Whilst sitting at a stoplight this guy rolled past me, naturally I wanted to get a picture for my riding buddies.
I posted this on my local bike page with the caption “why is this guy stupid?” and of course the squids (a term we use for the punks that do wheelies in traffic with no gear and give bikers a bad rap) jumped down my throat on how judgmental my post was.
Now, if you don’t have or ride with a helmet, that’s one thing, and I can respect that. Most states permit it, including AZ. But if you have one with you like this fellow in the picture, why not utilize it?
I’ve always worn a helmet, but I’ve been even more adamant since I was hit in November of 2015. A young girl driving from the opposite direction was texting and drifted into my lane around a curve. We hit head on at about 30-35MPH which isn’t horrible, but I got thrown about twenty feet. I had full gear which kept my body safe, but I landed straight in my head, so hard in fact that it split my helmet open. Yes your read that right, my helmet.
The results were about a two-month concussion, and a permanent cloud/fog over my thoughts. I used to be extremely sharp and quick, and while I still am, my ability to think isn’t where it used to be. I can also no longer do more than basic math in my head, and I usually have to read something three or four times before I actually absorb the knowledge.
I’ve heard the excuse from other riders that they would rather die than using a helmet and becoming a vegetable, or at the very least suffering permanent brain damage like I did.
I for one am extremely grateful to be alive, but I am a huge advocate for proper gear, but most importantly helmets.
Needless to say that didn’t stop me, I went on to amateur racing until summer of last year when I sold the bike. Here’s a show-off picture from October of 2017
Just a reminder to all my fellow riders to stay safe out there! You may be looking right at them, but that doesn’t mean they see you.
I posted this on my local bike page with the caption “why is this guy stupid?” and of course the squids (a term we use for the punks that do wheelies in traffic with no gear and give bikers a bad rap) jumped down my throat on how judgmental my post was.
Now, if you don’t have or ride with a helmet, that’s one thing, and I can respect that. Most states permit it, including AZ. But if you have one with you like this fellow in the picture, why not utilize it?
I’ve always worn a helmet, but I’ve been even more adamant since I was hit in November of 2015. A young girl driving from the opposite direction was texting and drifted into my lane around a curve. We hit head on at about 30-35MPH which isn’t horrible, but I got thrown about twenty feet. I had full gear which kept my body safe, but I landed straight in my head, so hard in fact that it split my helmet open. Yes your read that right, my helmet.
The results were about a two-month concussion, and a permanent cloud/fog over my thoughts. I used to be extremely sharp and quick, and while I still am, my ability to think isn’t where it used to be. I can also no longer do more than basic math in my head, and I usually have to read something three or four times before I actually absorb the knowledge.
I’ve heard the excuse from other riders that they would rather die than using a helmet and becoming a vegetable, or at the very least suffering permanent brain damage like I did.
I for one am extremely grateful to be alive, but I am a huge advocate for proper gear, but most importantly helmets.
Needless to say that didn’t stop me, I went on to amateur racing until summer of last year when I sold the bike. Here’s a show-off picture from October of 2017
Just a reminder to all my fellow riders to stay safe out there! You may be looking right at them, but that doesn’t mean they see you.
