/breaks.  I both like and dislike riding with the fullface.  I bring it out for rowdier rides and terrain,  like where that crash happened, but I still primarily ride in one of my halfshells.  Perhaps half due to the Leatt just not fitting as well as my other helmets, and being noticeably heavier if its a long ride.  But I LOVE having the chinbar on when I´m using it.  Much safer feeling, and undoubtedly will do a better job protecting my face from another big crash.  I usually remove the chinbar and stick it between my back and hip pack, and it essentially goes unnoticed.  Quick and easy on/off.  I am however worried about having a simple tumble with it back there and very expensively breaking the chinbar.   I would like to try a TLD Stage as a leave-it-on option, as I believe it is lighter and more vented than the leatt as a fullface, but I am happy to have a convertible option.

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Man, been telling myself that I need to get a full face for riding the riskier trails here in Powell River. I have a moto full face that I use at the bike park but it would be insane to mountain bike with it. For some reason I struggle with spending 300 bucks on a helmet despite the fact that I broke some ribs, speared my stomach with handlebars and landed on my head at least twice in the last year. I hit my face as well. Sigh. 

This article is helping me pull the trigger, two little kids at home and I am really needed. Okay okay, I'll do it.

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I’ve chimed in here before about full face helmets. I was struck by a hit-and-run driver 5 years ago. Destroyed my face- 9 surgeries (including the facial reconstruction) and tens of thousands of USD out of pocket later, I’m still going to have to pay $20kUS this year for permanent teeth. That’s with good insurance through my wife’s job.

Here in the States, dental isn’t covered under the same insurance as medical- dental insurance is usually (always?) terrible, with high deductibles and low max coverage. 

So yeah, my Leatt 4.0 convertible wasn’t cheap, but it’s (literally) the cheapest insurance I have.

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I've always been on team DH helmet for DH and full shuttle riding, but always team half-shell for everything else. A couple close calls this past year have gotten me rethinking that.

Fall is usually time for me to reacclimatize to riding the hard tail. I like riding it anytime, but fall/winter is when it gets exclusive attention, and getting back into "the mode" is always a 2 or 3 ride affair. One of the first ones this past season was a super slick and muddy ride down 7th, which is usually one of my my go-to for recalibrating on the half-squish. On a particularly slick down-left rock roll, there was a brand-new hole as my wheel transitioned to level ground, and I went OTB faster than I could think. My face/lip was the first point of contact, not to the point of blood, but a fat lip, and I could feel that my front tooth really wanted to start pushing through the skin. Pretty close call.

Then again, probably 4 rides later (still hard tail), I was doing some lower laps and found myself on Expresso. Normally, except for the top weird tight bits, Expresso is a full-boar affair on that bike, because it's not very tech, can just pump and rail everything. I guess they had taken a few trees/stumps out from the previous time I'd been down, and the pace was running noticeably faster than I've ever experienced. One cheeky line up close to a tree, and a clipped bar sent me absolutely flying... About 10m into a stump... with my face. Auto pilot turned my head to the right before impact, and my jaw made contact with the stump, right below my ear. I popped up, thinking broken jaw, concussion, maimed face, no way around it. To my amazement, I was 100% other than a sore jaw the next day. That's just pure luck, no kidding myself here.

So all that to say that I'm now seriously rethinking things. Unfortunately, cost is always an issue for me, and supply is poor right now for most helmets. I also have a full DH helmet, and am a bit hesitant to buy a third. But this article finds me at a bit of a cross-roads, and all these stories is helping to nudge me over to the other side of the fence. So thanks for that.

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Kali invader... cheek pads in my pocket on really hot days... you can do that on most enduro full face or convertible helmets... and it makes those helmets feel truly like a half shell... very surprising the first time you do it.

I used a Bell Super 2R previously, crashed it, chin bar held up admirably... got a crash replacement and sold it because I found I was just riding it with the chin bar attached almost all the time anyway, so I thought, why not get one of those new one-piece enduro full faces without the design sacrifices of a convertible version?

Maybe it's just me... but I seem to be seeing more and more people wearing them all the time... even more of the pros.  And I think more of the pros (Remy, Yoan, Steve etc) should be wearing them more often... which honestly seems to be happening.  Because I think that's the biggest reason we don't see more people wearing them.  Mountain biking is rife with the super-cool-dude-bro-Pffft-full-faces-are-for-losers-I'm-too-awesome-for-a-full-face-don't-touch-my-taco culture and the influencers have a responsibility to do more of the right thing more of the time.  Not only will it influence my 11 year olds to keep wearing their full faces, but protect their own future as well.  With the number of people getting into riding and how capable bikes are now a days and how easy it is to go just stupid fast... full faces need to becomes accepted as the norm for our local enduro style riding.

A secondary reason I wear a full face and elbow pads is because it's mandatory for my sons to wear the same gear.  And I think it's total bullshit while contributing to the whole mtb culture problem when parents tell their kids to wear full gear and pedal away in a half-shell, sans gloves and elbow pads... wtf?

At least my 11 year olds think my Kali Invader is "super cool" and asked for cooler (than their Bell Super 2R's) full face helmets for Christmas... maybe I'm doing something right?  They got the new IXS Trigger and were super excited.  It's also one of very few proper full face helmets that comes in a size (XS) that actually fits a youths/kids head properly.  Yes all your kids wearing small bell super 2R/3R/Air's are wearing helmets way to big for them... I know... my kids did it as well... there was no other choice!

