Road Cycling - Wreck, wreck, helmet down!

Got into a nasty spill a week ago and hit my head fairly hard. There are scrapes on the left side of my helmet, but under my inspection, it doesn't seem to be cracked. Should I toss it or keep it?

Urbanmonk

Toss it, does the manufacture have a crash replacement policy?

Even if not, I'd still toss it.

If the helmet has sustained a blow, it may not be able to protect you if it takes another impact in the same area.

Agree with Smoothie, don't ride in a helmet that has
been crashed, especially since you hit your head fairly
hard. Most helmet manufactures have a crash policy
may not be a total replacement but it will help the cost.

Marty

Toss it! Bicycle helmets are a one shot deal. Although the shell may look fine, with just a few scratches, underneath the microcell foam will have collapsed. This collapse eliminates the helmet from doing its job ever again. As I am fond of saying, a new helmet is cheaper than a new brain.

If you can afford to it toss it .

Better a poor helmet than none ( but not by much )

Toss it and invest in some good to protect your head. My niece's boyfriend just died yesterday due to a fractured skull from an snowboarding accident. Not something to mess around with.

If you can afford to it toss it .

Better a poor helmet than none ( but not by much )

can you really afford not to toss it?

While we're on the topic, I'm starting to wonder about my helmet now. I had a very minor crash several weeks ago on a trail - fell backwards into a bush (long story). When I got home I noticed some small chunks of foam missing from the very back of my helmet - but everything else was otherwise fine. Should I be replacing my helmet after such a minor crash??? What's the rule of thumb here? Urbanmonk's crash sounds at least 10 times more severe as mine (and, I assume, was on the road)...

There is no way to really evaluate the effect of helmet damage on helmet
integrity and ability to protect under various stressors. Safest thing would
be to replace. Helmet companies recommend replacing helmets used regularly
at 2-3yr intervals because of subtle time, UV, temperature and human
secretion related degradations that occur. Helmets are cheap, heads and
ED visits are not, even if "fully insured". Steve

Toss it out!!

Think how much you spent on your bike, clothes, beer and that new plasma screen tv. Then think "how much am I willing to spend on protecting my head?"

In December I got hit, I broke my Jaw in two places and my nose as well, my jaw is held together with titanium now (and for the rest of my life) I still can't eat much apart from soup, and my bianchi is a write off. But luckily despite taking the full force of the impact to my head I am OK.

I have kept my helmet (split in half almost) as a momento as all the doctors said - they couldn't say 100% that it saved my life but they could say they wouldn't have liked to have seen the state I was in without it.

Just not worth the risk mate!

"how much am I willing to spend on protecting my head?"
Good point... a helmet of any quality will cost less than a trip to the hospital.

Also, smoothie104's post brushed over it pretty quickly, most helmet companies have a replacement policy whereby they will replace a helmet involved in a wreck at a significant discount. Check the docs, if you still have them, or the manufactureres web-site.

Helmets are good for one crash. The polystyrene (the gray stuff on the inside of the helmet) is designed to crush to cushion the blow to your head, thus reducing the movement of your brain inside your skull. If your brain hits your skull at all, concussion (brain bruise). Hard, maybe a coma or worse.
Once the crush capability is mitigated at any part of the helmet, the ability to protect is greatly reduced or gone. In other words, the material is now hard and you will get injured.
The polystyrene breaks down from sweat and sun on its own. Helmets are typically good, for regular riders, for about three years. More casual riders, five.

Read the material that came with your helmet. Do not wear a crashed helmet. You may regret it.

Thanks for the tips, all--
I've read some horror stories today that have convinced me to buy the new helmet. Maybe I'll buy something mid-range this time: cost.

Urbanmonk

Bell Helmets replaced a helmet of mine after I landed head-first a few years ago. Waiting wasn't a problem as broke my collarbone in that crash, too.

I did, however, get a second, nicer helmet (better venting, nicer fit...) That way, if I smack this one in the pavement, I have a spare that I can use while waiting for the replacement again!

(A specific endorsement for Bell? Yeah, they're a good company... But mainly they fit my head the best.)

-Erik