macteacher

Was out mountain biking the other day and I got catapulted forward (I still don't know what caused it) anyhow...my clipped in pedals pulled the bike towards me, and I landed somehow, rolled over, but not before hitting my head on the dirt trail. I'm not sure if my head hit first or not...but either way, my noggin was in pain along with neck stem. I swear i was see'ing stars for a bit afterwards....it was crazy.

Anyhow...got up and continued the ride and today every part of my body hurts.. (except of course my head...)

Took a look at the helmet and its hard to even see where it hit...i think on an angle though as thats where my head was hurting...but no signs of damage. I asked a few guys, all said the hit wasn't hard enough to damage it. Took it to the bike shop along with my bike for some repairs afterwards and he examined the helmet and said it's fine...no signs of compression anywhere, no damage..just one scratch..that's it. He said to me dirt trails are soft and absorb most of the impact, before the helmet would. If it was on the road, he continued to say the helmet would be toast. Showed me another helmet (identical model) which had hit the road and I could see the obvious compression and cracks.

So lesson learned...helmet obviously lessened the pain

now...how do i get commuting again? ..<sigh>..body is in so much pain. Anyone here commute when their bodies have taken a beating before?

cdalefan

Glad to hear that you were wearing it and that your OK.

I have seen you around here a lot; so I assume you know your stuff; and, it seems like you did your due checks on the helmet. However, I would think about reusing that one. It's really not worth testing it with your head.

Hey, 2 cents is all I got, now it's yours-

BassNotBass

Glad you are OK. As for the body aches... been there, can't really help.

I've highsided and body slammed tarmac a few times. The second day after was when I would feel completely broken... being able to get out of bed without help, shuffle around the house on my own two legs and able to reach into the cupboard for a glass felt like major acheivments. Aspirin and rest got me through the day.

closetbiker

May have is the key phrase here.

Glad you're OK, but here's quiz that may answer your question.

Show the year that a mandatory law was introduced and police enforced an over 90% compliance rate of wear.



The graph shows head injuries to cyclists that do not involve a motor vehicle.

I'm not saying your helmet didn't help or wasn't worth wearing, just that it's pretty common for someone to claim the helmet saved my life when in reality, it just softened the blow a bit.

Heckboy

Hey Closet. That's some interesting data. When did it happen (assuming a trick question here.)?

Oh, I'm new here more or less. Long time biker, short time poster.

Later,
HB

closetbiker

no trick. this was from the year 1990 to 1996. If you use some reasoning you could figure out what country enforces such a rate, and the year MHL was implemented, and then the answer to the quiz.

Point still remains. How much difference it made despite the claims made by those who wear them.

We had some advocates for our helmet law draw a nice graph showing how head injuries had decreased since the implementation of the law, but then some other people drew an even more impressive graph showing that all other injuries to cyclists had decreased at the same rate. Since helmets can't protect against injured legs or arms, the logical conclusion was that were that many fewer cyclists on the road to be injured.

robatsu

I was in an accident once where a helmet probably saved my life. I was on a motorcycle going 65-70 mph on I-70 in Missouri, I was struck by lightning, passed out fell off the motorcycle, bounced on my (helmeted) head a couple of times on the pavement at speed. Pretty much destroyed the (full face, Shoei) helmet, as in it looked like somebody went at it pretty vigourously with a sledghammer.

That is what a true "helmet probably saved my life" incident sounds like.

Oh, yeah, also was in intensive care for a while to treat the non-head injuries that were also threatening to kill me.

Believe me, if you have to search your typical bicycle helmet for evidence of damage/foam compression, it most assuredly did not save your life or even prevent marginal injury beyond a bump or two, unless you have an eggshell for a skull. I think that some people really do believe that the human head is as fragile as a water balloon or an egg, which is where these wild claims of "helmet saved my life" for bump/scrape type accidents seem to come from.

Mr. Underbridge

If the impact was hard enough to hurt you, it was easily hard enough to cause invisible damage to the helmet. Get a new one, it's not worth the risk, not even close.

I-Like-To-Bike

What exactly is "invisible damage" to a bicycle helmet, and by what mechanism would it degrade its alleged ability to reduce risk?

BassNotBass

I love finding creative interpretations of data that can skew 'results' in either way, pro or con. Back in the late 80's a group of anti-helmet advocates compiled data and created a graph of how the number of head injuries suffered by motorcyclists were fewer in areas where there weren't any helmet laws. But what they failed to include in their findings were the overhwelmingly greater number of fatalities as a result of head trauma in those areas without helmet laws... their reason being that they were reporting injuries which can only be sustained by persons who remain alive.

Very creative misinformation!

littlewaywelt

First glad you're ok.

