Went on a 20 miler last night. Got home and as usual part of my cool down routine is to make a few circles in the drive way. Well - our cat ran in front of me, I swerved, and front wheel went off driveway cement. We've had lots of rain and wheel sunk about 2 inches. Down I went. I was STUNNED as to how hard my helmet hit the concrete. Wife screamed, and came running over. I just lay there for a few seconds. Got serious road rash (Driveway Rash?) on my left leg and left shoulder, Had a headache today (minor) and now a scratched helmet (not cracked). I was probably only going 5-7 mph but I sure hit the driveway hard. If I wasn't wearing my helmet I would have been in serious trouble! BTW- Bike OK, I use speedplays and was clipped (another mistake) It went up in the air, and then back onto the grass.

Hows the cat?

Regardless of the fact that the helmet was not cracked, replace it anyway. Do not take the chance that the helmet might be 100% ok to use again. It may not protect you, or protect you as well in the event of another impact.

Agreed. Some companies even have a free replacement program.

A fellow BikeForums member lost a close friend, who was a very experienced cyclist, in a low-speed crash. Helmetless, he hit pavement and was killed.

I have hit my helmet against pavement three times. Once hard and head-on, once a side-fall bounce, the third was a 2 mph. slip in the sand. The head-on crash might have cost me my abstract thinking abilities.

Ditto that.
Pretty amazing how much momentum a head has hitting pavement huh?

Baron..I crashed under 5mph in a parking lot..My head hit directly on the curb. The helmet had a crack about 2 inches long all the way through... That could have been my head.
One thought..Don't helmet instruction sheet say once crashed, a helmet might be weakened internally? Not sure we believe that..?
In case. - Many helmets manufacturers will allow a return at cost and postage, should you agree-there might be a problem...
At the time, I had a Bell and they replaced it..

Ask all the MTBers out there... crashes that result in massive head trauma can occur at any speed and under any condition. Most of my crashes occur offroad but I have had crashes road riding too in which my head would have suffered pretty badly had it not been for a helmet.

Truer than most of the uninitiated know

Yeah, your "horizontal" speed is a potential factor in the severity of a helmet impact, but the critical factor is the distance your head is falling, just on account of the acceleration of gravity. Think of it this way: imagine putting something about the weight of a human head (3-4 kg?) into a bike helmet, and simply drop it on a concrete floor from the height of a driver of a DF bicycle. How would you guess the helmet would fare? This is the speed and energy at which your head and helmet contact the pavement in a fall, regardless of how fast you're going horizontally.

Glad you're ok.

I look at wearing helmets this way...I don't have many little gray cells left and the ones I still have I want to keep where they are. That's why I wear a helmet, even on short rides.

My helmet saved me from certain brain damage last week. I crashed and had a concussion, which erased the 4 hours of my life, immediatley after the crash. I had a bellringer of a headache for several days also. I was looking for at new helmet anyway, so it gave me good excuse I love this Met helmet but mine is in red.

CHEERS.

Mark

Glad to hear you're ok Dutchy. I rather like having a few "bottom of the world" perspectives running around

If you have good skills on a bike why do u need a helmet? i dont find a need......if you get hit by a car your still gonna get hurt regardless u have a helmet or now

You're old enough to know that there are some things you should just listen to the people around you and take to heart. Along with wearing your seatbelt, using a helmet when biking is one of those things.

-mark

Ah the foolish "I'm invincible" additude of youth. Hopefully he'll live to outgrow it.

id rather die on a bike with no helmet then to die on a bike with a helmet cuz that juss shows that you didnt need it in tha first place...........im stayin wit mah point.........if you get hit by a car with or with out a helmet your gunna get seriously injured...mayb death

and if ive been riding since i wuz 5.........then how come ive only fallen while learning.....and doing a trick i just learnt?

Quick folks ... here's your chance to catch a rare glimpse of human evolution in process.

Helmets are ok with me , when I had my bad crash I fell sideways when my front wheel washed out on wet leaves & I was body slammed onto the concrete with enough force to break my hip & fracture my arm, when I came out of the hostpital a week later I found that the outer shell of my helmet was badly gouged & the polystirine inner split right through on the left side, if I was'nt wearing it Im sure I would have had a serious head injury as well . Here in N/Z cyclist are required to wear a helmet by law ,I used to wear a helmet 'cos I had to but now I wear one as I feel it protects my head

I cn tl tht u r not brn injrd by th xclnce if ur riting & splng. Sur u hvn't falln on ur hed w'out a hlmt & dnt rmbr it?

Whats wrong with wearing a helmet, anyways? I wear one because I want to see my kid grow up and for him not to have a drooling vegetable for a dad. Also, I'm too pretty to get all messed up in the head area.

People like this make me wish I could reach out and stab them in the face. Spelling mistakes galore, 2 year old short form for every word possible. Who lets these kind of people on the internet?

Heh. Relax, Darwin will take care of him. Sounds like he may have landed on his unshielded head a few times already.

quotes: How's the cat?
Cat OK, she sees me come in on a bike and runs!!!!
BTW- she was not hurt, nor was I angry at it. Person I'm amazed at is folks with an attitude like BiKe_GuY666. But he's been riding since he was 5, maybe with a little luck he'll live long enough to grow up. Lets wish him Luck!

Oh my god... I'm laughing so hard... That's a fantastic response.