Gladi8r Concept
I was just wondering if anyone has any good "I'd be dead if I weren't wearing a brain bucket" stories?
I busted a helmet on Abby last year. The bike went down to the side and my head smacked a rock hard enough to crack the helmet. (explains a lot doesn't it?)
Some say you should replace the helmet every year because things like sweat and sunlight cause them to get brittle.
Anyone?
The general recommendation is to replace a helmet every 3-5 years or after a single hard impact. I had a Giro Exodus save my noggin a few years ago when I looped out a wheelie on an icy driveway and landed on the back of my head. This past November a new Thor moto helmet limited the cranial damage to a mild concussion when I fell about 10 feet and landed on my hip, elbow, and head.
ReplyDeleteI never ride without one.
I cracked a helmet during the Greenbrier race a few years back - was flying down a rocky section and the front tire blew out in a turn, sweeping the bike out from under me in a half-barrel roll motion. My skull was O.K. My skin - knee, shoulder blade - not so much.
ReplyDeleteI remember an OTB that led me to piledrive into a rock. I was pretty happy to have a helmet that day.
ReplyDeleteAlso happy to have a helmet in everyday riding with all the branches and stuff that like to smack you in the head on the wilder trails.
my last big helmet save was over a year ago (I'm doing pretty well). The first ride on my Haro. The shorter easier section of Mackey that takes you to the road. Going between that one big rock and the small tree in the steep section I went otb. Both my neck and the helmet went crunch, it was replaced.
ReplyDeleteI've gone through more than my fair share of full faced moto helmets though. Always replace them after something serious. It would be a shame to have permanent damage because I wanted to save a few bucks (that would probably be spent on killing brain cells)
My pump track crash last Fall made a crunching helmet sound. I guess I should throw that helmet away...and try to make sure I wear one while riding it.
ReplyDeleteBefore discarding a broken helmet, call the manufacturer. Some have a free replacement policy! Giro replaced a road helmet for me for FREE.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the stories. I never ride without one either.
ReplyDeleteI'm just waiting to ride. This snow has caused me about 8 pounds of weight gain and cabin fever!
There's a bird building a nest on my back porch. I'm hoping that's a good sign.
I think DGM wins. I hope I never have to replace my neck AND my helmet!
A full face helmet saved my ugly mug at the Seven Springs downhill park last summer. Without face protection it would have been a trip to the ER for sure!
ReplyDeleteDuane
Anon. is right about the free replacement. It's always worth looking into. Bell used to have a cool program for moto helmets. send your broken one in, get a "saved by the bell" certificate, and a discount on a new helmet. We found a couple my Dad earned back in the 60's and 70's a few months ago.
ReplyDeleteI went OTB from a track stand position with lots of force or torque on the drive train. What happened was I was mid gear shift and the chain wasn't right.
ReplyDeleteI took a couple pedal strokes and then OTB. It was comparable to, another crash, a 7 mph crash OTB onto my head on rocks.