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Helmets - personal experience

So, I'm not about to proselytize or seek to convert people, this is what I experienced today: (disclosure:  I've always been a sort of fan of helmets though never a fanatic, today made me a firm believer though).

Returning home, gusts of wind, rain starting in earnest.  I took a roundabout that I've taken a thousand times before.  Only difference was that I'd forgotten that just last saturday I had installed a brand new set of Hutchinson sector 28 mm tyres, brilliant on dry pavement, murder on wet, especially when new.

I entered the roundabout (right hand side driving over here) at 32 kmph (about 20 mph I guess) and halfway through, felt the rear wheel slide from under me.  I hit the pavement on my left hip and elbow, then my head just 'bounced' on the tarmac.  Or rather, my Bontrager specter wavecell helmet did.  Picked myself  up almost immediately, saw the proverbial stars and felt a bit dizzy.  A police patrol that saw everything pulled over to ask if I needed medical assistance, which I declined.  Rode home (no real damage to the bike) at a much lower speed than before.

End result:

-  Bit of a headache

- 20 cm of road rash on my left hip (kudos to Assos:  not a nick on their Cento evo bib, under it my skin was virtually gone).  Spraying desinfectant on that was an interesting experience.   Guess I'll be black and blue tomorrow.

- Sore elbow

- Sore ribs

The helmet shows very little sign of impact on the exterior, just some dimples.  On the interior however, the wavecell structure cracked/deformed in the temporal region.  I guess that's what it's designed to do.  I'll have to get a new one but don't doubt for a second that without it I'd have been visiting the casualty ward, riding in a ambulance rather than on my bike.  So for me it's helmets all the way from now on.

For the doubting Thomases (I understand):  yes, I have pics but unfortunately I don't see how to upload them here.  If you can explain how I should do so I'll gladly post them.

 

 

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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71 comments

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slappop replied to Awavey | 4 years ago
0 likes

Awavey wrote:

Organon wrote:

I'll take the acedotal evidence every time because strangely enough we don't here from the people hitting their heads sans helmet and then saying 'I was fine.' Please come forward if this is you.

Ive flown over the handlebars in a crash, landed on my head, still have the visible scar from when I used my head to stop a somersault on a balance beam, and face planted more than once when Ive lost my footing, I certainly know what concussion feels like, if anything I should wear a helmet as a pedestrian as Im far more likely to hit my head just walking along on past history

If you're falling that often, maybe get your vitamin B12 levels checked. For example:

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0029665113002735

Avatar
Xenophon2 | 4 years ago
0 likes

second pic

Avatar
Awavey replied to Xenophon2 | 4 years ago
3 likes

Xenophon2 wrote:

second pic

 

see this is what annoys me more than whether you believe the helmet "totes saved your life" or not, weve got people using their helmet crash anectdotes as evidence of how great helmets are, but then seemingly happy to carry on using  their crash damaged helmets just because they arent totally broken in to lots of pieces

if you believe helmets offer any protection at all, if its taken a hit on the road and its clearly showing damage, even if its not broken apart its not offering the same protection anymore ,so you need to bin that helmet and get a new one, or else whats the point ?

Avatar
Sniffer replied to Awavey | 4 years ago
2 likes

Awavey wrote:

Xenophon2 wrote:

second pic

 

see this is what annoys me more than whether you believe the helmet "totes saved your life" or not, weve got people using their helmet crash anectdotes as evidence of how great helmets are, but then seemingly happy to carry on using  their crash damaged helmets just because they arent totally broken in to lots of pieces

if you believe helmets offer any protection at all, if its taken a hit on the road and its clearly showing damage, even if its not broken apart its not offering the same protection anymore ,so you need to bin that helmet and get a new one, or else whats the point ?

Read the original post.  He did say he would need to get a new one.

Avatar
Awavey replied to Sniffer | 4 years ago
0 likes

Sniffer wrote:

Awavey wrote:

Xenophon2 wrote:

second pic

 

see this is what annoys me more than whether you believe the helmet "totes saved your life" or not, weve got people using their helmet crash anectdotes as evidence of how great helmets are, but then seemingly happy to carry on using  their crash damaged helmets just because they arent totally broken in to lots of pieces

if you believe helmets offer any protection at all, if its taken a hit on the road and its clearly showing damage, even if its not broken apart its not offering the same protection anymore ,so you need to bin that helmet and get a new one, or else whats the point ?

Read the original post.  He did say he would need to get a new one.

 

" 'have' to get a new one" doesnt sound as urgent a priority to sort out to me as must get me a new one now that Ive put this old one in the bin or cant ride my bike at all given my new found confidence in helmets till I get a replacement as this one is toast.

understandibly those wavecel helmets are £100+ arent they, but there you go worth remembering Lazer do money off for crash replacements next time, but if you believe in the efficacy of  helmets at all its not a choice you can afford to make on getting it replaced.

