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Things I've learnt from commuting


zeabre

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My commuting came to a very abrupt stop late February with a crash and a broken shoulder. Had an op to put all the bits together with titanium screws, but the muscles and ligaments will need time consuming physio and rehab. The orthopod says I will be unable to ride for 8 weeks. Funny guy that he is, he recommended swimming or paddling.....but that's never going to get me to work. I cannot even drive. Taking an Uber to get around is a very bad third best, and freaking expensive when it starts to add up, but.thank goodness for it. I get cabin fever very easily! Meanwhile I walk as much as I can, because that's about the only active thing I can do. The dog loves the extra walks!

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My commuting came to a very abrupt stop late February with a crash and a broken shoulder. Had an op to put all the bits together with titanium screws, but the muscles and ligaments will need time consuming physio and rehab. The orthopod says I will be unable to ride for 8 weeks. Funny guy that he is, he recommended swimming or paddling.....but that's never going to get me to work. I cannot even drive. Taking an Uber to get around is a very bad third best, and freaking expensive when it starts to add up, but.thank goodness for it. I get cabin fever very easily! Meanwhile I walk as much as I can, because that's about the only active thing I can do. The dog loves the extra walks!

 

Sorry to hear.  Hope you recover well

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Sorry to hear

 

Word on the street is that if your bikes stand for too long the bearings will rust and the tyres will get flat spots .... being the gentleman that I am, I will for your sake, take your bikes off your hands for some time till you are ready, and ensure they are ridden on a regular basis!

 

Sincerely yours

Hairy

 

My commuting came to a very abrupt stop late February with a crash and a broken shoulder. Had an op to put all the bits together with titanium screws, but the muscles and ligaments will need time consuming physio and rehab. The orthopod says I will be unable to ride for 8 weeks. Funny guy that he is, he recommended swimming or paddling.....but that's never going to get me to work. I cannot even drive. Taking an Uber to get around is a very bad third best, and freaking expensive when it starts to add up, but.thank goodness for it. I get cabin fever very easily! Meanwhile I walk as much as I can, because that's about the only active thing I can do. The dog loves the extra walks!

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Sorry to hear

 

Word on the street is that if your bikes stand for too long the bearings will rust and the tyres will get flat spots .... being the gentleman that I am, I will for your sake, take your bikes off your hands for some time till you are ready, and ensure they are ridden on a regular basis!

 

Sincerely yours

Hairy

The first thing the youngest D wanted to know when I opened my eyes after the op, was whether he can ride the Merckx for me at Eroica - which he did this past weekend.  :D  :thumbup:  He got lots of compliments for the bike too, and when they heard it was his fathers' bike, several riders told him to make real sure not to scratch it! :whistling:

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My commuting came to a very abrupt stop late February with a crash and a broken shoulder. Had an op to put all the bits together with titanium screws, but the muscles and ligaments will need time consuming physio and rehab. The orthopod says I will be unable to ride for 8 weeks. Funny guy that he is, he recommended swimming or paddling.....but that's never going to get me to work. I cannot even drive. Taking an Uber to get around is a very bad third best, and freaking expensive when it starts to add up, but.thank goodness for it. I get cabin fever very easily! Meanwhile I walk as much as I can, because that's about the only active thing I can do. The dog loves the extra walks!

I would be such a grump - I think my wife would move out until I was able to ride bikes again.

 

As much as my commute this morning was a bit of life and death situation (I thought the school moms were bad, but it turns out people on holiday are even worse!) - I wouldn't want to change it for the world!

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So, I've ridden a stretch of road between Somerset West and Technopark in Stellenbosch 575 576 times (since I've been on Strava), of which a large percentage of those trips being my commute to work.

 

Yesterday, on my 575th time, I went slightly faster than I've ever been before.

 

One of those perfect days to be out on a bike, where everything just clicks into place. Decent legs, motorists behaving, a solid tailwind, green robots. A near perfect 9.5kms.

 

Life returned to normal today with crazy motorists, red robots, and dodgy cops. Still, I'd take today over a trip in a car anytime.

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So, I've ridden a stretch of road between Somerset West and Technopark in Stellenbosch 575 576 times (since I've been on Strava), of which a large percentage of those trips being my commute to work.

 

Yesterday, on my 575th time, I went slightly faster than I've ever been before.

 

One of those perfect days to be out on a bike, where everything just clicks into place. Decent legs, motorists behaving, a solid tailwind, green robots. A near perfect 9.5kms.

 

Life returned to normal today with crazy motorists, red robots, and dodgy cops. Still, I'd take today over a trip in a car anytime.

 

You sure you were not maybe just dreaming? Sounds to good to be true.  :whistling:

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You sure you were not maybe just dreaming? Sounds to good to be true.  :whistling:

Well, today was the wakeup call - kinda like rewatching The A Team or Airwolf from the 80s. I was full of hope and excitement about my commute this morning, hoping that I could recreate that special moment, only to be totally disillusioned with it all. My Monday commute may well have been a dream after the let down that was this morning!

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Well, today was the wakeup call - kinda like rewatching The A Team or Airwolf from the 80s. I was full of hope and excitement about my commute this morning, hoping that I could recreate that special moment, only to be totally disillusioned with it all. My Monday commute may well have been a dream after the let down that was this morning!

 

On these commutes I get off and take photos ....

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Just sharing this article on a study of "dehumanised cyclists". I think it's something most people on a bicycle between cars know and experience, but this just puts it in words:

 

https://www.qut.edu.au/news?id=141968

well we arent completely human are we ?

what sane human climbs on a 2 wheeled contraption to ride for hours on end pushing their body to ride distances and climb hills most think are stupid to do in a car.

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well we arent completely human are we ?

what sane human climbs on a 2 wheeled contraption to ride for hours on end pushing their body to ride distances and climb hills most think are stupid to do in a car.

just, yes :lol:

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well we arent completely human are we ?

what sane human climbs on a 2 wheeled contraption to ride for hours on end pushing their body to ride distances and climb hills most think are stupid to do in a car.

 

The type of (non-) human that has figured out there is a better way to get to work than a four wheeled cage .....

 

 

 

building project has kept me in the cage for the last week .... DAMN, I missed my bike !!!

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Nice little head wind this afternoon .... had to put in decent effort for moderate speed going DOWN Bill Bezuidenhout !

 

 

Andrew must have had a lekker ride home ...  :thumbup:

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Nice little head wind this afternoon .... had to put in decent effort for moderate speed going DOWN Bill Bezuidenhout !

 

 

Wouldn't know. I go UP Bill B in the afternoons.

 

And here I thought it was my awesome fitness kicking in....

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