One of the advantages of a full-on concussion . I have no memory of my meeting with the Ford Focus that failed to yield. Waking up in the ambulance was traumatic, but i guess i don't associate it with the place i got hit. That's a good thing, because i had just passed my apartment at the time and was less than 50m away -- it would be awfully hard to commute if i couldn't get out the driveway for fear of being pegged by a passing geriatric.

I was wearing a helmet. I don't know how much it helped, but i know that my glasses, knee, and bike frame were all broken and my head still works (mostly).

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I wear one. I'd estimate fewer than 10% of the people on campus do; it might be closer to 5%. Along with my iPod and gloves, it's one of my three must-haves when riding.

Always wear a helmet. I had a friend go from a Cat III rider to never riding again all because he hit his head while doing an endo on a patch of sand when he didn't have a helmet on.

Don`t ride. Take up running. Bikes can go fast and crashes tend to be painful. Far fewer runners suffer road rash, head injuries, and broken bones. Also, running gets you fit much quicker than casual riding.

Yes, and now I'm completely fine with that corner. I go about 11 instead of 15, which is what I estimate I was traveling when I fell. Gravel is tricky and slippery. It's good to find your limits, though.