Two weeks off the bike

I'd like to think that I'm pretty resilient when it comes to putting up with less-than-perfect riding conditions. My bike is my primary mode of transport and that being the case, I occasionally find myself riding in extreme heat, bone-chilling cold, driving rain and, worst of all, every cyclists arch nemesis, strong winds. This is fine. My colleagues at work think I'm crazy, but it's ok, really it is. Heat just makes you sweat more, cold is not a problem - you soon heat up, rain just makes you wet - I was born wet and clothes dry quickly enough, and even wind is ok - it just makes me a stronger cyclist. But what I really can't stand it getting crook and being forced to stay off the bike. This is where I'm at at the moment, and I'm about as angry and fed up as a nerd who's had his xbox confiscated. I've had one ride in the last 15 days! And that ride was really a bad idea, my head was so congested I could have been one of those guys on the Vicks ads.

So in the last couple of weeks I have got the flu, recovered, then picked up another bug just as annoying as the first. Riding when sick is not wise, especially in winter, it'll just make things worse. So on the days I was able to drag myself out of bed and actually make it to work - I took the bus and then the train. This was not fun. No fun at all.

I live in a bayside suburb and as any Moulbourne-ite understands, you know you live in a decent suburb if you have housing commission around you - and they're all around my place! Therefore, my bus and train trips featured some 'interesting' people. And then there's the overpriced tickets, the lack of seats, and trains that are about as reliable as a teenage boy on dope. All this confirmed what I already knew... that my bike is always the best option.

And then, like a glutton for punishment, I decided to drive to work. As I sat in the car, and I crawled my way along roads nearly more congested than my nose, I slowly felt a rage build up in me. By the time I made it to work I had turned into the Hulk! There's no doubt about it, sitting in traffic makes you really angry! It's frustrating, it's slow, and you have to deal with dangerous, stupid and inconsiderate drivers! It mustn't be good for the blood preassure either. I have an instant solution to high blood preassure - don't drive to work!

Perhaps wost of all, I've simply missed throwing my leg over my bike every morning. Riding to work in the morning, and going for a ride on the weekends, starts my day on a high. Fingers crossed this is the last of this seasons colds and flus and nothing else comes along that keeps me off my bike. Feeling better now - Monday I'll be back for sure! And as I ride past the trains and the drivers stuck in traffic jams, my smile will be just a little wider!