BobbyG

...it hits me in the head!

It was a windy, windy day today. I was riding East on San Miguel near El Paso Street in Colorado Springs, when I heard a loud smack and felt a hit to my helmet, followed by branches sweeping past the left side of my face. I slowed and then stopped. I was okay, just startled. I prepared to pull back out on to the street and checked my Take-A-Look glasses mirror...except it wasn't there. The branch must have knocked it off.

I dismounted and walked back and forth for 60 feet or so a half-dozen times looking for it, but I couldn't find it. I carry a cable to watch my hemlet cam videos on my phone should I ever need to. I figured I'd watch the video and see where the branch hit happenedand look there. I plugged the helmet cam into the phone and began copying the file, because the phone won't play the video files off a connected usb device (LG G3 Android). And then the camera went into charge mode and sucked the phone battery from 40 to 20 in about a minute.

So I pedaled home with just my bar-end mirror. When I got home I charged the phone a little and copied the video over to it. I drove back and arrived at the location about 40 minutes after the event. I watched the video and walked to the exact spot of the branch hit. I didn't see it, but took three steps and did. It was another 50 feet back from where I thought it may have happened.

The mirror was flattened from possibly being run over, but mirror-up and unscratched. I realize it's only $14...and I have my previous take-a-look mirror at home, but I had a frustrating week at work, and our kitchen is out of commission due to repairs, and I didn't want any more complications in my life.

In an odd coincidence, the branch fell on me within 100 yards of where I saw a Google Street View car earlier on the same ride.

mcours2006

I've had a couple of things hit my helmet. The last was probably an acorn or some kind of nut. But yeah, quite startling.

B. Carfree

The secretaries in my department office were commenting on a large limb that had fallen nearby. One of them said it could have killed someone if it had hit them. A colleague with a fresh lump on his head said, "No, it just knocked me out." He was distracted by an attractive young woman walking nearby and didn't even hear the branch break.

This was his second such episode in a week. The earlier one involved a sudden gust of wind that revealed that a different pretty young woman wasn't wearing anything under her skirt. While he was staring at her, he rode his bike right into a plate glass window at a sporting goods store.

He said he was going to stop leering at women.

a1penguin

Dang. Glad that you weren't hurt. I've worn glasses all my life and I can say that while cycling, I've been glad I wear them more than once.

Another reason to wear a helmet :-)

noglider 

Damn, that was close.

Those mirrors are tough. If you bend it back into its proper shape, there is a good chance it will keep on serving you well.

BobbyG

Already done. The only reason I replaced the older one after so many years was the mirror began to "tarnish", or more accurately the mirror surface began to rub off. I know about front-surface mirrors from my photography days with old rangefinder-focus cameras.

When I bought the new mirror a couple of years ago the first thing I notices was that it was a rear-surface mirror, that is, the glass covers the reflective surface. Works the same as the old one, but less chance of of the reflective surface wearing away.

Darth Lefty 

The street view car probably knocked it loose for you

Aubergine 

Similar thing happened to me once. I was riding along the Burke-Gilman trail in Seattle, in a storm, and a 3-inch branch fell on my handlebars and bounced off in front of me. I squeaked loudly and then, bumpety bump, rode over the branch.

I made it home, where my hands were so numb that it took me five minutes to undo the zipper on the back of my coat to extract my keys.

canklecat

A few months ago on a large group ride a huge, heavy tree limb snapped off just as we passed -- on the opposite side of the street. Hit an oncoming car. Fortunately the car was traveling only about 10 mph because a car ahead of it had slowed to turn. And the limb was heavily leafed out, softening the blow.

But it could have been much worse for cyclists. We were coasting downhill about 25-30 mph.

That's one reason I avoid areas with heavy tree cover for a few days after heavy rain and wind storms. Many Texas Live oak trees are suffering from wilt and often drop limbs after storms. While most residential neighborhoods maintain trees pretty well there are many untended along the popular multi-use path that drop limbs after almost every rain or wind storm.

rumrunn6

nice save

RidingMatthew

@BobbyG you might have said this before but what kind of camera do you use?


glad your head is okay!

BobbyG

I use a Contour Roam 2. I had the first version, and liked ability to rotate the lens so t can be mounted off center.
It also a good battery life.