Advocacy & Safety - Has a helmet saved you from pain?

I can't prove that a helmet has ever saved me from a head injury, but over decades of cycling, a helmet has saved me from pain several times. This is not a thread about whether helmets save lives, or whether helmet laws are a good or bad idea. It's a thread about pain and the lack thereof.

About fifteen years ago, I was stupidly and quickly riding a MTB across a parking lot at dusk without a headlight (again, stupid, stupid, stupid). I didn't notice the metal cable going across the driveway. WHAMMM!. The cable hit me in the chest and I went flat on my back. My helmet hit the ground hard, but I felt no pain on my head. By contrast, I had a nasty bruise on my chest for a long, long time.

(This is a public poll, so your log in name will be public.)

I'd have to say "I don't know."

I have had one bad spill while helmeted-- I rolled through a wonderful mix of gravel, broken glass, and bull-head thorns before finally rolling to a stop and laying prone for several minutes.

I did not injure my head. Did I hit my head while rolling? I don't know. I do know that some time later, I discovered a crack in the hard shell that I could not account for, so it's possible that I hit my head and my helmet did its job.

But bottom line, I just don't know.

I hit the road at somewhere around 40mph back in 1991 on a descent. The first object of impact was my Giro helmet which split into three pieces. Plenty of road rash and stitches on that one. I've always thought that if I didn't have my helmet on, pain may not have even been an issue.

Since I don't normally wear one and haven't for over 40 years, and have never crashed when I have been wearing one - no. I have managed to survive with my head intact after all of my crashes and whoopsies with no helmet. Someday when it's my time, whether I am wearing a helmet or not ain't gonna change the result.

I've broken two helmets in the last 15 years. One on a mountain bike at around 20 mph, and one on a road bike at 40 mph. Both were falls to the left that resulted in the left side of my head smacking the ground/pavement. Thanks to the helmets, no loss of consciousness, and no road rash on my pretty head.

Since I don't normally wear one and haven't for over 40 years...Chip, your avatar has you wearing a helmet... :p

I was just thinking the other day, "Where's Chipcom?"

No, my helmet has not saved me from pain. All the pain of these forums, that is. :D ;)

Seriously, it's a personal decision. I never wore one as a kid, helmets didn't even become "popular" (that's probably not the right word) until I was much older. I wear one by choice, but I'm not a helmet-Nazi.

(I'm the one who prayed when taking the poll.)

LittleBigMan, I don't scold cyclists who choose to ride bare-headed (and I don't want the cops to cite them), but protection from pain is one thing missing from many of the discussions of helmets. Maybe I'm the only one who knows for certain that a helmet has saved me from a whole lot of hurt. Maybe not. Let's see.

Damn near every time I go mountain biking my helmet saves me from pain. I use it to knock branches and such while heading down the single track. Once or twice while going under "low bridges" (log underpass obsticles about 5 or 6 feet high) I've thumped my head hardcore on them by not ducking low enough.
But from road riding... I don't think I've ever hit my head "helmetless or not) on the pavement in a fall. I did once use my helmet to headbutt a van door once.

I was sprinting away from a pack of dogs and just when I turned back to look ahead a small dog shot in from the right and went right in front of my tire. I went from 30 mph to 0 and flipped the bike. I landed on my back, and my helmeted head hit the asphalt with a loud CRACK. The helmet was toast, but I got up, and was able to ride away.

However, if somebody else does not want to wear a helmet that's okay with me...


DPN

No, my crash last week proved that, but instead of a week for the pain to go away, it might have been much longer if had I not been wearing a helmet. My helmet took a large brunt of the blow, lessening my injury considerably.

Chip, your avatar has you wearing a helmet... :p


Nooo...ya think? I've never denied wearing them when I am required to...like in organized rides.
Twas kinda ironic in that particular ride...there we are on our fancy bikes, all clad in our lycra, bright jerseys and helmets, riding past Mennonites on their simple bikes wearing simple clothes and no helmets. On one hill I got a chuckle as some of these plain, good folk who could not ride as part of the event in their own backyard without a helmet, rode past some of the 'serious' cyclists walking their bikes up.

these plain, good folk who could not ride as part of the event in their own backyard without a helmetSpandex presumably not allowed--- helmets (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230165951593) also not allowed?

