I started wearing helmets so far back that hardly anyone wore them. Thinking it was 1978 or 1979. It was an ugly Bell. I hated it but it did make me feel safer. Back in the late 1980's I saw a fellow dump in our pack, a new rider, hit head-first on the pavement (locked wheels and went over) when we were running around 28 mph. I can still hear the sound his helmet made when he hit. Eesh it was bad.
It put a hole the size of a fist through the plastic and foam. He was dazed and confused, probably had a concussion, but he was alive and was back riding with us a few weeks later. After he crashed all of us looked at the helmet. One guy said, "anyone doubt why we should wear a helmet? This is living proof". That guy would have been dead if he hadn't been wearing a helmet.
That event has stuck with me to this day. I had a close call while skating back in the 1990's and tore a big gouge in my helmet. Another reminder why I protect my noggin.
It's time to buy a new one actually, and I'm looking seriously at those new Bontrager crush-liner helmets.
This is what my first helmet looked like. Fuuuugly!
