Helmet post crash

[LegendRider]

It's Memorial Day - let's stay indoors and fight online about helmet usage. (kidding - please don't)

A friend - an experienced and strong rider - went down hard and here's his helmet. Concussed, broken ribs, partially punctured lung, few days in the hospital, etc.

This was a freakish accident on a mountain descent - no car involved.

Be careful out there!

[Bentley]

I’d say that helmet saved him. I honestly hope I never encounter that

Best wishes to you friend for a quick and complete recovery

[madsciencenow]

I hope your friend is ok and best wishes on a speedy recovery.

My brother went down hard a couple years ago and I think his helmet plus some divine intervention saved him.

His helmet is pictured below and and small child would have had no problem separating it into pieces. I wasn’t on the ride but my friends who were said they thought he was dead when the arrived at the scene. Long story shorter he had five teeth out of his mouth and a couple went out with the roots attached. Ambulance followed by a helicopter ride, a week in the hospital and a couple years of dental implants and he’s doing better.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190527/fc40086aed9b896f53a7429c5b814b75.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190527/93206e7751031a61a8a4fc67422bce12.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190527/9643da7fbe7a65d4a5a0d355ad73ed41.jpg


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[LegendRider]

I hope your friend is ok and best wishes on a speedy recovery.

My brother went down hard a couple years ago and I think his helmet plus some divine intervention saved him.

His helmet is pictured below and and small child would have had no problem separating it into pieces. I wasn’t on the ride but my friends who were said they thought he was dead when the arrived at the scene. Long story shorter he had five teeth out of his mouth and a couple went out with the roots attached. Ambulance followed by a helicopter ride, a week in the hospital and a couple years of dental implants and he’s doing better.

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Wow. That's worst I've ever seen.

[ultraman6970]

THose helmets did what they suppouse to do, absorb the impact and crack.

[Tony]

Wow. That's worst I've ever seen.

I've seen much worst. Both road and mtb.

[Bruce K]

Bottom line is helmets have value a safety device.

How much value is up to the individual user.

Me, I wouldn’t go to the corner store without one. It’s just not worth the risk vs reward.

And yes, somewhere I have a picture of a Lazer helmet fracked in about 5 or 6 places from catching the edge of a pothole and going over the bars.

BK

[madsciencenow]

+1 on not leaving home w/o.

My kids have been wearing since they were on a tricycle and they look at other kids w/o like they are making a poor life choice.


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[fignon's barber]

Glad the above riders made it through these crashes. I think it's important to look at crashed helmets and see wear the damage occurs. Most impacts from road riding are up behind the ear, at about 10 o'clock. I think POC has the right approach, really overbuilding that area....even if it doesn't pass Old Potato's fashion test.

[Spoker]

What kind of accident if there is so much facial damage?
His steerer snapped?

[veggieburger]

My brother went down hard a couple years ago and I think his helmet plus some divine intervention saved him.


Faith looks ahead!

[fmradio516]

This thread makes me want to not bike anymore :(

Also makes me want to stop procrastinating and get a new helmet since mine is about 6 years old now

[Matthew]

Every ride I've got mine on. Did a NORBA MTB race in Northern Michigan many years ago. Went over the bars on a downhill section. Took my helmet off post race and had stones, pebbles embedded in it! Have made a point of wearing one since that day. Unfortunately my front wheel had seen better days and forced me to quit. Oh, well. My noggin was ok.

[Seramount]

have had head-to-pavement contact with and without a helmet.

there's no comparison.

I feel positively weird throwing a leg over without having my brain bucket on.

[oldpotatoe]

+1 on not leaving home w/o.

My kids have been wearing since they were on a tricycle and they look at other kids w/o like they are making a poor life choice.


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The 'kids' aren't making that 'poor life choice', their dumm-ass parents are...neither grandkid gets on a bike or skateboard w/o a helmet..

[oldpotatoe]

Glad the above riders made it through these crashes. I think it's important to look at crashed helmets and see wear the damage occurs. Most impacts from road riding are up behind the ear, at about 10 o'clock. I think POC has the right approach, really overbuilding that area....even if it doesn't pass Old PotatoE's fashion test.

Please and I'm not the only one who

-thinks POC helmets are FUGLY
-see that there are MANY helmets that do a great job of protecting that area W/O being FUGLY...:)

[madsciencenow]

What kind of accident if there is so much facial damage?
His steerer snapped?

He was on a road he didn't know well, the ride leader warned the group, he was off the back and trying to catch up, and came up to a curve too fast. An SUV was coming the opposite way and he went into the front panel of the vehicle and landed on his face. He has a number of screws, and plates in his face as well as some nice pretend teeth. His bike was a lower-end CF Pin (still riding it) and I don't think it had a mark on it. Zipp 303s were fine as well. Almost all head trauma and related back and neck issues.

