I had an unfortunate accident on my bike Monday night: I was talking my Labrodor out for his evening run and it was fairly dark, no moon that I could see. I've done this most every night for about 4 years. Normally I take my wife's cruiser, but this night I was on my commuter bike. I never put on a helmet as there are no cars out and we live in quiet tucked away neighborhood. The neighborhood I live in has just recently been repaved. In my neighborhood we have open ditches that carry irrigation water to our properties. Well, my Lab was lagging behind and I looked back over my left shoulder to see why. I "guess" I drifted to the right. Next thing I know I am being slammed face first into the ground and my riding glasses were ripped off my face and my feet were touching the ground in front of my head. My body snapped back like a sausage and I concentrated on not passing out. I wiggled my fingers: good, not a quadrapeligic, I wiggled my toes. Whew no broken back.I crawled across some poor fellow's lawn and banged on his door and yelled for help. I had to convince him to open the door by telling him I was laying on the ground as he could not see me through his peep hole. When he opened the door he screamed and wanted to call 911. I asked him to call my wife instead. He threw me a towel and dialed my wife who had me in the Emergency Room about 8 minutes later.6 hours and 90 stitches later they let me go:The laceration on my forehead is in the shape of an "M" and is 33 cm in length.Yesterday I went back to look at where I crashed. The ditch goes into a culvert under the street and the shoulder between the road and the ditch is less than 4" wide. I've riden past ditch hundreds of times.....Oh well always wear your helmet.