Ride

Ahhh

I rode for the first time today since my accident last August. I rode home from work. The sun was shining, I didn't need my gloves and I was on my new bike.

Somethings in life are priceless!

The result of not fully understanding directions in Dutch...

Take the high road

Some pics from the top of the category 3 climb in Benicasim - the descent was well worth the pain!

On my ride...

Tonight, whilst out on my bike the following occurred:

1. I hit an old codger's Ford mundaneo with my fist, intentionally, cos he got way too close for comfort. He didn't even bat an eyelid - old git lol!

2. Some chavvy kids threw a -don't laugh, it could've been vay, vay dangerous!- a paper aeroplane at me. I pulled my brakes, turned round and gave them a right mouthful. They weren't expecting expletives to come back at them in a pissed off Scottish accent: don't mess!

3. I saw a guy who was missing a foot. At the sample place last month, I saw a guy who's hospital trousers were falling down past his bum. For some reason, I always look forward to this part of my ride...

I love riding my bike :-)

I love my bike

I went for a ride on my road bike tonight, in attempt to pedal my way to a better mood. It worked. There's nothing more satisfying than pulling off a track stand at a set of lights. Now, track stands are an acquired technique. Factor in clipless pedals, dodgy road surfaces, precipitation, wind, dumb drivers who stop within nanometres in front of your wheel, traffic lights that seem to take FOREVER to change, and the odd technical glitch. You get the drift.

I remember when I first started road biking. I was track standing at a set of traffic lights in Edinburgh. Here's me trying to look cool in all my gear with loads of traffic behind me. I get ready to balance my weight and then realise that my pedals have spun forward without any tension. My chain had slipped off. Before I had a chance to react, the not-so-cool-biker-chick
-still clipped into pedals- was no longer perpendicular to the ground. Now, the best way to deal with situations like this is to dust yourself down and then immediately, and I mean immediately, inspect your bike. Thus giving the impression that it was no biggy-smalls that you fell over, and indeed that you're tough enough not to be hurt. Also creates the impression that your steed is uber expensive.

There's definitely one thing that I'm envious of Belgium and the like, and it's the country's provisions for cycling. Cycling over there is the national sport, there are thousands of routes, clubs and races. People have respect for cyclists. In contrast, take my lovely home town of "What's it called - Scumbernauld." One of the last times I went riding, some local neds drove passed in a clapped out Vauxhall Corsa and lobbed a few chips in my direction. I'm not one normally who refuses a chippy, especially if it comes with some black pudding...But nothing irritates me more than people who flick their cigarette butts out of their car, not realising that it could hit you. I look forward to the day when I can have my revenge and squirt the contents of my water bottle through an offender's window.