"but they only work for certain kinds of crashes!" I still chuckle about those dips who think that only because it works in certain crashes it's worthless and thus ride helmetless.

I love how that helmet is a real beast too, and it got cracked in half. I wonder what would have happened had you been wearing one of those $200 brain-sieves...

Yoinks!

Way to not die.

The brain sieve and Metro are held to the same standard, so I would expect similar results apart from the potential for torsional injuries related to the shape of most other helmets.

Thanks everybody for the kind words - I appreciate it. I'm back at work today, feeling pretty good. I can't shave for a week, due to the stitches on my chin, so I'm going to be pretty burly by the time they come out. Scars and a beard. Watch out.

We should start a "helmets are good" photo sticky. We can all post our head wounds.

heebro: I did make sure to take my bike into my LBS for a good post-accident once-over.

Ben: Francesca and I should be back in California over Christmas... we'll be back more permanently whenever either of us can find a halfway decent job.

Again, thanks everyone!

bike helmets are supposed to crack in half, so that your skull doesn't. the reason why a $200 brain-sieve costs $200 is mostly because of the research and design that went in to making an ultra-light, ultra-ventillated helmet that will still protect your head as much as any other helmet. and, i suppose, because of the advanced materials needed for such things. doesn't the atmos have a carbon fiber skeleton?

anyway, now's as good a time as any for some bike helmet safety lessons:

-put your helmet on. without buckling the chinstrap, shake your head. if it wobbles, it's too loose.
-is it over five years old? get a new one. light and air degrade the foam to the point where it won't do what it's supposed to--protect your head.
-has your helmet had an impact? no visible damage? get a new one. helmets are one-time machines, even if there's no visible damage. it's ability to protect your valuable noggin is comprimised.

yikes.. yeah, you need to get that helmet bronzed or something. :)

Lately for some reason when I've been just popping down to a friend's place or something I've been thinking about not wearing my helmet, but I still continue to every time I ride. Thanks for the reminder to not be a dink, and just put it on!

glad your okay dude, thats a scary crash when you pass out and not know what happened. I still forget to wear the helmet from time to time, but I wear it much more often than before. I just have to remember to wear it everytime I'm on the bike.

I heard that the cheap helmets are actually better than helmets like the atmos because the cheaper ones have more foam from the lack of ventilation. Makes sense, they use the same foam but just not as breathable as the atmos and look a bit like a mushroom.

for some reason, i want to shout:
GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

glad you're still up to snuff, m :P

i've found cheaper helmets way more comfortable than some higher-end helmets, for exactly that reason (my rambling and experience is because i worked in a bike shop recently, and had a lot of down time to jerk around trying s.h.i.t. on and whatnot...)... but thar varies head to head, helmet to helmet, size to size. but cheaper helmets definitely have more generous padding. atmos has almost none. however, low-midrange (and up) helmets have coolmax padding, which is definitely a plus. i hate pressing down on my ordinary-foam-lined helmet and squeezing/sponging my sweat down my face, all over my stem...

for a good middleground, Bell's Furio is like 55 bucks. well ventilated, 3 sizes (as opposed to one "universal), comes in a neutral gray... fairly comfortable for many. not a bad helmet.

Very true, the same standard is upheld. But then again, the same standard is met by a Volvo and a Neon. Which would you rather have a face-crushing wreck in?

hot damn! you made it! that's what counts.

hang that helmet up as a trophy.

Yeah, but unlike Volvo, Bell doesn't make any claims about exceeding standards for the Metro. (Interestingly enough, Volvo has run into problems trading on their safety claims since being bought by Ford--the parent company doesn't like Volvo claiming by ommission that Fords aren't as safe.)

seems like middle of the range (~$70) is the sweet spot- you get the fancy adjustable head retention systems and sufficent venting, but they're still using a good bit more styrofoam than the high-end lids.

That said, i really like my giro xen- a bit more coverage than standard, and no stupid horns on the back to get caught in a crash and break yer neck.

fatbat

Anyone here rock a size XL helmet?
If so, what kind? Because I've always had trouble finding a helmet that fits.

I wear an XL size helmet. It's by Pro-Tec and they're mainly designed for skateboarding, but are also sort of ment for biking. They're big helmets though, and make your head look huge. The big advantage over a normal bike helmet, is supposedly with the pro-tec helmets it can take a few hits before it needs to be replaced (because skaters land on their heads alot?).

Yesterday, when I was carrying it in the check out line at the grocery store, the clerk asked me if all the scrapes were from accidents. I said "yes." though so far it's mainly only protected me from low hanging branches.

Yeah, I've been playing around with the idea of getting a Pro-Tec.
Where in Milwaukee are you?

East Side, and you?

I just PMd you.

That's because you're a rockstar.

I saw this helmet last weekend. It's made from a turtle shell the guy found on a ride last month. I think it might even work. He mounted the plastic suspension from another helmet inside the shell using pop rivets. The only problem is for some reason he mounted it backwards, so the adjusting knob is in the front. That's me in the first photo, and the creator in the last one.

http://www.davewilson.cc/Hash/2005Ha...5/Image001.jpg
http://www.davewilson.cc/Hash/2005Ha...5/Image002.jpg http://www.davewilson.cc/Hash/2005Ha...5/Image004.jpg

yes i'm sure a turtle shell will work just fine.

durrrrr

that's wrong on so many levels

I'm replacing the smashed one with this:

http://www.digitalfox.com/digitalfox...iles/foil5.jpg

It's no turtle shell, but I think it'll hold up OK.

bahhaahahahahha... you're now in my list of "5 people I've never met" for that. :P