Lebron6theking

I had my first crash yesterday. Nothing too bad, I was practicing riding standing up and lost my balance and crashed at about 10mph. I hit the road with the side of my helmet and lost some skin on my hand. Nothing serious though. The helmet worked great, I didn't feel any impact on my head. I was actually very pleased with it. I got up and continued riding for about 5 miles then turned around, of course. I was talking to my teacher today however about it and he told me I needed to buy a new helmet. He's the national the duathlon champion so I assume he's a credible source. He told me when you crash, your helmet padding gets microcracks in it and when you crash again they won't hold up and you could get serious. Thoughts on this? Just bought this helmet two weeks ago... I really don't wanna buy another one.

bonz50

only if you wacked your head... poly styrene on the inside of most helmets, once compressed does not rebound... this was standard practice with motorcycle helmets... even if you dropped it from a distance of about 2ft of the ground...

now, that being said, its your call, statistically speaking, it'll probably serve you well for a long time to come... myself, I'd probably keep using it for a while but would be mindful that a new one was in order during the off-season and plan accordingly...

RacerOne

If you can't see anything wrong with it I'd just keep using it. The manufacturer and any person that you could hold liable (ie bikeshop) would tell you to replace it no matter what. Remember, if you take my advice, you might die.

datlas 

Tough call to make online. If there was anything more than minimal impact I say err on the side of caution and replace it.

PS get some gloves so next crash your hands won't get skinned

DropDeadFred

do the hammer test....hit it with a hammer in multiple places until you see visible cracks

wrr1020

I've heard if the helmet is dropped or if you've fallen on it to replace it. Even if theirs no visible damage their may be some internal damage that you can't see.

DropDeadFred

i remember when cyclists didn't wear helmets...HTFU

Nelson M

The speed has nothing to do with the impact, so it not because you were going slow that the impact was minimal. Even if there are no apparent signs of damage that does not means that no damage was done to the helmet.

And remember it's your head that you are protecting here, so 100 - 150 $ for a new helmet or maybe a greater risk of a fracture skull on your next fall

I let you be the judge ;-)

wi.flash

They do make helmets that much, but by no means do you ever need one that expensive to be safe. That is just paying for coolness. I have not found my money tree in the backyard yet.

justkeepedaling

Just buy a cheap 30 dollar replacement helmet. Not a biggie

Seattle Forrest

Yes. Structural damage isn't always visible.

tagaproject6

Helmets can be had for cheap. Get one so you are not always doubting yourself.

Hope this does not turn into A&S

ahsposo 

Get ya some gloves.

I'm willing to bet your helmet is just fine. I've broken three of them and I'll tell you the structural damage was clearly visible each time. My head was undamaged. Other parts of me were pretty banged up.

What I'm saying is replace the helmet when you can but in the meantime wear that sucker. They work.

tanguy frame

WOW - here is a perfect excuse to go out and get a brand new helmet, and all these BFers are teling you to HTFU???
Run to your nearest LBS and buy the helmet of your choice at retail. This is one of the few times you can covince yourself that your safety trumps your wallet and get the stuff you want. I had a gentle crash with my helmet and got the Gyro Prolite - and no regrets!!! toss that old one and move on.

ahsposo 

Why don't you buy that for him, Mr. Rich? He's gonna be paying off student loans until his grandchillren are dead cuz he's a English Major, I think. Do him a good deed.

Wesley36

This bears re-statement. Some helmets are destroyed in a way that is visible, but it is also possible for a helmet to look pristine to all inspection, but have fissures inside the foam which render it incapable of absorbing force effectively (ie doing its job).

And if money is an issue, all helmets are made to the same safety standards. Some are lighter, some have more vents, some are just more fashionable, but a cheap helmet is just as safe as an expensive one.

DropDeadFred

fify

vandalarchitect

https://tinyurl.com/3b99qw3

merlinextraligh

You crash; helmer hits ground; you replace helmet.

What is hard about this?

Bicycle helmets are designed to take one impact.

ahsposo 

How?

ahsposo 

Bull****.

I believe in wearing helmets but I also think that 50% of the cost of helmets is insurance against lawsuits.

The rest is R&D, Design and Marketing.

Drop Dead (I wish) Fred did have a good point. People actually rode bikes and didn't die before helmets were de riguer (Flemish for cool) and they looked good doing it.

I think helmets save lives and every cyclist that has a brain worth saving should use them. But I also think some of this is SCARE tactics to sell more helmets.

You should be able apply pressure to yer skid lid and feel it flex after a crash. If it breaks (not brakes) in yer hands toss it and get another.

This isn't voodoo.

DropDeadFred

meanie

iconicflux

-- "wut umad?"

urbanknight

If by "coolness" you mean it keeps your head from overheating in hot weather or on long climbs, you're absolutely right.

And my opinion is that if there was some way for you to know you hit your helmet in the crash, it's probably best to replace it.

Lebron6theking

haha i'm not an English major, I do Biology. It's obviously way more fun. I'm leaning on the side of buying a new helmet since safety is important. Just saw the bill for this semester though, so i'm gonna have to hold off for a bit haha.