Wondering how many 'There I was..." stories are out there for a helmet saving a life...I've seen a few blokes riding around my neck of the woods who evidently believe the helmet crushes their 'cool factor' (guessing they believe their thinning hair does not). I was recently pondering this fact while I was pedaling uphill and I noted another fellow bombing down the hill sans helmet and lo and behold a nice littly lady in a 330 pulled a U-turn from a parallel parked position right in front of him.
At the time, I was just as concerned that he was going to take me out as well (during the process of logging a .1 of 'flight time') and his vector was going to end up in a head-on with yours truly. To my amazement, his skills exceeded his common sense and he just barely brought his steed to a halt before lightly 'broadsiding' the 330...
Our group ride last week didn't end as favorably as one of our more experienced riders hit a patch of pavement repair at speed rounding a corner on a descent and
the result was an off-road excursion that placed him between a steel fencepost and a rock outcropping smack dab in the middle of a thick brush/bush pile. When dash two (also EMT) arrived to see how bad off he was, the immediate concern was puncture from the thick (and dry) branches. Seeing only lacerations and no neck injury, he removed the victim from the brush and was stunned to see a 1" thick branch protruding from the back of the victim's helmet. When he queried the victim about the javelin protruding from the back of his head, he grabbed it and it had penetrated the back of the Giro helmet and lightly scraped the skull (it took 40 seconds of vigorous pulling to remove the stick from the helmet). Had he not been wearing his helmet, it is probable there would have been another occupant in his sinus cavity and a helicopter trip to the hospital (or a ride in a zip loc baggie to the quiet house). A handful of staples mended the chap and believe it or not, the bike had no damage!
I've seen other spills and tumbles that cracked lids, but this recent one took the cake. Hoping there's enough effort to post a story here that raises the eyebrow of a non-believer and puts 'em under a skid lid. Either that, or Darwin will take care of the rest.
Let's hear it!
At the time, I was just as concerned that he was going to take me out as well (during the process of logging a .1 of 'flight time') and his vector was going to end up in a head-on with yours truly. To my amazement, his skills exceeded his common sense and he just barely brought his steed to a halt before lightly 'broadsiding' the 330...
Our group ride last week didn't end as favorably as one of our more experienced riders hit a patch of pavement repair at speed rounding a corner on a descent and
the result was an off-road excursion that placed him between a steel fencepost and a rock outcropping smack dab in the middle of a thick brush/bush pile. When dash two (also EMT) arrived to see how bad off he was, the immediate concern was puncture from the thick (and dry) branches. Seeing only lacerations and no neck injury, he removed the victim from the brush and was stunned to see a 1" thick branch protruding from the back of the victim's helmet. When he queried the victim about the javelin protruding from the back of his head, he grabbed it and it had penetrated the back of the Giro helmet and lightly scraped the skull (it took 40 seconds of vigorous pulling to remove the stick from the helmet). Had he not been wearing his helmet, it is probable there would have been another occupant in his sinus cavity and a helicopter trip to the hospital (or a ride in a zip loc baggie to the quiet house). A handful of staples mended the chap and believe it or not, the bike had no damage!
I've seen other spills and tumbles that cracked lids, but this recent one took the cake. Hoping there's enough effort to post a story here that raises the eyebrow of a non-believer and puts 'em under a skid lid. Either that, or Darwin will take care of the rest.
Let's hear it!