Cycling accident

jfan175
jfan175 Posts: 812 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm still a little foggy, but I put this of Fb last night and got a lot of thank you's for the helmet warning, so if this helps anyone here it's worth it. I took a spill on my bike last night and conked my head really good. My helmet cracked and I received 6 stitches on the left side of my head. I don't remember anything about the ride, not even starting it. The accident happened about 4 miles in. I remember putting some chicken in the oven, and then nothing until being in the neuro unit at the hospital. My wife said that I was asking questions repeatedly and was disoriented, and I don't remember any of that. The MRI was negative for any bleeds and xrays were negative for any fractures. I have road rash on the L side of my body and arm. I'm still having a lot of memory issues, but the doctor said that this was common for a concussion and should resolve in time. They kept me overnight for observation and sent me home today. I have no clue as to what happened. Someone called the paramedics, there were no witnesses, and I'm left wondering. Luckily there was a carry out on the corner and they secured my bike for me (supposedly it looks undamaged). My computer tracked the ride and I was doing 14+mph approaching a turn and that's where it ended. This is scary folks....wear your helmets. I might be dead now if I didn't.
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Replies

  • Ribena145
    Ribena145 Posts: 201 Member
    Glad to hear you wear your helmet. It's the law where I live and they still ride around like idiots with NO helmets, weaving about in and out. Thanks for posting!
  • mkculs
    mkculs Posts: 316 Member
    Wow, so glad you had on that helmet! I noticed everyone in the UK seemed to be wearing one, even casual riders/kids. In the US, not so much; it is worrisome. Your story is definitely one worth telling. Please update us on your progress; I know from working with high school students that concussions are no fun.
  • GemstoneofHeart
    GemstoneofHeart Posts: 865 Member
    edited June 2018
    Wow. Thanks for the reminder. Glad you are okay! We all should wear our helmets on our two wheeled vehicles.
    Also, cars need to watch out and reduce distracted driving! #itcanwait
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
    The concussion really will get better. Hang in there.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    Glad you are "ok". It was thoughtful of you to post this reminder to others.
  • WickAndArtoo
    WickAndArtoo Posts: 773 Member
    I am so glad you are okay and were wearing your helmet, it must be so frustrating not knowing what happened. I hope your head feels better soon, and the road rash-I have had severe road rash before, it’s is not a fun healing process.

    Thank you so much for sharing this and reminding us all to wear our helmets, you are potentially saving someone life by sharing your story!
  • VegasFit
    VegasFit Posts: 1,232 Member
    I'm glad you're okay. I started cycling almost a year ago and it surprises me the number of casual riders I see that don't wear helmets. Even in my short time riding I've been in a group ride where someone went down and have heard many stories from others. It's almost a matter of not if you'll go down at some point but when. Wishing you a speedy recovery and I hope your bike turns out to be okay too!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    mkculs wrote: »
    Wow, so glad you had on that helmet! I noticed everyone in the UK seemed to be wearing one, even casual riders/kids. In the US, not so much; it is worrisome. Your story is definitely one worth telling. Please update us on your progress; I know from working with high school students that concussions are no fun.

    Sadly not everyone in the UK, i see plenty of people without.

    Glad you're ok OP
  • WickAndArtoo
    WickAndArtoo Posts: 773 Member
    VegasFit wrote: »
    I'm glad you're okay. I started cycling almost a year ago and it surprises me the number of casual riders I see that don't wear helmets. Even in my short time riding I've been in a group ride where someone went down and have heard many stories from others. It's almost a matter of not if you'll go down at some point but when. Wishing you a speedy recovery and I hope your bike turns out to be okay too!

    The “not if but when” is so true with biking.
  • makkimakki2018
    makkimakki2018 Posts: 414 Member
    try to ride in a group with people. Garmins can contact whoever you have listed if your bike has crashed or fallen, but its better to have people with you so if anything happens they are there to help you. im glad someone was there to call the EMS for you though. hope you recover and start riding again.
  • sue_01
    sue_01 Posts: 2,696 Member
    Glad your okay, Wish you a speedy recovery. Glad you had your helmet.
  • vollkornbloedchen
    vollkornbloedchen Posts: 2,243 Member
    Get well soon.
    Never ride without helmet ... and always know where your towel is ...
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,977 Member
    edited June 2018
    Hope you get well soon, OP. Glad that your helmet spared you greater injury.

    FWIW, your experience and others similarly reported is the reason I never road or ever wanted to ride a bike on public roadways. Just too dangerous to me and this is the perspective of a person who road a motorcycle for over 45 yrs and who had a couple of fall down/slide outs (some resulting in injuries) but never an encounter w/a car.

    When I road, I wore a motorcycle helmet, gloves, boots and full protective gear. Far more safety equipment than any bicyclist does and a motorcycle has the advantage of speed and agility to avoid accidents that far suppasses that of a bicycle. Motorcycles are built to travel at great speed, bicyles are not.

