Whether you’ve been mounting biking for a while or are thinking about taking it up as a new sport, a mountain bicycle helmet is an essential accessory to have in your armory. With this in mind, “why do mountain bike helmets have visors?” is a question I endeavor to answer.
Mountain bike helmets have visors to guarantee the rider’s safety. They protect the riders’ faces and eyes from impediments such as low-hanging, leafy branches, mud, snow, and rain. Visors also shield you from the fiery sun, absorb shock from sudden falls, and maintain your visibility.
This article offers insight into why visors for mountain bike helmets are helpful.
Why Do Mountain Bike Helmets Have Visors? (6 Reasons You Should Know!)
Mountain bike helmets (Amazon link)have visors attached to them because they offer protection against the sun, allow you to ride in harsh weather, protect you during mountain racing, and absorb shock. They are also vital in maintaining your balance and provide an area to mount other cycling accessories like flashlights.
Below is an in-depth analysis of the importance of visors on mountain bike helmets.
1. Mountain Bike Helmets Visors Offer Protection From Sunlight
Riding your mountain bike early in the morning or right before nightfall is fantastic, but it could be quite a struggle when the sun is at eye level. Your eyes being right in line with the sun would obscure your view; hence generating unwelcome imbalances.
However, with the aid of a visor, you can alleviate the sun and blistering heat and help keep your eyes on the road. You can confidently bike directly into the sun.
Some visors are detachable, while some could be molded to the helmet, screwed in, or permanently attached. Some can be tilted up and then lowered when traversing shaded mountain tracks and areas with intense sunlight.
2. Mountain Bike Helmets Visors Help in Riding In Harsh Weather Conditions
Bike riders find pleasure in riding their bikes to test their limits, including taking on harsh weather conditions. As a mountain biker, you’ve likely gone cycling on a wet day or snowy nighttime.
However, bike riding in the rain or snowy weather is an arduous task.
You would have to contend with rain droplets to avoid obstructing your vision and maintain focus on the trail. Furthermore, if the scalp is exposed to rain or snow for an extended period, it might be damaged.
A bike helmet visor gives an extra layer of protection that shields your eyes from the rain and keeps your face dry. This eliminates the need to squint your eyes to see, which keeps needless headaches at bay for riders sensitive to sunlight.
Furthermore, if you’re riding during or after a snowfall, I bet you would loathe being distracted by snowdrifts falling from branches. The visor extends in front of your eyes, shielding you from direct contact with snowflakes and also from the sun’s glare reflected off the snow.
When it’s chilly outside, stinging wind can make your eyes water and force you to slow down. A helmet visor will protect your eyes, allow you to ride faster even in cold, windy conditions, and give you the luxury to bike at top speed.
3. Protection During Racing
Mountain bike racing is exciting but could also be dangerous depending on the prevalent weather conditions.
In the event of racing on muddy trails, the visor would be pivotal in preventing mud splashes from a good traction rear wheel of the rider ahead of you from getting into your eyes. Being less distracted by the visor will allow you to bike faster past your competitors.
On the other hand, if the weather is hot, the visor would truncate the possibilities of riders ahead splattering dirt over your face.
You may encounter scenarios where you’ll be racing and riding against the wind, which would cause insects, dust, and other debris to fly your way.
To outpace the riders in front of you, you must be completely protected against such happenings. The visor will serve as a barrier against all types of dust and dirt you or other riders emit on the trail and those resulting from windy conditions.
4. Maintains Balance On Single Track Trails
Biking on single-track routes on hills lined with low-hanging branches is challenging. This is a high-risk terrain for all types of bikers since they are designed to accommodate one rider at a time.
Without a visor, you will have to keep the branches with one arm stretched out in front of their face while the other is in charge of steering the bike. This jeopardizes your safety since you can lose balance and fall while riding with one hand.
Therefore, make your mountain biking more delightful by investing in OUWOR Mountain Bike MTB Helmet. This helmet has a detachable visor, is comfortable and suitable for teens, adults, youth, women, and men.
Helmets with visors would suffice to keep accidents at bay and avoid instances where your attention is split between maintaining your speed, staying on the trail, and safeguarding your face. Consequently, you can concentrate more on the route ahead because the visor protects your head.
5. Mountain Bike Helmets Visors Absorb Shock
In case an accident occurs, the visor on the helmet would cushion the rider from serious injuries. This is because the helmet visor distributes impact pressures imparted to the skull and brain, minimizing the severity of head injuries.
On impact, the visor may fracture or even break but keep your teeth, nose, and other parts of your face intact.
6. Can Be Used To Hold Other Cycling Accessories
Visors installed on helmets can spice up your biking experience by providing a convenient spot for mounting additional accessories. You can install a POV camera to document your trailblazing moments.
You can install a night light in case you love riding at night or navigating dimly lit trails. In addition, you can also mount goggles strap clips and a storage bag on your helmet visor.
Helmet visors are a fantastic thing to have around when riding. However, whether it is appropriate to wear them every time you hit the trails is contingent on your level of comfort and safety concerns.
You may not need a visor if you’re riding your mountain bike to work in the city or your neighborhood because you’ll want to have a better view of your surroundings.
Apart from that, cross-country mountain bikers won’t fancy helmet visors since they often lean down to ride faster and maintain their momentum.
Also, Read: Are Foldable Bike Helmets Safe?
FAQs
1. Why Do MTB Helmets Have Visors?
MTB helmets have visors because they protect your eyes, nose, and face in an accident, shield your eyes from dust and grit, and cushion the rider from the scorching sun.
2. Why Do MTB Helmets All Have To Have Enormous Visors?
MTB helmets have massive visors because mountain bikers require protection from the sun. They also keep precipitation/rain, snow, and other weather elements and random branches from your face and eyes.
3. Why Do Off-road Helmets Have Visors?
Visors play a modest role in deflecting branches and brushes when biking in the woods. They also shield the rider from roost emanating from the rider’s rear wheel in front of you. In addition, they protect your face from the sun and rain.
Final Thoughts on Why Do Mountain Bike Helmets Have Visors?
With the knowledge derived from this piece, you are set to enjoy your mountain biking experience and compete in various tournaments in that regard.
However, you need to wear your helmet correctly for your visor to serve you well. When wearing your helmet, angle it well so that the visor reaches past your nose by at least an inch. You should also avoid wearing a visor on your forehead as this could distort your vision and result in an accident.
Also Read: Full Face Vs Open Face Helmet MTB