More on helmets or, How helmets saved my brain...

Here are but two of the many helmets that I owe my current cognitive ability to. I can't count how many helmets have performed their role in protecting my brain during crashes on and off the track. Dozens, I suspect. I used to continue using some helmets, even after a crash or two. If they didn't have any external indication of damage, or just a minor "crack in the paint" I'd continue the season with it. Nobody ever checked helmets during amature flat track racing days. Once I started road racing it was another story, and in fact I had to update a couple times. These two helmets are wall hangers now.

A brand new HJC, after a low side crash in T1a at Loudon.

I hadn't even noticed this scuff

But I sure noticed this, and the visor scratch

I got several races and dirt rides out of this Fox helmet

Until a nasty 2nd gear WFO high side crash coming out of T4 at the Cuddebackville dirt oval. That was a true bell ringer.

New lid

I got a new helmet. It's a Fly Racing. My old helmet was pretty beat up.




Here are some observations about my helmets (and snowboards, come to think of it).

I'm fairly certain that I've never seen anyone wearing the same model and design that I have.

I have a habit of buying a new helmet and going out and crashing the first time I wear it. Since it's new, I can't live with the thought of replacing it as the manufacture and magazines all suggest, so I keep wearing it until I can reasonably justify it's replacement. That can take anywhere from a couple more rides to a couple seasons, and I'm happy to say the last one was a couple seasons.



Here's my Simpson, it's an early 80's Bandit. I raced Karts in this helmet.




This is my first Bell, it's an M1. It was my street and racing helmet for a few seasons. I don't think I crashed this one.




This is my 3rd Bell, back when they were made by Shoei (I think). I raced this for a few years, then crashed pretty hard at a 1/2 mile race in Brockton Mass.



I was concussed.



My last Bell.




My first KBC, which originally stood for Korean Bell Corporation until Bell Helmets found out about it and told them it should stand for something else. So I don't know what it stands for now. This helmet got wrecked at Square Deal Riders in NY.