3rd... my kids needed braces so our ortho plans are tapped = until they can pay for their own cosmetic dental surgery... full face it is!

Anyway... viva la revolution... I just wish the revolution came with a better dental plan!

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If people were really worried about the safety of their brain they would wear helmets while driving their cars, drive less and drive slower/more carefully. Nobody does of course...not because it wouldn't improve car safety a lot, but because it's not fashionable/cool/convenient. And yes helmets would help a lot in addition to air bags and seat belts. If you wear a FF helmet MTBing do you wear a helmet when you drive? It's undoubtedly the most dangerous thing most people do in their lives...especially for their brains.

In my personal life the three people I know have suffered serious facial/head injuries were #1) walking in a store with a concrete floor and face planted #2) were riding on the road in a group and clipped bars then OTB and #3) was in a car crash. I've been on hundreds [thousands?] of rides where almost nobody ever wore a chin bar/FF and I'm trying hard to recall if there was a crash where we thought if only they had a FF on it would have been better. Nothing comes to mind.

Having been riding ~34 years now I have never damaged a helmet riding and had to retire it. They wear out from general wear/tear or they get too stinky and I get another. I rarely crash hard. Something like once a year or less. Other than a leg cut from pedal pin I've never needed to see an ER after a ride. I've never crashed and hit my head or face. I do put a lot of energy into avoiding crashes from happening [well maintained, spec'd bike, ride at a speed and tech level within my abilities, don't let my ego drive the bike/make decisions, walk/take ride arounds if I am not feeling great on a given day, etc...]

As I look at all this ^^ I just don't see the need for a FF when I ride.

And while I am not fashion immune I don't let it rule my life. For example I wear very uncool elbow pads every ride. I see lots of damaged elbows in my ride groups and at the trailhead and I've banged up my elbows so it seems sensible to protect them. I know people will say but your elbows are not as important as you face/brain. Okay no argument, but elbows are pretty useful if you want to wipe your ass, feed yourself, get dressed, go to work, etc... So it would make sense to avoid those common and potentially serious injuries.

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I stopped wearing ff when I stopped shuttling and spent more time climbing because they where hot, restricted breathing a bit(at least it felt that way) and they where a pain if you tried to hang them somewhere. I have been contemplating getting a ff again as I have recently been pushing boundaries and sending larger drops and jumps but local availability has been an issue. 

I would also argue that high speed flow trails are more dangerous than relatively low speed tech trails due to the increased speeds you are crashing at if things do go wrong.

That being said I signed myself up for Canadian National Enduro Series race and they require a ff so I will need to track one down this year.

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I’m buying a full face this season. My chin has stopped inches away from a tree on several crashes. The crashes took me by total surprise and I was just lucky. 

With the weight of the ixs trigger and tld stage, I’m going full face all the time and not faffing around with a removable chin bar. 

I tracked down a trigger to try on and didn’t love the fit. Trying to find a tld stage locally to give it a go. I don’t mind spending money on safety stuff.

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I think it's all changed as bikes and trails have changed. When I first started riding on the shore (2007), trails were a lot slower with a lot more debris and bikes seemed like they didn't really want you to stay on them, so crashes were frequent (like every other ride), and full face was pretty much essential. 

As trails got more more predictable, bikes got better, and I got better crashes became rare, so I shifted to the half lid. 

The nice thing about the half lid is that you just don't think about it. I put it on at the start of the ride, take it off at the end and it doesn't even cross my mind for the duration of the ride . . . until it goes bad.

Now I think we're at another point where bikes let us go so damn fast (even difficult trails are fast now) that the consequences of a crash have gone up. I bought a TLD stage last year (It was a toss up between that and the fox proframe) and wear it for most rides. If I pedaling up a fireroad, I'll just hang it off my bars.  If I'm pedaling up singletrack, I'll wear it.

I do think about it more on the climbs, it's annoying swinging on my bars, or a bit hot wearing it. But it feels great on the downs having that extra layer of safety assurance, and these new enduro focused full faces are so light that they don't have that restrictive feeling the old DH helmets had.

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Happy to see this article. A few months ago I got my first full face on a budget: IXS Xact. It fits well, and is comfortable, but certainly is not going to be known for its ventilation. But as someone who rode motorcycles from a young age, it has a very familiar fit. The primary reason I got it is telling myself I am going to ride more bike park, however I have since committed to trying it for more trail riding. When it comes time for a new trail helmet, I'll be looking at lighter weight trail full face.

As for reasons why I never considered it before:

1. This is going to sound stupid, but the perceived expectations of others you see out riding. I feel like there is a lot of judgment in this sport based on image. I felt like that if I was wearing a full face helmet outside the park, the first impression of others would be that I must be awesome and going to send it hard and that I couldn't live up to that. Related to the reason that I don't wear any sort of fashionable gear (and almost try to look as fashionably terrible as possible out on the trail). Yes, this is reporting live from crazy town

2. More recently: Price but this has been covered.

3. Availability - there is less demand so shops don't stock a lot of full face options to try on.

A reason from a good friend who wears no protection save for glasses and an open helmet:

4. He will ride harder and hurt himself if he has any protection on (I don't subscribe to this theory)

Now being older, with responsibilities and kids to look after, I am much more keen on self preservation. I will NOT ride anywhere off pavement without elbow pads and my shin guards and the full face is looking much more appealing. I am even thinking about additional light armour; I could play hockey in full gear exerting myself at 100%, why not ride like that (albeit with better gear).

