Advocacy & Safety - Good thing I wore a helmet + eye shield

Had a little accident today. It was my fault (lack of good judgement I guess) as I was riding parallel to the line that joins grass to a mup. Tire slippage occured and I went down. Was doing around 15mph (there weren't any people around, huh, apart from the guy I just passed).

Anyway, I went down, hit head on mup, slid along for a bit, helmet saved my head. But an interesting thing is my eye shields (not sure what else to call them, they're just clear sun glasses) stopped my face from getting it's skin peeled of (though it did jut up against my nose and create a cut (but I guess that's coz the little rubber thingie was missing)f.

So I just wanted to tell you all it's a good idea to wear your helmet, and probably even some eye wear. I got a bunch of bruises and cuts in different places (three on face, elbows, hands (the gloves tore), gash on knee and bruise on leg and shoulder). Not sure if it cramps your style or not, but during winter I forego my helmet so I can wear a warm hat. Now I'm ognna have to think of new head wear during winter, but I sure wont be going without helmet + eye shields.

Now I need to buy new eye-wear and gloves.

A thin wool balaclava under the helmet does wonders for the winter. Little cold at the start but gets toasty after you get the muscles warmed up.

I just ordered these (http://www.amazon.com/Harbinger-Power-StretchBack-Glove-Black/dp/B00074T85W/ref=pd_ts_sg_2?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods). I spent time looking for specific cycling gloves, but the ones there had so-so reviews. And then I thought of sports gloves in general, under the logic that better material for cyclists is often found in departments unrelated to cycling, and I came across these at the top of the list in weightlifting gloves. They look sturdy, have great reviews, and at least one person recommended them for biking. Besides that, the durability and comfort of these gloves (they're designed to support frequent use and prevent blisters when repeatedly lifting heavy objects, after all) should come in handy (lol) when applied to cycling. I'll eagerly try them out when they arrive.

And for a winter helmet, look into something like these (http://www.amazon.com/Giro-Nine-Blood-Red-X-Large/dp/B000FJVMBC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1219037006&sr=1-1). I'm picking up one from either Giro, Protec, or Bern when the temperatures drop. I've had good experiences with my Giro Transfer, and the Giro Nine has good reviews. Much safer than relying on hats, and potentially much warmer, too, due to the insulation and ear padding.

After debating the helmet thing for about a year. We've finally picked up 5 helmets for the family today. It's just something we are going to have to get use to doing. All of our camping buddies wear them and have really been pushing us to get some.

Castelli do a cycling skullcap which fits under your helmet - it comes in a short (head only) and long (back of the neck as well) version. It is in a wicking fabric and is easy to wash.

I tend to use a simple stretchy ear-band here when the temperature approaches freezing then switch to my Castelli when it is below freezing - works wonders!

thx everyone. I bought a Nike skull cap and will see what it's like over winter. Bought spec bg gloves again on sale.

Glad you bought a bunch of helmets. There's a lot of debate between should/shouldn't but I'm in the 'should' camp.

Wearing a helmet is probably not a bad idea. But learning to ride properly would be an even better idea.

These crash threads often make it sound like the only lesson learned is to wear a helmet. Did the OP also learn anything about how not to ride from this incident?

So I just wanted to tell you all it's a good idea to wear your helmet, and probably even some eye wear. I got a bunch of bruises and cuts in different places (three on face, elbows, hands (the gloves tore), gash on knee and bruise on leg and shoulder).

Yea, I know wear a helmet. It's probably an even better idea not to flirt with that line between grass and MUP surface unless you are poised to recover control that will be lost when your wheels slip and get tangled up due to what I assume was unevenness between the two surfaces.

One thing riding a bike will do for you is to make you keener to road surfaces, obstacles, potholes, etc.

I am much smoother in my car as a result of a lifetime of riding bikes. It annoys me to ride with a driver who is oblivious to the road surface and just plows through deep potholes, over elevated, sharp-edged manhole covers, and so forth.

I'm sure you are kicking yourself for being careless, so I'm not going to add any bruises - been there, done that myself.

Glad you are ok.

If you shop around, there is plenty of head warming gear that will not negate the opportunity to wear your helmet.

Good luck.

Caruso

uke has it right, allot of times it's better to look for non-cycling 'stuff' that can be adapted. My favorit gloves are "ATV" gloves, padded palms, kevlar armoured knuckles, and they breathe.

OP, i believe the word(s) you're looking for to describe your glasses is "Safety Glasses" and i totally agree, i consider them essential. I like saftey glasses (clear and shaded) for the shatter resistance. I'm abit paranoid about rocks and bugs, i've been hit with both although admittedly not in the eyes. These days they make some cool looking saftey glasses.

I have a sirius skull cap - it has earmuffs and blocks the wind 100% - served me well in Calgary winters down to -28 degrees celsius (that's COLD in farenheit!).

I wear eye protection as well - excellent for bugs, twigs, grit and UV - don't leave home without it. I suspect even the helmet skeptics would accept the bug-free aspect of glasses.