It Only Takes One Time

I finally got the Blogger app up and running. While daily posts are a bit cumbersome for its limited abilities, it will be a bit more regular around here again.

So I wanted to tell you about my first bike ride in Luxembourg. It certainly didn't go the way I hoped it would and that's why I want to tell you about it. I learned a very valuable lesson and I hope by sharing it with you, you won't have to learn it the same way I did.

It's been raining buckets here almost everyday. We live near a river, two actually, and both are flooded. The cycle path runs along one of them (I haven't worked out which is which yet) and several times it was under the river today. So, we had to keep leaving the path to get around the flooding. However, we reached a point in which we could go no further. So, we decided to take to the streets instead. Now, riding on the road here is much different than it is in Akron. While they're used to bicycles, the roads are narrow, twisty, and they drive really fast. It's intimidating.

We had just exited an extremely intense city center at a break neck speed and were riding past a train station when all of a sudden my front wheel caught on something (I think a broken drain was the culprit) and slammed into the curb (which aren't rounded like ours). Me and the bike slammed hard onto the sidewalk (thankfully not the other way into traffic) and most of impact was sustained by my right leg and elbow.

I rolled onto my back and thought "It's a good thing I'm wearing a helmet." I reached back to see if it was damaged to discover it was gone! Wait...No way! I wasn't wearing a helmet! I forgot it at home! I hadn't realized it because I was wearing a cap and a balaclava.

I stood up with a pounding headache and a young guy ran up to ask if I was ok. I did the best I could in answering in French and he kindly helped me straighten out my handle bars. Meanwhile, my husband who was leading, kept on riding. Several cars honked and flashed their lights at him before someone was able to communicate that his riding partner was in distress. Since the last time I fell off my bike everyone laughed and pointed at me, the fact all these people were concerned means a lot. It shows a certain level of respect for cyclists I'm not accustomed to.

Anyway, I don't think I actually hit my head. Despite the headache, there's no sore spot or lump anywhere. I think the pain comes from the whiplash effect. My neck is a bit stiff too. My leg is the real victim here. I've got a nasty scrape and a massive, swollen bruise from the edge of the curb. Walking is going to be rough for a while.

However, that was the first time and will be the last time I forget my helmet. And that's the lesson here. Crashes can't be avoided forever, but taking the proper precautions can save a lot of, um, headaches. No ride is too short or too cool to not wear a helmet. I think I've ridden my bike maybe three times without a helmet, counting today, but that was the first time it was unintentional. I still can't believe I let that happen, and that's what bothers me. It only takes one time to forget it to have a serious injury. Head injuries are nasty things, so if you can reduce your chances of having one by wearing a helmet you might as well. You never know when the rode will pull you down, no matter how long you've been riding.

So, let my little accident be a lesson to you. Never ride without a helmet.

Meanwhile, I'm going to hang a checklist by my door with the number one thing on it being HELMET.

*the picture here isn't of the drain that brought me down. It's in on a nice quite side street. But, it's also a good example of those mean Luxembourgish curbs