Helmet Visor Safety?

[deflem7]

So I was riding my bike down a hill at about 65mph w/ my visor up today and bam! a rock the size of a quarter jumps up and hits me right under my eye. Ouch! So, just out of general safety curiosity at what mph do most of you experienced riders put down your visor? Or do you keep it down all the time?

Thanks,

Laura

[greyboyfan]

Ouww! That hurt! Girl, you beter just leave it down all the time. besides if you get one of those tinted or "mirror" type, they're more mysterious cause no one can tell if you're lookin' at 'em. (;^)

My helmet is one of those conversion type, you know, where the whole chin part jacks up with the touch of a button. Ya can't ride like that, but it gives you a little break now and then to open it up and breath. I Always ride with the visor down cause I usually forget to carry sunglasses, plus I don't want a quarter size rock between the eyes or a big ol' grasshopper either.

[CB750F]

Actually, in my state it's the law you need to have on eye protection. Leave it down unless you are stopped. I would say no more than 10 mph would be safe to let it up.

[Bullzaye]

While riding in the midday AZ heat in summer, if I'm below 45 MPH or so, I will have the visor opened about 1 click (about .75 inch), if going less than 20 MPH I will likely have it opened 2 clicks (about 1.5 inch). I usually only open it all the way when I come to a complete stop.
Tim

[KaJuN]

I've got an open face with a flip down face shield and I love it. I ride around with the shield up and if I get tired of the wind and bugs I just flip it down and keep going.

[Starlifter]

One more inch and you would have lost your eye. If the bike is moving the shield should be down.

[a1c_joker]

In stop and go traffic the visor stays up. In town around 25 mph I usually ride with it up as well. But anything above 2nd gear, incliment weather or road construction I have it down. In Colorado they use a combination of salt, sand and gravel to treat the ice with, so in the Spring and Summer, cars, trucks, and semi's are a shooting gallery. I've been driving my truck behind a car and had a rock thrown from the car in front of me with enough force to take a chunk of glass out of my windshield big enought to rest my knuckle in. They're dangerous. One of the main reasons I wear a full face is because I don't want chunks of rock or gravel flung into my face, neck or head. It's your own personal opinion really. Be safe, it's why helmets were made.

[Uesque]

I go with it open just a crack, but all the way at stops. I usually have sunglasses on also, so I may leave it up at really slow speeds, but it whistles at anything over 15 mph motivating me to put it down.

Weirdly, I was on a Buell Ulysses with the extended windscreen the other day, and it kept blowing my shield open. It was most annoying.

[Dannyl]

HI,
I learned my painful lesson when I was 23 driving my open top Jeep, with the winscreen laid flat onthe bonnet, a bee collided with me below my eye and it caused a VERY painful wound. could have lost the eye.

In my opinion, If you do not want to use the visor in hot weather, get a good quality (gun shop or high quality PPE store) pair of safety goggles and make sure you have something on to protect your eyes.

Rgds,
Danny

[Nitelord]

I've got a full face helmet. I always leave the shield down when in motion. Flick of the wrist and the bottom pops open to let some air in when sitting still. Tap it down and I'm off. I got hit in the neck by a rogue bee once. I wouldn't want that in the face. Just my $.02:)

[Schneiderman]

Pretty much down whenever I'm moving. If I want some air I leave it open a crack, if I'm stopped for more than a moment I open it.

[RED RIDER]

I wear conversion type glasses that have foam around the rims to keep the wind and dust out of my eyes. The lenses are impact resistant. Since I don't wear a full face helmet these glasses/goggles are a very important part of my riding success, they are also prescription.

My wife wears a full head helmet with a liftable face shield but keeps it down all the time. I have found that bugs are my biggest issue. I live in the country or rural area of Kentucky, and when I ride late afternoon or evening I get a lot of bugs hitting my face. They sting. Some have felt like BB's. Not a lot of fun when they splatter on your lips either.

[cecilbdml]

I would agree with folks here that, any speed over 25 would necessitate SOME kind of eye protection. I also wear a modular (flip-front) helmet, as well as polycarb shades underneath. Foster Grant photogreys are great things to have, lemme tellya!:cool:

[adrian]

I have been hit in the face by rocks and bugs before too, and it hurts. I try to put my shield down after about 20-25 mph, but since it is heating up I usually raise it at each light.

[MrBash]

I ride around with the visor up till it gets too windy. But then again, I;m a new rider so I'm sure that will change soon. I do feel more comfortable riding with the visor down.

[misterdub]

The only time I leave my shield up when I'm in motion is when I'm riding in a residential neighborhood (<25mph) with no cars in front of me. I've also left it up before in stop and go traffic (less <5mph, just a crawl) but lately I've been putting it down then too because I had a cicada crash into my visor at a light one day recently.

The thought occurred to me that had I had the visor up I'd have a cicada crawling around inside my helmet. I can't think of anything more distracting (and therefore dangerous) than having one of those critters (or a bee, fly, etc.) sharing the inside of my helmet with me. Especially cicada's though -- what horribly ugly little creatures. Ick.

[kitty kat]

I wear a full face lid, but have taken to wearing goggles as well, it means I can ride with the visor up, but still be protected from the stones & bugs that tend to hit me. Before I got the goggles I always used to have the visor down unless I was stationary.