Mountain Biking - I beg each and every one of you...

DO NOT RIDE WITHOUT A HELMET. Yes, I am yelling.

I rode Oak Mtn state park near Birmingham, AL today and had by far the most frightening accident I've had in my 14 months of riding.

I was nearing the end of my ride and had just cleared a section known as "blood rock", and was feeling really confident. Just a mile or so left and I would be back at the trailhead. After blood rock is a pretty nasty rocky section... level, but very treacherous. I knew I needed some decent momentum to clear it, so I pedaled hard into it. There is a very large rock in the middle of this section... the smart move is to the right since there is about a 15 foot drop to a rocky creekbed to the left. It's such a blur for me... next thing I know I am off the trail to the left falling toward the rocks. I just remember curling up and tucking my chin to my chest. BAM, it seemed that my head took the vast majority of the hit.

I laid there for a few seconds, but it seemed like an hour. I could not believe I was still breathing. Stood up and walked around a bit... bloody knees, sore hands, bent wheel, and a very cracked helmet. I can't help but believe that the impact sans helment would have killed me... but I just have a few scratches on my forehead, thanks to my Bell.

I'm very thankful I get to go see my little brother's last high school football homegame tonight. I'm also thankful I get to see my baby girl born in December.

I see plenty of folks at my local trail (Haw Ridge, Oak Ridge, TN) out without a helmet. It just doesn't make any sense. I know this same story has probably been posted a million times before, but I don't think you can see it enough. WEAR YOUR HELMET.

-Alan

yea, i hear ya
i always have my helmet on when descending.
congratz on your battle scars i guess =P
hope nothing major but you should still go to your doctor and get a check up cuz you dont wanna mess with your head
wish you the best of luck!

congrats on your new daughter :) Glad your ok. +1 on the helmets, I always wear mine nomatter where and when I ride and I always advise everyone to do the same. You only have one head dont break it!

Damn straight, always wear a helmet, it has saved my life a few times already.

Yeah indeed, I feel so much more confident with a helmet, when I ride without one (for whatever reason) I just don't ride the same as with a helmet.

well heal fast man and start doing that again, haha just kidding anyway heal faster dude.

Well here in Malaysia a lot of normal cyclist never wear their helmets, maybe because cheap/expensive helmets (RM50-100) usually looks like you wearing a huge and round and ugly helmet. A Giro helmet is very expensive in malaysia. X4 of the price of any USD giro helmets and you get the idea. Anyway I will never leave my home without my helmet.

I fell once when cornering down a steep downhill and when i wake up i look at my helmet and there was deep scratches on the rightside of the helmet I wondered how my head will look up if i dont have a helmet, haha and my nike gloves tore a bit, im soo sad anyway im still using it just that since that crash, I go downhill at a slow speed unless its a competition. haha

Glad to hear your alive and well(ish)! Everyone listen to this guy! He's a smart guy...wear your helmet!

I don't wear clothes, let alone a lid....

Git A Life...

Yeah I land on my head all the time, i are be lot more much dumber if i didn't wear one....:)

I don't wear clothes, let alone a lid....

Git A Life...

You always have the funniest posts. Not 'Jerry Seinfeld' funny, but more like 'Darwin Awards' funny.

I did go through a phase of not wearing my helmet. I had an experience where I had gained speed to go off a drop and I completely flipped and landed on my back and smashed the back of my head. I had bruising along my spine and probably had a mild concussion because the headache didn't go away for a few days.

Hey Bodeco...you just described half of my riding buddies' experiences when we ride together. Hehe...good thing they all "lid up".

I completely agree with the OP.

Wednesday on my commute home from work, I hit a super-slick muddy patch while riding my road bike. I took a spill onto asphalt at about 22 mph and cracked my Bell Influx (always wear my MTB helmet). It cracked in two places, was scratched up and looked like hell. I was filthy and a bit sore, but fine. My bike suffered about 2 minor scratches.

