Why do most cycle shops websites split bike helmets into two categories, Mountain Bike & Road bike. Does it really matter whether you ride on dirt or tarmac as to what style helmet you wear? On a trail you might hit a pine tree trunk, on th road you might hit a power line post....whats the difference, really? its still gonna hurt.
Anyone have real explanation as too why some are road and some not?

Because they are different. Road usually more ventilation, lighter, more aero, less coverage etc. MTB often more full coverage, less emphasis on aero and ventilation etc. Go pick a "road" and an "MTB" helmet up and look at both in person and you'll see they are pretty different.

I guess road cyclists tend to not need the deeper coverage, maybe they tend to hit the deck the same way and slide, whereas a mountainbike crash has more variables.
Visors on mountainbike helmets, roadies can wear sunglasses more easily whereas unless you've got a really light tint they kind of suck for trail riding.
More vents, fewer objects to get stuck in them...

Ok, no reason yet.

Roadies hate helmets with visors and I wouldn't buy a MTB helmet without one.

bikedog wrote:Ok, no reason yet.

What?

Yip, I only have one helmet (a Bell Sweep XC from probably too many years ago) and it gets used for everything. Never ever wear the peak on the roadie, riding position makes me feel like it's in my field of view and I'm sort of straining my neck looking up from underneath it.

Mine is from the era where the (removable) peak was the only difference between the road and MTB models. These days MTB helmets cover much lower on the back of the head, and seem to have less but larger vents. And of course are available in #enduro colours.

MTB helmets have to vent air at lower speeds so have different inlet and exhaust vents to enable this. Road helmets are designed to exhaust at higher speeds.

Given Lycra is now banned from some cafes, how else would the roadies know who to welcome and who to snub.

Some helmets sold in New Zealand by online retailers do not meet the NZ Standards for road use, and are sold "For off road use only".

We're getting somewhere now...
So it's a vision thing then.....roadies look to the horizon more, while Mounties look down at the terrain?

matnz wrote:Given Lycra is now banned from some cafes, how else would the roadies know who to welcome and who to snub.

Some helmets sold in New Zealand by online retailers do not meet the NZ Standards for road use, and are sold "For off road use only".

Really? I'm intrigued as to what brands or models you are referring too?

bikedog wrote:We're getting somewhere now...
So it's a vision thing then.....roadies look to the horizon more, while Mounties look down at the terrain?

And different protection as mentioned above.

Conners wrote:

bikedog wrote:We're getting somewhere now...
So it's a vision thing then.....roadies look to the horizon more, while Mounties look down at the terrain?

And different protection as mentioned above.

Different protection, yeah right, that's a joke. It's your head, it either protects it, or it doesn't. I'm not entertaining that foolish comment for one moment.

So really, there's no reason a mountain bike helmet cannot be used for commuter cycling then. At least several long standing members can come up with no logical answer.

You seem to have some preconceived notion and want to completely disregard everything anyone says? Or do you believe that a lightweight low aero drag roadie helmet is designed to mitigate the same type of impacts as a full face?


Both are completely appropriate to commute in as long as they are certified for use on NZ roads.

bikedog wrote:So really, there's no reason a mountain bike helmet cannot be used for commuter cycling then. At least several long standing members can come up with no logical answer.

That's not what you asked in your original post.

Buy a Carbon D3 to commute in and come back and report your findings.