This morning, nearly 10 months (294 days to be exact) after my bicycle crash, I finally rode my bicycle outdoors on the road! I've been riding it on a "turbo trainer" a couple of times a week for an hour or so since back in April but haven't had the motivation to get back out on the road on the offending vehicle. I nearly bailed out today but, encouraged by Mr. Sandi, I sucked it up and ventured out. We didn't go far and certainly didn't go fast but it's a step in the right direction and it was a good thing to get my butt out on the road again. I was pretty darned anxious and hyper vigilant throughout our little ride and at points had visions of my crash pop into my head. Truthfully, I felt much more confident and comfortable when I began riding my Triumph back in August and my Harley a couple of months later than I did riding my bicycle today. To call todays ride a "little ride" is an understatement. We went 8.7 miles in 46 minutes. Yikes. Not like the old days. But now the days aren't old--I am. Anyway, it's a start and I'm good with that. Not so very long ago I couldn't even walk so this is a major improvement! I will tell you one thing, today's "push bike" ride certainly made me appreciate the suspension on my motorcycles! Between the pavement bumps and the weight bearing on my arms, my elbow was not feeling the love. But, hey, it's all a process. And it's not like I'm under some sort of deadline! Here I am in our driveway getting ready to hit the road. I definitely had butterflies in my tummy. I'm wearing my Team Martini jersey on purpose and will definitely celebrate today's first day back in the saddle with a martini this evening. We rode from our house to the University of Arizona which is less than five miles away. Since COVID hit, this particular route has been a staple of Mr. Sandi's. It's a straight shot down a low to moderately trafficked road to get to the UA's central mall which is pretty quiet and peaceful these days. Mr. Sandi took these photos by Old Main, the oldest building on the UA campus. I've included a little info from Wikipedia about this interesting building. While it's certainly not old by European standards it is old for us here in the western U.S. This photo by the Old Main Fountain was taken looking west on the mall with Old Main behind me. That's the Arizona state flag flying underneath the American flag. Our Arizona state flag Now that I've finally gotten my bicycle--and myself--back out on the road I'm hoping I'll gain some confidence and get back some of the joy that cycling has provided me over the years. I have learned through all this that I'm now more of a motorcyclist at heart and my days of being passionate about cycling are in the past. But I do like the bicycle for exercise and for being outdoors and for the social aspect it provides when we ride with a little group on Saturdays. It is nice to have it back as a part of my life again.
Nice one Sandi... it wasn’t the push iron that hurt you... it was the floor! It’s been such a big part of your life, it would have been a real shame to have lost it
Great news @Sandi T. The old saying about getting straight back on after a fall is true but difficult in your case. I was knocked off by an idiot car driver who simply rode into me as I was going round a roundabout. Some real deep bruising and a couple of grazes was allI suffered fortunately. I was back cycling two days later but it must have been about 6 months before I was properly confident in traffic again. Stick with it and you will soon be chosen for the next Olympics!
You are absolutely right, DCS. Thanks for encouraging me to reframe my way of thinking about it. It will give me a better perspective and a renewed enjoyment of my "push iron".
Thanks, Dawsy! I'm glad that your accident allowed you to get back on my bicycle but I agree that the confidence one feels (or lacks for awhile) is another aspect of the full healing process.
Thanks, @stevie28. That black helmet is actually a "Lanesplitter" made by Biltwell. It is sort of a Simpson knockoff, though. I love my pushbike. It's probably close to 20 years old now--although I've replaced the group and wheel set more recently than that. The frame was custom built for me by a terrific frame builder in San Diego County named Bill Holland. Bill was building custom frames back years ago when I lived in San Diego in the 1980's. At this point he's probably retired. I'm hoping this is the only frame I'll ever need again while I'm still riding. That was one of my worries when I crashed--was my frame ok. Thankfully it was. The only broken bits were on me, not the bicycle.
Thanks, stevie. I'm glad, too. Partly because I really like my custom frame and partly (maybe mostly?!) because I don't want to have to spend any money on a new bicycle. I'd rather spend it on motorcycles.