threeteas

Didn't really see where this post would fit so thought I would put it here since I am mostly interested in road racing. I received a pretty tremendous blow to the head when I went down in a bizarre crash a few years ago, totally destroying my (old) helmet. The result was getting knocked out for awhile and receiving a bad concussion. Because of my lack of understanding about concussions, unfortunately it took me over a year to completely recover because I pushed way too hard right after I got mine.

My main question is--for those of you who know about such things--is there a particular kind of helmet that you use? Are there any that are known to work better than others in at least mitigating the effects of concussions? I've heard a few good things about MIPS helmets, but my understanding is that there is really nothing that can prevent getting your brain jostled around in a coup/contrecoup type injury.

I ask because I'm racing again this year. Thanks!

firebird854

As I understand it, all helmets are built to a rigid safety specification, the more $$ you throw at it means more aero and more lightweight. Technology like Mips might be more effective, but a lot of that talk is marketing.

indyfabz

Ibtm

noodle soup

I've never seen a report that shows bicycle helmets preventing concussions. I think they are more helpful with protecting against skull fractures.

Beachgrad05

This will be moved to A & S

GlennR

18 month ago i met a woman who told me a story about her crash and how she didn't ride for 2 years until she found a helmet that would give her the level of protection she wanted. She was wearing a Giro Synthe MIPS. I was in the market for a new helmet and liked what I read about it. The LBS had a Fall sale so I purchased one for $175 vs the $275 list price. 3 weeks later I took a turn on wet pavement too quickly, lost traction and went down at 16mph, striking my head on the left side. After 10 minutes to gather my senses, I rode home. The 3 week old helmet was cracked but I compared the impact to getting hit in the head with a volley ball vs a baseball. I took the helmet back to the LBS where they arranged for a 30% crash replacement discount from Giro and they added an additional 20%. I got a new helmet for $150 and am totally satisfied with it.

shelbyfv

Unfortunately, it's unlikely that you are completely recovered. It's now known that these injuries are cumulative. Unless you are being paid well to "race" you might want to consult a doc, ride a recumbent or find another sport.

dunrobin

Had a hard fall/head hit last year. Was wearing a good quality catroni that fit well. Helmet was dented but my head wasn't. All helmets sold through normal channels are safety rated in Canada...the better ones are lighter/more aero and usually can be dialed in better...but aren't necessarily safer.

mstateglfr 

Wouldnt any level of shock absorption aid in reducing the chances of a concussion?
Slowing down the impact of the brain against the skull by deadening the initial blow seems like it could help reduce the chance of a concussion.

MAK

My research has shown that a rounded helmet protects better than helmets that have pointier backs. Having a MIPS equipped helmet can't hurt either.

joejack951

Twisting of the head is far more likely to cause a concussion than a straight on impact. Helmets make the head bigger, larger in diameter, which increases torque for a given applied load. The larger target also makes contact more likely to occur. MIPS attempts to mitigate this side effect. I have no idea how effective it is in doing so, though. FWIW, I only wear a helmet when required (none of the states I ride in require them for adults).

79pmooney

You may well have started the journey of what I call "loose brain syndrome". Yes, I made that up. But I know it very well. I had a major crash 40 years ago with the (then) best helmet. Spent 5 days in a coma. I now get concussions very easily. Crashed 4 years ago apparently with a loose chinstrap and hit the side of my head hard. Zero concussion. Read about MIPS helmets a couple of weeks later and bought one as soon as I could put my hands on one my size and a visible color.

Also, you want a helmet that will slide and not catch on anything, Slippery and close to round.

A place where you can learn a lot re: "loose brain syndrome". The NFL. Many pro football linemen have it at high levels. You might try googling NFL and concussions.

Ben

threeteas

Never heard of it. Are you referring to CTE? Actually--this is a good recommendation about MIPS. I think I will probably purchase one.

I wasn't in a coma but it was not a minor concussion that I received and it scrambled my brain for months. I'm fine now but want to prevent another one if possible.

Thanks!

threeteas

No way.

