Hooray for helmets - I'm alive!

[Duckwah]

Last weekend I went riding with a group of friends on a popular intermediate trail in the Blue Mountains.

About 2/3 of the way through the ride I came round a downhill corner into a straight section a little too fast and ended up on the outside of the trail. Travelling at about 60km/hr I hit a patch of soft sand and the front wheel tucked under, spitting me off over the bars to land head first on the trail before I bounced on my head and back a few times.

Thankfully my helmet took most of the impact and I'm here to tell the tale as without it i'm pretty sure I would be dead.

I also got a lot of nasty grazes which have made sleeping very difficult this week.

Below are some pics, i'll try to get some better ones of the helmet and front wheel later.

The area cirlced in white is the chunk of my helmet that split away, there is also a crack that runs all the way from front to rear of the helmet

 

[Azulene]

Last weekend I went riding with a group of friends on a popular intermediate trail in the Blue Mountains.

About 2/3 of the way through the ride I came round a downhill corner into a straight section a little too fast and ended up on the outside of the trail. Travelling at about 60km/hr I hit a patch of soft sand and the front wheel tucked under, spitting me off over the bars to land head first on the trail before I bounced on my head and back a few times.

Thankfully my helmet took most of the impact and I'm here to tell the tale as without it i'm pretty sure I would be dead.

I also got a lot of nasty grazes which have made sleeping very difficult this week.

Below are some pics, i'll try to get some better ones of the helmet and front wheel later.

The area cirlced in white is the chunk of my helmet that split away, there is also a crack that runs all the way from front to rear of the helmet

Thank God for a good helmet

 

[climbo]

Thank God for a good helmet

nice one !!! Time for a new helmet, a good thing about crashes, new stuff to buy. How's the riding out there in the Blueys?

 

[MtnBikerChk]

OOOHH That's gonna leave a nice scar!!

Glad you're ok!

 

[Duckwah]

Yeah I didn't really want to buy a new front rim or helmet but i'm going to have to

The helmet was a MET ippogriffo and i'd like to thank the people from MET for keeping my brains inside my skull.

Someone asked me what type of helmet I am going to get to replace it. I figure if it worked this time I should probably stick with the same!

 

[createdtodestry]

wow, that sucks. i suggest getting a full face helmet, as they do not break as easy and provide more protection than normal foam helmets. seeing this post kinda makes me want to start wearing a helmit for mountain biking. ive never hit my head mountain biking, but when i used to bmx i had my frame hit the back of my head, and i blacked out.

 

[J1S]

wow, that sucks. i suggest getting a full face helmet, as they do not break as easy and provide more protection than normal foam helmets. seeing this post kinda makes me want to start wearing a helmit for mountain biking. ive never hit my head mountain biking, but when i used to bmx i had my frame hit the back of my head, and i blacked out.

Start?... most people wear helmets now. It's common sense...

 

[createdtodestry]

i could see on some crazy downhill trails with pointy rocks and lots of close together trees, but around where i live there isnt anything crazy enough that i would be willing to wear a helmet on. besides it gets hot enough with long hair, a helmit would fry my brains in the summer.

 

[Duckwah]

I'm going to come out and say this straight.

You are a fool.

The trail I was on wasn't particularly rocky, nor very technical and even at half the speed I could have fractured my skull. Hell even if you fall while going at 10km an hour and headbutt a rock you could do some serious damage.

In th end it's your own life but I always wear a helmet even if its to ride 500m up the road for some food.

 

[J1S]

Going down a road at any speed and falling off your bike can cause death or serious brain damage. Flipping backwards while doing a cat walk or any sort of stunt or going down a hill and loosing control, or somthing jumping out in front of you . You never know when somethings going to happen. One hard surface is all it takes. My helmets saved me multiple times. Id be dead or seriously injured at least a dozen times over if it wasnt for wearing a helmet while biking and skiing. Thinking nothings going to happen is ignorant and stupid.

 

[createdtodestry]

i dont see a need to wear a helmet. if i ever go to anything very technical, or something that i know i will fall, i will consider wearing a helmet. if i fall going very slow i will be able to stop myself with my hands, or avoid hitting my head. but if im gona wear a helmet to ride, then i might as well wear one all of the time. ive hit my head way harder by walking into stuff than on a bike. thanks for your concern, but for now i choose not to wear a helmet.

btw, what is a catwalk?

 

[MtnBikerChk]

i dont see a need to wear a helmet. if i ever go to anything very technical, or something that i know i will fall, i will consider wearing a helmet. if i fall going very slow i will be able to stop myself with my hands, or avoid hitting my head. but if im gona wear a helmet to ride, then i might as well wear one all of the time. ive hit my head way harder by walking into stuff than on a bike. thanks for your concern, but for now i choose not to wear a helmet.

btw, what is a catwalk?

How old are you? Typical adolescent "I'm invincible" attitude. The fact that we are discussing this disgusts me.

A catwalk is like a bridge high off the ground with no sides.

 

[createdtodestry]

im 15, and that is not important. i know im not invincible, i get hurt just like anyone else, although i do pry recover faster than a majority of the people here.

 

[J1S]

By catwalk I ment Wheelie or Manual, Whatever you wanna call it.