My first helmet , in 1982, was bulky and un-comfortable. So it spent
all of its time on the top shelf in the closet.
One afternoon in 1987 I'm out tearing around the hilly part of my
favorite loop when my front tire hit a small rock. This upset the
bike just enough to spill me over to the side at 18 mph. I landed on
my head, followed by elbow, shoulder, and thigh. The guys that helped
me out were alarmed at the amount of blood coming from my head and my
in-coherence.
Seems that when my head hit the pavement, my hair tore some skin away
from my scalp, and the ER doc described "darning" it back together
with sutures.
Funny how the memory of getting gravel picked out of my head , along
with other details is still vivid 17 years later.
My current helmet is light and far more comfortable than was available
22 years ago. I don't leave home without it.
When I wear a winter hat under it (on those cooold rides!) I lose
quite a bit of my awareness, otherwise I don't even notice it.
Derek