Wear Your Helmet!

Hello. Today I'm going to tell a little story about why you should ALWAYS wear a helmet. It is a true story and it is about a good friend of mine, Alex.

Alex and I like to ride bikes together. He was part of the crew that road up to Duluth a few summers ago. All in all, he is a pretty safe and cautious cyclist.

This day, however, was different.

A week or so ago, Al was in Northeast hanging with our other buddy, Huss. The two had a few beers, and were hanging (I can't recall what they were actually up to, besides riding and hanging.) Al was heading back to his place, which is right by the U of M ST Paul Campus, on Larpenteur. He was within a few blocks from his house.

That morning, he noticed a kink in his neck, but didn't think anything of it. Well on this ride, that kink made it hard to raise his head and fully look up from a riding downward position. SO, Al was riding hard down a hill, and looking up every so often from his cruising position.

(Frame broke in 2 spots. it's a goner)

Well, at one point, he looked up too late, and hit a parked car. He must have been going pretty fast (20+mph) when he hit the car, because his frame snapped, and he went thru the back windshield of the parked car.

When he opened his eyes, he was in the back(ish) of the car. he got himself out, and didn't realize his injuries. He saw his broken bike (which he somehow was able to unclip from...he has no idea how) and felt blood gushing from his chin. And then he tried to walk home.

(Giant dent in the middle of the helmet from where he hit the windshield)

Luckily, there was a dude there that saw the whole thing, called an ambulance, told Al to hold up, and waited while the ambulance came. Alex ended up getting stitches. His bike is totaled (back wheel should be okay) and his helmet is toast. But his head is okay, and that is all that matters.

(yes, those are blood covered glasses that probably saved his eyes)

So, the lesson here? Pay attention when riding, even of parked cars, and also WEAR A HELMET!