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Oh no, not another "wear your helmet" thread...
I know these helmet threads usually turn nasty. -I sincerely don't intend to put non-helmet wearers on the defensive. So no flames here please. Anyway, I used to be a non-wearer myself. At least I used to take it off sometimes on solo rides when it gets really hot.
Not anymore. Last night I was on a recovery ride, just taking my time, enjoying the scenery out in the countryside. I am heading east and another biker is coming west, directly into the blinding evening sun. I notice it is someone I had chatted with earlier in the ride and he waves at me. I then raise my hand to wave and veer slightly to the right a little to steer around a manhole. Just as I lift my left hand from the bars to wave and veer over, my front wheel hits an arc-shaped pothole which instantly steers my front wheel under, and over the bars I go. My head hits the pavement first, my bike bounces on both sides (I know this only because the sides of both shifters and both sides of my leather saddle are heavily chewed up), and then my hip hits. In the post wreck adrenaline rush I jump up to quickly check my bike over. The frame looks ok. The rear wheel is taco'ed slightly. Hmmm..I wonder how that happened in a frontal impact type of wreck like this one..The shifters don't look good, but otherwise everything else looks ok. As I am staring down at the top tube catching my breath, I see a few drops of red stuff appear on the frame. Then some more. Just then the other rider walks up and says "Dude, you don't look so good". My face had taken the brunt of the impact with heavy bleeding from my chin, lips, and forehead, and pieces of teeth missing. After some sincere apologoies from the other guy (as if he needed to apologize, I still can't figure this out), he offers to get his wife to pick me up. I then tell him I'll call my wife on my cell for a trip to the emergency room and he reluctantly rides away. After returning from the emergency room with 15 internal and external stitches to put the flesh on my chin back together, 5 on my upper lip, and 7 on my forehead, the dentist caps both front teeth and I am relieved to have my toothy grin back. The doctor who patched me up was also a cyclist and we talked shop while he was pulling thread. He made sure I was well numbed up so it really wasn't too bad. You know, none of this really seemed to be that big of a deal until I checked out my helmet back home. The piece of my Bell Ghisallo that covers my forehead where it smacked the pavement is cracked clear through. The only thing holding it in place is the outer plastic shell. I can hold it up to the sun and see daylight. I have no idea what kind of injury the front of my skull would have sustained without the helmet (other than my stitched up lacerations), but I really don't think my skull would have fared much better than my helmet. To the folks at Bell Helmets, and whatever engineer designed this particular model: Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou!!! It did exaclty what it was supposed to do. I had previously thought my chin and face had taken the brunt of the impact. I was wrong. Please wear a helmet. It takes one time. A few pics of the helmet: This is a cross post from rbr since I can't post pics here yet (ignore the wording, its identical): http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=41240 |
#2
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Glad you're OK.......
I did a double somersalt over the trunk of a car after hitting the rear Quarter panel at 20+MPH and the first thing to hit the street was my helmet. I walked away with a deep thigh bruise from hitting the bars.......without the helmet I suspect I'd either be still dribbling sown my chin or I'd be fertilizer. I never ride without a helmet.
Glad you're OK. The bike can be replaced, you can't. Len
__________________
"Evil.....is the complete lack of Empathy!" "One of the largest obstacles to seeing truth......is wanting something too much." |
#3
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I've crashed
four times over a period of about 30 years. EVERY crash resulted in a well mangled helmet: no concussions, no head injuries, just wrecked helmets...I don't argue with anyone about the value of wearing helmets, or helmet laws, or the freedom of choice involved, or...I simply encourage my sons to wear them, and remain deeply grateful to Bell and Giro.
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#4
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Great post.
