99% of my riding is on my road bike but today I had to run some errands so I took the MTB out. While cutting through a parking lot I went down at 16mph hanging a left... it was on damp black top. Landed on my left side. I was a bit stunned but quickly got up realizing I smacked my head. I moved the mike to the side and examined myself only finding some road rash and a cut on my right hand. Then I realized I lost my glasses and went to recover them. Finally i took my new helmet off and found it someone banged up. After a few minutes I got back on the bike to find the handle bars twisted so out came the multi-tool. I have the bike a quick once over and headed home.

It's now about an hour later and my neck and left shoulder are pretty stiff. I have some road rash on my left shoulder and left leg. Minor damage to the bike, just a few scrapes and tweaking the handle bars. My cell phone was in my pocket and the back has a few scrapes. My glasses are unbroken, but needed some straightening. And the helmet has a few small dents.

I'm lucky, it could of been much worse.

Little did I think that MTB tires don't have as much grip on damp blacktop as road tires. D'oh.

The helmet is a brand new Giro Synthe MIPS. I felt my head it the pavement but it was sort of "soft", not a hard bang. I guess the MIPS really made a difference. I'm not sure if I should continue using it... i'll contact Giro and my LBS. SAFETY FIRST. If I have to buy another, it will be money well spent.



2 hours later......

I took the helmet to the LBS and after a close examination you can see the outer shell is separating from the EPS foam. Of course they didn't say it was OK to use... too much liability on their part. But I know one of the guys well and he said not to use it. After talking to one of the managers they told me Giro has a crash replacement program which is 30% off (that's what I originally paid for it) and the LBS would take another 20% off. So i'll be getting a new helmet for 1/2 price.

I'm totally satisfied with the performance of the helmet because if I wasn't wearing it, i'd be laying in the hospital. And getting a new one at 1/2 price makes my wallet happy.

I'm thrilled that Giro has a crash replacement program. And MIPS are well worth the extra cash in my mind.

Good to know that you're okay, the helmet did its job and Giro has a replacement discount.

Even with a helmet and seeming to be okay, it's always a good idea to get checked out by a medical professional. At the very least, be sure to notify a family member or friend to keep an eye on you for 24-48 hours. Complications from head bonks can take time to manifest, and a concussion or hematoma may prevent the victim from taking appropriate decisions and actions for their own safety. If you don't live with anyone else, just ask someone to call and check on you a couple of times over the weekend. Sometimes it helps to have someone ask questions about unfamiliar things, such as very recent news events, things that you won't have an immediate instinctive response to. Mostly it's just a matter of listening carefully for appropriate responses. And watch for pupil responses to light, unusual headaches, that sort of thing.

The death of actress Natasha Richardson after a seemingly "minor" head injury during a skiing accident is a good example. Note the descriptions of incidents related to the frequent "lucid interval" following a head knock. When I worked in nursing, and since then responding to accidents, I'd guesstimate that half of the people I've seen who experienced head knocks suffered at least some signs of concussion, even when they weren't obviously unconscious or "knocked out".

I recently resumed wearing a helmet, about a month after I resumed riding following a 30 year hiatus. I wanted to be sure I'd stick with riding. While I don't believe a noggin-shaped beer cooler will protect me from all injuries, I know it will help reduce the risk of lacerations and skull fractures from minor head blows. Even a little help is worthwhile, and helmets now are so much lighter and more comfortable than what I used 30 years ago, so I'm more likely to wear mine. And it's a handy place to mount small, lightweight lights.

Concussions? Probably not much help there from our styrofoam and thin plastic helmets. I learned years ago from amateur boxing that even the best headgear was intended only to reduce the risk of facial bruising, abrasions and splits (the eye "cuts" are a misnomer - the skin actually splits from compression against facial bones). I saw guys knocked out cold while wearing even the best headgear. And I've seen several boxers showing strong signs of concussions even when they didn't appear to have been "knocked out" or rendered unconscious - it's very common for boxers to appear conscious and alert, while later retaining no memory of events after taking a punch or sequence of punches. Joe Louis' account of his first bout with Max Schmeling is a notable case. While he wasn't knocked out until later in the bout, he said he had no memory of most of the fight even though he appeared to be conscious. But headgear is effective in reducing some of the most common injuries.

Interesting. Thank you your personal analysis. I may re-think, what my next purchase would be. When I need a new helmet.

No. No, you wouldn't.

I'm glad that you're okay. The helmet did its job.

In a hospital? Based on what?

The over-reaction of Americans about stuff is quite amazing. How are there any Dutch still alive? Why haven't kids outside the U.S. all become demented by the extreme wardrobe malfunctions they see every day?

