Forgot my helmet!!!

[wavedancer]

It was an absolutely gorgeous day for riding today and I managed to get the day off, so I planned a 68-mile ride to get ready for doing a century next month. The first part of the ride felt great, some hills: ups and one 34 mph downhill, rode through traffic, some back roads, and then stopped at a light at a major highway intersection. I felt a little warm, especially on my head, and I reached up to adjust my helmet and IT WASN'T THERE! I totally freaked out! Carried my bike off to the side of the road and wondered "what now?"

I was about 16 miles into my ride, no one home to call, didn't want to abort my planned ride, but definitely didn't want to ride without a helmet. Luckily there was a shopping mall about 4 miles away and a wide bike path that followed the highway where I was. I had the exact amount of cash for an inexpensive Bell helmet and got back on my way.

One odd thing was that at a previous stoplight a cop on a motorcycle pulled up right behind me and we chatted a bit. He asked me where I was riding from, I told him where I was going, he said "that's quite a trip", and we went our ways. Don't you think he might have said something about "you're riding that far without a helmet?" I know I would have!

Anyway, I now have two helmets (not a bad thing), got in even more miles than I planned (77, my longest ride yet) and learned to do a head-to-toe check before starting my rides (senior moments).

[Bad JuJu]

Good for you--figuring a way to get a helmet and save the ride! After forgetting my own helmet a couple of times, along with gloves and Road ID, I made a little checklist and keep it with my cell phone. Now all I have to do is remember the phone.

Congrats on finishing your ride, too!

[Triskeliongirl]

Hi- sounds like a great ride. I am really missing woods hole. I just got back on sunday and it is soooo hoooot here, I haven't been able to bring myself to ride (today was 102 actual temp, 108 w heat index). Did you ride to WH or to P-town? It must have been fun. I do know the cape cod bike map shows locations of bike shops, so that would also have been an option. Good save! -e

[chickwhorips]

glad there was a store near by. glad you had a good ride too.

i hate when i forgit something and its usually something major like that too!

[Denise223]

Sounds like you had a wonderful day, Wavedancer !!

Nothing wrong with having two helmets -- I am sooooooo happy that there was a mall close by.

Love those "senior moments"........ (head to toe check is a great thing!)

Have a wonderful day tomorrrow!

Peace & Love,

Denise

[Nanci]

How strange!! I can't imagine forgetting it! Good thing there was a store. Good thing you had cash!

I keep my Road ID on the carrying handle for the "pod" my helmet lives in, so I'd have to forget _two_ things...

That _has_ happened a couple times to me with gloves, though, and I'll go home for them. Not 16 miles, though.

Nanci

[oxysback]

This same thing happened to me on the inagural ride on my new bike. We were only going a few miles, and I didn't realize it until we were almost home. I think the reason I forgot it is because I recently got a non-biking-friendly hair style (can't put it in a ponytail) so I bought a scull cap to keep it managable. I had the scull cap on that day, so there was something on my head....then spaced on the helmet.

[emily_in_nc]

The only time I've ever forgotten my helmet was after an ice cream rest stop on a club ride a couple of summers ago. It's 8 miles to my house from the stop (almost all uphill, unfortunately!), and I took off from the ice cream shop to head home, waving at my buddies. About a mile down the road, I looked down and realized my helmet was hanging from my handlebars, right where I'd strapped it for the rest stop!

Naturally, I immediately stopped and put it on, feeling a little sheepish, and wondering if any of my club buddies had noticed when I rode off waving!

Emily

[wavedancer]

Triskeliongirl Hi- sounds like a great ride. I am really missing woods hole. I just got back on sunday and it is soooo hoooot here, I haven't been able to bring myself to ride (today was 102 actual temp, 108 w heat index). Did you ride to WH or to P-town? It must have been fun. I do know the cape cod bike map shows locations of bike shops, so that would also have been an option. Good save! -e

Yes, I did ride down to Woods Hole. It was gorgeous! I retraced the Falmouth Road Race route from Falmouth Heights into the Hole. Thought of you along the way, especially along Oyster Pond and at my rest stop at the MBL park.

I didn't have a map with me, just a cue sheet that I made from Routeslip.Upper Cape Tour I also will include a credit card in my pack for future long rides! Good thing I brought snacks.

Hope you get some good riding weather back home! It was fun meeting up with you and your DH a few weeks ago.

Linda