I am older and I think I have moved past any care of what others think, or at least it is easier for others to recognize it for what it is: an old man trying to protect himself from himself.

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Being concerned about fashion has got to be one of the dumbest things going in mtb'ing. If your confidence is so low that you're worried about looking goofy in a FF helmet it might be worth scheduling a few sessions with a counselor to work on your self esteem.

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I've used the Bell Super 2R, The Giro Switchblade, and finally the Met Parachute. I chose the Parachute for a few reasons: It's super lightweight, doesn't look like shit, and when I'm not wearing the chin bar it looks like a regular trail helmet. I do struggle with figuring out how to climb with the chin bar. I've tried threading it into the straps on my fanny pack, but then it gets stuck on my saddle. I haven't tried ski strapping it to the bar though, so perhaps that'll be my next move. 

My mom never told me life was like a box of chocolates, but she did tell me if I knocked out my teeth after wearing braces for 5 years as a teenager that she'd kick my ass, and I totally believe her. So I guess fear is my factor.

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I watched an acquaintance faceplant hard enough to need 18 stitches around one eye socket. He had severe nausea for a week and memory loss for a couple months, and longer at a reduced level. That was all the motivation I needed to go full-face, full-time.

When I was shopping, the Kali Invader was one of the more affordable (it's relative) lightweight / highly vented options. My favourite local shop had it, so it was an easy choice. It's not stylish... at all. It's the icing on the dorky cake of how I look geared up to ride in mismatched everything. But it's tolerable to wear climbing in most weather. Being light makes a big difference too; there's no bobblehead effect at speed.

It's worth noting Kali sells this model specifically as a trail helmet, not intended for DH. I confess I've chosen it over my old Giro Remedy for WBP on a hot day. A nice invisible helmet will really spoil you on the ones that weigh twice as much.

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Not to be that guy; but what about neck braces? I've had a root canal and a crown, and sport a face scar or two but if I feel the need to suit up with a full face the leatt goes on too. 

I hate dental work as much as the next guy and it's not cheap but it's your neck here. Where have all the neck braces gone? Granted, it may not be the most beneficial in some slower speed stuff but bike park and high speed is huge. 

Also, Eyewear! Most riding glasses are impact rated and some goggles are. But I bounced my eyeball off a pointy rock embedded in the ground and got a black eye instead of permanent damage/loss. If you're wearing a helmet you should have something for your eyes.

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Side note, we (and many other Canadian retailers to my understanding) got about 10% our shipment of Super Rs, Super DHs, Super chinbars, and Switchblades. So if you're asking where they've gone in my town in the interior, the answer is COVID supply chain tomfoolery ensured they never arrived.

More related to the article, I like busting out the various full faces. It puts me in DH mode mentally and I'm sure I end up riding faster. I've never found a convertible full face that fits nice, so I run the Fox Proframe on days when I'd reach for the (non-existent) convertible full face.

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As an ER doc the thing I would say is that wearing an approved helmet in the first place is much more important than what kind of helmet. Helmets save lives, full stop. Happily the vast majority of the riders I see out on the trails are wearing one.

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Andrew, got the Bell Super DH end of summer 2020. After getting taken out and left to die by a driver in 2019 noticed in 2020 in certain riding areas was overthinking everything due to PTSI and everything else with it. Kinda concerning when you realize those things are going to get you hurt despite you knowing how to ride terrain. Decided to pick up a Super DH with the removable chin bar you know to try a way to work around the PTSI caused overthinking. If it didn't help well hey have a helmet covered by insurance for destroyed property. End result this year is that those places where had issues because of PTSI and overthinking volume as I call it helped get the volume down from 9 to a 2-3. And riding improved just by trying a different method to manage the mess in my head.

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Ten years ago, I had a nasty crash at Cecilia Ravine in Victoria...ruptured spleen. I've been a 'belt and suspenders' rider since then. Have used Super 2R, Switchblade, and now Super Air R. I use a kayak paddle leash to carry the chin piece above my hip back for long climbs in Cumby. Then tend to just keep it snapped on for the rest of my ride (except on hot summer days). Recently got my wife a Specialized Gambit...perfect for her (light, well ventilated, and no chin latching hassle). Also found the Ryders Fyre lenses almost never fog. TLD padded under shorts, G Form knees and RF elbows. For DH, its TLD D2, Atlas neck brace (most of the time), Oakley goggles, D30 Dakine knees, and TLD padded shirt. I had a couple of nasty rolling crashes with the Super Air R last summer...to say I am glad I had my chin guard and other pieces on is an understatement. I always want to ride another day and still be able to work.

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As uncool as my wife (and most of friends) would say I am anyway, I just don't think they look cooool maaan.

They're also very expensive and if the helmet meets legal safety standards, I'll buy that thank you. $100‐150 is my limit even if I do agree with the whole keeping-your-teeth argument though...

May I end by saying cripes! The moves your hitting on that rigid fork look hairy af. Nice work. 

I'm looking forward to putting a -2 degree angleset into mine and a Rimpact insert to the front tyre.

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Excellect article. I ride with many newer riders and we are all full faced. What is interesting is the long term riders are much better and even if they are not wheels off the ground riders what they can do is actually more risky due to their skill level. Yet everyone one of them where a half-lid. Makes me wonder sometimes

That Haf-Clip looks like a very cool solution that should let riders use a full face or a chinbar more often who don't because of the extra heat/swear.

