This morning I rode in to work on my bike after 12 days of not riding. I did ride my bike home last night from where it had fallen and had stayed, but it was dark and raining, and there was hardly any traffic so there wasn’t much clutching to be done, and I was tense concentrating hard on the dark, wet road etc.
I got home without incident, and even managed to turn my bike around in the car port without dropping her, ha ha, and then realized my finger and whole hand was sore. More sore than I would have expected in fact. But I took a pain killer, watched the end of The Apprentice, had a lovely hot bath, and went to sleep.
This morning, I weighed the pros and cons of riding versus driving, and took my bike to work. Since it was rush hour, and my hand was already sore to start, on the face of it, it may have seemed like the wrong decision, but it was definitely not. Despite the pain of clutching and clutching and clutching through the traffic on to the highway, then clutching some more while splitting, then clutching and clutching even more off the highway to the office, it only took me 20 minutes from door to door. Not like the just less than two hours of Monday in my car… Yes, my hand is swollen again, it is hot and bruised again, but I think it is ok. It is not what might be called “bad” pain, at least I don’t think so. Time will tell…
As I have said before, I love my car, and would never sell it. But getting to work has a number of things I enjoy now that I have my bike again. Here are, although it is difficult to explain the feeling of riding. Perhaps you can ask a dog why it sticks its head out of a window in a car – same thing really.
> The feel of the wind on my neck is exhilarating
> The feel of the wind that creeps into my helmet on my cheeks is cool
> The pressure of the wind and speed (yes I know Mom) on my body is very freeing
> The feeling of the response of power and thrust as you open the throttle is not easy to explain, but gives me a feeling of freedom and perhaps even power
> The surge of adrenalin when I get off the bike, even still, makes my hands shake a little, and gives a little “high” every time
> The joy of knowing that I am saving time and petrol also makes me happy
In general, I know there are risks, and I may even break my finger and need pins (D’oh) but this is a risk I have accepted, and am applying the safety I know how to, being cautious, and being as courteous as I can on the road. Surely this can only stand me in good stead?
I love my bike. I love riding my bike. I love my bike.
PS - my bike is so full of bird poo that it must weigh an extra 2 kgs! I will wash her this afternoon when I get home.
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