Helmets and crashes

[LegendRider]

How many helmets have you ruined in crashes?

I've "retired" three (3) from crashes in 20 years of riding - most recently a Bell Volt following a seemingly innocent mountain bike "incident."

[gone]

Two. In both cases, if you'd have asked me 30 seconds before if I needed to have a helmet on I'd have said "no".

I always wear a helmet.

[djg21]

Two. In both cases, if you'd have asked me 30 seconds before if I needed to have a helmet on I'd have said "no".

I always wear a helmet.

One. The one that saved my life when I got hit by a car head on and went head first through the windshield.

[rustychain]

Riding and racing from early 70's and currently ride around 200+ miles per week. Hit by cars 3 times, crashed in crit 3 times, hit by a deer 1 time (yea I know). Anyway I have yet to break a helmet in a crash. I'll keep wearing one until I hit age 100. After that I'll take my chances

[ultraman6970]

i havent done this yet, and hope it never happens. I have seen broken helmets tho. Probably it is a mere think of luck too, u hit something wrong u can die, u can flip in your car like 50 times and probably you dont get a single cut.

There is a guy with skull fractures in the tour of Switzerland, looks like happened something similar to the other guy who died in the giro this year. So looks like we are going to have to come back to the super big helmets like in the mid 80's eh?

[rustychisel]

Two. In both cases, if you'd have asked me 30 seconds before if I needed to have a helmet on I'd have said "no".

I always wear a helmet.


Good point that. And we were able to write about it afterward...

Three for me, all big crashes (broken bones, contusions, hospital, stuff)

[bart998]

I've broken two helmets over the last 30 years. One in 1979 and one in 2009. The 2009 incident I'm sure saved my life because my head hit a concrete curb and the helmet shattered... I only had a headache.

Always wear a helmet.

[learlove]

Time Refrigerator helmet - early 90's, white with orange TIME logo.

1992 Tour of Somerville - crashed in turn 3.

I was sitting about 10 back from the front and I T-boned a guy who rolled his tire. Went flying over my bars like Superman and slide on my chest with my arms/hands dragging at my hips like an ape (still have the scars on my knuckles). As I came to a stop (sliding) 3 guys behind me rolled right over me (my back) and went flying too.

After the carnage I notice the front of the helmet (thin plastic cover and foam) is crushed and on the left side there are 5 marks where someones chainring punctured the helmet.

I was fine (less the sore chest and scrapes/cuts) but I did not remember hitting my head or my head being hit by the guys that road over me. I also broke my Oakley Frogskin sunglasses in the crash.

[rice rocket]

I just cracked my KASK K10 on Tuesday. Final sprint of a crit, guy in front of me went down. Broken clavicle and minor concussion, never lost consciousness. Pretty sure the helmet did it's job, that pavement looked like it'd do a helluva lot more damage at 30-ish mph (I'm a slow sprinter, shutup ;) ).

[san]

i cracked a Lazer Genesis RD helmet a few weeks back when i was cut off by a biker with no lights. I can vouch for this helmet. it held up well. my first point of contact was on head and it left a dent and cracked where the impact was. definitely could have been worse if i didn't have it on.

it left me with these nice scars. :confused:

[TimmyB]

I've cracked four. Two during crits (neither were my fault, mind you). One was kind of hard to describe, but short story longer i hit a curb going 25 and did a front flip that landed on my face. The other time I was skateboarding and fell on my neighbor's half pipe.

With the number of times I have been hit/doored/been crashed out, I wear a helmet just about all times.

[Bruce K]

Two.

One road crash and one cyclocross crash.

The cross crash put the lights out for about 15 seconds.

BK

[Peter P.]

Never broke a helmet racing.

I've been hit by cars three times; two of those times the crash cracked the helmet.

[soulspinner]

Riding and racing from early 70's and currently ride around 200+ miles per week. Hit by cars 3 times, crashed in crit 3 times, hit by a deer 1 time (yea I know). Anyway I have yet to break a helmet in a crash. I'll keep wearing one until I hit age 100. After that I'll take my chances

If you can remember :rolleyes:

[rickbb]

One, on a fork failure. Bell Sweep hit the pavement at speed, center-front, right at the "point." It looks fine other than the scratches at the impact point but it is retired and in a place of honor, next to a couple of wired micronuts that stopped long leader falls on rock :eek: .

[William]

A few spills, but only one....