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A timely article Mr Major. I have recently been pondering the same question. I bought a Bell super2R when they first came out, and wore it on most rides. Replaced it with as TLD Stage a couple of years ago since I prefer not faffing about with the chin guard. I wear the stage ~95% of the time.  I sometimes hang it off the bars for quiet road climbs and mellow climb trails, but otherwise it's on my head. My motivation for face protection is that I'm getting older (wiser?) and more cautious, but haven't really backed off the gnar. It may not look cool, but neither does a broken face. 

I am not trying to tell people what type of helmet to wear, just providing a data point. 4 of my group ride with a FF or chin guard and I expect at least one more will be soon. Not all old guys, but all experienced and skilled riders. I would really like to see the hard-charging Grom we ride with wear one too.

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As dumb as it is, a big barrier for me is eyewear. Glasses with a fullface feels wrong (and I admit it’s largely vanity). Wearing googles for my regular riding isn’t feasible and I think eye protection is more important than a chin bar. But as someone who had a dental implant (non riding reasons) and a buddy who broke lots of teeth dirt jumping I’m very much with you on the protecting teeth front. So my compromise with myself is a Fox Dropframe which has more protection around the templs/cheeks than a half shell and I wear a mouthguard. Not sure how a mouthguard compares to a chin bar in terms of protecting teeth but it’s better than nothing and not much faff.

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Over the years my protective gear use has ebbed and flowed for various reasons. Temperature, terrain, and risk assessment all play into my progear use, but most often, I just want to be careless. Damned the threat of being scratched, bloodied, broken, or maimed, I just want to ride free! Ah, it's just so liberating to ride minus all the kit.

I've amassed enough D30 to cover my body from the neck down, but I don't own a FF. I borrow one from my buddy if I head to a lift park. Guess maybe 2022 is the year to complete the ensemble. Looks like your article was influential.

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I whole heartedly agree, most of the time I wear goggles as well. Getting that bug or piece of dirt in you eye at just the wrong time is one of the easiest ways for an unavoidable wreck, and they protect more of your face in a crash, as you said "there's something about losing teeth or f***ing up my face that is on a different level than cracking a couple of ribs"

After converting over to a full face however, I did find it harder to judge speed before I acclimatized to the lack of wind on my face, and I started overshooting more then undershooting.

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After 25 years of riding I only had one instance (at a bike park) where the chin bar made a difference in a crash.  Willing to roll the dice with a half lid for all riding except bike park days.  Seems like a reasonable risk to me.

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Shortly after I started riding (several years ago), I grabbed one of the first convertible helmets (Bell Super 2R) for all the reasons you listed.  I then upgraded to the Leatt because it fit my head better.  But I got sick of dealing with the removable chinbar, and when the TLD Stage came out, I got that to replace them.  The Stage is lighter than the convertibles, and breathes well.  I only wear a pack (and even then, just a Camelbak Chase vest) for very long rides, so stashing a chinbar is just an awkward chore.  If I've brought the Stage and am climbing, I just hang it off the handlebar since 98% of climbing I do is on fire roads.

But I also own a Fox Speedframe Pro and now a TLD A3.  I wear them for most of my rides.  Like many have said, it's about risk assessment.  If I'm riding flow trails that I've ridden hundreds of times before, I judge the A3 to be plenty protective.  If I'm riding rocky chunk, progressing on jumps, or doing anything shuttled, I wear the Stage.  Hell, even riding pumptrack I take the Stage.  When I'm regaining confidence after having a rough crash, I wear the Stage more.  The risk assessment of which helmet to wear does seem to have a little bit of an affect on my riding:  I might focus more on doing lots of laps and goofing around with the half shell, and more inclined to go as fast as possible or try newer jumps with the full face.  But on the flip side, I can also wear down mental blocks on certain features by consciously choosing the half shell - I know it's really safe enough to ride with it, so just commit and ride!

FWIW, I also bought my son a Fox Proframe XS at age 4 (the swappable pads allow it to grow with the kid) as his only helmet.  I'll probably make him wear light full faces until he gets much older and I feel confident in his own risk assessment.

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I have a "trail" full face, IXS trigger ff.  When I got it it felt like other friends did around the same time.  I used to wear it a lot but over time less and less.  

It felt like whenever in a given riding group the full faces came out it was like everyone had chugged a red bull and you could hear imaginary beeps at the starting gate.  I tend to opt out of that kind of vibe.  

I still wear mine for some difficult trails that are either new to me, i'm doing solo, or want to work on advancing skills.  If I'm out for a general fun ride then its half shell.  Cool to read all the experiences and introspection on this topic in the comments.

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I wear a full face helmet probably 60% - 75% of the time.  I have an IXS Trigger FF which is super light, breathable, and comfortable.  The times that I am not wearing it are if I'm just cruising around in the Watershed.  If I'm riding the North Shore or Off-shore mountains I usually have my FF on.

The only thing I don't like about it is having to take my helmet off to get a drink of water, but I consider that a small price to pay (and it's a problem I could probably solve if I used a water bottle with a straw or something).

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I too am always surprised at how few full face helmets you see while riding on the shore. I work at one of the local shops here, and I have heard too many situations that could have been avoided by just wearing a full face.

One story that really comes to mind was one of our staff members. Great rider. He was dropping into a trail, and his pedal was hooked on a root. He basically OTB-ed from a standstill and ended up sliding on his face on a rock, and literally almost ripped his nose off (5mm from needing a new nose put on). 100 stitches later, he luckily kept his nose. Another one of the shop's friends was riding while feeling tired and went too fast into that rock roll on Espresso (which she has hit a bunch of times in the past successfully). Knocked out 4 teeth and broke her jaw. $25k to put it back together.

