A few days ago I broke my helmet again. This time I was going too fast on some gravel and sped across a turn that was sharper than I was expecting. I flew off my bike. I broke my third helmet. Time to get another.
I’m totally fine, nothing broken, no stitches or anything like that but I’m still pretty banged up. Most importantly though my head is fine. No concussion or head injury at all. Fortunately my partner is a first responder so honestly a great person to be around when you’re in the middle of nowhere injured and they’ve been keeping an eye on me but I’m definitely past any sort of concussion danger period. I wasn’t that worried anyway.
But that helmet gets to go in the trash and join its friends now. Missed but not forgetten.
I’m an experienced biker…and skater and hiker and kayaker and other stuff too. I’ve gotten myself out of stickier situations than this but it was very hot out and very sunny and I’d had a beer and a decent lunch and was near the end of my long bike journey and I goofed. It happens. And it’s not a big deal because I had my helmet on.
The last time was a skating accident. It was wet and I forgot how slippery skates get when its wet. The previous time I thought it would be fun to ride down stairs. It is and I do it all the time but probably you shouldn’t. At least not without a helmet.
I see people out all the time on all sorts of wheeled things without one and I feel so much anxiety for them. I’m not particularly clumsy or anything but if you do something long enough eventually an accident might happen. I wonder if they know the impact it will have on them and their loved ones if the accident happens to them. I wonder if they know how easy it is to prevent it from being as bad as it could be.
All of my accidents were maybe my fault but I know very few bikers who haven’t had similar, either because of something they did or something someone else did. They’re all okay too because they all wear helmets.
So comrades please just put a helmet on. Your brain is valuable because it contains a lot of who you are, and you’re probably more valuable than you think. We all take care of our bodies and minds in so many ways so please don’t neglect this way. Helmets are cheap, adjusted properly they can be very comfortable too. The right kinds can be personalized with stickers and messages and really become something special to you. Hopefully you buy one and you have it for life and you never need to replace it. But if you do need to replace it that’s good too, because a helmet is so much easier to replace than you are.
Anyway I’m looking forward to buying my next helmet and I hope it lasts me longer than this last one. But if it doesn’t I’ll be glad to because hopefully it means I’m okay when I otherwise might not have been.
So please if you’re going to be doing something that could result in a head injury, no matter how unlikely, just put on a helmet. You’re worth it.
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I’ve fallen off my motorcycle onto hard roads probably about a dozen times (the worst one for reference was hitting a car on the highway). Never gotten anything worse than a bruise - admittedly luck plays into that, but so does the fact that every wipeout has been in full safety gear. It works!
Got into a wreck going 30+ mph on a steep downhill a year ago. Fractured my wrist, messed up my bike and shattered my helmet but walked away. Thank God for my helmet on that day.
Definitely seconding your point on helmets. On another note, it’s such a nice feeling to have a pint and bike around on a summer day, I wish summer wasn’t coming to an end here!
what if your helmet breaks easily and it’s all a conspiracy by Big Helmet to sell more helmets when you go “woah, that coulda been my head”???
I know you’re joshing but the helmet IS designed to break easily. This lets it absorb and redirect the force of the impact so effectively. Cars call it ‘crumple zones’ but it’s the same thing.
You’re supposed to replace most helmets any time you drop them even if there is no visual damage for this reason. The dropped helmet may now have cracks you can’t see in the foam below the shell and in any subsequent crashes your skull may end up taking more force than it should.
I know you’re joshing but the helmet IS designed to break easily. This lets it absorb and redirect the force of the impact so effectively. Cars call it ‘crumple zones’ but it’s the same thing.
SURE, or maybe that makes sense or maybe BIG HELMET GOT TO YOU
I am sorry comrade, for biking without my helmetThey’re expensive but not as expensive as a concussion I know
It’s okay it’s not too late. Go get yourself a basic one it’s better than nothing. Your brain is worth protecting
Excellent post.
On a long enough timeline everyone eats it. Make sure you have a helmet on so when you do, it’s something you can do again. Bones heal, brains don’t.
I got a concussion and almost had to get my brain scanned for injuries when I crashed off my bike. That was with the helmet. Helmet got broken into pieces. Without it, that would have been my head.
But if you do need to replace it that’s good too, because a helmet is so much easier to replace than you are.
This makes me tear up a little because I don’t wear a helmet maybe because I don’t value myself enough, thank you for this sweet post, you are right
I will when rent is lowered, otherwise the prospect of a small rent-free plot of land underground in an oblong box is too great. I’m kidding. Kinda
No you have to pay rent on grave plots too.
Hmm… Become a hermit, have no children, problem solved? At that point I can sleep anywhere, wolves can have me too if that’s the case. Something something diogenes.
Ugh. They just airlifted the wolves somewhere because a cow died within a five state radius and all the ranchers in north america immediately declared that the like 10 wolves in the entire state of co had ruined ranching forever.
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
I don’t do any of these activities because no one wears a helmet and I don’t want to be made fun of for wearing one
Have you considered getting a pair of cool stick-on cat ears and some stickers and writing “born to nap forced to work” on your helmet with sharpie?
Have you considered getting a pair of cool stick-on cat ears and some stickers and writing “born to nap forced to work” on your helmet with sharpie?
This is the cool version of those biker chuds that have kaiser/nazi helmets to try to overcompensate for helmet laws.
‘Nyah, nyeh, nyah, nyeh, neh’ sing songy as I flip off a Richard Spencer wannabe going like 20mph in my newly purchased tactical anti-hetero feline brain case. (After the rent gets lowered, wanna remain consistent)
