Helmet testing.

"Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever" (rustanddust)
09/22/2018 at 19:30 • Filed to: None

Had a pretty good wipeout on the mountain bike this morning, which unfortunately gave me a chance to find out how good my helmet is was.

I know, it’s portrait, but my right arm didn’t work, and I was about 45 mins removed from receiving a mild concussion.

Cracks at right forehead, right ear, and back of head. I recently upgraded to a helmet that covers the lower back part of my skull from a more road/XC style lid (good call).

Got overconfident after numerous good runs on a jump line and w ashed out landing a jump into a berm at a decent speed (I was fucking flying) . I’d been rolling into the berm all morning, but started to feel a bit heroic after a handful of nice tabletops/gaps , decided to launch into it, and ate shit for my enthusiasm .

On the plus side, my bike wasn’t damaged. Oh, and the helmet seemed to do it’s job, too. Some newer b ike helmets have been using a MIPS system, which is supposed to help with rotational forces in an impact. The padding is fastened to a semi-rigid plastic shell, which is then attached to the foam “helmet” proper. You can see the twisting of the padding on the liner, allowing the helmet to rotate in a few different places, as opposed to spinning my head like a top.

As a testament to how well this helmet served it’s purpose, I was able to ride two miles and 900' down the mountain (not on singletrack, but a semi washed out fireroad), and ended up with a minor headache that was more lack of food related than impact (a granola bar fixed it). The worst damage was the golfball sized chunk of skin that peeled back off my forearm, but some lidocai ne, a handful of stitches and a tetanus shot squared that away.

Now it’s time to go order another helmet, and probably a pair of elbow pads.

DISCUSSION (11)

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever
09/22/2018 at 19:36

Damn! Take care.

AC2 - The Now 15 Year Old Jalop > Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever
09/22/2018 at 19:37

That is nuts. I’m about to order a kids’ motorcycle helmet in KTM Orange after having a wipeout down a hill on my BMX.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever
09/22/2018 at 19:59

Wow, what a hit. Giro makes really nice helmets so good on them. The one time I didn’t wear pads on a DH track I crashed, it was just a slide out but still knee pads would have been nice.

facw > Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever
09/22/2018 at 20:04

Helmets are good! I’ve bounced my head off pavement (in a wipeout that was intense enough completely mangle the saddle rails), with no damage to my head (though plenty of shoulder damage and a very sore neck). Still would have been ugly without the helmet.

Good that you (and your bike) are mostly OK.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever
09/22/2018 at 20:26

A helmet kept me from cracking the back of my skull when I hit a dog at speed on a rural road. I cracked ribs and broke my hand, but my sku ll was fine! :)

knelipot > Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever
09/22/2018 at 21:36

Ah, that’ll buff out, with a little Gorilla glue....

Wow, how helmets have evolved! I was lost in your tech explanation at the 2nd sentence. In my day (Roady from ‘69 thru the late ‘80s) we didn’t wear helmets unless the race required them; never in our hussles or training . Roads and trails are different today. We can’t see the drivers head through tinted glass and high car sides; can’t tell if the driver sees us, etc. We can’t ride from here to miles away thru the city by allys and parking garages anymore, off the roads. You’ve given me a new appreciation for the lowly helmet. Thank you, I think.

Kiltedpadre > Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever
09/22/2018 at 21:45

Glad to hear the helmet did a good job. I’ve taken to even wearing soccer shin guards on the trails; partially due to poor trail maintenance.

arl > Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever
09/22/2018 at 22:11

I always ride with a helmet and tell my son if I ever catch him riding without his, he’s in deep shit.

Glad you’re ok! Nothing like some stitches and shots to remind you you’re still alive and that your nerve endings still function, lol.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever
09/23/2018 at 01:23

Glad you're ok! Reminds me I need to get pads too!

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever
09/23/2018 at 07:01

Oh yeah, you scrunched that! I’m in the market for a new lid myself. The Suomy hat I use now is a tight fitting little thing that is comfortable but has no room when arse inevitably turns about. Would like to get a trial of one of the Giro or Kask lids... perhaps even Bell. Sadly though...nearest bike shop is 80 km away!

Heal well!

wkiernan > Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever
03/17/2019 at 19:01

A g o o d h e l m e t i s a w o n d e r f u l t h i n g , i s n ’ t i t ?