My Sunday

Today I was out on the bike again; making a total of 26 miles this
month. Indeed, 26 miles in the last 7 months. Not quite the 100
commuting miles a week I did once or even the 50 commuting miles I was
doing until just before Christmas. But, hey, it's progress.

Hurts more than a little but the physio says cycling is good. She also
told me not even to think of driving yet.

I dabbled with the A27 today and found it really quite scary. Never
been bothered by traffic before but was not at all happy this time
out. Multi-lane roundabouts were particularly buttock clenching; my
barely noticable left-signal meant that I was using road positioning
and faith to indicate lane changes. However, I'm sure that with enough
practice the joy of traffic jamming will return.

The bike is proving fine. Maybe I should have gone for one with a
totally upright riding position but I'm sure I'll get used to it. I'm
still very happy with the hub gears. The only quirk I've noticed is
that changing into 4th occasionally gives an odd click and a slight
jump. Most importantly, they get me up all the hills round here
without any drama.

I am utterly unfit. On a particularly obnoxious "hill" (short but just
before home) I was overtaken by paperboy. The shame. I was sweating
buckets by the time I got home. This never used to happen.

I called in at Halfords (for a multi-meter and a 12 volt hoover; boat,
not bike, related) and was amazed to see the bike rack full.
Interestingly, not a single one of these actually ridden utility bikes
was a Halfords bike (except mine). Good to see that when a shop does
provide parking, it gets used.

My destination was the marina where my boat lives. No bike parking
there so the guardrails at the end of the pontoon were requisitioned.
Returned after a couple of hours[1] to find bike a bit salty.
Aluminium frame, hub gears and roller brakes are probably more likely
to last in this environment than the alternatives.

Just got back after a superb day. Hope you don't mind me boring you
with it but I'm chuffed.

[1] No sailing; too windy. Also engine has ceased doing what engines
are best at; making a din and smelling. 7 months of condensation in
the fuel is my current theory.

Glad you are making progress. I hope it all continues positively.

Cheers, helen s


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You could always regard the buttock clenching multi-lane roads as extra
physio!!

in message , [Not
Responding] ') wrote:

Today I was out on the bike again; making a total of 26 miles this
month. Indeed, 26 miles in the last 7 months. Not quite the 100
commuting miles a week I did once or even the 50 commuting miles I was
doing until just before Christmas. But, hey, it's progress.

Hurts more than a little but the physio says cycling is good. She also
told me not even to think of driving yet.

I dabbled with the A27 today and found it really quite scary. Never
been bothered by traffic before but was not at all happy this time
out.

About six months after I rolled the Spitfire I was back in a car again.
I was lent a little Peugeot 106 and I found it utterly terrifying for
the first few weeks. I was scared of everything on the road; that's
partly why I let my family talk me into buying a 4x4 (although, as I
_keep_ saying, I do have utility reasons to have one as well).

You'll be pleased to know it soon passes.

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; not so much a refugee from reality, more a bogus
;; asylum seeker