LittleBigMan, I don't scold cyclists who choose to ride bare-headed (and I don't want the cops to cite them), but protection from pain is one thing missing from many of the discussions of helmets. Maybe I'm the only one who knows for certain that a helmet has saved me from a whole lot of hurt. Maybe not. Let's see.
Hey, I'm not afraid to give my unscientific response: I'm glad I had my helmet on my worst crash. Even with it, my face was a bloody mess.

But I'm with you, I don't scold anyone about it. It's a personal thing with me.

more than once

Nooo...ya think?
Well, there was your pic, with your doodle hangin' out your mouth. :D


Twas kinda ironic in that particular ride...there we are on our fancy bikes, all clad in our lycra, bright jerseys and helmets, riding past Mennonites on their simple bikes wearing simple clothes and no helmets. On one hill I got a chuckle as some of these plain, good folk who could not ride as part of the event in their own backyard without a helmet, rode past some of the 'serious' cyclists walking their bikes up.
I guess they've been cycling so long, they think they know better. ;)

Spandex presumably not allowed--- helmets (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230165951593) also not allowed?

Dunno, I ain't a Mennonite. I don't see why not, since I saw some buggies with some kick-ass turn signal lights on them!

I can prove that the helmet saved me from a bad concussion. The ER took one look a the helmet, and they told me so. They used the dents on the helmet to check my noggen.

I've never crashed in such a way as to hit my head. When I got hit by a car, part of the helmet shell was crackled (it was an old helmet and the shell was brittle), but the foam underneath was not damaged. Perhaps I escaped a bump on the head on that occasion. It gave me an excuse to update my helmet though. Spent $35 and got a helmet more than twice as good as that particular one. I am a big believer in the new "inmolded" shell design. I had the opportunity to destroy one (as an experiment) and I've got to tell you, the inmolded design is extremely strong. I urge you all, if you still have a taped shell helmet to go to your nearest helmet supplier and spend the $35 for an inmolded shell design. Good stuff.

FWIW, I basically always wear a helmet on my bike. That said, I don't bother people about helmets, and I don't freak about a 5 minute ride around the block without one. Cycling isn't that dangerous.

PS: I got the "opportunity" to destroy one because I fuggled it up. Just don't use any type of solvent (like is found in glues like ShoeGoo) on the foam. It defoamatizes. Trust me.

No, but only because I never hit my head while cycling and wearing a helmet. As a kid with no helmet, I once wheelied over backwards and smacked my head hard on the pavement. It was VERY painful. There is NO WAY that having a helmet on would not have spared me some pain. Head-pavement vs. Head-styrofoam-pavement seems like a no brainer (ha ha!) I'd say.

It certainly didn't help my wife whose shoulder is still FUBAR'd from her fall on Monday.

Twice I've walked away from crashes with my helmet in smithereens and my head NOT in smithereens. It didn't save me from pain, only worse pain.

Yeah. Feeling invincible I attempted a back flip on a backyard engineered tabletop. Didn't go so well on the landing and broke the face guard, cracked the helmet's forehead. That was the end of my stunt days. Now I always wear a helmet on commutes or Sunday evening outings.

Heh a big yes here. 2 times for sure. Once on bmx when i did a face plant in to a rock wall when i came up short on a 15 foot jump do to a stick through my back spokes. Before that a 38 to 40 mph crash where i was unable to make a turn on a road bike. I slid on my back and back of my helmeted head in the end i ripped the shell clean off the helmet and scraped a hole in the foam. This was on newly planted grass so it was about 50% grass 50% hard dirt. About 2 months ago i hit the side of a tree with my neck a bit don't know if my head hit or not (didn't feel any impact). So at least twice maybe 3 times.

In the case of the bmx i had no helmet left after and it was a full face dirt bike style helmet with full face visor.

Since I don't normally wear one and haven't for over 40 years, and have never crashed when I have been wearing one - no. I have managed to survive with my head intact after all of my crashes and whoopsies with no helmet. Someday when it's my time, whether I am wearing a helmet or not ain't gonna change the result.

Have you ever crashed and hit your head? If so, what was the damage.

I can't recall any 'head injury' being painful. Not being able to remember might be part of the problem, but from my experience, cut scalp, concussions, even a hairline occipital bone fracture never really 'hurt'. Breaking my hand hurt, breaking my elbow hurt, but landing on my head in a field sprint didn't. (sure it knocked me unconscious, and sure I was nauseous, but my head didn't hurt). Having a cut in my scalp washed out hurt. Having some stitches removed from my scalp hurt. I guess the only 'head' injury that hurt was doing a face plant and hitting my face square onto the concrete. That hurt A LOT!! :cry: But it would take a full faced helmet to prevent that.

