Whether you are a triathlete or a road biker, you need a good-quality helmet to protect your head. And if you’re planning to get into mountain biking, then you need to get a mountain bike (MB) helmet. Like many people, you must have thought about the difference between mountain bike helmets and road bike (RB) helmets. And you must have also thought about using a road bike helmet for mountain biking. If you have, you are not alone. Many have this question in their mind before they buy the helmet.
This article will list the difference between an RB helmet and an MB helmet—and why a mountain bike helmet will be an excellent long-term investment.
So, is it okay to use a road bike helmet for mountain biking?
There’s no issue if you try this helmet for mountain biking; both have good standards and can protect your head from collisions. But, you have to understand that both helmets are manufactured and designed for specific purposes. It will protect your head from accidents, but you need to buy the right helmet to improve your performance in the different categories. Unless you are a pro rider and participate in competitions/tournaments, you don’t need to worry about the helmet types.
Now, if you are really interested in learning the difference between the MB helmets and RB helmets, read on:
The main three things that separate these helmets are Vision, Ventilation, and Resistance. These three specs play a vital role in improving your performance and are ideal for people who participate in tournaments.
Vision: Usually, the mountain bike helmets have an inbuilt visor. The visor gives protection from the sun and eliminates the need for sunglasses. This feature is useful as you can clearly see the bumps and dents on the path. The visor also keeps raindrops from reaching your eyes as it covers your forehead completely without restricting your vision.
The RB helmets don’t have this feature as you don’t need to scan the road as you do in mounting biking. Riders on the road usually meet the traffic and are required to slow down in many places, and they don’t ride in the rainy season or cancel the tournament in case of heavy rain. And finally, no dust or dirt is flying in the air during road biking.
Ventilation: MB helmets have fewer ventilation holes compared to other helmets. It is to provide more safety to your head as you ride through rocks, hills, branches, and elements from mountain regions. The helmet also protects the rear and sides of your head as well—MB riders are more prone to accidents and injuries.
Road bike helmets require more holes for air to pass through; as the racing gets intense, the rider sweats a lot. The faster the rider is, the more air flows in and out.
Resistance: A lid that is a standard part of road bikes makes more resistance if you are riding at high speed. Mountain bike riders are less concerned about this lit as they are not into speed racing—these are more of climbing and descending, and less time is spent on flat surfaces. Road bikers need to reduce their resistance to improve their speed, and that’s why they wear bodysuits that give the least resistance while riding fast. They want to make everything, including clothes, helmets, and other equipment, aerodynamically suited for races. So, the RB helmets usually have smaller lids.
Now that you know the difference and benefits of using both helmets, choosing one mustn’t be tough.
