I had my first wreck in 32 years this past Saturday. I was 6 miles into my ride when I drifted onto the concrete curb adjacent to the asphalt road. I was looking to my left when I drifted off the road. As in most places they pave over roads till there is a substantial drop to the concrete curb, well at least in Mobile, Al. When I went to get back on road I did not turn the wheel sharp enough and the front slid out. I hit on my left side and took some damage, but my Giro Air Attack helmet saved my head, although I do have some ringing in my left ear. My jersey protected my left shoulder, so it is slightly scraped. My left arm is scraped. My left thigh has a lot of swelling and is bruised, it looks like I have a Thunder thigh, and I lost some meat on my ring finger on right hand. All this said I climbed on my bike and rode another 46 miles. I think the stress from the wreck affected my sugar (I'm Diabetic) because I drank the two bottles of liquid I had plus I had to stop and refill them at about mile 50. Usually two bottles is plenty with supplements. I will be back on my bike Tuesday morning.
On a side note I had just got released from Doc on the Friday to ride after right shoulder surgery, thankfully I landed on left. I also was in my LBS Friday and the subject of wrecks got brought up. I usually don't say anything about such things because I know what happens, well I did, and it happened. LOL I'll keep my mouth shut from now on though.

Heal up soon!

Heal well and soon, Wildrat.

Way to bounce back.

Stuff happens and we deal with it. Just proof that You're tougher than that wreck.

good on you for getting back on the bike and finishing

Im glad youre ok other than some small injuries.

Cycling is fun but theres always that risk. We just have to be prepared ( first aide kit, etc).

Glad it wasn't serious.

I have been riding as long as you but kissing the pavement every few years. No big deal...so far.

wait, you hit your head hard enough for the helmet to save your brain but you kept riding on it?

Definitely thank the helmet and then throw it out. Time for a new brain bucket. They serve their purpose like crumple zones in a car, but also like the crumple zones they are one and done.

Or first check to see if Giro has a crash replacement policy that requires you to send the damaged helmet back to take advantage of it.

Good point. I know they do have a trade in policy with a discount on a new Giro even if the old helmet was never crashed.

In case you hadn't heard, helmet makers say your helmet is only good for about two years before it should be replaced even if never crashed.

Except Bern, they claim three years for theirs.

Wow.

Yes, I looked the helmet over very well. The Air Attack is a hard shell helmet. I know with my motorcycles you would look for another helmet. This air attack is not dented or cracked just scraped up.

Thank Everyone for your well wishes. I will be back on my bike tomorrow for a group ride. Yes, it could have been much worse accident. I could have gotten run over while lying in the street wondering if I hurt my carbon frame. LOL
I have learned a couple lessons from this. If this type scenario happens again just stop the bike and put it back on the rode, of course I say that now but will I listen to myself, maybe, maybe not. I will tomorrow anyway. Nah, I'm not that hard headed. The other is don't look left. If in England, don't look right. LOL What's odd is I usually can hold a straight line when looking around. I guess it was just lack of concentration and I got bit!
My scrapes likely would have been fine but they put shell in their asphalt here.
Again Thanks To All!

Seriously, even if the helmet looks fine, don't use it again!

They are not designed to sustain multiple impacts.

Is It Time To Replace Your Bike Helmet? ? BikeFAT

Have you crashed while wearing your helmet?

EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) Foam helmets are the recommended type for cycling
Damage is not always this obvious.

When most people purchase a helmet, they should be educated that they are only good for one crash. The reason for this is that the EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) foam that modern bicycle helmets are made from absorbs impacts by allowing the walls of the foam cells within the foam to crush, slowing the head down and spreading the impact over a greater area. Once the EPS foam has crushed, the helmet is no longer able to absorb more impacts. This is the reason why we need to replace our helmet after we crash, and it is also the reason why we recommend EPS foam helmets.

Helmets that contain soft foam liners to protect the head will compress and store energy (picture a coil spring), rather than dissipate it. On rebound, much of that energy is sent back into the head. Though they do offer some protection in the form of a hard shell protecting the head from being wounded, they are detrimental to the rider by increasing risk of concussions. If you are currently riding with that style of helmet, I recommend replacing it with an EPS foam one.