So, I guess my answer is no. No question a helmet has saved my life, but have I been saved pain because I wore a helmet? I don't think so.

Edit: Gee ... do you think I'm 'accident prone' ??? I've been told that by people only to learn later that they just got out of the hospital from an accident of some sort themselves. :D

I've crashed many times and I get mostly abrasions to the arms and legs. I remember going down once and the helmet hit the pavement but I walked out of that spill with no head injury but had a small laceration on my right knee and some abrasions on the arms and legs. I did not feel any pain when I hit the pavement with my helmet on, so to me wearing a helmet, a mirorr mounted on the helmet and wearing gloves is part of my safe cycling routine. I'd say a helmet saved me from pain and serious head injury.

Yes,
Two weeks ago as a matter of fact. Cracked the helmet, but the head was one of the few things that did not hurt as a result of the crash.

Randy

Yes, very definately. I've written off two helmets and I'm absolutely convinced they protected me from serious head injury, and several other times I've scraped or knocked my helmet falling off or hitting tree branches and I'm certain it would have at least hurt had I not been wearing my helmet.

I haven't done a single ride for years without wearing a helmet, and I'll probably never ride without one again.

A crack in my Bell was once about two inches long and almost penetrated its entire depth. Can you imagine if that were my skull. And I just barely bumped straight onto a curb, sideswiped it against my left temple. Sure glad I was wearing my Bell helmet.

On one hill I got a chuckle as some of these plain, good folk who could not ride as part of the event in their own backyard without a helmet, rode past some of the 'serious' cyclists walking their bikes up.
I am calling you on your bluff, Chip.

Mennonites definitely could not be cyclists...

"Mennonite, on the other hand, dress very similar to the Amish, yet will have electricity in their homes and drive cars. You will see them shopping side by side with you in Wal-Mart..."

http://xwww.ritro.com/printable.bv?contentid=3590

:D

(That's a jo--I say, that's a joke, son.)

I voted "no", but then I realized something.

My helmet has never prevented pain while riding my bike, but once I put it on beforehand, and was walking to the driveway where I parked it, when WHAM, I smacked my head into the garage door. It didn't hurt, so maybe the helmet DID save me some pain, just not from anything having to do with my bike. :p

On one hill I got a chuckle as some of these plain, good folk who could not ride as part of the event in their own backyard without a helmet, rode past some of the 'serious' cyclists walking their bikes up.

Hmmmm....sounds like BS to me.

No "serious", or even "semi-serious" cyclist would need to walk their bike up any "hill" in Ohio.

I voted "no", but then I realized something.

My helmet has never prevented pain while riding my bike, but once I put it on beforehand, and was walking to the driveway where I parked it, when WHAM, I smacked my head into the garage door. It didn't hurt, so maybe the helmet DID save me some pain, just not from anything having to do with my bike. :p

:roflmao:

:eek:

Ahem. That's never happened to ME...

;)

I was hit by a big van on a recent trip to Ireland. My head and helmet hit the van first, and then hit the pavement. There was a dent about 2 inches deep in the van where my helmet impacted it. I got up immediately and my biggest concerns were my hand and shoulder, which were gnarly. My head did not hurt a bit. I noticed noticed no affects that one would expect after head-butting a van. Yes, a helmet has at least saved me from pain.

Anyone want to try putting a dent in a car with your naked head and laughing about it a few hours later?

Hmmmm....sounds like BS to me.

No "serious", or even "semi-serious" cyclist would need to walk their bike up any "hill" in Ohio.

Twas Lancaster, PA, and it weren't much of a hill. I agree that considering one a 'serious' cyclist based on their clothing and equipment is, indeed, BS. But I guess some folks like tagging themselves with labels to make them feel superior to others...even when they ain't.

Hmmmm....sounds like BS to me.

No "serious", or even "semi-serious" cyclist would need to walk their bike up any "hill" in Ohio.
While i have yet to find a hill i can not climb ive been up a few that will leave you wondering just how the heck you got up the thing. There are hills here both short and long that can hit a grade 16+ for a fair distance and leave you panting once you finish the climb. north portage in doylestown will get you going pretty good (awesome hill to come back down though)

I actually have yet to crash, but I still wear a helmet. (well....except when I'm ocmmuting to school... but I literally go seven mph then.)

