Originally Posted by stokell
I crashed in traffic several months ago when the front wheel entered a sanitary sewer cover (they used to call them manhole covers). My bike was a wreck, but I got up and walked away without injury. Later I realized I'd got over the bars, so I checked my Bell helmet. There was a small abrasion on the plastic shell, but one of the cracks in the foam went right through. I'm glad it was the helmet that took the hit.
New helmet; $50
Life: Priceless
I understand that some companies will give you a free helmet if you turn a cracked one in (or something like that).