EDITORIAL
The (Seasonal) Death Of Vanity
Call Me Joey
The banter has been on point. At times vicious, absolutely hilarious, a bit raunchy, 100% friendly, and totally relentless. Pretty much standard for a parade of mountain bikers climbing single track in the pitch black sporting overachieving flashlights. The rain's just starting up but no one's expecting a deluge so the pace is brisk but fluster-free.
It's Tuesday night and we've been pedaling for maybe an hour and a half when we hit our destination. Someone pulls out some pads, a pump comes out to quickly feed a tubeless tire that's hangry for sealant, and I unclip the chin bar for my full face from my pack and quietly pop it on to my helmet.
That's when the sh*t show actually starts.
I think the Leatt DBX 3.0 is easily in contention for the best looking removable-chin-bar full face on the market. Photo: Dave Smith
That is, of course, until I remove the visor for night riding. If Rogatkin can't make it look cool what the hell chance do I have?! Photo: AM
I don't need a mirror. I can see it in the eyes of my comrades. A stubble on my upper lip, the chin bar, squinting straight into someone's lamp. Oh, and of course I removed the visor from my lid.
Yep, if Matt & Jason were recasting I Only Ride Park I'd have a solid shot at the role of 'Joey' - Squidlid included.
Nope, didn't break my visor off in a crash. I removed it for a small but notable improvement in helmet light performance on the trail. Yep, nerd.
And, I'm certainly not toggling the peak on-and-off all winter so when a daytime ride warrants the chin bar I'm going footloose and visor free.
Sure, visors look absolutely boss. But, do they actually do anything on the trail? I've been daytime riding in a bucket lid for a few months - rain or shine - and I'm thinking not. Photo: Dave Smith
I love it. The rain picks up but we're too busy laughing to head down the trail. A beer's come out of someone's pack and it's going to be at least three minutes of abuse before we drop in.
In the back of my mind I start thinking about all the subtle changes in gear that happen this time of year and the suddenly silent evangelists I know trying to get away with them.
Off-Seasons Pass
I see you hip-pack guy. I see you but, strangely, I don't hear you. A mere two weeks ago you were constantly singing the universal praises for that little black strapless number that is perfect for every occasion but here you are sporting a mid-sized Camelbak complete with a rain cover.
What's stuffed in there? An extra jacket and gloves? Maybe some bonus food. Hopefully, a light as we'll be finishing close nenough to dusk. Maybe a reflective blanket, flash, and a couple of single-use heat packs in case we need to spend a bromantic night snuggled up in the woods?
Hip-packs have absolutely all the room that a smart-packing compact-gear-buying rider needs.
Until they don't.
I don't ask. I imagine you halfway out the door when the zipper pops open spewing your fanny-packings all over the floor. Or the well-endowed multi-tool you shoved in puncturing the hydration bladder that somehow stays in place with only a cranked down waist belt.
And now you're standing with I-never-wear-gloves guy who is sporting a fresh set of 100% Briskers debating which nearly-identical, almost invisible, front fender option looks the least stupid.
At some point, all the whiskey, carbon brake levers, and lack-of-f***s in the world won't save you from the chill coming through your bike. At that point try some winter gloves. Photo: Dave Smith
Something witty comes to mind and I'm in the process of forming a sentence when two riders come around the bend and one loudly shouts "nice lid Drew, where's the best place on Upper Oil Can to bust out a backflip?".
Before I can reply back snidely, my all too fashion conscious, and currently heavily gloved friend, replies: "give the guy a break, everyone gets an off-season pass".
And that about sums it up my uber-aware Enduro-Brah mountain bike fashionista friend. If I can rock shants and a visor-less full face and walk away unscathed you're probably safe to pack some extra clothes, keep your water source out of the on-trail dog sh*t, and be able to feel your brake levers.
