I shivered at the thought of being severely brain-damaged after being hit by a car while cycling about a month ago. I am now extremely humbled by the fragility of the human body. The vehicle that hit me was going really slow--a hard requirement of the lane. An apt cyclist can easily achieve 30 MPH (48km/h). That's enough to do a lot of damage itself. Now imagine a shock with a vehicle coming in the opposite direction at a mere 20 MPH (32km/h) (that’s not what happened to me BTW. I have no recollection of the accident, and no wish to get in touch with the driver. I don’t resent him at all, in fact he was extremely caring and wanted to ride with me in the ambulance but my mom was already occupying the only spot).

I'm terrible at physics but you guys and girls are probably not, so you make the calculations. To sum up, without a helmet a ridiculously "benign" accident at low speeds can literally impair you for life.

After the crash, my helmet went into pieces. I wish someone had got it so I can visualize the extent of my luck. It was an old helmet that should have been replaced at least 2 years ago. It cost me about 30 bucks and probably saved my life or cognition.

So, cyclists: own a helmet and use it whenever you're on the bike even if there are no cars around. A skilled cyclist can still crash all by himself/herself. And a car could appear from nowhere.

Some people get brain damage by falling in the bathroom. Why would you be safer waltzing around on top of a metal frame?

Sorry for the low effort post but my computer is broken and my smartphone is crap.

My city in Brazil is basically closed for business. My mother was supposed to be in another continent but, THANKFULLY, flight restrictions prevented her from traveling.

The downside is that she’s making me crazy like mothers do.

I’m going bananas here, and cycling makes me sane. I also need the exercise. Am I crazy for wanting to get on my bike once a day? The streets are not totally empty, but a lot less populated.

I’m in Salvador, Bahia. My state has 33 cases now.

I just started biking to work this week, and I'm loving it so far. I still need a lot of gear for max comfort, and I need to work out whether to shower at work or what, but I'm excited to figure those things out.

Wondering if anyone else on Tildes commutes by bike, what your experience has been, any tips you might have!

It's car free Sunday here in Belgium and the streets are a treat to navigate. Cycling is actually slower than usual since there are so many people constantly on the streets, many of them pedestrians or roller skaters.

But it's .. safe. Nice. Breathable. Not that Brussels isn't those things normally but today more than usual.

Some photos here: https://twitter.com/Adys/status/1175756235733438464