a77impala

Never give up, three weeks after my first crash another bicyclist hit me head on and I fractured my right shoulder. That was the summer from hell! I actually rode my bike the next day one arm immobilized,only about 100 yards. Since that summer I have ridden over 52,000 miles. Have gone down a few times, been hit by a car, but no serious injury other than road rash.
I don't consider myself unusual in this respect, just in love with riding my bikes.
I can only encourage you to never give up, get back on and enjoy one of life's greatest experiences.

freedomrider1

+1 great post

Artkansas 

+100

In my decades on the road, I've been bike jacked, run-over by a car, right-hooked, assaulted, and run into a tree that had fallen across the road. The adventures never end. But they are blips among many happy hours.

BikeArkansas

I do plan to get back on the bike, but today was a downer. After having the stiches removed in my left hand the splint was removed to view the rest of the hand for the first time since the crash. The doc shook his head and said it was not good. Probably another 6 weeks, but will see a specialist next week.

However, I did place the order for a new All-City steel frame. I am looking forward to a new build.

freedomrider1

Hang in there buddy.

qcpmsame 

Man, that is a tough biscuit to chew on, hope that the specialist can move the hand's healing along. I'll keep you on my prayer list for now, what ever it takes. Please keep us posted on the progress and your recovery, as well as the build for the All City. That build should make the morale go up some!

Bill

turkey9186

Sorry, know suggestions about a helmet.
Having face planted a year ago, go get checked for traumatic brain injury. It could be weeks before the symptoms appear.
JB

BikeArkansas

My GP is worried about the fact I was knocked out for several minutes. I do not know what to look for to detect a brain injury?

OldTryGuy

Sorry about your plant. As many here, been there and still on the road biking.

It's not for you to look for! Having a knock out is reason enough for a CAT Scan. My wife was out for some time after our rear ender. Never hit her head but suffered a severe subdural hematoma and other junk. Happened in '07 and she just had some resulting head issues, again, a couple weeks ago.

My '11 bike crash had me in a 24/7 neck brace for 8 weeks. A minor broken neck, clavicle, LTN injury and other stuff but enough to stop the biking. Neurosurgeon said 8 weeks in the neck brace. Went back for 8 week visit all excited about brace disappearing and neuro looks at films, looks at me and says, NOT YET. Now he's concerned about the slippage and compression of C5-C6-C7 so 8 more weeks. Finally got my reprieve and even with resulting issues I'm back enjoying the freedom of the wheels.

Hang in there. Bumps and pot-holes abound but you will find the way around them in time.

Good-Luck.

qcpmsame 

Just ask 10,000 Wheels about TBI, and his last major accident. Things took a turn for the worse after a bit, with not too much showing up at first, then its posted here, by a relative of his, that he had emergency brain surgery. See a physcian and insist on a referral to a neurologist or a neurosurgeon. A lot of research on TBI is going on since Iraq and 'Stan and all of the IED injuries, Hell of a way to kick something into gear that merits our attention.

Bill

turkey9186

Here is a good source for TBI information. TBI | Traumatic Brain Injury | Traumatic Brain Injury Resources | Brain Injury Support | Brain Injury Information

I would ask the doctor for a CAT scan at a minimum.

I was on active duty at the time of my crash and TDY at San Antonio. I did not lose consciousness, but they wasted no time running me through all the tests at a hospital that has seen a lot of TBI injuries.
Mine is mild. However, I do suffer from short term memory loss, headaches, and occasional vertigo. It is getting better with time. I find I have more issues after driving or long periods of high hand-eye coordination activities.

Oh yeah, here is how mine happened. I was doing 20 when I hit the dog. Dogs and Bike Crash at Devine on Oct 5th - YouTube
JB

h2oxtc

You now have something in common with Bono of U2 fame. He had a similar crash / injury this past weekend.
I truly hope that you do get that new frame and are back riding soon!

U2 Singer Bono to Receive 'Intensive Therapy' After Injury | Rolling Stone

Carbonfiberboy 

Wouldn't be a bad idea to talk to a therapist. It's common to need a bit of speech or memory therapy after a knock like that. Hope you heal up well and quickly.

BTW, a recent study published in JAMA concluded that taking a baby aspirin/day, like many of us do for supposed heart health, for most folks resulted in increased death rate from bleeding more than it helped with the heart. Only in the cases of those with diagnosed coronary artery disease, IOW those who have had heart attacks, did it lower the overall death rate. Just sayin'.

jdon

How about a hockey helmet? Well vented, reasonable weight, full face cage available.