There will be plenty of time to rock the smallest stash pouches, gnarliest naked meat hooks, latest colourways, and the largest of breakaway-bucket-balconies when the mercury rises and the sun comes out.
Comments
kekoa
6 years, 5 months ago
I'm done with this website, promoting reckless visorless riding. Ahahaha.
Always enjoy reading about others and their riding groups; makes me feel less/more fortunate about mine.
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Andrew Major
6 years, 5 months ago
Ha! You gotta try it! The post-MTB-fashion-you will wonder why you didn’t throw off the shackles of useless-visor-dom sooner!
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fartymarty
6 years, 5 months ago
I have noticed a lot more lycra and booties in one of my local rides since the weather has turned cold.
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Cr4w
6 years, 5 months ago
NSMB is just a paid shill for Big Visor.
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Andrew Major
6 years, 5 months ago
Wait... is that Right Brim or Left Brim conspiracy?!
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Dave Smith
6 years, 5 months ago
I cannot endorse this message
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Andrew Major
6 years, 5 months ago
The alternate working title was:
‘Love Letter To Dave Smith’
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legbacon
6 years, 5 months ago
I move the visor from one of my helmets and keep it for night riding over the winter. The visor does cut off the beam and even during the day it is always pushed up out of view. I do manage to go packless as my SWAT bibs hold a lot and work better than the fanny pack I had for a few months. I will also strap gear like a rain jacket to my top tube, and my hardtail has a frame bag. Rear Mudhuggers and front RRP Proguard take care of the slop. I may be the dorkiest rider here, but as I was told in the Army 40 years back "any fool can be uncomfortable".
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Andrew Major
6 years, 5 months ago
“Any fool can be uncomfortable” is an amazing line.
Anecdotally it seems to me that a much higher percentage of female riders are rocking the hip backs? I think ‘hips’ is the operative word.
Are you using a headlamp with a built in battery or do your bibs hold a battery pack without it bouncing about?
Cheers!
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fartymarty
6 years, 5 months ago
I'll admit to being a year round hip-pack wearer.
It does sit nice and snuggly under my riding jacket and I have about a litre of water in the camelbak bladder with the hose run and light cable under my jacket as well to keep the mud off.
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legbacon
6 years, 5 months ago
Fanny packs are very popular with the ladies, maybe because the don't have to cinch them too tight to prevent sagging?
My battery going in a bib pocket and this works quite well.
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jason
6 years, 5 months ago
Separate helmet for night riding with light attached. Still with a visor though. I still where a pack in summer so no real diff in winter other than I carry more. Winter additions include food (bars), and gloves. If it is wet out I climb up with a pair of simple fleece gloves. Once at the top I put on a fresh pair of riding gloves. I usually carry at least three pairs of spare riding gloves ( of varying thickness and waterproofness), on winter rides so my pack sometimes looks pretty big.
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flowrider
6 years, 5 months ago
I'm about to slap on a big ass ugly Mudhugger rear fender. Nothing says Off Season like that monstrosity.
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Troy
6 years, 5 months ago
But damn if they don't work well.
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flatch
6 years, 5 months ago
booties ?
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Andrew Major
6 years, 5 months ago
A pirate’s favourite piece of cycling kit.
“Yarrrr! They’re after me booties!”
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fartymarty
6 years, 5 months ago
Fluorescent neoprene thingees that go over disco slippers....
(thinking about it I think a few roadies have infiltrated one of my riding groups)
At least the other group I ride with wears 5.10s all year round....