Convertible helmets are an awesome idea and value. I understand that proper DH helmets are hot and stuff. These convertible helmets are light and well ventilated (even the DH certified options like the Super DH etc). From a value side, I think they're amazing. They may be $400ish, but you are getting two helmets in one.

**My only word of caution is to stay away from Giro Switchblades. They had one job to not make the Switchblade live up to its terrible past, and IMO, failed. The way the chin bar attaches to the helmet is the issue. The way it hooks in is a major flaw. When you remove the chin bar, you pull it up towards the visor and out. We had a customer face plant on The Gangler on 7th, and the impact caused the chin bar to just move up towards the visor and basically fall off. He ended up breaking his eye socket and needing a bunch of stitches. I have heard some similar stories from other shop people.

The Bell removable chin bar helmets, along with the other options have the chin bar hooks go INTO the helmet towards the back. If you were to Face plant, this gives the chin bar something to brace against, and really makes sure the chin bar hooks are in the slots they are supposed to be in.

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Andrew, shortly after reading your review of the 7iDP Project 23 helmet, I ordered one. While I wear it on every trail ride, I’m not sufficiently over the dork effect yet to wear it on the road. The fit is excellent. (Measure head 6 times, order once.). Mine has the fibreglass shell. The Gloworm Alpha lamp w/ smaller (25Wh) battery straps on nicely. 

Further, after reading your discussion, I changed from Renthal Kevlar (glued & wired) to Renthal Ultra-Tacky (accurately named) grips. Also a win in every way.  

Last item: after reading your Squidworx pedals review, I bought a pair and find them to be superb.  Richard Bedford (proprietor in Pemberton) is a pleasure to deal with  

I’m paying attention and thank you for your advice.

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Couldn't agree more. I'm usually one of the only people riding with one - I am using a Giro switchblade and love it. I just use a heli strap to attach the chin bar to my bars on the climbs.

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Because XC is cool again

No but seriously,

riders are either getting older or are less into traditional downhill oriented freeride, so are not feeling like they are pushing the envelope as much. The chin bar won't save me from the types of crashes the rest of my body can't cash.

or similarly, more riders are getting into more non-stop backcountry-ish rides where uphill is as important as downhill and the time it takes to fiddle with and carry extra gear is not worth the effort or time (as as single-speeder you can probably understand less is more)

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Im yet to find one that fits my giant head/face. I have a pretty tough time finding half shells big enough (if its marketed as a large/XL I dont even have to waste my time, it wont fit). Hopefully I'll find a full face that fits someday.

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Many in my group wear convertible helmets or lighter weight full face helmets.  More and more all the time, although for the trend followers I would agree that when everybody fancied themselves an EWS racer they were fashion for a while. Speaking for myself, normally I do the first big climb with the chin guard off and then put it on for the first big decent.  Unless it's super hot I tend to leave the bar on after that. It's a Super DH that I have and if it fits your head I'd recommend it as a good choice.

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I run a Leatt Enduro 4.0 v21, and only remove the chinbar if I'm riding with the kids so they can hear me a little better. It's light, it's very well ventilated, it's very comfortable. I'm aggressive enough even on my xc rides that I eat it pretty badly. Saw mentions above about by the time the face needs protection, the body takes too long to heal to ride like that. I have to respectfully disagree with that sentiment. I've whacked my face off a tree just goofing off in the backyard at low speed. Rang my bell hard enough that I'd rather sacrifice any other part of my body than my head/face/eyes/jaw.

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I run the ISX Trigger Mips. 

At 660 grams for a medium/large the weight is a non issue. 

My problem comes with packing it when riding long uphill sections in warm weather. I've really wanted to ditch any kind of pack , few snacks in pant pockets and water bottle is enough for a lot of my rides. I wear the backpack almost exclusively to strap the helmet to when I'm going up.

The bar mount looks ok I guess...

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I went back to wearing a FF pretty regularly a few years ago.  I started with a Fox ProFrame which is surprisingly breathable and what I wear on most rides in the winter.  I use a convertible in the Summer - but honestly it's more of a struggle to convince myself to use in the hot months.  I sweat.  A lot.  So climbing with a FF in the summer is pretty tough for me but I'm still one of those weird people who (usually) wears a pack so it's easy enough to put on.

I don't have many riding partners left anymore so more often than not I find myself on a solo ride and I still want to ride more technical trails (my few riding buddies don't like them anyway) and so if I'm out alone on a tougher trail I want as much protection as I can get.

I tend not to wear it on rides where I'm riding less technical trails but I've often wondered if it's those trails that I need it the most.  I've had many time when I've been ripping down something like Espresso and thought it would be a pretty awful time to crash at the given speed.  While maybe it's easier to tuck-and-roll and avoid hitting the face, everything happens pretty fast.  On a janky trail, the speed is generally much slower so it feels like there's more opportunity to protect the face.  I should probably just wear it all the time.

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I’ll be using my new iXS Trigger ff this weekend for the first time. It’s been years since I’ve used a ff on the trails. 

I don’t really do resolutions but this is the year I’ve committed to using more protective gear. So the knee pads will also be making more frequent appearances.

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No mention of the Fox Proframe? It's light, very comfortable, reasonably priced and looks great. I hear there might be an imminent review.....

