Why I should have worn my helmet today

[Roadkill]

Lucky you WERN'T wearing a helmet.

If you had been, the buzzard could have got it's claws trapped in the vents and strangled you with the chinstrap as it tried to free itself.

Pretty sure that the bird wouldn't have mistaken a blue and white plastic thing as food so the value of the helmet is preventative when it comes to buzzards....

May test the theory by wearing said Davy Crockett hat today

 

[lazyfatgit]

Been bashed on the head here a few times by magpies in spring. One of the blokes I ride with has cable ties sticking out of his lid. That way they just brush the platic spikes.

 

[Paulus]

They are bloody good if you get hit by a car though.

Hmm, perhaps at a very, very slow speed and if you land on your arse. My helmet did protect me once though, I was hit by a stone thrown by some chav sorts and it bounced off the helmet instead of my head.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Hmm, perhaps at a very, very slow speed and if you land on your arse. My helmet did protect me once though, I was hit by a stone thrown by some chav sorts and it bounced off the helmet instead of my head.

my helmet saved me from a worse head injury - came round in the ambulance - (usual idiot turning left after overtaking me) - I was knocked into the pedetrain railings, the cycle helmet hit the handrail of the railings - interesting striped bruises down my body for a while, helmet had good sized dent in it as well.

have to conceed that it has not helped with the male pheasant attacking me though when I ride up the track to my home...

 

[battered]

Hmm, perhaps at a very, very slow speed and if you land on your arse. My helmet did protect me once though, I was hit by a stone thrown by some chav sorts and it bounced off the helmet instead of my head.

In my case I was doing about 20mph and a car turned right in front of me. The Police who happened to witness tell me that when we collided I went over the bars, hit his screen headfirst and broke it. I don't recall. I'm told they had to shut he road for 4 hours while they scraped me up and gathered evidence at what they thought might well be a fatal accident scene.

The next few days were a bit of a blur, funnily enough. The copper tells me my helmet was the best money I ever spent. I'm sure youre right though, without my helmet I would have flown effortlessly over the car, or more likely been spared the trouble of having to have operations and recover from fractured skull, nose, cheeks, jaw, both arms and right shoulder, and attendant head injuries that mean I'm still unfit for work 6 months on. These outpatient visits are such a chore.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

...
The next few days were a bit of a blur, funnily enough. The copper tells me my helmet was the best money I ever spent. I'm sure youre right though, without my helmet I would have flown effortlessly over the car, or more likely been spared the trouble of having to have operations and recover from fractured skull, nose, cheeks, jaw, both arms and right shoulder, and attendant head injuries that mean I'm still unfit for work 6 months on. These outpatient visits are such a chore.

Hope you recover soon - don't give up though.

A seperate (non bike) accident left me needing 11 operations on my wrist to stop it dislocation 20-30 times a day some 17 years ago now. the last operation was less than 2 years ago. I am now back on my bike even though it took 6 years in total to get back on it and find a bike I could ride - couldn't drive for 3 years and still have to be careful what cars I buy now (left wrist was damaged - my wrist would dislocate everytime I change gear) and drive with a steering ball on the steering wheel - makes life easier for me in towns. I cycle with a ski-ing arm wrist support on, still go mountaineering though only with my husband - he knows my limitations and I don't need to explain. I returned to swimming at first with a float, so legs only and then was my wrist improved with 1 arm and now both.

I am guessing you like me are getting through a lot of books

I know your injuries are much more serious - but you can get back to some normality eventually with enough will power - you have my best wishes. Keep smiling.

Emma

 

[battered]

Thanks Aramok/Emma, I'm on the mend thanks. The physical stuff is all but better, I'm just recovering strength via physio. I suffer at present from fatigue (head injury) and double vision which makes it difficult to read as I need special glasses. It's a pain. If the lighting is any less than perfect, print is small or paper cheap, you can forget it. Still, as my Grandad used to say, "Aye well, it's better'ne bein' o'er t'wall".

Thanks again.

 

[tyred]

Hmm, perhaps at a very, very slow speed and if you land on your arse. .

You wear a helmet on your arse?

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

..I suffer at present from fatigue (head injury) and double vision ...

I understand the fatique - I suffer from chronic pain and partial secondary Addison's disease (body does not produce enough natural steriods - so can't put on weight or muscle amongst other issues).

The only 'advise' I can give is work out what you can do now and be happy with that - forget what you used to be able to do and accept that others can go faster and longer etc. Just aim to make everyday a good day rather than the up/downs that can happen, but I expect you are fed up with being lectured about that as it is . Just find some sensible targets and then extend them when you get to them. 10 years ago I never would have thought that I would be about to set out of my first cycle touring holiday abroad, I could hardley ride my bike for 5 miles unladen. tomorrow I set off on a camping cycling tour of Denmark - OK I know it is reasonably flat, but 1 step at a time.

Makes me sound a lot older than I really am, but regretfully that is what happens. Still hope you get back on your bike again if that is possible for you and keep smiling.

Emma

 

[battered]

Thanks again, as it happens I'm about to take it out this afternoon, right now. Things could be a lot worse, On the whole I'm doing OK. Life's a bit unpredictable, some days I'm A1, others less so. Fortunately I'm very positive and I'm well on the way to being back to where I was before.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

You wear a helmet on your arse?

 

[dondare]

There is no convincing evidence that helmets can protect cyclists from buzzard attacks, or that cyclists are any more likely than pedestrians to be attacked by buzzards.

 

[slowmotion]

Actually, TRL statistics show that buzzard attacks are a significant factor in 20% of all KSI accidents. The buzzard population will be reduced to zero as a response to this obvious correlation. We simply must save that one cyclist, mustn't we?

Innit?

 

[Kirstie]

We've had an outburst of buzzards in S Leics, actually. There's loads more now then there ever used to be...

 

[Cubist]

But it's joggers, not cyclists.

Serves the silly f*ckers right.