Today was the first day that I encountered deer flies out on the trails. That’s a sign that I’ll be riding less frequently in the woods for the next month or so, sticking to the open fields which are relatively bug free, but hot. After my first ride on Freedom, I was already tired of the bugs, so headed to the ring with Zelda. We had a nice ride, but the sun was intense.

And it got me thinking about sun visors.

There are several companies that are marketing sun brims that fit onto your helmet. All of them have their devotees.

Soless makes a transparent visor made from a Polycarbonate film — a great idea because when you’re out riding, you don’t want to limit your peripheral vision. The Soless visors provides 92% UV protection and shades the front and sides of your face. It clips securely to your helmet. The Soless H-Visor retails for $79.99 but I’ve seen it online for a bit less.

DaBrim makes visors for a number of outdoor sports. Their visors come in three different styles: two offer full brims and one is just a visor. Reviews online indicate that the Endurance model is pretty large (someone said she felt like the flying nun while wearing one) but that the Petite model stays on and offers full protection without dwarfing you. The DaBrim visors retail for between $35 and $45 depending on the model. The company also makes a multi-sport visor that can also be used on your bike helmet.

EquiVisor makes a cotton visor with a four-inch brim that shades your face and ears. It comes in a variety of colors and can also be worn as a regular visor, without your helmet.Some people find the Equivisor to be too heavy to wear for long periods of time, so it might not be suitable for ride that lasts several hours. Another user commented that because it restricts airflow, it can be hot when it’s humid out. The EquiVisor retails for $33 to $45.

For the budget conscious, Cashel offers a helmet sun visor for less than $15. The reviews that I’ve seen say that the brim is quite floppy, which can be annoying. It’s also not as cute as some of the ones shown above.

Stay tuned for a DIY version tomorrow . . .

And please let me know if you have another recommendation for visors!