I have had two big concussions spaced 30 years apart--when I was 15 and 45. All research points to the real risks being repeated blows to the head within short times spans (say two big blows in a football game). That's what leaves people scrambled--not ones years apart. I just want figure out what people recommend to mitigate another concussion, but I'm not scared of getting another one and fortunately I now know how to take care of them if I do.

79pmooney

CTE, yes. "Loose brain syndrome" is completely my words but any NFL player would get what I was saying right away. Actually my wording is closer to our situation. We have loosened brains from one big hit, not many small ones.

Ben

threeteas

LOL, maybe "loose brain syndrome" has given me the desire to race again.

Honestly, though, life is short and I love cycling too much to give up on the competitive aspect of it. I realize there is still a risk of head injury *shrugs.*

Buying a MIPS helmet tomorrow.

Abe_Froman

I'm sure Ali said the same thing before he lost the ability to speak...

threeteas

winston63 

That's my impression as well. Better helmets don't seem to lessen concussions for hockey or football players and I don't think they do anything in this regard for cyclists. They can certainly help prevent fractures though.

Abe_Froman

I don't think that is entirely accurate.

The issue is that those two sports are designed around giving people concussions as a part of gameplay. I would argue helmets reduce the likelyhood of a concussion in any given collision, even if concussions are not eliminated.

The same applies to bike crashes. You're less likely to get a concussion with a helmet on than without. Doesn't mean it can't happen.

winston63 

You could be correct, I'm certainly no expert.

That said, I am under the impression that the primary cause of most concussions is internal bruising of the brain as it slams against the interior of the skull. If that's true, I have a hard time imagining how helmets can reduce this and suspect that there could be situations where helmets in fact increase the likelihood of concussions.

But I'll readily admit this is just armchair speculation on my part.

Abe_Froman

Sure, if you get hit by a dumptruck head on while riding a bike...probably not going to make a noticeable difference.

Tipping over on a bike from 4' off the ground and smacking your head on the ground, it probably makes a difference in the frequency and severity of brain bruising. Same with getting tacking in football and smacking your head on the ground. I'm sure the helmet makes some sort of a difference in that 4 or 5' fall.

But again, I'm just guessing here too lol

northtexasbiker

Any helmet designed for some amount of shock absorption is going to help, but that may not mean much given the physics of any particular crash. I would guess the main focus of bicycle helmet design is balancing keeping your skull intact with amount of material used. Unfortunately those are tradeoffs.

desconhecido 

Not an expert either.

My understanding is that helmets reduce acceleration (or deceleration, if you prefer) in an impact. That is, what causes brain injury is rapid change of skull velocity and the brain "slamming." The purpose of the helmet is to make the change in skull velocity occur over a greater distance. Also, the helmet tends to distribute impact over a greater area. So, what helmets do is decrease acceleration and distribute impact. Just like catchers' masks and body armor.

Some people claim that helmets can exacerbate head injuries in some situations. The helmet is bigger than the head so more impacts are likely, so they say. Also, as mentioned above, the added size may increase rotational injuries (torquing the skull). Some say that wearing helmets causes people to take greater risks. I don't know about that, but that's what some say.

Personally, I think that riding a bicycle under most circumstances poses very little risk to an adult rider. I would guess that riding a bicycle without a helmet for ten miles probably affects life expectancy about as much as eating a Big Mac. Could probably save more lives and improve "public health" if eating a Big Mac required wearing a helmet (thereby discouraging the eating of Big Macs).

Wearing helmets when racing or riding in groups is probably a good idea as the liklihood of crashes is probably greater.

RobotGuy

Other than meeting the same standard, none of them make any specific claims of being safer than others because that’s a magnet for lawsuits. So, I’d just buy the one that suits you. I’ve read the Garneau Course is pretty aero.

The whole “helmets prevent concussions” thing is a real can of worms around here. Imho, helmets aren’t really there to ‘prevent concussions’. More to turn a widow maker head injury into something less. I suppose by absorbing kinetic energy of the collision by deforming the helmet (instead of deforming your head), and giving your brain and skull more time to decelerate than a fender or windshield, tree or curb might, a concussion’s severity could be reduced. But no manufacturer will even discuss it.