;)

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I have a Bell Super DH (mips) and my 1/2 shell is a Bontrager Rally (wavecel). I alternate between the two depending on the ride and the temperatures that day. I've definitely been considering the Super DH on more rides, especially when I ride alone and your piece has me thinking of it as well. I like to push my limits and really get the most out of the bike I can, and when I'm wearing the chin bar there's that little bit of added reassurance for when things don't go as planned. When I put the 1/2 shell on for a ride there's definitely a mental switch to not push as hard.

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My income is based on my brain and communicating, so FF for most rides:

- Leatt 4.0 fixed for the steep & deep or new moves

- older Leatt 3.0 enduro convertible for the Biblical rain days or XC epics

- open face for night rides.  Don’t know why but haven’t figured out a light set up that I like with the FFs

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I live in Edmonton which is the only reason I don’t wear a full-face on a daily basis- the trails just aren’t that gnarly. But when I was fatbiking last night, I started to reconsider. The snow makes it way easier to slide my way into a visit to the dentist.

I think it’s crazy that people don’t wear more armor on the shore. I got to do some riding in Whistler, Squamish, and North Van this summer, and I had my chin bar on the whole time. I was one of the only people I saw with a full-face going down 7th secret, which I found wild. Seems like an easy trail to smash your teeth on…

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as someone who has had to replace a tooth after an ill timed face meeting with a rotten stump, I still don't wear a fullface for most riding as most of my riding is not all up then all down (incident was on a dh shuttle that for some reason I chose not to wear my fullface), and is regularly constantly up and down and up and down etc. Also a sweaty mouth breather so not really into how constricting and hot full face helmets are, generally speaking. Have definitely chosen a full face for specific rides that may be a bit spicier, but that isn't most of my riding these days.

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I'm pretty sure I'd have a convertible full-face helmet if one could be found for 100-150$cdn. I use a Bell Nomad Mips for 80$ (retail price) for everything (except DH) and I love it. Probably my favorite helmet ever (I used POC, other Bell and Giro models too). I have a Fox Rampage (fiberglass version) that I bought for 110$ many years ago but have only used it 4-5 times ever. It's a bit too tight at the cheeks and I haven't got used to it. 

An affordable removable-chinbar version of the Nomad would be pretty sweet in that price range and I'd get one right away, but unfortunately, most options are in the 300-400$ range and at that price, I'll either use my Rampage FF or keep using my Nomad. Most of my rides involve climbing up for an hour, then riding mostly down for 20 minutes so it could be useful for those sections of rides. But I won't wear my full-face for those 30km rides that I usually do.

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I'm all but certain you've seen my Kali Invader.  If not you're welcome to check it out - the new V2 with the adjustable head cradle in the back fits WAY better than the original.  It's pretty light, well ventilated, and works well with glasses.  It almost  doesn't feel like a "real" full face (too light & open) and I swap it out for a heavier weight (DH rated) full face when I'm riding fast/really gnarly stuff or bike park.  They have a "lifetime replacement guarantee" as well, which I haven't used (and have no idea if they'd have stock if I had need to use it) - but it's a nice touch.  

A few years back I decided that most of my crashes come on "nothing" - so I decided that I'd commit to wearing elbow and knee protection more regularly.  A lightweight/breathable fullface helps extend that commitment.  (I also have a Hafclip that I've not yet tried - seems an ideal solution for fire road climbs)

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I wear a full face (Smith Mainline) whenever I am riding my enduro bike or my jump bike at the dirt jumps or pumptrack, but I definitely admit to not wearing one when riding XC or at the skatepark 100% for aesthetic reasons. Sure, I could argue XC is less dangerous (not always, you can send pretty hard on those things), but really I just think it looks dumb riding an XC bike in a full face and anything else is just rationalization, haha!

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I've been quite happy with the Smith Mainline. Got mine with the crash discount. Front wheel slipped out on a drop at speed in the dust last summer and I nicely dented the Smith MIPS Session (saved the brain though). I rotate between the full face and an open shell based on how many rocks and/or speed I'm likely to encounter.

The Mainline is pretty comfortable, but fits a little different than the Smith Forefront 2 I have. I definitely feel like the full face inspires some likely ill-advised confidence.

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First off the sport we love is about challenge/risk.  My knees are destroyed at the tender age of 55. Because I stopped wearing hard shell knee pads.  

Never wear a full face or helmet with chin bar. Because of vanity . Pride, stupidity. 

I heard head trauma is a rather consistent injury in automobiles.  A neck brace and helmet would be good idea. But my God  I would feel like a dork. 

We ride for fun.  The protection is there for the un planned moment s.  

Shame I let vanity and comfort trump safety.  

Everyone I know that rides full face they don't wear it on the climb.  But a light helmet with a chin bar. Why remove the bar in the first place ?  Oh yes . Vanity. Or worse people are suggesting it's too much effort to carry.

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One of the things I dislike about the lighter full face and some removable chin bar helmets is the jagged holes and shapes used on those chin bars that look good for catching the ground and and causing a more severe injury. I look for rounded smooth shapes on all helmets. Trying to drink in a full face is annoying too. I’m going into my 39th season of off road and I’ve never hit my face. I’ve broken the fronts, sides and backs of helmets. That said I do look at those “enduro” style full face helmets and I my get one if it fits me and has more rounded shapes. Years ago in DH skiing racers wore chin bars that were pretty insubstantial. There was concern then that the chin bar could catch snow and break necks at the speeds those skiers went. Plus they may not have been aero enough so they went away.

