If you wear mtb helmets, I am sure you must be wondering why do these helmets have visors right?
Well, my initial thought was the same when I first started out. But trust me, visors are required during mountain biking and helmet companies had understood long ago.
Today, I am going to tell you the reason of having visors on MTB helmets.
What else to wear when mountain biking.
Why do MTB Helmets Have Visors?
MTB ( Mountain bike ) Helmets have visors to protect your face and help steer clear of foliage and branches to avoid lashing. The visors also help you to block the sun and protect your face when you fall.
Benefits of having visors:
Visors Protect the Face
The visors of MTB helmets help steer clear of foliage and branches to avoid lashing into the eyes. It also keeps branches off the face.
They act as a screen from bushes that riders come across when riding down a precarious or thick trail.
The visor acts like a fence that helps keep things out – roost and debris flung up into the air.
Visors Block the Sun
The visors of MTB helmets act as a sun shield. MTB riders deal with alternating sun and shade when riding through the woods.
The see-saw of light and shade can blind a naked eye. Imagine coming out from the forest into the full sun – the glare can be blinding.
Some riders wear tinted glasses which can hinder full vision but with the visor on the MTB helmet, they are able to wear clear ones giving them a better perception of the trail.
Sunset ride through dusk can also cripple vision and the visor is exceptionally helpful for low sun conditions.
Visors Protect your Face when You Fall
Let’s face it, mountain trail bike riders don’t only look forward to a comfortable ride but is more than ready and excited for an adventurous one.
And a few crashes and falls are part of the adventure. The visor of MTB helmets stops the face from hitting the rocky ground.
It can block your face if you hit a tree.
It can protect your nose from breaking. It protects your eyes from being punctured. The visor takes and disbands injury.
Visors Protect your Eyes from the Dirt and Sprayed Up Mud
MTB riders also look forward to rainy season rides when they can experience a muddy ride. And a muddy ride would mean having mud, water, and dirt flying everywhere.
The visor of the MTB helmet is very beneficial as it is highly effective at restraining the rocks, mud, and dirt being thrown up by the front wheel out of your eyes.
Visors Keeps Water Out of your Eyes in the Rain
Rain does not mean a canceled ride for MTB riders. It adds fun and would definitely hike up the adventure level. In this case, the visors on the MTB helmet work surprisingly well in keeping the water out of their eyes when it’s raining.
When water gets into your eye, vision can be restricted, the rider can get distracted and potentially lose balance. The visor helps in ensuring it does not happen by blocking off the water from the rain.
Types Of Visors
In general, you will find two types of visors for mountain bike helmets. One is built in visors and the other is detachable visors.
A built in visors, as the name suggested are the part of the entire helmets. They are long enough to protect you from rain. But these helmets are ideal to use in a good weather condition.
A detachable visor helmet is something where you can remove the visor or attach back whenever you want.
Generally, they are long and wide enough to cover you from poor weather conditions and a bit pricey sometimes.
Is there any specific size for visors?
No. Actually there isn’t any special visor size or measurement for mtb helmets. You have to look through it.
As stated earlier, built in visors are slightly shorter compared to the detachable visors.
It also depends on the type of ride you do. Many people like to do riding in good conditions and they should not bother with the size of the visors. But if you are planning to participate somewhere, a detachable visor helmet would be ideal for you.
Conclusion
MTB helmets are very much different from road bike helmets. The difference is not merely due to superficial reasons but functional.
MTB helmets that you take to the trails have a visor in front that helps protect from different things – sun, rain, dirt, branches, mud, etc. MTB helmets with visors are particularly convenient when riding a trail in the woods.
The visor on MTB helmets makes it possible not to wear tinted glasses or sunglasses for eye protection.
Wearing clear eyewear will make it easier to steer clear of the bushy trail. It protects the eyes from the painful glare of the sun.
It won’t hinder vision because MTB riders usually ride in an upright position.
Trails can have low hanging branches, the visors of the MTB helmet protect the face and the eyes. Branches can hit the face or even jab the eyes.
The visor acts as a shield against sun, rain, and mud. They also sidetrack rocks, sand or dirt that spatters up when doing turns.
