Peaked Adventure Helmets and Low Winter Sun

Riding home a few days ago, I found myself wondering about peaked adventure helmets.

We have reached that time of year when the sun spends a lot of time low in the sky. Even with the sun visor down, the sun’s low position meant that while I was heading south, I was looking all but directly into the sun.

And of course, if I’m thinking about the sun in my eyes, not only is my vision impaired, but I’m also not giving my full attention to what is happening around me.

My usual solution is to tilt my head down, but the degree of head tilt required is exaggerated at this time of year, and riding in an uncomfortable position is almost as annoying as the sun.

Morning Sun

A few years back, an early morning ride from the hotel in the Picos de Europa to the ferry at Santander produced the same problem. It seemed as if the motorway would take us directly into the rising sun.

Some of the locals had put black tape across the top of their visors to act as a sun shield, but those with peaked adventure helmets were feeling very satisfied with themselves when we arrived at the port. For them, the solution was an imperceptible tilt of the head, and the peak blocked out the low sun, or so they claimed.

Peaked Adventure Helmet Requirements

In a perfect world, my peaked adventure helmet would have a multi-composite shell, drop-down sun visor and a double-D ring fastener. However, it also looks as if I can add an extra-wide viewport to my list of desires.

I’d also like a peaked adventure helmet with Mips®, the safety system inside the helmet that allows a multi-directional movement of 10-15mm, helping to reduce rotational force to the head in an impact. Yet, it seems that only Bell and LS2 have adopted the technology. [See MIPS Protection for more information]

Although since the ECE 22.06 safety standard requires all helmets to be fitted with a liner that reduces rotational force, LS2 and most other manufacturers have opted to develop their own systems.

The visors certainly look to be taller on adventure helmets, and a few of the manufacturers also mention a “wide field of vision” as one of the helmet’s advantages in their marketing blurb.

As expected, Arai and Shoei look to be the popular front runners, with perhaps the Arai X4 the most popular peaked adventure helmet. However, Arai helmets famously don’t come with internal sun visors as it is Arai’s position that this weakens the front of the helmet.

The Shoei Hornet ADV has a drop-down sun visor and a decent looking peak, while the peak on the Nexx X.WED 2 is smaller but more steeply angled. The Nexx also comes with an Extensor, which is how Nexx describes the detachable peak extension included in the box.

A peaked adventure helmet with both a wide viewport and an adjustable peak is the LS2 MX701 Explorer. The adjustment is slight but does allow for the peak to be tilted down slightly if needed, which considering my objective of keeping the low winter sun out of my eyes, is an excellent touch.

Most of the helmets are pinlock ready, although the Bell goes for anti-mist coating. All except the Arai have internal drop-down sun visors, although the trade-off for the wider viewports appears to have translated into shallower sun visors in a few of the helmets.

Intercoms

The Nexx X.Wed 2 is the only peaked adventure helmet manufacturer that has considered a bespoke intercom as an option. The Nexx X-Com intercom is a Sena, Bluetooth based intercom designed to fit the Nexx X.Wed 2 and has an exceptionally low profile on the outside of the helmet.

Whereas there is a wide selection of after-market intercoms available, the angular design of some of the peaked adventure helmets will make fitting an intercom more troublesome than on a traditional helmet.

Mixing and Matching

Only the Nexx has a double-D ring and an internal sun visor. Remove the sun visor as a requirement, and Arai, Shoei and AGV, all have offerings that use a multi-composite shell and a double-D ring.

So, it appears that my perfect peaked adventure helmet is yet to be made, but looking at the range available, I think it will come down to a choice between the NEXX X.WED 2 and the LS2 MX701 Explorer.

Prices for a peaked adventure helmet with a multi-composite shell and an internal sun visor start at circa £200 and continue to £450, and if the price is a deciding factor, then the LS2 MX701 Explorer at £200 is the best value for money.

The Original Question

However, I’ve strayed away from the original question with all this talk about features and options. Do peaked adventure helmets help combat low winter sun?

If you have any direct experience, one way or the other, I’d appreciate your thoughts.