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showpost.php?p=27157&postcount=18




William

[LesMiner]

One crash 1992 and a smashed helmet. I went over the handbars to avoid another rider. I slid on my shoulder and on to my side. I could see the curb approaching and thought I am glad I have this helment on.

Another crash 2009 also a smashed helmet. Something in the pedal let loose while standing in a sprint. I lost control and over the handlebars and down on my head and shoulder. Much more serious than 1992. I have never rode without a helmet.

[oldpotatoe]

How many helmets have you ruined in crashes?

I've "retired" three (3) from crashes in 20 years of riding - most recently a Bell Volt following a seemingly innocent mountain bike "incident."

Here we go, another helmet thread...these come up every year about this time.

I have a very high end helmet, Giro, and if my wife would let me, I would never wear one(whole 'nother story). And yes, I got hit from behind while riding from a woman in a pickup truck. I was knocked out for 15 minutes as my face hit her windshield(think going up, upside down, hitting windshield)..IF I had been wearing a helmet, the nuero-quack said I may have broken my neck. As it was I 'only' broke my back(L1, L3, C5).

That thin, light, piece of covered styrofoam 'may' help, probably won't hurt, but I like it in the summer when it's off.

[AngryScientist]

I'll keep wearing one until I hit age 100. After that I'll take my chances

this is awesome, and i will be adopting this philosophy myself.

[LegendRider]

Here we go, another helmet thread...these come up every year about this time.

I have a very high end helmet, Giro, and if my wife would let me, I would never wear one(whole 'nother story). And yes, I got hit from behind while riding from a woman in a pickup truck. I was knocked out for 15 minutes as my face hit her windshield(think going up, upside down, hitting windshield)..IF I had been wearing a helmet, the nuero-quack said I may have broken my neck. As it was I 'only' broke my back(L1, L3, C5).

That thin, light, piece of covered styrofoam 'may' help, probably won't hurt, but I like it in the summer when it's off.

Nope. I wasn't clear if that's what you think I'm asking. I'm not interested in a helmet debate either. I'm just curious how many helmets people have destroyed in their riding career - nothing more.

[flydhest]

In 25 years of serious riding, only retired one. Went down in a race in grad school.

LegendRider, I think your question was clear, but oldpotatoe's response was more at the other people responding than to your original post. (Almost) everyone else has also added a bit more polemic that is beside the point of your original question.

I find the question interesting and the answers even more so. What motivated it? I liked it because I think about the recommendations for not keeping helmets more than X years (where X is smaller if the recommendation is coming from someone who sells helmets) and so I would see an accumulation of helmets if I followed the rules closely. What do they say, 3 years? I'd have 7 or 8 helmets lying around, only one replaced in a crash. I have replaced helmets after they have got old (I think I threw out a 6 year old one) or because I lost them in a move or things like that.

Although not part of the original question, I'll add that I usually wear a helmet.

[wooly]

Broke one when a guy in a nice new Benz cut in front of me to make a right into the gas station. I slammed into his front right fender and flew over his hood, landing on the sidewalk. Scared the hell out of me. Cracked the helmet but I was fine. Even better was the nice big dent I put in the guys new car. After the accident, the driver jumps out and apologizes and says he's a cyclist as well. Yeah right.

During the summer I hate the idea of wearing one but would never not

[cmg]

have 3 that were retired after a crash. 1st incident, rider went down in front of me. five of us when down shortly there after. potatoe chipped the rear wheel. 2nd incident hit a 2x4 in the shoulder on a wednesday night ride, no lights, never saw it, went down at 21-23 mph. 3rd incident, hit a pothole, went over the bars. all of the helmets have broken bits on the backside not sure why. the pot hole hurt the most. while i tend not to ride with a helmet when riding solo that habit is slowly changing.

[Tom]

Deposited in the ditch by a hooched up lady in a Mustang, I slept in the mud for a couple minutes as she merrily drove away. I don't think there was a crash so much as a splat, it was spring and the ground was very wet. Smooshed in the side I landed on so I got a new one.

[RPS]

At least two that I recall clearly.

The first cracked on back and left side of head when I flipped over bars and landed on back of head as I rolled.

The second almost certainly saved my life when I went off the road at 40 MPH after hitting gravel and hitting something hard face first. The helmet crushed a bunch directly over my forehead. I don’t remember details because I was out for at least 20 minutes. I now not only wear a helmet but also make sure it fits right and is on tight enough that it can’t pivot backwards leaving forehead exposed.