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Cr4w
6 years, 5 months ago
If you're a clipless guy I can't recommend the Shimano MW7 enough. Goretex, a nice cuff and closure system, SPD tracks that allow you to run your cleats quite far back. Good traction on wet stuff when walking. It's a joy to go out in the rain and come home with dry feet.
https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5044-884/SH-MW7-Winter-Cycling-Boots
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Pete Roggeman
6 years, 5 months ago
Unfortunately the MW-7 has been discontinued, however the MW-5 is also a great option. I thoroughly love mine, and here's a review to prove it: https://nsmb.com/articles/shimano-mw5-winter-shoes-reviewed/
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trumpstinyhands
6 years, 5 months ago
Ha ha..... Mountain biking fashion is weird though. I remember being a regular in WBP in 2007 and you were a total dork if you didn't have your visor on your TLD carbon lid slammed all the way back, making it totally pointless. And now I hate the sensation of having it blocking vision so still push it up out of the way. I know there is the argument that it helps push twigs and falling squirrels out of the way but really? I'm temped to just buy a DJ / skid lid next and say goodbye to visors for ever :)
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Andrew Major
6 years, 5 months ago
I’ve been wearing a Kali Viva bucket for most day rides since August (review coming soon). That includes hot days riding up No Quarter and chasing friends around Tech-C trails on Single Speed Sunday.
Crazy comfortable.
It has their top end tech in terms of foam density and is pretty light in a relatively cheap package. I’ll argue a pad-fit helmet has the original slip-plane tech.
It definitely gives up venting but it isn’t anywhere near as bad to climb in as I expected.
I don’t miss a visor at all.
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Vik Banerjee
6 years, 5 months ago
Now that I have a bike with room for a frame bag and 2 water bottles I don't even bother with a hip pack 95% of the time except for really long hot summer rides where there are no creeks to refill from. Light batteries get attached to the frame and put into a pocket/attached to a belt depending what I am wearing.
I wear pads all the time, saves carrying them and in winter they add some warmth.
I've fixed at least 5-6 bikes of people wearing big hydropacks this year. I always wonder what the heck they have in there...clearly not enough stuff to keep their bikes rolling! ;-)
I've got a helmet I use mostly for night riding since it works really well with my light mount. The visor doesn't get in the way and I like it so I can lower my head and block out the 10,000 lumen light from my friend when they look at me forgetting to turn off their light.
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Velocipedestrian
6 years, 5 months ago
I bought a pair of Mechanix gloves yesterday, the 'leather' wraps right around the fingertips to the second knuckle (this is where my gloves usually fail).
Pink. Womens large. Off-brand. Warm and strong looking for $10, I'm looking forward to the jibes.
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Andrew Major
6 years, 5 months ago
Those sound wicked! Not every product comes in a Man Specific version so sometimes you just have to grab a Ladies/Unisex model.
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Velocipedestrian
6 years, 5 months ago
I'm not a very man specific chap at the best of times. My usual colour scheme is designed to detect arseholes.
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Andy Eunson
6 years, 5 months ago
Don’t chuck that visor in the recycling bin though. With a few well chosen holes made with a small hot screwdriver you can repurpose is as an equally questionable mini fender for your fork.
I remember when TLD came out with velcroed on visors around 1990. Total fashion thing. I find that they do keep rain off my glasses and deflect spider webs a bit when I’m first out. I suppose they provide some sun protection for my fish belly whiteness. Yeah, I have them on my helmets because I don’t need to give the kids one more thing to laugh at me about.
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Andrew Major
6 years, 5 months ago
A bucket lid will take 10-years off minimum.
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taprider
6 years, 5 months ago
why are bills/brims/peaks so cool anyway?
I didn't even know what the point of your picture was until I read further
Moto GP and Skater helmets don't have them, and those sports are considered way cooler than mtn biking
here is any example of a backwards one
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9PfzYshYSCM/TyiebQ7UA4I/AAAAAAAACwc/UaP5exb0j6M/s1600/rossi+sepang+helmet+2012+01.jpg (ps: the visor is the clear thing in front of the riders eyes)
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Andrew Major
6 years, 5 months ago
I actually figured this out Tuesday night! The visor (peak, brim, etc) is to deflect roost when the guy passing you climbing singletrack on an e~bike digs deep sans-technique and the DH paddles on the rear tire break loose the trail.
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