The end of a snapped off branch hit the front of my helmet.

Looking at how far it went into the helmet I’m glad it wasn’t 1cm to either side or it would have been pretty serious 🙁

It did virtually stop me in my tracks and my neck is pretty stiff this morning.

You can see how much force there was – it nearly ripped the straps out of the shell at the front;

The velcro strap on my lamp snapped as well.

Weird thing is I’ve ridden that bit of singletrack dozens of times and never even noticed this branch as being a ‘hazard’. When we looked at it afterwards it was an accident waiting to happen – very sharp, at head height when on a bike, facing up the trail so you only saw it end on. Snapped it off the tree now – it was a dead branch anyway.

Oh well, could have been a *lot* worse.

This is why I wear a helmet more so than falling off.

Lots of foliage this time of year and low-flying branches. Same in winter when they’re weighed down with snow

That would have taken your eye clean out by the looks of it. 😯

Wow, close shave.
Have some jaffa cakes and be happy :O)
Tim

Ouch!

I had a similar off a couple months ago. Singletrack through the woods, quite narrow, grass either side. LH pedal hits a hidden stump or log. Throws me off to RHS. Towards and against a tree on the opposite side of the trail. As fate (not luck!) would have it, there’s one of these short snapped off branches at head height, luckily I saw it at last moment and twisted my head to avoid heard on collision, but it jabbed into my ear !!

oooyahh. pedalled slowly home with blood oozing out my ear, off to A&E for several stitches and a bit of scissor surgery to tidy up my outer ear. It was painful, and nasty, but could have been whole lot worse..

Are you sure? Did you not get a whiplash/twisting injury because of that big lump of polystyrene? 😉

That really could’ve been quite unpleasant though 😯

It didn’t the branch saw your helmet a day aimed for you.

People these days just don’t get it.

My helmet has saved me from a few similar impacts, also it’s getting towards Autumn so the conkers/acorns falling from the trees will hurt without appropriate protection.

Of course, if you had been on a 29er, you’d have been further off the ground and that would have gone straight through your eyes.

Wheel size debate is over now.

That was close! Where was it?

Sounds like some trail maintenance is needed wwaswas. Shame all the Strava straight liners have put the trail pixies off from building/maintaining anything as it just becomes a motorway within a few months!

Glad you’re ok though 🙂

Of course, if you had been on a 29er

I was on a 29er.

If I’d been on a 26er I’d have passed under it without incident.

Wheel size debate is over now. 😉

Alex – on the Long One/Doctors Orders – just before you get to that bit where you go under an old fallen tree/branch.

wow..and another vote for “always with good eye protection”…

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/eye-protection-do-you

Funnily enough, I did almost exactly the same thing, however wearing a helmet made my injuries 10 times worse!

The end of the branch hooked into my vent holes on the front of the helmet, dragging my head backwards and scraping my face along the bottom of the branch. Cue several deep scratches on my face (I have scars), black eyes and massive grazing.

Had I not been wearing a helmet, I would have had a few scratches to the top of my head (most of the branch would have cleared the top of my head, I would have grazed the bottom of the branch given the reduced height)

Just for balance like….I still wear a helmet when I ride.

The helmet gave you a false sense of security, resulting in you not looking where you were going and hitting the branch. Accident would not have happened without a helmet. Or something like that! 🙄

Could have happened whilst running. Helmets for running!

Good job that you removed the hazard – next time it could have been a child’s face!

Glad you’re ok OP! Could have been nasty.

FWIW though I am convinced I hit far more branches BECAUSE I wear a helmet than I would without – it raises my height and I simply don’t see some of them due to the visor. (talking about my local twisty wooded singletrack stuff) I reckon I would also be a bit more careful after the first one bounced off my bare head 😉

Nice escape OP.

I’ve got a scar round my shoulder and down my back from something similar about 5 years ago while commuting off road. Fortunately I saw the branch in time to get my head/face out of the way but it still caught me. Went straight through my jersey and scraped three grooves into me. I got some looks when I turned up at work torn and bleeding!

As a result of this I now commute in full face helmet with visor and body armour. It’s the only safe way, particularly since my commute is now on road.

Where is TJ when you need him? He’d have proved that you’d have been safe without the helmet if you had joined a union. 🙂

It didn’t the branch saw your helmet a day aimed for you.

People these days just don’t get it.

Wait…what?

fatladridesbikes – Member

Sounds like some trail maintenance is needed wwaswas. Shame all the Strava straight liners have put the trail pixies off from building/maintaining anything as it just becomes a motorway within a few months!
Stop trotting out the BS that strightlining is down to Strava FFS.

I believe you will find the helmet didn’t actually save us and you did in fact post this from the afterlife. Whilst i was initially reassured that there was wi-fi in the afterlife, i am a little concerned this is a creepy supernatural wi-fi.

supernatural wi-fi

Woooooo-Fi.

You were certainly lucky it didn’t get deflected into a vent (as happened when I rode into a tree, got a nice long cut on top of my head that had to be glued up).

Could have been a child’s face.

(Irony alert) And don’t be so ridiculous – since when did helmets actually prevent injury, let alone save lives…?? 😯

Was there a baby robin on the branch?