[machinawhite]

How often do you lose you balance and what direction if I may ask? Not sure how I'm supposed to hit my head on a bike unless a car hits me. If you lose balance that often leave it at home. Helmet is good especially for the latter reason but a bicycle goes 20kmh and if you fall you don't die, just get your knees hurt or something.

[sofixa]

Once in a bad situation is enough for permanent brain damage. Another bike or a car making a sudden move, someone hitting you, etc. Curbs and cars provide for dangerous landing spots if you fall.

I know of two separate people who were biking as a part of their daily commute without a helmet, and woke up in the hospital with zero recollection of what happened, but multiple issues (such as one of them being unable to concentrate or remember things).

[machinawhite]

So did the two seperate people fall, or get hit by a car? I know zero people who hurt themselves badly on a bike, but I know two that got hit by a car as pedestrians, so going with my anecdata walking is much more dangerous than biking

[sofixa]

That's the "fun" thing about it, neither of them actually know. They woke up in the hospital and have no recollection of what happened.

[ahaferburg]

You don't hit your head on the bike, you hit it on the concrete or a curb. Roads can be slippery, material failure is possible. The speed of the bike isn't that much of a factor, it's the object under you preventing you from effectively mitigating the fall, or making it worse.

[machinawhite]

I fell twice recently because of slippery roads just as you're saying. Both times my head was far far away fron the floor, I only hurt my palms and knees both times.

I still don't know how you're supposed to fall head first onto a curb unless you tie your arms behind your back.