Friday, September 05, 2008

I <3 my bike

I’ve had my new bike since January, and I must say, I’m in love. Sure, we’ve had our ups and downs together, but on the whole we get along marvellously. Most of the downs have nothing to do with the bike itself, but rather the rides or other people. But considering we’re together twice a day (3x on Thursdays), at least five days a week, I think it’s a good thing we like each other. I’m getting better at things like using the gears, and I’m getting more confident in traffic. Plus, I’m totally super fast these days (and I’m totally super delusional, too).

The sucky things:

-the wind on the ride home.
-riding along the river means seeing lots of anglers and dead fish.
-broken glass.
-showering and dressing at uni means choosing clothes at home without seeing what they look like together… and occasionally bringing a patterned bra to wear under a white tee shirt. Oops
-asshole car drivers who don’t follow road rules.
-asshole car drivers who yell out their windows or honk their horns at female pedestrians.
-bumpy paths.
-my backpack makes my back disgustingly sweaty, even when I’m cold on the ride.
-riding on cold mornings. My fingers feel like they could fall off (luckily those days are gone now it's spring).

The good things:

+seeing all sorts of people using the river path. Dads running with prams, Mums teaching their kids to ride a bike, old couples going for a ride together…
+how physically hot my legs are when I get home. They are like furnaces.
+stretching after a ride.
+my bike ride is shorter than the bus ride to uni—and that’s not including the walk to the bus stop, the wait, and the headaches from whingy children. Plus, it saves me about $3 a day in bus fares.
+no worries about finding a parking space.
+getting into higher gears.
+all the birdlife along the river. Yesterday I saw a flotilla of pelicans!
+more productive mornings at uni following a bike ride.
+good sleep at night (most nights).
+learning how to do things like adjust the gear cables when I hear something clunking. I’ve never been mechanical in my life (and I’m still not, really), so fixing a noise is liberating!
+my appetite after bike rides. I eat so much.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I used to love to ride my bike when I lived in Key West. I rode for many years. It was wonderful. I envy your bike-rides.

Amy said...

I loved bike riding when I was younger. I kind of got out of after I had the girls, now I get jelly legs going to the corner and back *blush*.

Hahaha, I'm picturing a delusional Theresa flying along a bike path near the river now :P

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

The good things outweigh the bad things, in my opinion :0) Keep loving your bike!!

David J said...

Great pros/cons list.
Too bad we cyclists have to endure all that crap but the good stuff is what it's all about and there's plenty of it too.
I love my bike too... I've just jazzed my old one up with a really cool extension kit that has turned it into an all purpose utility vehicle and it rides like a dream! I can't stop smiling while I cruise to work in the mornings.

Unknown said...

aw i actually just got a bike a couple weeks ago and im so pumped to start riding tons with it! your plusses are all great..
and i know...i hate people that honk at girls going by..its like do you really think that's going to work? haha

Anonymous said...

Ugh, how about asshole construction workers who LEER, and also... puddles. I hate dirty puddles that get the back of my shirt all dirty.
Other than that, bikes rule!

Groover said...

Ha, I don't believe you when you write cold fingers. Not in Townsville. :-) Great lists and so true.

The Vegan Snorkeler said...

Sounds like the good definitely outweighs the bad! And happy spring!!! I'm looking into Australia in July or August next year...what do you think? Too cold? I definitely want to SCUBA the GBR!

Vaala ◪ said...

Hehehe...I'm loving your bike lists. I love my bike too although we haven't known each other as long as you and your bike.

I totally understand the showering and dressing bit. We do that at the gym quite a bit and I seem to regularly end up with very interesting clothing combinations...or missing items of clothing like socks on a cold, wintery day!

Bianca said...

I wish I had the balls to ride a bike in Memphis. People get hit here on bikes all the time because we don't have bike lanes.

the little one said...

Cold fingers suck. I try to remember gloves when it gets chilly. Hey, how far/long is your bike commute? I'm assuming it is kind of long since you need to shower at uni.

Vegan_Noodle said...

This makes me want to get on my bike more often!! Very inspiring. Glad it's getting warmer so the ride isn't as cold :-)