[madsciencenow]

The 'kids' aren't making that 'poor life choice', their dumm-ass parents are...neither grandkid gets on a bike or skateboard w/o a helmet..



I’ve had this thought too. I can’t decide if it’s negligence or gross negligence? I hope there aren’t other areas that I’m overlooking with regard to my kids. Maybe that’s a separate thread?


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[alancw3]

that helmet did It's job. get a new one.

[efixler]

I should probably avoid the POC-wars, but I cracked a POC helmet 2 weeks ago (at Farmer's Daughter) right on that part that is arguably overbuilt.

I felt the impact and was thinking 'fuuuuuuucckkkkk' this is bad.

Bottom line: the helmet cracked; I was seeing stars for a bit, but other than road rash, I am fine. I can't know if or to what degree the beefy behind-the-ear of the POC did the trick, but I will say that I trust these helmets. (Weirdly, I've only ever cracked 2 helmets, but both were POC)

[Black Dog]

I’ve had this thought too. I can’t decide if it’s negligence or gross negligence? I hope there aren’t other areas that I’m overlooking with regard to my kids. Maybe that’s a separate thread?


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I Try not to judge other folks parenting but I tend to agree that letting them not wear a helmet is not a great choice for the kids. See it all the time around here and the law is that helmets are mandatory on bikes until age 18. NEVER enforced so more or less a useless law at this point. Kids are learning how to operate their motor skills and their bikes at the same time, they always seem to be looking anywhere but ahead. They will crash, it is going to happen. They will hit their heads, it is going to happen. A helmet provides more protection than a bare skull. Head injuries can cause lifetime deficits. Other broken body parts generally fully heal. There is often too much "safety" for kids, this is not one of those cases.

[madsciencenow]

Try not to judge other folks parenting but I tend to agree that letting them not wear a helmet is not a great choice for the kids. See it all the time around here and the law is that helmets are mandatory on bikes until age 18. NEVER enforced so more or less unless at this point. Kids are learning how to operate their motor skills and their bikes at the same time, they always seem to be looking at anywhere but in front of them. They crash it is going to happen. They will hit their heads it os going to happen. A helmet provides more protection than a bare skull. Head injuries can cause lifetime deficits. Other broken body parts generally fully heal. There is often too much "safety" for kids, this is not one of those cases.



I’m right there with you on not judging how others choose to parent (I’m certainly far from perfection and not winning any awards) but on this point it’s cheap, kids don’t mind if they start early and there are no do overs so it’s not a lesson learned situation.


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[JStonebarger]

I'm sure some kids get out of the house and onto their bike without direct parental supervision. With or without a helmet.

[C40_guy]

I'm sure some kids get out of the house and onto their bike without direct parental supervision. With or without a helmet.

When I was a kid we didn't have helmets.

And yea, I got out of the house a lot, without direct parental supervision. Kinda surprised I'm still around to type about it (seriously)...

[C40_guy]

Friend of mine crashed in a paceline near the end of a two day charity ride. Cracked his helmet pretty badly. Eventually decided to get back on his bike to finish the ride. For some reason his riding buddies let him do this rather than get in an ambulance or sag wagon...

He didn't know it at the time, but he had a pretty good concussion.

Do your riding buddies a favor...if someone crashes and destroys their helmet on a group ride, pause their Garmin, take their phone out of their pocket and order them an Uber. Send them someplace where they can be observed

if you hit something hard enough to destroy your helmet, you do not have the judgement to then decide whether you're safe to ride...

[rePhil]

A local nine year old tragically just lost his life.

https://www.heraldtribune.com/zz/news/20190521/florida-student-9-killed-while-bicycling-to-school

My daughter in law teaches at his school and knew him and his sister. From what I heard that he was not wearing a helmet. I also heard he was a BMX racer. Every track I have ever been to has a helmet policy. No helmet, no ride. I have no idea if a helmet would have saved him. I can only assume he didn't want to be wearing his full face race helmet to school. It's too late to wish he did and wonder what if....

Ironically I recently interacted with a Deputy running radar on a local street. I asked why he didn't enforce the law requiring kids under 16 to wear a helmet? He asked if I ever saw kids riding to school, most are helmet less.I said my point exactly! My guess is there will be more enforcement / education in the next school year. Sadly it won't bring Roman back.




Try not to judge other folks parenting but I tend to agree that letting them not wear a helmet is not a great choice for the kids. See it all the time around here and the law is that helmets are mandatory on bikes until age 18. NEVER enforced so more or less unless at this point. Kids are learning how to operate their motor skills and their bikes at the same time, they always seem to be looking at anywhere but in front of them. They crash it is going to happen. They will hit their heads it os going to happen. A helmet provides more protection than a bare skull. Head injuries can cause lifetime deficits. Other broken body parts generally fully heal. There is often too much "safety" for kids, this is not one of those cases.