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.