Avatar
Xenophon2 replied to Awavey | 4 years ago
2 likes

Awavey wrote:

Sniffer wrote:

Awavey wrote:

Xenophon2 wrote:

second pic

 

see this is what annoys me more than whether you believe the helmet "totes saved your life" or not, weve got people using their helmet crash anectdotes as evidence of how great helmets are, but then seemingly happy to carry on using  their crash damaged helmets just because they arent totally broken in to lots of pieces

if you believe helmets offer any protection at all, if its taken a hit on the road and its clearly showing damage, even if its not broken apart its not offering the same protection anymore ,so you need to bin that helmet and get a new one, or else whats the point ?

Read the original post.  He did say he would need to get a new one.

 

" 'have' to get a new one" doesnt sound as urgent a priority to sort out to me as must get me a new one now that Ive put this old one in the bin or cant ride my bike at all given my new found confidence in helmets till I get a replacement as this one is toast.

understandibly those wavecel helmets are £100+ arent they, but there you go worth remembering Lazer do money off for crash replacements next time, but if you believe in the efficacy of  helmets at all its not a choice you can afford to make on getting it replaced.

 

You assume a lot without anything to back up those assumptions, must be a politician.  See, I'm not a native speaker though I consider myself proficient in English.  So I consulted the Oxford dictionary and thesaurus, unabridged edition.  Under 'have' it states under 4) '(have to):  be obliged to, must'.  So I guess that more or less covers it.  Anyway, new helmet's on its merry way and riding out today I wore my CX helmet.  Looked like a dork but it got me there and back (not falling off again also helped there).

Avatar
JohnnyRemo | 4 years ago
3 likes

Or maybe your head wouldn't have hit the  ground, - it  was the much bigger dimensions of your helmet that caused the impact.

Avatar
hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
2 likes

That does sound like your helmet did its job correctly. I'm always more suspicious when the helmet cracks in two as that makes me think that it didn't absorb much impact energy whereas others will claim it shows how effective the helmet was.

It's easy to upload a picture if you comment on this thread - you should see the "browse" and "upload" buttons underneath your comment. It's trickier to upload a picture when you start a forum thread - it is possible, but can't remember the details.

Avatar
Xenophon2 replied to hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
0 likes

hawkinspeter wrote:

That does sound like your helmet did its job correctly. I'm always more suspicious when the helmet cracks in two as that makes me think that it didn't absorb much impact energy whereas others will claim it shows how effective the helmet was.

It's easy to upload a picture if you comment on this thread - you should see the "browse" and "upload" buttons underneath your comment. It's trickier to upload a picture when you start a forum thread - it is possible, but can't remember the details.

 

This should work then, first pic is the exterior of the helmet, next to nothing visible.  Colour's off, the helmet is really fluo yellow.  Second is the interior, I've circled the affected part.  You'll have to take my word for the road rash though.

 

 

Avatar
Boatsie replied to hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
0 likes
hawkinspeter wrote:

That does sound like your helmet did its job correctly. I'm always more suspicious when the helmet cracks in two as that makes me think that it didn't absorb much impact energy whereas others will claim it shows how effective the helmet was.

It's easy to upload a picture if you comment on this thread - you should see the "browse" and "upload" buttons underneath your comment. It's trickier to upload a picture when you start a forum thread - it is possible, but can't remember the details.

Years ago at Kangarilla, SA: a steep mountain trail. To walk up was to use front brake and the bicycle as a pulling stick. To come down was fast.
My mates helmet cracked through, 3 seperate pieces. He was knocked out. He'd headbutted a Pine tree at a fair pace. The Pine trees there are ladders of about 1 foot branch lengths. He was also extremely happy to have been wearing expensive ballistic grade lense sun glasses. Nothing permanent. He's quite a nerd.
I'm still impressed with 30clicks around a corner.. That's about all I get on flat road straights.  1

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Boatsie | 4 years ago
0 likes

Glad you're ok. I went skate boarding once or twice. Lost to speed wobbles while hanging onto an XT Falcons rear bumper bar. Mates thought I was dead.. Didn't bleed much but had more than a tennis ball size growth on my head.. Correction. Bled heaps; non compound.
Nowadays I'm lost in an argument. Apparently mini vs have a 7-8 mm pull.. They should work.. Yet I think I'm going to go back to flatbars, I love brakes, I have 3 brakes on my fixie.  1

Yeah, a big fan of helmets too bro.. And a big fan of free medicine.. Sugar. (Although useless with many because they chow everyday.)
Dropbars are so comfy though..

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