Without that helmet, I would've been in far worse shape.

Plus, it made a good excuse to ask my family for a new helmet for my B-day. I'm now sporting a slightly more sexy (and lighter) Bell X-Ray. :) Funny, I'm pretty calm as a trail rider (mostly XC on not-too-crazy trails... I'm in Ohio, after all). It's that high-speed road stuff that gets me.

Yeah excellent point!

Well whenever I go offroading, or riding in the forest, I always wear a helmet. I know some of yall will flame me, but if im just going down a road, sidewalk, or a cement trail, I dont usually wear one.

Hope ya' heal quick and get back on your steed. I wholeheartedly agree with wearing your lid, especially offroad. I've taken a couple of licks to the head, but fortunately nothing near as bad as you experienced.
A helmet is one thing that you hope never to use. Unfortunately, you never know (and don't have a say in) when you will use it, so you need to ensure it's on your head.

Well whenever I go offroading, or riding in the forest, I always wear a helmet. I know some of yall will flame me, but if im just going down a road, sidewalk, or a cement trail, I dont usually wear one.

C'mon EJ, you know that even if you do everything right on the road, a car might not.

I agree that the helmets have saved my noggin, possibly life on more than one occasion.
may I also add in that glasses of some kind are a must for offroad as well. I cant tell you how many times branches or bugs have hit my shades instead of my eyes. Ive had a few rocks hit them too. had one branch glance off my glasses, get caught under my helmet and yank me off the bike. I cant imagine what that would have done if not for the shades.
EJ123 you have one brain , use it so no one has to feed you through a tube or spoon feed you like an infant.the most accidents happen on road while just fiddle farting around and are caused by someone not paying attention.
helmet hair is a LOT cooler looking than hospital hair( the dude with the 1/2 shaved head and lots of stitches in the picture they show in school is a good example)

It's very rare to see somebody offroad without a helmet these days. I can definitely say that without the protection of the good folks at Giro and Specialized, I would have big dents in my noggin and have trouble saying my own name. The only time I've gone without a helmet for an extended period of time was back in the early 90's, but it was winter, and I was only on the road. Regardless, I wear a helmet all the time now.

I always wear a helmet. It saves lifes.

Bodeco - If you are ever in North Alabama check out the trails at Monte Sano SP. There are trails ranging from easy (family) trails to more technical trails. There are miles and miles of nicely maintained trails and worth the trip.

Glad you are doing well.

One time I wasnt wearing a helmet and the front tire became jammed between the sidewalk edge, and the gress line, and i fell off the bike to the left, and turned 180º to the left and landed on my right shoulder. Luckilly, I fell onto a hill with looong grass, and rolled a few times. It was pretty fun.

i thought helmets were a given

My oldest 2 kids just refuse to wear a helmet.(16 and 17)just won't do it.will leave the house with one and as soon as they are out of sight they will take them off.We finnally gave up.The oldest would break his so he did not have to wear it and the other managed to get his "stolen".If we took there bike away they just went to friends houses and rode theirs.
I ride with one all the time.I make the youngest 3 ride with theirs.So far so good.I figure that if they get hurt maybe they will learn a lesson.I have tried to show that the pro's wear one that they should too but I am to old to know anything.Ya know how it is with teenagers.
I don't like it but that is just the way things are.

Nothing like the good' ol brain buckets.

If anyone's interested in getting a lid, hit Nashbar. Got an email this afternoon that they're running a sale on helmets. Scored a decent Giro for around $20. Wish I had the buck's to drop on a slick model, but it's either buy a decent model and some tubes, or get a sweet lid and hang it on my handlebars cause my tubes have more patches than Microsoft Windows.

Seriously, they have a sale on helmets, and you can use promo code w224 for an extra 10% off. BUT IF YOU ORDER FROM NASHBAR, PAY FOR THE 2 DAY SHIPPING! By the way, what's up with their shipping prices going through the roof?!?

good to hear you're okay