Here's how I broke mine recently and used some decent tuck & roll form that helped me not get too banged up.
Have you ever broken a helmet?
LaXCarp
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Cracked 1 in about ‘98 riding down a sheet of ice before discovering studded tires, and a full face on A line in whistler in 2006. Drove from Massachusetts to BC and didn’t even get 1 full run down the mtn. That road trip was a highlight and lowlight of my bike career all rolled into one.
That sucks.... mine was kinda similar. MS150 ride (don't remember the distance we were supposed to do). We were maybe a few miles in on flat, even pavement. I was going maybe 25 or 30 and tapped the brakes, then was going over the bars. So far as I can tell the bolt on the front brake caliper must have chosen that moment to shear off... it was just dangling after the accident and I definitely would have noticed it loose and/or knocking.
I didn't lose consciousness, but lights and smells were weird immediately. I was in a fog for a good while... that and headaches came and went for maybe a year. My wife (then girlfriend) made me aware of any changes thankfully. MRI checked out ok and after that year all that stuff seems to have subsided.
The part that lasted was the back... bulging disc turned to a herniated disc and now it's a flattened disc. I guess considering the other outcomes I could certainly be worse off.
Long story short is that I don't recommend the experience.
Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
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Way back when I was a roadie in high school I destroyed the first non hardshell helmet I bought. This was before they put a thin plastic layer over the impact foam, there was basically a stretch fabric cover over the whole thing.
I was riding alone when I noticed the skewer on my front wheel was not fully tightened. I figured I'd reach down and tighten it up without stopping. Naturally I hit a bump and my arm went between the fork and wheel. This was back in the toe clip days too, so when I went over the bars I stayed attached to the bike. Direct shot to the top of the head. Helmet was in little pieces inside the fabric cover. Skinned up my arm pretty good and had a sore neck for a day or two, but without a helmet I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be here today.
I was riding alone when I noticed the skewer on my front wheel was not fully tightened. I figured I'd reach down and tighten it up without stopping. Naturally I hit a bump and my arm went between the fork and wheel. This was back in the toe clip days too, so when I went over the bars I stayed attached to the bike. Direct shot to the top of the head. Helmet was in little pieces inside the fabric cover. Skinned up my arm pretty good and had a sore neck for a day or two, but without a helmet I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be here today.
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But pedal strikes are more common now and create more injuries. Riding since the 70's and last 2 crashes, both by pedal strikes, were the worst. Broke 7 bones on the first one and healed up then ruptured my spleen on the second one and now just healing from that.
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That's awful!
I bet if you call them, your health insurance company will agree to pay for shorter cranks for your bike.
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1: Road race where a guy came into me in the final turn, I flipped around backwards and crushed the back of the helmet.
2: Drafting an Astro minivan, it stopped short, my head knocked out his back window. I had a big indentation of the rear windshield wiper across the helmet.
3: Took a drop mountain biking, front wheel washed out and I rode directly into the rock landing. Broke my hand, smashed the front of the hemet, had a touch of the raccoon eyes a few days after the impact.
2: Drafting an Astro minivan, it stopped short, my head knocked out his back window. I had a big indentation of the rear windshield wiper across the helmet.
3: Took a drop mountain biking, front wheel washed out and I rode directly into the rock landing. Broke my hand, smashed the front of the hemet, had a touch of the raccoon eyes a few days after the impact.
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Not always. Conversely, it would be possible to have a concussion without cracking a helmet.
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In some cases yes, and in others no. The effects of crashing are highly variable.
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Well, like you at the time I had three helmets in rotation. I took the ratchet off the most used one and replaced the broken ratchet with that just because easier. I'm still sporting the last Metah I purchased, it's a good fit for me overall. I'm more displeased with the inconsistency in Fox product quality, just like Camelback packs. I re-purposed my Camelback Mayhem and Havoc packs to my friends, still good after sourcing their new military bladders for replacement. All other Camelback packs since then I feel were junk. Endura and Osprey for the near future. Call me fussy, but I'm a stickler for quality.
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I crashed in the parking lot at the end of a ride at Wilder in the late 90s. The back of my shoulder and my temple hit the ground at about the same time. The force of the impact on my shoulder snapped my collarbone. The force of the impact on my helmet knocked out a chunk of helmet about the size of an Oreo. If I had not been wearing a helmet that day, I believe I would either be dead or brain damaged.
Helmets good.
Helmets good.
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Sh** dude. That's awful. So sorry.
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My work buds and I used to throw demo helmets off the roof at the shop just to crash test without a melon. Cheapest ones usually bounced or the shell split, mid to high damaged shell and compressed a little. We came to our own conclusions but I will say I was impressed by Bell.
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