BikeArkansas

A definite helmet to consider. The doc I saw about the broken bones in my face is a road rider. He wonders why there is not a full face roadie helmet. He asked if my helmet made any contact, and I answered that my standard helmet, an expensive Giro, made no contact. The doc said this is the case most of the time and that there needs to be a revolution in roadie helmets to protect the face

Phlorida

i did my face plant about four years ago. I turned so hard to avoid a pickup truck that pulled out in front of me that I popped the tire and went over the bars. I had almost gotten the bike stopped so there was little if any forward motion when I went over. The strike point was my right cheek with only minor scratches to the helmet. I ended up with five orbital fractures, a crushed cheekbone and a cracked mandible. Other than some mild numbness in my upper jaw I have no long term effects from that and I ride almost daily.

Joe Minton

The 'standard' foam between the part of you that strikes the (whatever) is the only practical answer. Full facial coverage motorcycle helmets are the only helmets, I know of, that provide impact protection for the wearer's chin, forehead, etc.

Helmets with chinbars that do not include EBS (Expanded Bead Polystyrene) pads are almost worthless for protecting your chin or forehead; they may make you prettier in the coffin but won't do much to keep you from getting there in the first place.

If you want, essentially, complete protection for your head, wear a "full coverage" motorcycle helmet, like the downhill racers do. Such helmets have foam between your brains, cheeks and chin. The more foam -- the better.

The problem we (cyclists) face is that we sweat a lot. A competent motorcycle helmet does not allow for our low speeds and caloric output. Still, if you insist on complete head (brain) protection, you aren't going to find it amongst any bicycle helmets I know of.

Joe

BikeArkansas

Joe, all my research agrees with you completely. My hope is to search out a manufacturer that finds there is a need for a strong, but ventilated helmet to protect both the head and face. Right now the cost can be high and I would still make a purchase. This face plant hurts, a lot.

Joe Minton

BikeArkansas:


Clearly, helmet designs are compromises, complicated compromises.

A full coverage motorcycle helmet is unacceptable to virtually all bicycle riders, except perhaps for those who plunge downhill at great speed while sometimes pointed at trees & rocks that would kill them in a millisecond after impact.

What we can buy at our local LBS illustrates the reality of bike helmets; no one is going to buy the equivalent of a road-racing motorcycle helmet just to ride their bike down the street or on the local MUP.

The reality is that we only get very limited protection from our bicycle helmets. It is the most important protection, direct trauma to our brain, but -- it is limited.

For instance(s):
A severe frontal blow to the chin can force the lower jaw back, causing a basal skull fracture which few survive.
A severe strike on one's forehead can literally stop the heart.

A blow to any part of your head which can damage your brain is just that --- a blow that can damage your brain.

Don't know about you but I don't want to resemble the robot in the movie "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" and I am sure you do not as well.

What I do is accept the practical limits of bicycle helmets and take other measures: Lights, bright ones, blinking ones; reflective tape all over my bike; bright and perhaps obnoxious clothing; a big rear view mirror and, most important of all --- my head on a swivel.

We don't live in Copenhagen where folks look out for one-another; we live in the USA where the working philosophy is more like -- 'I'll get mine and F-You'.

Joe

bruce19

When I crashed and face planted my helmet showed only a moderate abrasion on the lower edge. Having ridden motorcycles for almost 40 yrs I've always been amazed at how meager bike helmet protection is. Not sure how they can be made more protective without increasing weight and compromising ventilation.

bruce19

Pretty much this.

Wanderer

Ouchj, I feel your pain.

A few years back I did a big face plant due to snow and ice - nobody to blame but me, for riding in the snow and ice.

However, those damned bollards are a distinct hazard, and those that decided to place them should be responsible for the nasty crashes they cause.

I'd see a lawyer, so that maybe they would go away, or a better, safer, system could be found.

Mr IGH

OP, I hope you get well and are able to ride again. Very scary experince that could happen to any of us. As for the helmet, maybe the airbag style solution as some merit? The current design could be modified to adapt to a standard helmet and protect the face when deployed from sensor input.

Hövding ? Airbag for cyclists

fietsbob

For Aggressive Down hill MTB racing there are Full face helmets , they feature a Microshell .(and Better Ventilation)

where the similar style will be a Fiberglass shell for MotorSports.

StanSeven

Helmets with more protection on the road hinders the ability to see, hear, ventilate and even breathe properly. Downhill helmets are fine for their purpose because riders just ride down a steep hill and don't have to worry about traffic, moving obstacles, and hard effect like climbing.