[Fixed]

broke mine 2 months ago i am still off the bike
cheers

[rugbysecondrow]

Riding and racing from early 70's and currently ride around 200+ miles per week. Hit by cars 3 times, crashed in crit 3 times, hit by a deer 1 time (yea I know). Anyway I have yet to break a helmet in a crash. I'll keep wearing one until I hit age 100. After that I'll take my chances

How do you find the time to ride 200+ miles a week?

[Fixed]

How do you find the time to ride 200+ miles a week?
when i was young i rode 300 miles ran 30 miles swam 20000 yards a week ..
200 = a couple of hours a day
cheers

[flydhest]

For me, the times when I have done 200 miles a week, while working, I didn't have children, but I could still imagine doing it now if I was a different type of person with a slightly different job. Now, two days a week, I get up and meet a teammate for intervals at quarter to 6 am. On Saturday and Sunday, we ride for 40 miles each again at 6:00. The intervals endup clocking in at 20 to 25 miles, so already we're at just over 100 for the week. My daughter wakes at 6:00 or just after, then has her first nap, and I am back to do the second bottle and spend time with her then until I go to work (during the week) or we start the rest of the day (weekends). If instead of intervals, I did a "ride" we'd be at 160 per week. Add one more day and you're there. I just work too much and riding is a reduction in sleep, given that I am not willing to sacrifice more time with my daughter.

Obviously, anyone can do the math, but if you ride everyday, 30 miles a day takes only two hours. OK, so "only" should have been in quotation marks. For people who have a single focus, it is feasible. No longer for me, however.

[rugbysecondrow]

I guess it is less than it seems. With little kids, wife and job, it just seems like a lot to me. I lost my perspective, how quickly I forget things like free time. :)

For me, the times when I have done 200 miles a week, while working, I didn't have children, but I could still imagine doing it now if I was a different type of person with a slightly different job. Now, two days a week, I get up and meet a teammate for intervals at quarter to 6 am. On Saturday and Sunday, we ride for 40 miles each again at 6:00. The intervals endup clocking in at 20 to 25 miles, so already we're at just over 100 for the week. My daughter wakes at 6:00 or just after, then has her first nap, and I am back to do the second bottle and spend time with her then until I go to work (during the week) or we start the rest of the day (weekends). If instead of intervals, I did a "ride" we'd be at 160 per week. Add one more day and you're there. I just work too much and riding is a reduction in sleep, given that I am not willing to sacrifice more time with my daughter.

Obviously, anyone can do the math, but if you ride everyday, 30 miles a day takes only two hours. OK, so "only" should have been in quotation marks. For people who have a single focus, it is feasible. No longer for me, however.

[JStonebarger]

In 12 years of riding and racing I've cracked three helmets. One in training and two in races (one of which was about a week old -- 'doh!).

The helmet I wear now didn't crack last fall when I was hit from behind at 60mph by a F150. In an ambulance on a back board (broken L2, fibula) the EMT hands me my helmet and says "Look at this."
What?
"Not a scratch."
I am one lucky boy.

[firerescuefin]

For me, the times when I have done 200 miles a week, while working, I didn't have children, but I could still imagine doing it now if I was a different type of person with a slightly different job. Now, two days a week, I get up and meet a teammate for intervals at quarter to 6 am. On Saturday and Sunday, we ride for 40 miles each again at 6:00. The intervals endup clocking in at 20 to 25 miles, so already we're at just over 100 for the week. My daughter wakes at 6:00 or just after, then has her first nap, and I am back to do the second bottle and spend time with her then until I go to work (during the week) or we start the rest of the day (weekends). If instead of intervals, I did a "ride" we'd be at 160 per week. Add one more day and you're there. I just work too much and riding is a reduction in sleep, given that I am not willing to sacrifice more time with my daughter.

Obviously, anyone can do the math, but if you ride everyday, 30 miles a day takes only two hours. OK, so "only" should have been in quotation marks. For people who have a single focus, it is feasible. No longer for me, however.


Good post.....Just the other night, fed the kiddos, Put them in their PJs, loaded them both up in the 2 man Chariot, road from 1845-2100 on the MUT. I put 80-100 miles a week on the Chariots (have both a 1 and 2 man). Just a different (but great) season of life.


To answer the Original Post...1 helmet replaced, sideswiped by a van mirror. If it would have caught my helmet any more flush, it probably would have broke my neck. Hit and run driver, shoved my glasses down my nose so hard, it sliced my nose open. I was able to pull off the side of the road and regroup. It took me a second to figure out what happened.