I used to HATE wearing a helmet in the late 80's as a young teen on a Road bike. My mom used to yell at me. Plenty of times I'd stashed it in the bushes at the library to go riding with friends (odd, I didn;t mind the funny shorts, hmmm...). I think if people do not want to wear a helmet, that is their right. It's foolish, but it is their right. They can state that it would have never saved Casartelli, but it would have saved Kivilev.... Quote:
I think that as ambassador's of cycling we set an example. Not just for other riders on the road, but for kids. You have the ability to choose as an adult whether or not to wear a helmet, but a child does not have the same reasoning ability as an adult. If you do not want to wear a helmet, that is fine, but think of the example you are setting. http://www.helmets.org/index.htm Last edited by Argos; 09-16-2005 at 11:27 AM. |
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Helmets definitely work.
Definitely good reasons to wear a helmet. Glad both of you are ok!
Besides riding bicycles, I also ride motorcycles - Yes I am faster on the motorcycle BUT than a turtle is faster than me when I am on my bicycle. I have to admit that at times it would feel good to ride without the confines of a hemet BUT when doing a "risk-reward" view it just doesn't work for me. Recently I was traveling thru South Carolina and it was HOT HOT HOT - especially with the helmet and protective clothing that I wear for motorcycling. I looked out of place some areas for other riders had no helmet, short sleeve shirt and a few even shorts. I view this as a personal choice that they made as adults and do not question what is right for them. In being in past accidents both motorcycle and bicycle over the past 30 years, I would feel undressed without a helmet. But I have a firm opinion that each and every person must be responsible for themselves. (Sandy might be an exception for Bailey is watching out for him and the bagel) |
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#7
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I keep the helmet I shattered last year by my bikes in the garage as a reminder and encouragement to wear one.
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#8
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I am glad you are ok!!
Oh, the stories I could tell to back this up. The shock factor is too great for most people to digest, so I won't churn everyone's stomach w/too many details. Suffice it to say that if my high-speed crash would have resulted in any worse injuries, I would be dead or still under someone else's care. I believe my injuries would have been worse without my Giro.
Last edited by Tailwinds; 09-16-2005 at 11:56 AM. |
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I'm sorry to hear of your injuries, but very glad that your helmet prevented anything worse.
I had the back of my helmet crushed in a criterium crash. Before that I would occasionally ride sans. Ever since then, I never leave home with out one covering my k-noggin. William |
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Yes I know, I can't stop going on about those Terraplanes..Do I sound infatuated? Its because I am! hahahaha! I WILL have one someday..<evil laugh> I am trying to win the contest for most irritating Terraplane fan, so Mr. Kirk will finally send me one just to get rid of me.. |
#11
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You will be an even bigger fan once you ride one! Kinda related to this thread... the stability and predictability of my new Kirk has enabled me to actually ENJOY descending again. That is saying a lot!!!
I might be tied w/you for the winner of "Dave's most irritating fan." I'm just so thrilled w/my new bike, I can't help gushing about it. |
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Wayne, I'm happy to hear you survived the crash without brain trauma.
I've written about the time my wife and I were hit head-on by an out of control cement truck. The impact was severe enough to fracture a vertebrae, break both my arms, a bunch of fingers, lacerations deep enough so I lost over a pint of blood, and have multiple facial fractures. If the impact was hard enough to literally smash my face in, I shudder when I think about what would have happened if I was not wearing a helmet. I worked as a bike messenger in D.C. through during my undergrad years, and never had a serious accident, and never wore a helmet. But as you so succinctly put it, it takes just one time. Don't throw out your helmet, I keep mine as a reminder of how valuable that piece of plastic is. Last edited by JasonF; 09-16-2005 at 12:37 PM. |
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#14
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Echo the others saying glad you're OK, all things considered!
You should see if Bell still has their helmet replacement program. I endo'd on a mountain bike a few years back and split my helmet down the middle. For $20 and a note describing the accident for their research Bell replaced it. Much appreciated! Cheers, Andy.
__________________
Olympic hopefull 2008/2112/2116/2020/2024 |
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Thanks for the kind sentiments. |
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