Based on the fact that my head smacked the pavement at 16 mph with enough force that the helmet needs to be replaced.

Ever hear of a concussion?

My neck is still sore 3 days later from the whiplash.

Just curious,
What makes you think MIPS made any difference? Do you think the outcome would have been different with a non MIPS helmet?

This was a great thread while it lasted.
Its quickly becoming a "helmet thread" and as such will be sent to helmet thread heaven
or locked...possibly both.
****

No good helmet goes unpunished. No good deed goes undented.

"Quickly becoming a helmet thread"? It has been that since the OP and deserves the fate of all the rest.

Very glad the OP made it out OK. Close calls can be awfully sobering...

MIPS is one of the technologies I don't understand. It seems to make a lot of sense on a dummy head in a test lab when the non-MIPS helmet can be locked in place without chocking the wearer. On humans non-mips helmets already slide around some anyway. At least mine does, but I have the need to inhale and preserve blood flow to my brain.

So while I do understand the concept of MIPS, I have the feeling it's solving a problem that was already solved. Regardless... I can't imagine it being bad anyway and I'm sure all helmets will have it soon enough.

Out of curiosity, is there a way to know if the MIPS liner slid (ie did something) and how much after a collision?

Correction. Helmet Thread Hell.

Ah yes... I can still remember a time when forums were for discussing and sharing ideas.

Short follow up..
I do feel MIPS softened the blow. It was more like being hit with a soccer ball and not a 2x4. Just my opinion, take it for what it is.

I purchased the exact same model as a replacement.

Just picked up the new helmet.

Is this in comparison to a similar event with a non MIPS helmet, or just a general impression?

General impression....

After 59 years, I know how hard I hit the pavement and my head whiplashed on impact.

I see no downside and for the modest $25 additional, see no reason not go get MIPS.

MIPS is good stuff. Thanks for the after accident thoughts.
You don't need to convince people on the internet.

Glad you're ok and got such a great deal on a new one.
Ride on!

Wasn't looking for any reasoning, justifications, or fuel for a debate, just curious if you could actually perceive the difference MIPS made compared to a standard helmet upon impact.

I've never tested a bicycle helmet, but I've tested a few motorcycle helmets, and couldn't tell the difference between a bargain basement helmet, and a top of the line helmet during, or after the fact.

The impact my head received was much less than the rest of my body.

I raced through most of the 70's and that was largely without helmets and in the few instances we did wear them they were mostly padded leather. I had three major crashes that required docs. Probably a dozen more that were more minor. I'm guessing most of these were at about 25-30mph. A few scraped heads but no concussion or other major head injury. I checked with a couple of buddies from that time and their experiences were similar though they had fewer doc visits. The likelihood that your crash would have caused more severe head injuries than we received doesn't hold water.

We in the helmeted U.S. have the same head injury rate (32%) as the never-wear-a-helmet Dutch. We should have a much lower rate if helmets are effective.

Your over reaction simply doesn't hold up. What is more likely is that your helmet caused your whiplash and neck pain since it increases the size of your head and thus the likelihood and force of impact. Most interestingly you point out MIPS and yet the very thing that MIPS is supposed to prevent (vs standard helmets) is the whiplash effect and neck pain. It sounds like you received the same types of injuries that MIPS says is caused by standard helmets and prevented by MIPS.

Wow.... Never looked at it that way. I'm never going to wear a helmet again since its safer not to.

Maybe I should call a lawyer and sue Giro for the pain and suffering I received by wearing their helmet.

Thanks

The trouble with these types of questions is that they are asking about unique incidents. Each crash is unique and cannot be repeated (and who would want to?). The best we can do is to establish a large body of data and try to draw conclusions from it.

Anecdotal data is interesting and casts a human element into what seems to be, hard, cold numbers. However, it cannot be used to draw meaningful conclusions, only to illustrate them.

The trouble is that the needed studies are not being done. As cycling gains popularity, I hope, the granting, and research, agencies will see that these types of studies are an important part of traffic safety research. However, at the present, the bulk of the safety dollars go to where the bulk of the killers are, automobiles.

That being sad, I am glad you like, and feel confident with, your MIPS helmet. I also use MIPS and went that way for my wife too.

The more I read about bicycle helmets the less faith I have in their ability to spare me from serious injury in a bad crash involving my head.

I do like how they provide a convenient place for rear view mirrors, reflective tape, and a head or tail light. Thanks to this attribute I actually feel their greater benefit is helping me avoid a crash in the first place. In this regard I personally have little use for MIPS.