Olebiker

Any organization that counts Avery Burdette and Frank Krygowski among its patrons is not going to have any credibility as an impartial source of information about helmet use.

jthurman

There's a missing answer on the poll:

Crashed wearing helmet, helmet damaged, rider suffered head injury.

About 6 months ago, A very good friend and sometimes riding buddy of mine was mountain biking (I was not present when this happened, but know at least two others who were). He was actually at a very easy part of the trail - part I've ridden many times and he has ridden even more than me - but somehow ended up doing a violent endo, head first into a tree. His helmet was smashed, broken into 3 pieces. He lost consciousness, was out for about 40 minutes, and when he came to had a concussion and some neck injuries (no broken bones or spinal column injuries, just whiplash-type stuff). The ER doctor who treated him said that given the injuries and the damage done to the helmet, he has no qualms in saying that the helmet saved his life, and if he hadn't been wearing it, he probably would have had his skull smashed in at the crown of his head and been killed.

Artkansas 

One of the most delightful feelings was one time while involved in a low speed motorcycle crash and as my head hit the asphalt, I noticed that I was wearing a full face helmet and that my face was not being torn to a bloody pulp by the road. That was cool.

JohnBrooking

I've been riding as an adult for 4 years and only had one near-accident so far, not including slipping on ice by myself. The "accident" (I'm not sure what defines something as a "crash" or "accident") happened the second month after I started. A car rushed through my path and I had to brake hard, going over the bars and landing on my hip. I did not hit my head, nor did my body or the bike hit anything except the road. So I think "CRASHED NOT WEARING HELMET / HEAD NEVER TOUCHED ANYTHING" is the closest choice.

I have always worn the helmet on the commute, but in this case I was just going around the corner for lunch and so hadn't bothered. (The old adage of "most accidents happen within a mile of home" (or office, in this case) echoes through my head at this point.) For a couple years after that I always wore it, no matter how small the trip, but I admit I'm getting careless on short runs again. Since I haven't had any more incidents like it since then, I like to think that it's due to better defensive driving. I believe I should wear one anyway, but it's so easy to rationalize, and sometimes I just want to feel the wind in my hair!

I do agree with the idea that knowledge of how to cycle in traffic is more valuable for preventing an accident than a helmet might be should you have one. But I also think it's fairly obvious that if you are in an accident and the helmet cracked, it helped you some, although whether it actually saved your life is an unprovable matter of conjecture. That it will help some is good enough for me.

closetbiker

I can see if someone says something like, damage to the brain resulting from skull fractures are the most serious or life threatening injuries can discredit contributions to the discussion because an ignorance is revealed that shows a basic ignorance on the topic, so I'm curious, what has either of these two have said or done that have discredited them for you?

It's not that they simply have a different perspective on the topic than you is it?

Olebiker

Both of them are infamous for building straw men and kicking them down. Every time I have tried to engage either of them in a discussion about helmet use they try to couch the discussion in terms of "will a bicycle helmet keep me from getting killed in a collision with a car?" Neither of them seem to be willing to accept the fact that most bicycling enthusiasts are aware of the limitations of bike helmets but choose to wear them anyway.

I-Like-To-Bike

Duh! Why would you? Those who have no interest in partipating in rides where "helmets are always mandatory" aren't going to show up just to complain to you.

Assuming that there is any truth at all to your statement, what would such an "explanation" indicate about a relationship between helmets and popularity of cycling?


OK, if you say so, Mr. Bill Blass

I believe you "hear" what you want to hear, just like you see appealing fashion/style where you want to see it. Let everybody know when you "hear" about that iffy "one day" when helmets with designer shapes can be proved to prevent concussions and skull damage at any credible impact speed.

closetbiker

I see your point of view, but I think that this thread alone confirms most people who wear helmets and a lot of people who don't, are not aware of the limitations of them.

closetbiker

Sounds like just a good bedside manner, rather than a proper assement of what occurred.

As a doctor he would have understood what causes a concussion and even manafacturers do not claim helmets can prevent these.

He was simply helping his patient feel better as best he could, even if it meant making a statement that might not be exactly true.

Bekologist

Closetbiker, your anti-helmet diatribe makes me sick.

Anecdotally, I've crashed both with and without a helmet, and much prefer crashing with a helmet on.

I woke up in the hospital with a concussion when I crashed without a helmet on gravel over twenty years ago. I broke some fellas windshield with my head this last august, and much preferred to be wearing my helmet. I broke my femur in the process.

EVERY time I've crashed, I've generally been happier when I've had my helmet on versus a crash without the helmet. This covers 3 and a half decades of biking from the days helmets were leather hairnets and for racers only.

ANYONE who even assumes an anti helmet stance is a fool. Closetbiker, all your "research" into helmet use and safety, your 'enlightening' bike forums about the 'fallacies' about helmet safety standards, doesn't mean SQUAT to SMART bicyclists that know,

ALWAYS wear your helmet!

closetbiker

Nothing like a poor argument articulated even worse.

Anti- helmet indeed. You caveman biker, you.

Lets see. On this thread, I've mentioned I've worn one (even when they were considered odd and subject to ridicule) for just about 18 years, there's nothing wrong with wearing one, I'm not suggesting not to wear a helmet and they do offer some protection.

