Wear Your Helmet!

This story has been making the email rounds among my friends and fellow riders.

During a bike ride on the Skokie Valley Trail near the the Highland Park Lexus dealership, a blackbird swooped down and attacked a local rider. He lost control of his bike, fell to the ground and hit his head (he was not wearing a helmet). He died from his head injury over the weekend.

This was obviously a freak accident, but it emphasizes how important it is to wear a helmet at all times. You just never know what might happen.

Another fellow rider gave this advice about these aggressive birds:

Before they swoop down at you they make a repeated noise like ew ew ew and then they peck at your helmet. They may fly away and do it again right away. They don't hurt you, they scare the shit out of you. So if you're riding on the trail and you hear that noise, relax and hold the handle bars firmly, don't get stiff and hang on for dear life or you'll fall. Keep your tongue in your mouth (in case you scream) so you don't bite it.

So wear your helmet, just in case...