dmanthree

Had my first crash in, well, decades the other day. My front wheel touched the back wheel of a rider in front of me and the inevitable result followed. Fell left, hip contacted, then shoulder, and then my head whipped down and bounced off the pavement. So what's the first? I cracked my helmet all the way through the foam body. Very glad it wasn't my head.

So another reminder of what we all know: wear a good quality helmet.

datlas 

Heal up ASAP!

JohnDThompson 

Been there, done that.

N.B. check with your helmet manufacturer about a crash-replacement policy. I know Bell has one; I got a replacement for my crashed helmet at a substantial discount.

Seattle Forrest

Wow, sounds awful. Glad you're still able to post, sounds like the helmet did its job. Hope you're feeling better soon.

Wileyrat

I've done it twice.

Heal up quickly.

firebird854

Wow! I haven't gone more than a few months without crashing lately, glad to hear some people make it decades...

eja_ bottecchia

Get well. Thanks for the PSA.

robbyville

Happy to hear that your noggin is still intact!

joelcool

Wow, good reminder, thanks for posting!

rumrunn6

glad you are OK! how old is the helmet? I remember reading helmets should be replaced every 5 years cuz the styrofoam dries out, or something like that. I have a cpl new helmets but most that our family used are older than 5 years

another fall to the left side. thanks for including that note!

Clipped_in

Glad you are relatively okay OP!
I was on a group ride last Saturday with a guy that I hadn't seen in quite a while. I had heard that he had a bad high-speed crash last summer during a road race that left him with serious head injuries. He told me underwent a surgical procedure that only had a 30% survival rate - gulp! Obviously, he survived the operation and it was a success, but he was strongly encouraging wearing a helmet with MIPS technology.

Something to consider OP since you are shopping for a new helmet. Glad your crash wasn't any worse than it was!

dmanthree

Thanks to all! Very much appreciate the kind and supportive words. Healing is going well. Only a few small bruises left to go away. Bought a Kask Protone helmet and it fits very well. Hopefully I won't "test" this one.

Back on the road as soon as the weather clears. Time to get ready for the PMC in August.

seedsbelize 

I had that exact crash a few years ago. Hip first and head at the end of the whip. Broke my helmet in two places, and got up and rode home. Take care.

on the path

The above is something I wish more people understood. In a crash or any kind or fall the body can act like a whip. As a visualization, think of the lower torso/hip area as the whip handle. The torso has considerable ability to bend in all directions. Think of the head as the very end of the whip. It's not hard to understand why the head is so vulnerable. Even in a slow crash or fall the head can be accelerated and receive a substantial impact.

Continue to wear your helmets, folks. OP, glad you are well enough to post and even more so, able to ride.

dmanthree

Got my new helmet, back on the road! Still sore, but it's getting better by the day. I'm keeping the old helmet as a reminder. The plastic shell and foam interior cracked all the way through. I'm pretty certain if I wasn't wearing a helmet we wouldn't be having this conversation.

dmanthree

Glad to hear you rode home! Pretty scary how fast the head whips down, no?

seedsbelize 

Yep. Mine bounced too. There was a guy who watched it all happen. He couldn't believe I got up. I caught a pedal on a speed bump at speed.

dmanthree

I always worry about catching a pedal while cornering, but never worry about the speed bumps. I just don't pedal over them. Only thing left to heal is the left shoulder. Really hit that hard.

I take it you and I are fans of helmet standards? BTW, I purchased a Kask Protone. I've only taken a couple of rides but it's comfortable so far. I'll know more when it warms up. Still in the high 50s/los 60s here.

Carbonfiberboy 

Good for you, didn't put out your hand, the big mistake too many riders make. When I've gone down flat like that, I push my helmet into the pavement as I slide. Cuts down on the road rash. Need a new helmet anyway. I don't pedal over speed bumps either. I call them out so Stoker can raise her butt. Nasty of them to put a speed bump in a sharp turn. I'd complain to the city. Good chance of sliding out even if you didn't pedal.

seedsbelize 

I'm shopping for a mips helmet, though I don't need one at the moment. I'm going to the US for a month, and will shop there for much greater variety. I have broken two helmets in the past four years, one of which gave me a concussion--a twisting impact. I was late for meeting a friend, to ride, and was taking the speed bumps at an angle, for more speed. It happened fast. No chance for putting a hand out. ( In reference to CFB's post)

seedsbelize 

They are a fact of life here. The one I hit was on a straight stretch of a village street. They work much better than traffic cops for mitigating speed. I was not pedaling at the time, but the angle of attack was such that the second pedal across was unable to clear the top of it.

dmanthree

Take a look at the Kask Protone. Nice lid, and light, too. It is a "MIPS" helmet.

seedsbelize 

Will do

philbob57

I had not thought of the whip effect. Thanks for posting.

I'm very glad you're back on the bike. Sorry you crashed, though.