[Scott Shire]

2.

A Catlike, head first then hip into the pavement. Hip was sore for weeks.

And a TSG Superlight trying to ride home in a blizzard. But I wasn't riding yet. The driveway I was leaving was too icy to ride down so I walked the bike and fell ass over teakettle. Helmet had a big wonky dent.*

*but was a great helmet and worked particularly well over bulky wool hats.

[rustychain]

Sorry to add to the thread drift but the question of how I do 200+ miles a week, I'm a coach and work evenings. Need to stay fit so most days I do 40 miles. My kids are grown.
My wife says I'm accident prone but if you work it out on a per mile basis I think not. Actually I've had all my head injuries not riding the bike. Perhaps I should wear my helmet when off the bike. One of those cool sperm shaped time trial ones perhaps. ;)

[Hokiemon]

I am serious.

[mbrtool]

Six and all in the last twenty years. Some of these were severely cracked.

[Bob Loblaw]

An old Giro helmet back in the days of no-shell foam helmets. It cracked in three places and was severely ground down on one side. Definitely saved me from a nice bald-spot scar on the side of my noodle.

Prior to that I raced a Bell V-1 Pro. That thing was sturdy as hell. I crashed it several times before retiring it to MTB duty. It was deeply gouged in several places and made a great visual aid for my "Why I Wear a Helmet" speech.

BL

[chuckroast]

I've broken a total of three. Interestingly (to me anyway), two were in one year, 2008. The other one was in 1988. So I guess I'm good for another 17 years now.

[sbparker31]

I have never broken a bicycle helmet, but have smashed a ski helmet. I was skiing some steep glades in Colorado, missed a turn, and smashed the side of my head into a tree. Definitely saw stars, and got a nasty gash on my ear.

Helmets are not just for bicycles.

[flydhest]

LegendRider,
What was the original motivation of your question, if I may ask?

I am somewhat amazed at the numbers, I have to say.

[19wisconsin64]

Like motorcycle and football, we are in a sport where our heads will eventually come into contact with something very hard at high rate of speed.

We need helmets that better protect our heads during this extremely brief moment of extreme trauma.

I'm not an expert or an engineer, but perhaps something with an external shell made of a kevlar/carbon blend that can withstand the initial hit or hits. The inside of the helmet, in order to protect the brains smashing against the inside of your skull can be improved by having a gel layer (perhaps a lightweight version of the material in the Spenco Gel saddles) combined with the styrofoam harder material.

We spend $200 on shorts, and $300 on shoes, and often thousands on our bicycles. Personally, I'd pay $400 to $500 for such a helmet.

A few years ago I had a high-speed crash where my head hit the pavement so hard............ The helmet saved me, but it could have done a better job.

If there is such a helmet out there, please let me know!!!

Thanks, Dave

[LegendRider]

LegendRider,
What was the original motivation of your question, if I may ask?

I am somewhat amazed at the numbers, I have to say.

After having recently destroyed the third helmet of my riding career, I simply wanted some perspective. Among my teammates and friends - a small group with whom I've been riding for many years - I've gone through more helmets (i.e., had more frequent and severe crashes).

The responses suggest to me that my experience isn't that unusual. Three helmets in 20 years even looks "normal." Put another way, riding for 20 years and only destroying a single helmet (like a lot of my friends) seems unusual or fortunate.

[HenryA]

Two.

Broke one all to pieces in 1995 in a big wreck in a crit in Florida. Three laps to go and totally wound up, one guy in front of me pushed off another guy while fighting for 4th or 5th wheel. They swerved apart, then back together and we all went down. The other 40 or so guys behind us then joined the party. I was told it was quite a scene. A night and day in the ICU and a week in the hospital and they sent me home. There is a reason for the rule about keeping your hands on the bars and not pushing other riders with your hands. Three riders went to the hospital and several bikes were broken. Amazingly, my bike was unscathed.

The other helmet just cracked in a minor MTB mishap. No story there.

Always wear you helmet. Its too late to put it on when you find out you really need it.

[biker72]

Just one cracked helmet. The impact knocked me silly for a few minutes...very dizzy.

I started wearing a helmet during my motocycle days back in the 70's. I always wore a helmet...even in the Texas heat. The cycling helmets are much cooler and lighter.

[Stewball]

One on 28, March when a Porsche hung a left & the other years ago in a failed track stand. First thing I do is replace the helmet.

