Okay, I'll go get some next week. Should be a useful addition to the lights, in terms of safety. Thanks for your tip.
Is your bike safe?
- Thread starter Mark George
- Start date
Okay, I'll go get some next week. Should be a useful addition to the lights, in terms of safety. Thanks for your tip.
I've worn a helmet since the first hardshell bike helmet came out, the Bell Biker, I also wore the leather padded helmet called the hairnet which I doubt would have protected my noogen from anything. So get a helmet and wear it.
Onward to cyclists accidents. Last week a teacher from a local school was killed riding his bike, like so many of you here on this forum, and like he done millions of times himself, ran a stop sign and didn't see the car that had the right away and died a couple of hours later at the hospital. Most cycling accidents are the fault of the cyclist because they'll do stupid stuff, I see it all the time.
Whenever I ride on city streets or a busy highway during the day I turn on my main tail light to flash mode which puts out 70 lumens; at night I turn it on to steady and my other 2 tail lights to flash. So get a bright tail light. Reflective stuff is good to have, and all you need is a cheap Home Depot safety vest in a mesh with neon green coloring, with wide bands of silver reflective material.
Onward to cyclists accidents. Last week a teacher from a local school was killed riding his bike, like so many of you here on this forum, and like he done millions of times himself, ran a stop sign and didn't see the car that had the right away and died a couple of hours later at the hospital. Most cycling accidents are the fault of the cyclist because they'll do stupid stuff, I see it all the time.
Whenever I ride on city streets or a busy highway during the day I turn on my main tail light to flash mode which puts out 70 lumens; at night I turn it on to steady and my other 2 tail lights to flash. So get a bright tail light. Reflective stuff is good to have, and all you need is a cheap Home Depot safety vest in a mesh with neon green coloring, with wide bands of silver reflective material.
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@Froze I used to know a woman who was widowed in her 50s when her husband had a lethal accident while cycling. He fell on the ground for some reason, but hitting the pavement caused a fatal bleeding in his brain and eventually killed him. That accident finally convinced me to always wear a helmet, even when cycling on an quiet country road.
Odd you mentioned that because about 30 or so years ago my wife's cousin was riding along a beach road at a slow pace was hit by a car which was more of a nudge but he fell and hit his unprotected head on a curb and was in a coma for 5 days and suffered irreparable brain damage, he is functional today but due to that injury he has been on disability ever since because he can't concentrate long on anything and is unable to think on a higher level and thus can't hold a meaningful job though he does work but it's a very low key and low paying job. But the doctors at time all said had he had been wearing helmet he wouldn't even been hurt. Actually as the years has gone by he seems to speak better now than he could even 15 years ago, so there may have been some very long term healing that has taken place.
Obviously a helmet is going to protect you from all things, but why risk dying or becoming fried in a simple accident that could have been prevented if a helmet was on? Sure an accident involving a car or a semi broadsiding you and crushing your skull a helmet isn't going to do a bit of good, but even if you were wearing the best helmet in the world made for any sport wouldn't do you any good either. So be realistic, ride by following the rules of the road just as a car would because that's what bicycle riders are suppose to do, and be aware of your surroundings and what motorists are doing, and wear a helmet.
@Froze That's such a sad story. I always feel bad when I hear about seemingly petty accidents that end up wrecking somebody's life like this. It's a pity that you're wife's cousin had to go through all of these. One of my older relatives, who has since died, had a similar disability, caused by a stroke during a heat wave when he was already 70. He too partly recovered after two years - I remember the doctor explaining us that while the brain damage itself cannot be healed, it's possible that some neurons will be "rewired" to functions that were served by the destroyed ones, and that allows to regain some part of speech etc. abilities. Just another reason to be careful about one's health, I suppose.
Thanks, and sorry for your relative too, strokes cannot be prevented, they sneak up on people when they least expect it; but trying to protect your head in an accident from injury could be as simple as wearing a helmet, and had by wife's cousin been wearing one he would have had a much fuller life...he was actually a rising surfing star till that accident, he did surf after that but could never get his form back the way it was, but that didn't bother him, he surfed nearly everyday since the doctors cleared him and still does.
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