You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Tried on a few full face helmets and the best fit so far is a Fox Rampage. It doesn't rotate forwards, side to side or move up and down very much at all, which is good. However I can rotate it backwards by pushing up on the chin guard. Any advice on how much movement is reasonable/acceptable?
Are your cheeks being squashed by the padding inside? If not, they should be. As I understand it anyway.
Not hugely, but yes. Enough such that it doesn't worry me. It's the rotating up and back that concerns me.
I have a long head front to back so getting any helmet to fit is a pain - quite literally in some instances.
The important one is that, with the strap undone, you can't remove it by levering from the back of the helmet.
With the helmet on try to remove it by pulling/rotating it forward rather than straight up. This should force your chin into your chest but the lid shouldn't be able to come off.
Not sure with a full face, but with a trail lid I think the test is can you rotate it backwards enough that it will slide off, and if not then that's okay. I find with a FF rotating it back the rear digs into my neck. Not sure if there's a risk of damaging the neck if it rotates to far then.
Actually, thinking about it, with strap undone I often pull the helmet off by lifting from the chin, and I see others on the trails doing the same.
The important one is that, with the strap undone, you can't remove it by levering from the back of the helmet.
Checked and this is fine. Interestingly the other helmet that felt like it fitted well (Bluegrass Brave) could be taken off by pulling over the front of my head WITH THE STRAP DONE UP!
Thats a bit worrying!
Lifting from the front is fine, as you say most remove them in a similar way.
If you're worried about it rotating so far back it'd damage your neck have a go with a neck brace - they're designed to limit that movement, though arguably at the cost of your collar bones in some cases.
providing your face moves with the helmet and you can't actually remove the helmet by rotating it backwards it'll be fineAny advice on how much movement is reasonable/acceptable?
I'd say rotating it backwards is probably the best way to remove it… or do you mean with the strap done up?
All my full face lids were comfortable but the reality on the trail saw them turning around, dropping down or rotating upwards.
Non ideal.
I then tried one I though was super tight, hamster cheek style. On the trail, it was perfect.
Get one that feels a bit tight is my advice.
I totally agree with luke. I tried on a Fox in the shop and actually bought it, thinking it felt fine. When I got home I wore it for about 10 minutes around the house, doing daft stuff like jumping up and down and twisting my upper body about. It sounds stupid but it revealed to me that the helmet moved around an annoying amount when subjected to vigorous movement (such as riding DH - the slightest movement off the bike will probably be exaggerated on the bike), so I took it back.
I ended up getting a Bell Transfer, which is hamster cheeks tight, and probably the best fitting helmet I have ever had.