Helmet Visors and UV Protection

[StinkyPete]

I've always needed to lather my nose and cheeks with sunscreen to prevent sunburn while riding, and with summer upon us, the need is even greater.    I understand that most plastic visors will filter out the less harmful UV-A, but are there visors available that can screen out the damaging UV-B?

It seems that as riders, spending hours in the saddle with the sun on our faces, we are at high risk of developing skin cancer, and I've had a few pre-cursors burned off over the last couple of years.     What strategies do you take to minimize the risk?

[Brookester]

I wear Shoei helmets that have the ability to quickly add and remove additional screening to the inside of the visor utilising a pinlock system. I have found over many years none really work well enough to stop using sunscreen. I carry a tube at all times. The other side is the tint in relation to the standards/laws set in which ever jurisdiction. Recently many have had tinted visors without the 'AS' or 'E' symbol and have been fined, also full tinted visors dont allow for quick change when transitioning from daylight to darkness like the Shoei pinlock does.
Interesting article here from Cancer Council regarding tint, all be it referring to cages, www.cancer.org.au and search window tinting.

[tj189]

Pete, I still use sunscreen, even though I use the Shark Evo One with its latest and longer sunvisor behind the clear visor.

[Gadget]

From the Shoei FAQs page

SHOEI uses UV absorption agent added polycarbonate for all shields such as CW-1, CX-1V, and CF-6. These shields cut most of UV rays except old type shield made of materials other than polycarbonate.
Please see graph below. This graph shows light transmittance ratio of SHOEI’s shields. Horizontal axis and vertical axis indicate wave length of rays and light transmittance ratio respectively. Rays of wave length more than 400 nanometers are visible rays while those of wave length less than 400 are UV rays. Up to 380 nanometers, light transmittance ratio is 0%. This means that UV rays are cut almost 100%. Between 380 nanometers and 400 nanometers transmittance ratio is increased substantially. Light transmittance ratio of SHOEI’s shields are more than 85% for clear, about 71% for soft smoke and 37% for smoke (light smoke). Lines of graph go up to those values. While rays of wave length below 400 nanometers are UV rays, a slight portion of UV rays are transmitted as indicated in a shaded portion. Therefore, SHOEI indicates UV cut ratio of shield in values less than 100%. We are sometimes asked whether UV cut ratio is changed by smoke or mirror processing. Although ratio is changes a little as shown in shaded portion, it is almost nothing compared with whole UV rays.



http://jp.shoei.com/support/en/faq/parts.html

Cheers,
Gary

sent using another of Gadget's gadgets.

[Gadget]

I never got sunburnt wearing my Shoei helmets with the visor down and I usually burn within 5 minutres.

I had an irridium tinted visor on one and it was a brilliant all day visor, switch to clear visor for night or ride with the visor up.

Cheers,
Gary

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[Draco (Heartbreak Kid)]

  Well, as far as riding with visor down  I feel quite claustrophobic, i need the airflow, but with the shark dark visor plus sunglasses plus 50+ sunscreen that is always in my Topbox, I think i do realativley fine. to protect my MUG

[Kev Murphy]

<<< still recovering from sunburned face while riding into the setting sun from Mansfield

[tding]

I wear a Shoei with a self tinting pinlock and haven't had any trouble with sunburn while riding.