. . . And I'll probably go out on tomorrow's ride and crash immediately because I said that.

I actually have yet to crash

. . . And I'll probably go out on tomorrow's ride and crash immediately because I said that.

Lol
That is so true. I said that one time when i was sitting on my top tube side ways and immediately fell over then down a hill in to my friends driveway that had just been re blacktopped.

Has a helmet saved you from pain?
Yes, every time I bonk my head on the top of the shed doorway putting the bike away! :D

Seriously, I mostly wear a helmet, and always on the commute, but other than the above example, in 5 years of commuting I've never been in a situation where I ended up needing it. Not to say I won't tomorrow. But I voted "Not another poll..." :)

Certainly mine have saved me pain.

The only crash I've had in the last couple of years was a pedestrian stepping out from behind a bus straight into my path. Nothing I could do even though I was only going passed the bus at about 12 mph, the top of my helmet met his chin leaving him very stunned (and probably concussed) and my helmed dented. If the helmet hadn't been there his chin would have hurt me a whole lot, in the end my bad landing (straight arm) messing my shoulder up was the worst I had to deal with.

Remember the green cross code kids, don't step out from behind vehicles.

Last year I wiped out while commuting. (about 25 kph, I think)...front wheel got stuck in a crack in the road and I was thrown off. Didn't have time to react. Hip and head slammed the concrete. Helmet foam broke into several parts, head was ok (no headache, even). Hip was swollen for months. I have no doubt the helmet saved me from significant head injury. Now I wear one most of the time I cycle. Doesn't mean I have the right to tell others to (although my tax dollars will help to pay for their head injury related medical care...)

Yeah, I'd say a helmet has certainly saved me from pain and/or serious injury. As a child, I hit another cyclist who pulled out from a stop without stopping as I came full speed down a hill. I made a nice arc over the handlebars, and landed on my left shoulder and my head slammed into the ground. I got up with a sprained wrist and a gash, and walked the bike home. I pretty sure if I hadn't had the helmet I'd probably have been taken to the hospital on a stretcher. The other cyclist just ended up with a bent front wheel. The helmet had a bunch of cracks in it, as I recall.

That said, I was a kid then, and I don't use a helmet anymore. I do think they can help prevent injury, though.

Three times unquestionably. And saved from a lifetime wearing a drool-bib & adult diaper probably more than half a dozen other times.
A $600 motorcycle helmet would be very difficult to shatter with a sledgehammer, but I managed to do it with a boulder at 40+mph and had double-vision for 11 days afterward. Also used the asphalt to take divots out of two other motorcycle helmets.
Scuffed & dented many Gyros, and smashed one of them hard enough against a guardrail to initiate a shower of little white balls. "Hey look you guys! It's snowing!" (Hilariously, they didn't see the little white balls falling out of the helmet and looked VERY concerned at this joke.)

I mislike helmet laws and have no problem with people riding bicycles or motorcycles while bareheaded, but I'd sooner skimp on birth-control devices (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgzAJce3hPw):
http://www.calamarichris.com/junk/wildncrazy.jpg
Peace!
-CCinC

Yes
A couple of times on crashes.
Several times from low hanging branches.
Once from an angry bird.

I've had a few crashes on the mtn.bike where I'm sure the helmet prevented some pain and/or injury. I've endo'd a few times, and have heard the helmet hit the trail, glad it wasn't my head! Got one old helmet laying around with a few stone dents in it, just to remind me why I wear one!

My mother in law, who worked in a hospital, always used to say something along the lines of "helmets are great they keep the organs viable for donating until they can get the body to the hospital"
In an accident that just happened in arlington, TX it looks like a helmet would have saved this person but I'm not sure how much. They bounced their head off a police cruisers windshild and put a nice dent in it. They died from head injuries so a helmet would have lessened it by taking some of that impact away.
Whether that would have meant a concussions or being a vegetable who could tell. I for one would gamble and hope I'd get a concussion and not be a vegetable rather then dead.
http://www.myfoxdfw.com/myfox/photo_servlet?contentId=4306018&version=1&locale=EN-US&subtype=MIMG&siteId=1005&isP16=true

Every time I have fallen is it always my knees/shoulder that take it. My helmets didnt' even get a scratch.