You probably won’t need a new helmet after every crash. A tiny tap on the head won’t hurt much, but if the impact to your head was enough to make you feel that the helmet actually did something, then do yourself a favor and replace it before your next ride, even if the damage isn’t really visible.

When to Replace a Helmet?


Did you crash in it?
For starters, most people are aware that you must replace a helmet after any crash where your head hit. The foam part of a helmet is made for one-time use, and after crushing once it is no longer as protective as it was, even if it still looks intact. Bear in mind that if the helmet did its job most people would tell you that they did not even hit their head, or did not hit their head that hard. And the thin shells on most helmets now tend to hide any dents in the foam. But if you can see marks on the shell or measure any foam crush at all, replace the helmet. (Helmets made of EPP foam do recover, but there are few EPP helmets on the market. Yours is EPS or EPU unless otherwise labeled.)
You can also crack the helmet foam or damage it by dropping the helmet on a hard surface. The cracks may be small and hard to see, so you need to look carefully. Cracks in the foam always require replacement of the helmet.

You may be reluctant to replace a helmet that looks almost as good as new, but if you did hit, you don't want to take chances on where you will hit next time. If the foam is cracked under the thin shell, it will be more likely to fly apart in your next crash. Many manufacturers will replace crashed helmets for a nominal fee, and most will also inspect crashed helmets to see if they need replacement. Call them if you are in doubt. For contact info check our list of manufacturers. (You can also ask them if they think the advice on this page is valid!**

Thanks for that info! I will wear my other Giro till I can get another Air Attack! They should put info like that in with the packaging for new helmets. I mean a motorcycle helmet I know to replace, never really gave the bike helmet a lot of thought. I know had it been a softshell there would be no doubt about replacing it because it would have been ate up, and I would not look GQ.

I'll have to see if Giro has this type of warranty.

The Air Attack is a $120 helmet retail so I'm sure it would qualify for this:

Cycling FAQs

Q: DOES GIRO HAVE A CRASH REPLACEMENT PROGRAM?
If your Giro helmet has been involved in an accident, you may be eligible for a discount on a new Giro replacement helmet.

To learn if your helmet qualifies, please email us at giro-consumersupport@giro.com with the below information:

· Picture(s) of the damaged Giro helmet
· Giro helmet model and serial number
· Giro helmet size and color
· Giro helmet manufacture date
· Your full name
· Your phone number
· Your shipping address

This Crash Replacement Program is available to US customers only. For Giro customers outside of the US, please email us for information on a program that is applicable to you.

I just sent the email, we'll see what they have to say. I was actually unaware of the crash replacement policy till it was mentioned earlier. Now, just to wait and see what they offer.

Glad you're ok!
Any pics?

Pics of my wounds?

Going riding this morning. I just put my bibs on, wow it compressed the swollen area on my thigh. It was a bit painful. LOL I think the compression is causing the swelling to go down, and the pain has eased also after a few minutes. Well time to go. Let me know on the pics. I do have some, but did not think anyone would be interested.

Giro is offering me a 30% discount on a helmet from their site with their crash recovery program.

I think that's pretty reasonable. It's more than they offer on the trade in program for intact but old helmets, I think that's only 25%.

Keep in mind that the Air Attack is a good looking helmet but you don't need to spend that much on a helmet if you don't want to. Their base model will protect you just as well as their top end one will, unless you believe that the new MIPS models offered by multiple makers are worth the extra cost.

If you do believe that MIPS is worth the upgrade, this would be a good time and a good way to get into that with the discount.

Either way, I would consider whatever you paid for that Air Attack as money well spent, just the same as you might consider money spent on a good meal or a great vacation. Helmets are consumable items whose sole function is to allow you to keep living in the event of a head impact, and that one clearly did its job

Thank You! Yes, I kinda like my Air Attack, it is not a MIPS. My Air Attack is the older version, although the new version looks about the same, not unless you want one with the shield. I don't need a shield, but I do like the standard Air Attack. The discount code is good for a year. I won't be waiting no where near that long but it is nice that they keep the code good for that long.