    Of course, motocycling is still dangerous but the odds are more in your favor on the roadway. Bicyclists are at a huge disadvantage there and I have a hard time understanding why anyone would want to place themselves at risk in that way, regardless of how much they enjoy riding a bike.

    When I've ridden a bicycle it was only in areas closed to vehicular traffic. In SF, this was at the Polo Grounds on weekdays and certain areas of GG Park on weekends. That's all the bicycling I've ever done which most bicyclists would find too restrictive. But when ever you share the roadway w/cars and trucks, your risk of injury rises exponentially and insisting on the right to do so as a bicyclist is just asking for trouble IMO.

    My opinion will, of course, not change anything. To all bicyclists, just remain vigilant and mindful of traffic. Any mistake by a driver could cost you your life and your life is in their hands whenever one passes you in the roadway., whether you are wearing a skimpy bicycle helmet or not.

    Please remember that.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    edited June 2018
    Glad you aren't hurt too badly. Thanks for the helmet reminder.
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    My father used to way...there are 3 things that leave you vulnerable. A horse. A motorcycle. A bicycle. He did all three but always wore a helmet and as much leather as he could. Wishing you a full recovery.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
    edited June 2018
    WickAndArtoo wrote: »
    VegasFit wrote: »
    I'm glad you're okay. I started cycling almost a year ago and it surprises me the number of casual riders I see that don't wear helmets. Even in my short time riding I've been in a group ride where someone went down and have heard many stories from others. It's almost a matter of not if you'll go down at some point but when. Wishing you a speedy recovery and I hope your bike turns out to be okay too!

    The “not if but when” is so true with biking.

    Amen! That's exactly what I always tell my kids when they give me a hard time about wearing a helmet to school. And they've seen me get hit by a car as well as take a tumble and fracture my knee.

    @jfan175, I'm so glad you walked away and that some good samaritan called the paramedics. Fingers crossed your memory gets better. Thank you for the PSA.
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
    sgt1372 wrote: »
    Of course, motocycling is still dangerous but the odds are more in your favor on the roadway. Bicyclists are at a huge disadvantage there and I have a hard time understanding why anyone would want to place themselves at risk in that way, regardless of how much they enjoy riding a bike.
    I don't know that that is actually the case. The odds are seriously not in the favor of motorcyclists. From the results of a study done by members of the CDC which was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology 2007 that analyzed accidents involving motor vehicles:
    Annualized fatal injury rates are presented in table 2. The overall annualized fatality rate was 10.4 per 100 million person-trips. Motorcyclists had the highest fatality rate (536.6 per 100 million person-trips), followed by other vehicle occupants (28.4 per 100 million person-trips), bicyclists (21.0 per 100 million person-trips), pedestrians (13.7 per 100 million person-trips), passenger vehicle occupants (9.2 per 100 million person-trips), and bus occupants (0.4 per 100 million person-trips).
    ...
    Our findings quantify differences in traffic injury risk by mode of travel. We identified those groups that face the highest risks of traffic injury. Relative to passenger vehicle occupants, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians are 58.3, 2.3, and 1.5 times, respectively, more likely to be fatally injured on a given trip.

    So 536.6 fatalities per 100 million trips vs 21 fatalities per 100 million trips. The rates for nonfatal injures per 100 million trips were 10,336.6 for motorcyclists and 1,461.2 for cyclists. This of course, by no means, takes away the message that, at the end of the day, people need to pay attention to what they're doing when they're riding a bike (or a motorcycle) and they should wear a helmet. I think that's likely especially true for motorcyclists given the speed of travel - I'll leave you to google the nickname people who work in ER departments in the US supposedly have motorcyclists who don't wear helmets.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
    Your helmet did it's job and worked properly. Get a new one before you ride again, and don't ride until you are fully recovered from this concussion.
  • mjbnj0001
    mjbnj0001 Posts: 1,075 Member
    Sobering story, too often repeated. I'm glad you're as OK as you are. Things sound as if you will recover OK.

    My current (new) helmet isn't simply a "lid," I got one that's "MIPS" rated - supposedly ameliorates the sloshing around inside your skull the brain does when your head impacts. In years past (many years past - I'm in my "cycling life 2.0," riding again after 30+ yrs not), both my wife and I have needed our helmets - she was bumped by a right-turning car and walloped into a parked car with her head as a result. My saddle bolts loosened and I tipped over backwards, skidding down the road inverted on my head for a few feet. Both of us OK, and both of us lifelong believers in helmets as a result.

    As others have said, a bike helmet is "one and done." Needs to be replaced. Some makers have a collision-replacement policy.

    Coincidentally, bicycling magazine (bicycling.com) has two pertinent articles today: one on helmet ratings for protectiveness, and one on a fatal, apparently-deliberate hit-and-run in Florida. A father was killed and his two young sons riding with him injured.

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