Another reason to wear a helmet

[BlaznBlu]

Riding to Asheville the other day, coming out of Charleston, SC. Travelling up I-26 at about 70 mph in the left lane. In the right lane is an oversized load (a semi moving a manufactured home), taking up 1/3 of the left lane as well. I am behind a woman in a Camry who is afraid to pass. I slow up so I don't make her more nervous, and a mini-van comes around my right side and cuts between us. The woman in the Camry decides to pass, and I see she actually GOES ONTO THE GRAVEL SHOULDER with the left wheels. I immediately cut behind the semi, thinking she is going to lose control and flip. She kicks up a ton of gravel, into and over the mini-van. I duck behind my windshield as it's flying, getting hit multiple times at 60-70 mph. Not only do I have a chip out of my windshield, but I took a BIG hit to the top of my helmet. My 5-month-old, HJC modular helmet now has a chip and a 1-1/2" crack in it!

If I didn't have that helmet on, that would have been my skull, and I doubt I would have been able to be here tonight writing this post.

All the gear, all the time - please.

[Ext1jdh]

Crack in the helmet eh? Guess it's time to get a new one....

Good luck man, and good riding

[Rockhead]

Glad to hear it was only your hemet rather than your skull. Still sucks though

[BlaznBlu]

Originally Posted by Rockhead

Glad to hear it was only your hemet rather than your skull. Still sucks though

Yep, but the best $250 I ever spent.

But now I have a helmet to practice my painting on, at least.

[Ext1jdh]

yeah, you can airbrush a bandage or scars around the crack

[SNAFU]

That's Scary, glad your O.K.

Has anyone ever been hit with debris or gravel from on coming traffic?

I was driving a mini van on a two lane highway a few years ago and a dump truck went by me and kicked up a stone and hit my windshield with such force that it chipped the inside of the glass and some of the pieces flew off and got embedded into my hand that was holding the steering wheel. I can't imagine what damage that would have done if that stone had hit your face while riding.

[BlaznBlu]

Originally Posted by SNAFU

I can't imagine what damage that would have done if that stone had hit your face while riding.

Actually, it would be an improvement. But it sure would have hurt.

[Apertureguy]

Yeah, I've been hit hard countless times with road debris, branches and other stuff falling from trees...and also from the guy using the commercial leaf blower to move the leaves & branches from one side of the street to the other. These guys really bother me...in the ritzy area I pass through I can go by 10 houses & each one will have a team of these guys working on their yard.

With all the junk I hear and see bouncing off the front of my helmet, I am truly amazed at how many can cruise around with anything less than a full face. That stuff has to hit them...right?

Last night I was clicking through the channels & saw a few moments of Me, Myself & Irene with Jim Carrey. It was the part where they're riding on his Police Cruiser...he had so many bugs in his teeth...it looked like he was eating chocolate chip cookies.

[dragbar]

I've taken rocks the chin before definately. Though I have to say that I think those big plump bumblebee's and dragonfly's hurt worse.

[Ext1jdh]

About 2 years ago I was riding from Chicago to Decatur when a car in the oncoming lane kicked up a stone about the size of a quarter. Luckily, I saw it flying across the median. Of course, I wasnt able to do anything about it and it hit my visor with a nice loud bang. Luckily again, there were no cracks in the visor, just a scratch. And a change of shorts.

[SNAFU]

Originally Posted by BlaznBlu50

Actually, it would be an improvement. But it sure would have hurt.

SNAFU --> <---BlaznBlue50

"Does this Hurt?"

[intimid8er]

These are a few of my favorite objects to be struck with in the helmet. The Beetle lands in at number one, because of the force it hits with, the sound it makes in your helmet, and the copious amounts of brightly colored goo shot all over the helmet's surface.

[automogul]

EDIT: Got a little anxious and didn't read BlaznBlu50's location... Removed some irrelevant info from my post.

It's terrible how they never clean the sides of the roads here. I26 is really rough with all the rocks.

One morning, I was cruising in solo down I26. I came up over this overpass behind this really large dump truck. The road is just terrible there. The joint between the bridge and the road is way off, and they never fix roads here (to those who don't know).

So the truck hit the bump, and I followed shortly after only to be met by a very large rock (the size of my fist) that must have come tumbling off of the truck. The thing slapped my left shin and gave me a monster pain. After it hit my leg, it bounced strait up and actually swooped across in front of me, over my tank, and down the other side. It was like a slow motion camera, and if I wasn't reeling in pain from getting hit, I could have reached right out and grabbed the thing! LOL! It was crazy! It was like it was standing still in front of me!

Anywho, I was wearing jeans, and the thing still left a monster welt on my leg. Safty gear is a must. I never ride without it.

[Nico]

NoVA isn't much better. The cops around here can't seem to be bothered stopping all the dump trucks with uncovered loads and all the redneck contractors with filty Bobcats and backhoes tossing dirt and stones on the road.
I took a rock to the faceshield (no whindshield) at just about my left eyebrow on the Beltway last week which left a good scratch in it. I debated changing the screen but it doesn't seem to get in the way really, and there is no point it will just happen again. My truck has about 4 good sized chips, first one happened the very same day I had it replaced to pass saftey inspection!