I'll have to check out the Prevail, that's the second mention in this thread but I am leaning more towards just getting two helmets. I may be concerned with the looks of my helmet, but I'm not that far gone.:lol:
I am a three helmet kind of guy. I have a Rudy Projects Windmax for road rides and short tris, I have a Specialized some-thing-or-other (Due for a new one, I am leaning towards the Rudy Project Slinger) for MTB and I have a Rudy Projects Wingspan for long course and non-drafting tris. Like others have said this allows me to keep my respective bike stuff together.
I interchange, but looking for a road helmet that has anti-insect mesh. Don't like bees getting sucked into my helmet on the road.
How often are you supposed to replace helmets? As I said before, I oly have one. I have been using it 4 or 5 years.
After any impact or having been dropped, of course. But its under contention about how long they last from just normal use.
This may not apply to you, but for me (I AM the Bruise Bunny, after all), I have found that in addition to greater sun coverage, in a fall, the visor hits first...before the face. That's an added bonus for me. And to the OP regarding two helmets...I like having one for road and one for mtb, for most of the reasons people have mentioned. I really like having all my road gear together (I use different gloves and a bento box that I don't always keep on the bike), and having all of that gear together really helps prevent an "DRAT!" moment when you are gearing up, miles from home, for a ride. My mtb helmet is a Specialized I-don't-know-what. I endo'd a few years ago (fell off a 2ft ledge), landed clean ON my head (among other places), and of all the places that DID hurt, my head was NOT one of them. I went out and bought the closest to the exact same helmet. My road helmet happens to be a Giro (also name unknown). It took trying several different helmets to find one that fit well, was comfortable, and didn't make me look too much like a mushroom cap.
Single Helmet guy, buy one every 2 years or so or whenever I get a new bike (that is the house rule) I do, I ride several days a week late in the afternoon / sunset directly into the Sun, I have become very adept at using it to screen the sun so that I can actually see the trail I am riding on. I have a Giro I can pull it down farther,till my head etc.... BTW I ride the road with it too....what the hell at this point I am a MTB on a Road Bike... used to be the other way around. As to leg shaving have done it (not any more)... did like it... takes maintenance , was told by the wife it was OK but if my legs ever looked better than hers I was in trouble!
Nothing like a long, slow climb heading straight into the sun when your glasses are dusty and/or sweaty to make you appreciate a visor. Helmet makers will tell you that after a certain amount of time (I think they usually say around 5 years) you should replace a helmet due to degradation of materials. Many have a "manufactured date" printed inside. Of course they may also be trying to sell you a new helment! Hopefully it's obvious that any helmet should be replaced after any significant impact, even if it's not visibly cracked (and especially if it is). I use 2 helmets now, but just used one for the first few years I rode. Both are XC-style, but I wouldn't mind having a true roadie helmet for its lighter weight and better airflow. On the road you're not so worried about falling on rocks so bigger vents are OK. I've owned Bell & Giro helmets, but I'm now a big fan of Lazer's retention system. Everyone I know who's tried one on says it's very comfortable, and I really like mine. They make both road and mtb models, though their mtb versions can be hard to find.
I know from my experience, having a visor on a road bike really starts to kill you neck after 40 or so miles. You constantly are trying to look over the visor!
I use a Prevail for road and a Kali Amara for dirt. I ride with my head pretty low on my road bike and appreciate the light weight of the Prevail. Venting is awesome. The Amara is comfortable and has an insect net. Weight is reasonable...don't feel it as much since I'm more upright. If you want one helmet...to look into is the Specialized S3. Its based on the older S-Works helmet...with a better retention system. It comes with a snap on visor when you want to ride dirt. You probably wouldn't want to use a visor on a road bike if you ride a low position.