[ClutchCargo]

Just one, in about 20 years of riding. Happened last year, at the end of the fist day of the PanMass Challenge. Was second in our line, flying around a corner when the front man went down on a patch of sand; no room to maneuver and I plowed into him, front wheel tacoed and I flipped over the bars. Broken scapula from that one. The helmet wasn't bashed in or anything, but one side seemed to have "loosened up" a bit, so I retired it.

[jpw]

2.

In 2000, a Bell (wing mirror handlebar hook), and 2012 (a wing mirror swipe), a Giro.

[jh_on_the_cape]

I have broken 3 helmets. One was on a waterbar riding in Leavenworth WA. Rear suspension somehow just bucked ne forward and I supermanned. Helmet was innpieces. Guy behind me thought I was dead. My neck is still sore Years later and I ruined my gloves and jacket. Helmet saved me for sure.

I always wear a helmet. Last Saturday I rented a bike and wore the smelly ill fitting rental helmet.

Here in Italy tons of people do not wear helmets. Like half or more. It's more PRO!!!

[Bob Ross]

I only remember replacing one because it was damaged in a crash...

:)

[christian]

Been riding 29 years and have never broken a helmet. Have been helped to the ground once by a right-hooking lady in a Camry, but other than that I haven't fallen off a bicycle on the road since sixth grade (I wasn't wearing a helmet because we didn't back then). I try to ride between 3000 and 4000 miles per year.

I wear one most of the time, a Bell Sweep I'm actually quite fond of. But it isn't religion for me, and on a sunny day, a cotton cap is nicer!

[oldpotatoe]

Been riding 29 years and have never broken a helmet. Have been helped to the ground once by a right-hooking lady in a Camry, but other than that I haven't fallen off a bicycle on the road since sixth grade (I wasn't wearing a helmet because we didn't back then). I try to ride between 3000 and 4000 miles per year.

I wear one most of the time, a Bell Sweep I'm actually quite fond of. But it isn't religion for me, and on a sunny day, a cotton cap is nicer!

Yep...going up the hill, riding by myself, in the FrootLoops or up to Jamestown, in the summer, my helmet is on the handlebars.

Have crashed hard 3 times, never broke or damaged the helmet cuz didn't hit me head.

=Hit a 6 ft long builder's level, left on the road-onto my right hand and shoulder

-stuck my leg between my front wheel and the frame-over the handlebars, onto my back

-hit from behind by p/u truck..broken back.



-

[witcombusa]

Nope, never broke one. But then again, much of my riding is on rural roads in the hills and I'm not wearing one. A nice wool cap with earflaps this time of year!

[jpw]

Nope, never broke one. But then again, much of my riding is on rural roads in the hills and I'm not wearing one. A nice wool cap with earflaps this time of year!


Have you seen the Assos Fugu Helm? Uber fashionable :rolleyes:

[redir]

I broke one when I was hit by a car a few years ago. I also broke one when it fell off my shelf maybe 6ft to the ground. I don't have much faith the things do much good. It was an expensive one too. I've been looking into skate helmets or those Nutcase ski/bike helmets. Something that actually looks like it might not break if you look at it wrong.

[kohagen]

I've broken two bike helmets when hit by cars making left turns at intersections. Both times included emergency room visits with the usual CAT scans and x-rays. Both bikes were pretty beaten up, but both were able to be repaired. Steel frames can have their tubes replaced fairly easily.

I've also broken one ski helmet, which involved an overnight stay at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center's trauma center. The guy in the bed next to me was a snowboarder who did not have a helmet, and who was only responsive to pain. The doc picked up my helmet and said, "Kiss it, it saved your life."

So, yeah, I'll always wear a helmet when biking or skiing.

[northbend]

2.
(good investment IMO)

[henry14]

1 in over 14 years of riding. Crashed on my mt bike. I believe it saved my noggin being split open by a huge rock. It was a Giro E2.

Haven't crashed yet on my road bike. *knocks on wood.

[Steve in SLO]

In 30+ years of riding and about 150K miles and I haven't retired one from a crash yet. On the other hand, for fashion and comfort I have retired quite a few.

[Hokiemon]

Three for me. Two on mountain bikes and one at the RAGBRAI. Never, never ever ride without one.

[deechee]

one? I've been lucky and never hit my head directly in a crash. I'm impressed with those of you who have.

[Germany_chris]

Don't wear them so none