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Great article, it has got me thinking about something I actually never thought about. I don't ride with a chin bar or full face helmet and honestly have never given it a second thought until this article. It just never occurred to me to get one and as I never felt I needed one. My normal riding is on Seymour or Fromme and have always felt comfortable with my half shell helmet. maybe it has to do with my ability to not ride terrain when I am not feeling it, which kind of prevents the crash before it happens. 

I have had some big crashes including where I have hit my head, but the part of the head that was his was the top part not my face. None the less I am now considering a Chin bar or Full face, as i feel I am now pushing my luck.

On a side note, my most significant crashes while riding that resulted in broken fingers and torn ligaments occurred when I fell over while: at an almost stop going around a corner with slick roots or getting on my bike and failing to clip in properly.

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I was halfway through this article before I figured it wasn't about people giving up on their home chin UP bar!

I'll show myself out......

Actually, a great article.

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Few comments on wanting to tey a Tld Stage. Great helmet. Light and comfortable. I actually use the Haf-Clip to carry mine in the climbs. Works well.

I tried a number of convertibles, love the idea but none really fit. Someone asked about who might have the Stage in stock. Kinetic typically has decent supply.

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I bought an IXS Trigger FF last year, mainly for my son who is getting more and more into riding with me (he's 13 years old). But I'm now riding with his helmet most of the time, except on really hot days. It's incredibly light at 600g, very confortable and with lots of ventilation... On my last three mountain bike falls, I manage to hit my face some way or another so now I feel more confident with more protection...

The only downside beside price is that I have to buy another one for my son...

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I've been using an iXS Trigger FF for about a year, my half shell was due to expire and I just couldn't see the logic in not getting a FF. Figured I'd be pretty stupid to end up with a shattered jaw when I had the opportunity to avoid it, and the new helmets are so light and ventilated. 

My worst crashes have all been on blue or black runs I know well, when speed is a factor. Had a fast crash on Dreamweaver and as I saw a big rock coming closer my only thought was "Full face...". That sealed the decision for me. 

I pad up for every gravity ride (including elbows, I've had some really nasty forearm damage), and steered away from a  convertible helmet to avoid the opportunity to choose. Also couldn't believe a removable chin bar offered as much protection. 

Took a few to rides get used to the FF and now I don't really notice. Drinking is a bit harder (bladder not bottle), but I just end up taking the lid off more at stops. 

As for price... our bikes cost $5-10k. An extra $100 or so for safety seemed like money well spent. Still helluva lot cheaper than motorcycle gear.

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Purchased a bell super dh a couple of years back and will definitely be purchasing another similar helmet next time. As a new parent it really made me extra cautious about injuries. I've had a few dental and hospital visits in my grom years that a full face would have avoided! I also think it makes it easier to keep your helmet up to date, they don't last for ever and replacing one helmet vs an open face and a full face.

I also made me think about neck braces again. I was clipping my chin bar to my camel back and thought doing the same for my leatt brace doesn't add too much extra hassle but that extra protection which I'll hopefully never need!

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I’ve been mountain biking since around 1992 and been a radiologist at a big trauma centre for longer than that. There are a million ways to hurt yourself and a lot of stuff can’t be controlled or predicted, but knowing that I’m bouncing down a mountainside covered in roots, rocks and trees on a bike with its own collection of sharp, dirty, hard components means that protective gear is just an integral part of the sport. I wear a DH certified full-face (POC Coron Spin and TLD D4) for almost all rides and a Leatt neck brace at the same time. Knee and elbow pads are essential companions ( and yes, elbow pads are very hard to get fitted comfortably). I have Bluegrass and Scott back/chest armour which I keep for gnarlier rides or when I’m a long way from home. If you ride alone, as I do 99% of the time, I don’t want to get seriously hurt a long way from home potentially without cellphone coverage. Sure - there are lots of excuses not to wear all of this stuff, but I’ve seen far too many people with life changing or life ending traumatic injuries to recognise that mitigation is worth a shot when the alternative is trusting to dumb luck and a soft landing. I don’t really care if it looks a bit dorky as nobody can tell who I am once the FF goes on, and I’ve never seen sports as a fashion event anyway.

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One thing that I don't hear mentioned ever, really - and judging by the reaction I've had from several shop employees seems to be a less common problem, is the change in fit of half shells over the past several years.  I used to be able to wear a variety of different lids but now a lot have gone to a more oval headform - which doesn't fit my round melon, and the majority of the "round" helmets slip down over my eyes when riding over rough terrain.  That was actually the primary motivating factor in going with the Kali Invader as the cheek pads of a full face help to keep it in place.  The additional protection on "trail rides" is a nice bonus but my main reason for the switch was to enable me to see when the trail gets rough.

