Emergency Blankets when cycling.
Posted: 20 Dec 2021 11:36
Yesterday I was involved in a crash. Whilst cut up and bruised, I was able to remain mobile and relatively warm unlike a fellow rider. She was laid out on the ground with a suspected pelvic injury.
Conditions were cold and foggy. The risk of hypothermia was considerable. That morning I had fortunately decided to carry an emergency blanket just in case. We also obtained hot drinks from a nearby farmhouse. This staved off the worst of the cold until she was rescued.
If I walk into the mountains, I always carry emergency gear in case of injury or becoming benighted. Therefore, it has always struck me that cyclists are nuts for riding in cold conditions without any means of keeping warm in case of emergency. Having suffered hypothermia on two occasions, it is not nice and not always immediately obvious.
Equally, I recall a Sunrise and Snowdrop Express Audax a few years ago, when a number of riders returned to HQ with identifiable hypothermia caused by a massive drop in temperatures. It demonstrated the high risk of riding without adequate clothing or protective equipment. In that instance, I was able to seat them close to heaters and ply them with luke warm sugary drinks to aid recovery.
Please, please consider purchasing a blanket and make sure you carry it. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Emergency-Ther ... 179&sr=8-7
Conditions were cold and foggy. The risk of hypothermia was considerable. That morning I had fortunately decided to carry an emergency blanket just in case. We also obtained hot drinks from a nearby farmhouse. This staved off the worst of the cold until she was rescued.
If I walk into the mountains, I always carry emergency gear in case of injury or becoming benighted. Therefore, it has always struck me that cyclists are nuts for riding in cold conditions without any means of keeping warm in case of emergency. Having suffered hypothermia on two occasions, it is not nice and not always immediately obvious.
Equally, I recall a Sunrise and Snowdrop Express Audax a few years ago, when a number of riders returned to HQ with identifiable hypothermia caused by a massive drop in temperatures. It demonstrated the high risk of riding without adequate clothing or protective equipment. In that instance, I was able to seat them close to heaters and ply them with luke warm sugary drinks to aid recovery.
Please, please consider purchasing a blanket and make sure you carry it. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Emergency-Ther ... 179&sr=8-7