I've sustained two head injuries, a separated shoulder, broken arm, fractured wrist, dislocated elbow, countless bruises and grazed skin while training. I'm not the expert to give advice about avoiding accidents. Instead, Kevin Livingston of Livestrong.com offers the following advice for gearing up to avoid injuries when you hit the roads.
1. Helmet. This item should be self explanatory. While some cyclists think helmets are cumbersome and uncomfortable, a concussion (or worse) is decidedly less pleasant.
2. Glasses. Tinted or clear glasses protect the eyes from flying debris, bugs, sun and wind Kevin says it best, "if you're traveling at a high speed and something were to hit you in the eye and you had to blink or close your eye, this is very dangerous. So get yourself a pair of glasses."
3. Gloves. Gloves prevent slipping and road rash on your hands if a crash should occur. A short finger pair work well in the summer.
And my addition:
4. Cell phone. Nothing is worse than being in an accident miles from home, in a remote area with no phone. Slip the phone in the pocket of a jersey so that it's handy just in case.
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