Second, that doesn't sound even close to the level of impact it takes to cause brain injury sufficient to kill or even seriously injure you.

mijohnst

When I first got into mountain biking I bought a helmet because my girlfriend (now wife) made me. I hated wearing it because I think they look stupid (still do). One day we had an argument about me wearing my helmet on a ride. I reluctantly put it on and about 1 mile down the trail I was stopped by a rock on the path and I flipped over my handlebars right onto another rock with my head first. I crack my helmet and from that day forward I didn't care how they looked.

I'm glad that you're okay after you accident!

cyclezealot

I hit by falling sideways. But, the area near by left temple hit a concrete curb. I was happy to see my craked helmet over a cracked skull. I had a heacache as it was. Bell replaced my helmet at no charge. All I had to do was pay postage. / Think I'd still not trust your helmet. Direct hits. If it were me, I get a new one. I think the owners manual would be in agreement with those sentiments.

littlewaywelt

This is the rare type of wreck where a helmet can littlerally save a life. Hitting a) concrete and b) a curb. Hitting the edge of the curb is the worst bc it transmits much more energy into a smaller area, or rather the smaller area is forced to absorb the energy. It's the kind that can cause skull fractures and major damage. It's the kind where a helmet allows the energy to be absorbed over a much larger area...thus keeping you from fracturing your skull.

macteacher

First of: I did not intend to open up the helmet debate.

Secondly: I sait it ** may ** have saved my life... not that it did with certainty. If it was cracked, compressed or damaged, then yes I could probably say with certainty that it saved my life... most likely I probably could have survived even if i was bare...this thing just eased the blow..that's all.

Jonahhobbes

Good to see you are ok.

bikertrash

Typical helmet debate. I wish I had a list of sites still, but basically I found a helmet may prevent a concussion but if a hit could kill you without that styrofoam, it'll probably kill ya with it. I suppose there are instances where a helmet may save you, but then but rare. Most skulls are a lot harder than styrofoam, and if your isn't, get a motorcycle helmet. Ido wear a helmet when mountain biking as I am very prone to concussions when doing that.

closetbiker

I find it interesting how people read into things what they want to see.

The OP posts as a title that his helmet may have saved his life, but then mentions there is no damage to the helmet and is not sure if he has even hit his helmet beyond a minor scratch. There has been lots of good wishes for the OP, even from me.

The interesting thing is how a fall can affect thoughts of what could have happened, compared to the outcomes of what happens in actual falls in similar situations where the rider was without a helmet. There are some creative interpretaions as to what could have or actually has happened, especially when one has a particular point of view.

moore.sean

Step 1: Stop riding on unimproved trails!

I keed, I keed.

cyclezealot

I was riding downhill adjacent a curb when my chain some how jammed. Not sure how, but I lost balance. / It may be an unlikely event, but looking at my Bell helmet with about a two inch crack penetrating the depth of the helmet looked pretty real. / The odds might be against a repeat of this exact accident, but I am not about to play the odds. If my skull had looked like that helmet, I wonder if I might presently be dead.

ironhorse3

Chain jamming, I had not thought of this: is that more of a risk with fixed gear / no coast mechanism?

cyclezealot

^.. Accidents can happen so fast, we have no idea how it happened. But, this one I know. WOuld you believe I had a couple rear cogs replaced due to wear.The shop I no longer use, did not reassemble the rear cluster properly. Who needs those extra spacers. / I actually got about 1/2 mile on a urban downhill before the gears jammed. Pick your mechanic carefully.

ironhorse3

Not being a helmet engineer, still I would say a crash or even drop from a significant distance, could cause depression in the foam, or tiny cracks (which might be visible with a penetrating dye) that would make the helmet tend to cleave upon further impact at just the right angle. The helmet is designed, presumably, to absorb impacts and not shatter, so the damaged/ used helmet might not be as safe. It is generally accepted that the helmet be replaced after a crash (I still have my MC helmet that I should be getting rid of ...).

cyclezealot

About the use of helmets. It's sort of that cyclist's choice./ Basically, we should not attempt to influence each other one way or another. We make our decisions at the time we purchase a helmet. At least if we want to be informed consumers. / So an accident happens to a cyclist friend and that person , in that instance could have been saved by wearing a helmet. / This is something we should just let be and not try to influence others. / Unless you enter an organized tour, no one requires you to wear a helmet. So I suggest, just let it be.

YoKev

I fell hard once. I broke the rear 1/4 off of my helmet, broke my scapula, and laid in a field for quite a while until I came around. I don't remember how I fell, but I vaguely remember riding back to my car and having a hard time focusing and keeping my eyes open.

I always wear one, and both of the club rides I regularly participate in require them.