Guard Your Grill!

Despite what you may believe or somebody may have told you, helmets are not for dorks. They save lives and not just Storm Trooper lives, real lives. The war on helmets has been waged since their inception and is really just a war on common sense. Why wouldn't you wear a helmet? Maybe you don't know how important that which your skull is protecting. I'll lay it out for you, your brain controls literally everything that you do. If it's damaged, you're in trouble. Last semester my fiancee scored an A in Neuroanatomy that can be totally attributed to the flash cards I helped make, so yeah, I totally know what I'm talking about.

Peep this letter that our consumer inbox received today. This is an unsolicited letter from a Trek consumer and, unlike the rest of this blog, you do need to read this:

"Yesterday, as I was completing a 60 mile training ride in preparation for an MS fund raiser later this spring, I was hit from behind by a woman driver, traveling at an estimated speed of 35-35 MPH. The force of the collision decoupled me from my Speedplay pedals, and hurled me, headfirst into an 18" diameter tree. I remember, in the split second before impact, seeing the words "Fractured Skull," "Spinal Chord", and "Dead" flash through my mind. Then came the impact, which I was certain would kill or, at best, leave me crippled for life. The impact of my head crashing into the tree was extreme, bouncing me back a foot or so ... but I am here to write to you today because of the TREK helmet that I was wearing The helmet took the full brunt of my body, evidently absorbing and dissipating the energy from the collision, and was deeply destroyed. I, however, was not!! Thanks to your incredible product, I was able to "walk" away from what should have been a life-threatening or life-ending event with neither fractured skull nor brain damage nor spinal chord injury of any type .. only a fractured left wrist and several contusions and lacerations. I owe my life, quite literally, to the TREK helmet that I was wearing. What further testament can I offer than this, the greatest gift of all. From the bottom of heart and soul, thank you."

Helmets have been refined over the years and given a style and feel that can go with really any look you're trying to achieve. You're worried about your hair? Carry a comb. They weigh like, nothing. Don't  want to carry it? Strap it to your bag. Too heavy? The Trek Sonic weighs less than a full waterbottle. Worried about looking like a dork? Check the Trek Zone. It's fly and will guard your dome like Fort Knox.

Wear your helmet. Remember, nobody's ever looked into a casket and thought, "Man that guy looks cool."

Comments

[Demo Ross]

Excellent post, Mr. Bjorling.

[Von Herwig]

Amazing story. I couldn't agree more about protecting your lid before preserving about your vanity.

[Mitch Puchala]

An excellent article. The story reminds me of an ad I saw on television years ago. The ad was to promote helmets on motorcycles, but it fits here as well. The ad shows, with sound, a pumpkin hitting a telephone pole at about 30kph and exploding into a number of pieces. The scene then fades to the words "Helmets save Lives".

[Foy Cox]

While my story may not be as well written I sincerely hope the good folks at Trek will allow me to share my feelings regarding bicycle helmets.

My wife and I had not cycled in fifteen years. Last year we purchased two bikes for riding in our local community. We looked upon this as an opportunity to improve our physical conditioning and enjoy the bike trails and streets.

Every day now I thank my wife for saving my life. My wife is a nurse and she over my objections insisted we purchase helmets prior to riding. I am so glad she did. Had she not I would have not been around to write this article.

I was pleased with my success. I managed to ride 1,900 miles from May to October 2007. However the night of October 31, 2007 almost became my last ride. Living in North Dakota I was trying to get in my last rides of the season before the snow flies.

I was riding home and a car turned in front of me. While I had on all the necessary safety equipment the driver stated “I did not see you.” My bike was destroyed from the impact, and the emergency medical people tell me I landed head first 15 feet from the car. The driver was also sited for failure to yield.

They also tell me the helmet saved my life. While I ended up with fractured ribs and a sever shoulder separation I am around to tell the story. I keep the helmet as a reminder and show it to people who state “It could never happen to me.”

Many thanks to Trek for providing top notch safety equipment.