I guess if someone points out there there are just some limitations to something, that makes them anti whatever eh?

Sheesh. What a caveman.

Bekologist

Closet, be honest.

Every thread I see you posting about bike helmets, its always the line of 'the helmet didn't help' 'rotational forces brain injuries' ' not sufficient for bleuagh, bleaugh' etc etc.

that makes you anti helmet as far as i can tell, and it makes me sick. I did know you wear one.

closetbiker

You'd probably do better to try to understand what I write about. What is the point here? I've posted on it a couple of times. See if you can get it. As far as I can tell you make judgements without understanding what was said.

Bekologist

"Has a helmet ever saved YOU?"

I think that's what the thread's about....not 'what closetbiker thinks the limitations of helmets are'.

closetbiker

Yeah, well. Everyone looks at things their own way. It'd be good if we could learn something from each other though. (not even an attempt to try to understand what was asked - Geez -) Maybe a little injection of knowledge might cure that sickness of yours.

"All Praise (insert rabid belief here)"

Yea-ah!

ken cummings

I have crashed more than once. Once with a concussion and not helmet damage and another time with a cracked hard-shell helmet and no head damage. Could not show that in the poll tho, only one choice.

CPcyclist

Lets see over the last 2 yrs I have crack or damaged the shell of 3 helmets; 2 of them on MTB trails in rocky areas, and one in a road race where I went down hard after hitting a road hazard at 30 or so. All of which I was on my feet from quickly.

The one thing I think get lost in looking at something like this is how the rider reacted to the crash. The more relaxed you are going down the less likely you are to break something.

schmoab

One day about 9 years ago I was travelling about 20 mph on a bike path and hit some mud. I was pulling myself up off the ground before I had even realized I crashed. Broken collarbone and several bruises in weird places, but I didn't have any problems with my head. The helmet had definitely hit the ground and I would have been far worse off without it.

Cadd

I've only had one major crash so far. I crashed with another fellow member on this board. We both endo'ed.

I was extremely lucky since the only injury I sustained was to my elbow. It was a bit bruised. I've been studying Aikido for about 5 months (I go about twice a week). I'm VERY VERY VERY new at it.

I had no idea how I fell. All I know was that it happened extremely fast and I went over the bars really really fast. My elbow that took the hit was my left elbow. After the fall (I had my eyes closed), I was on my right side.

In Aikido, when I learned how to roll......if I roll on my left shoulder (left forearm, tricep & shoulder absorbing the impact), I will automatically roll out on my right leg.

I guess this was exactly what happened. I guess I was able to tuck in and do an Aikido roll without even realizing it.

Normally, when you fly over the bars and your body is flying off to the left side, when you land, you'll probably be on the left and your bike will probably be to the right of you.

But after the crash, I was on the right and my bike was on the left.

crapola

Downhill going over 30 mph at the Flume in Lake Tahoe riding my Schwinn Sierra Comp LX. Sand all over, the front wheel wobbled as it hit a bump and I came flying ahead of the bike in a split second-head face down on the road helmet scratched up and less than two feet ahead of me was a boulder as big as a Volkswagen and I stopped just in time. I doubt if the helmet would have saved me if I had hit that big chunk of rock. The helmet did saved my head from scraping the dirt road. Whew!

cerewa

Way back in elementary school I did Karate for a year or so. Learned a bit about how to turn a fall in to a roll, but not that much.

A couple years later I got my legs kicked out from under me in a soccer game and managed to roll to keep from being badly hurt. but for bad falls on a bike, it just hasn't worked for me. Bikes are long, which means it takes a lot to make them roll up over you quickly.

huhenio

Few spills yet none injuried helmet or brain. Some slow speed and one high speed with a nice roll. Helmet scuffed yet not broken, my scalp is grateful.

closetbiker

Didn't save me this morning. My shoulder did.

Riding along, noticed 3 BMX delinquent type teen-agers coming perpindicular to the road. They stop at the intersecrtion and we look at each other (I'm still moving, turning a 78 inch gear @90rpm, so I'm moving about 10 feet a second). One idiot decides to go (did he misjudge my speed? Saw him @ 30 feet, he stopped @ 20 feet, he went @ 10 feet). Hit him square in the back triangle, and do an endo over his wheel. (first time I actually had a complete front wheel stopping hit where I could see my personal flip developing, most times it's, Bam! I'm down.)

Hit my right shoulder going down. Look at my helmet and, not a scratch. (dare I say I was almost expecting my helmet to be broken after all this talk on this thread lately) Just like the last time I was hit in much the same fashion by a car. That time the brunt of the impact was taken by my left knee. Different from the time I was hit, head on, by a wrong way rider. That time, I did a flip and landed on my back. Did I mention my helmet still has not a scatch on it?

Shoulder has a stretched ligament. That's all. It'll be sore for about 2 or 3 weeks. Bike was not too bad. Bent seat rail. Minor truing needed on the rear wheel.

All in all, not too bad.

SamHouston

A helmet is the least of your worries. Head on by a wrong way rider? which way were you facing that you managed this

Kyle90

I've never worn one, so I couldn't tell you.