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So many good points here. I've gone from wearing a convertible Uvex Jekyll to an open Face back to a proper Fullface (mostly cause it's cold this time if year). The switch that led to the convertible helmet because I nearly faceplanted a tree moved my head at the last second and slid the side of my helmet along it and hit my shoulder instead. So that was enough of a scare to invest in a better helmet. I did find when I used it there was no point in taking off the chinbar it didn't help ventilation and it was somehow more comfortable if fullface mode. I did find when I got a new open face for commuting,  I started using it a lot on the easier trails and if I was on a group ride it's a lot easier to talk to people and there's no faffing with taking helmets on and off. So objectively using a full face is a no brainer for me particularly as I mostly ride on my own so if I do crash it should leave me in a better state to get myself out or call for help. Also full faces for Enduro are so good right now they have almost no drawbacks on openfaces but way more protection. Finally as far as cost of high end safety gear goes the moment you add in medical bills lost time in work etc a 400 or 500 on a helmet isn't that bad

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I rode MX bikes before getting into mtb so wearing a full face felt normal. About a year ago I was feeling very confident in my riding and decided to take the chin bar off of my Bell super dh. I really enjoyed the extra peripheral vision and air flow until I clipped a bar in a narrow shoot which catapulted my face into a boulder. I don't know how I didn't knock out my front teeth but I do know that barely being able to eat for a week because of the pain as well as anything I put into my mouth naturally wanting to fall out of the rather large hole my teeth put into my lower lip, really sucked. Never again. I think I will forego the removable chin bar on my next helmet purchase and just go with a lighter weight one piece.

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I rode MX bikes before getting into mtb so wearing a full face felt normal. About a year ago I was feeling very confident in my riding and decided to take the chin bar off of my Bell super dh. I really enjoyed the extra peripheral vision and air flow until I clipped a bar in a narrow shoot which catapulted my face into a boulder. I don't know how I didn't know out my front teeth but I do know that barely being able to eat for a week because of the pain as well as anything I put into my mouth naturally wanting to fall out of the rather large hole my teeth put into my lower lip, really sucked. Never again. I think I will forego the removable chin bar on my next helmet purchase and just go with a lighter weight one piece.

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I recently went OTB wearing a halfshell and hit my face on the hardpack. I was lucky not to break a tooth or more. 

So I’ve been taking my POC fullface since then. Carrying it is weird because sometimes you’re not wearing it when you probably should. 

On long backcountry routes I find it hard to take a fullface even though some of the trails certainly justify the protection. 

I’ve used removable chinbars in the past but fixed feels a lot more solid to me.

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So I'm going the opposite way back to a full face.

Just after Christmas I slipped the front wheel over the top of a timber berm, slapping my head down hard. I don't remember how I got home. I think I must have blacked out upside down for a short while also as I have dried blood dripped inside the visor of my Bell Sixer from a 20mm by 10mm flap of skin my teeth cut inside my lower lip. I also suffered a mild concussion. 

Eating anything not in liquid form was difficult the first few days as scabs on my left cheek that extended to my lips dried out. Whatever I did manage to get in my mouth then stung the cut and would need to be washed out. I went hungry a few meals. 

Worst part is that I have a lightweight FF in the form of a Leatt dbx 4.0. It's a poor fit compared to the Sixers glove like fit. It's not uncomfortable but it's not like the open face or the TLD D3 it replaced. To be honest, I'm contemplating flipping it (it's barely used...) in favour of something that sits nicely on my scone. It's an expensive proposition but given I was lucky to not lose teeth, its still cheap!

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Having two titanium plates in my cheekbone from summer 2020, I'm still not putting a fullface on. They are way too hot to use them on the road and uphill, which is often done in traffic, so you need a helmet in either case. Having a half shell all the time is better than having a full face 20 % of the time (the descent).

As for the removable chinbars, I hate the feeling of the fullface as well, it closes off the field of vision, it blocks off the wind and the sound, etc. It's something you get used to, for sure, but as an ex-XC I'm comfortable with a half shell and don't see myself riding drastically different with a full face (if anything, on the trails that I know, I'm faster with my half-shell because I'm familiar with the wind and the sounds, so I know what the bike is doing).

The local regulators enforcing a full face helmet is also the reason I don't do local enduro races.

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Thanks for the article Andrew. A couple of years ago (Sept 2019) when more ‘three-quarter’ helmets (eg Fox Dropframe) were coming on to the market, I was caused to post on another site’s forum. I’ve posted the same below because I think it’s relevant here, and edited it very slightly to take account of subsequent helmet and other safety purchases. I’m based in Adelaide, Australia, for context. 

I think the open face versus full face debate is more complex than full face is (all other things being equal like the helmets being compared are both MIPS or not etc) always safer. Two issues here I’ve been thinking through lately. 1 - There’s an argument (made by a medical friend of mine in ICU) that you can reconstruct a face but not a brain. He sees some (not all of course) head trauma victims wearing a full face with untouched faces but brain injuries, and some wearing a half lid with smashed up faces but untouched brain. In simple terms the face is a natural and effective crumple zone, take that away by wearing a full face and you transmit more force to the brain. (I know it’s more complex than this, but brighter people than me think the argument has merit and, as a Dad of a 15 year old shredder, it makes me think about what helmet he rides and when). So maybe a 3/4 lid keeps the ‘crumple zone’ and gives extra protection to the side and back of the skull. Or maybe we need to be talking about how well chin bars ‘crumple’ on our better DH helmets. 2 - a mate of mine recently injured his neck badly going OTB and face planting hard. He was wearing a half lid. Two independent neuro surgeons first asked, on seeing his X-ray, what helmet he was wearing - full or half. Both said if he was wearing a full face he would be dead as the chinbar would have further extended his neck. The take home message from them both was that if you want to wear a full face then also wear a neck brace (I know, that’s another debate).

Now a large(r) range of high quality three-quarter helmets are available, my teenage son and I use them as our daily driver even in warm weather. If my son is doing shuttles or otherwise wants to or should run his full face, then he wears it with a high quality neck brace (and if I had time to do shuttles I’d do the same, but I’m normally the one behind the wheel!). 

Thanks.

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