Expensive moment of forgetfulness (helmet related)...

[gcogger]

Disclaimer: I am making no claims as to the advantages/disadvantages of helmets in general, and I accept that it is possible that I wouldn't have had the accident, or wouldn't have hit my head, if I wasn't wearing a helmet. Right, now that's out of the way...

I was cycling at the weekend, round a turn that I'd done countless times before, and in exactly the same way. Only this time, the road felt like ice, and I'd hit the tarmac almost before I knew what was happening. Several car drivers were witnesses to my embarrassment, of course. In the split second before hitting the ground, I remembered "oh yes, this was slippery when I came round here a few days ago" Amongst other things, it resulted in this:

It was a rather expensive helmet too (for reasons of comfort, not safety), that I'd justified to myself on the basis that it would last a few years

 

[alicat]

Wouldn't it be wonderful if expensive helmets were reusable!

 

[Cycleops]

The 'skunk works' did its job on this occasion.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Oh yes - the old "That was quite slippy last time....." thing

we have all done that

looks like your helmet did its job - I'll put PROBABLY here just to stop flaming and stuff

but there does seem to be a high probability that at the very least your hairdo would have suffered without the helmet

just get a cheaper one next time - maybe tell your wife/husband/partner how much the OLD one cost and don;t mention the new one being cheaper - then spend the rest on more bike stuff

or am I being devious

p.s. don;t show this to my wife

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Oh yes - the old "That was quite slippy last time....." thing

we have all done that

looks like your helmet did its job - I'll put PROBABLY here just to stop flaming and stuff

but there does seem to be a high probability that at the very least your hairdo would have suffered without the helmet

just get a cheaper one next time - maybe tell your wife/husband/partner how much the OLD one cost and don;t mention the new one being cheaper - then spend the rest on more bike stuff

or am I being devious

p.s. don;t show this to my wife

P.S. glad you are pretty much OK

how is the bike?

 

[gcogger]

The bike is fine, thanks, though I have a badly swollen/bruised hip and a broken finger that will probably keep me off it for a bit

 

[mjr]

So what did you slip on?

 

[steveindenmark]

It certainly saved you a lot of road rash to the face and head. That alone makes it worth wearing.

 

[gcogger]

So what did you slip on?

Not sure - I'm guessing there was something like oil/diesel on the surface. Don't think it could have been black ice. The road was pretty busy, and I had other things on my mind, so didn't spend much time trying to work it out.

 

[MontyVeda]

Been there, done that... (the slipping on previously known slippy bit)

Didn't have a helmet on but did learn to remember to take that particular section of my commute significantly more slowerer

 

[mjr]

It certainly saved you a lot of road rash to the face and head. That alone makes it worth wearing.

A wooly hat also protects against road rash, lasts longer and isn't plastic.

 

[icowden]

A wooly hat also protects against road rash, lasts longer and isn't plastic.

I'm pretty sure the OP isn't interested in you turning this into a helmet debate...

 

[gcogger]

A wooly hat also protects against road rash, lasts longer and isn't plastic.

I'm not entirely convinced that's true. This is what happened to my arm through a thick winter weight jersey and a Brynje base layer (very much to my surprise!):

I'm pretty sure the OP isn't interested in you turning this into a helmet debate...

I just thought it would be interesting to show what happens when a helmet does what it's designed to do. (I genuinely don't know what would have happened if I wasn't wearing a helmet). I've not seen any images of this sort of real world scenario, so thought I'd share.

 

[hatler]

I'm pretty sure the OP isn't interested in you turning this into a helmet debate...

But that had already happened before mjr's comment. In steveindenmark's post above.

It certainly saved you a lot of road rash to the face and head.

SID asserted that the helmet saved theOP from road rash. mjr helpfully pointed out that a wooly hat could have done the same.

 

[marzjennings]

Contact Specialized or your LBS as you may get a discount on a replacement. They used to offer 40% off a replacement lid. Glad you’re doing ok.