Sunday, June 21, 2009

I have joined the cycling revolution

Now that I am much closer to work, I figured it was time I joined London's growing cycling craze.

For one, I feel like my weight gain has reached obese proportions and that is just not on. Two, I truly hate the commuting traffic in public transport, i can feel my blood pressure raised each morning when I have to deal with the masses. Three, in the long run it is cheaper - the money I am saving on commuting will pay for the bike in 9 months.

Granted I do have the attention span of a gnat and the coordination of a spastic on speed, and I am dealing with London rush hour traffic; but really how bad can it be!?

Anthony having increased my life insurance coverage doesn't bother me. Thousands of people cycle around London each day and only a few die a month. Statistically speaking I should be fine.

Though the fates do seem to have a special fondness for fucking with me. Anywho, if you never hear from me again, it probably means that though I survived bomb blasts in Pakistan, i was squashed by a bendy bus in London.

I end up buying the bike in North London, they were great, really helpful (Chamberlaines in Kentish Town - check them out), but i had the issue of getting my bike to South London. That meant that though I have not ridden a bike in 20 years, my first ride would be 8.5 miles from the shop home. And did I mentioned that I had no clue where I was going?

In the end I made it home in about an hour, not sure where that falls on the scale between fat-ass loser and Olympic athlete; but I was just grateful to get home in one piece. Granted I was scared shitless the whole time and today my ass and legs are sore...and not in a good way.

Let's see how it goes tomorrow. I better loose some weight by the end of summer for all this trauma to be worth it!

1 comment:

james in washington said...

Awesome Andy!!! Cycling is a GREAT way to experience the city and is so good for you and the planet.

Just please - get a helmet. I had a really bad wipe out yesterday and ended up in the ER. I would be dead if I had not been wearing a helmet. No joke. I am fine though. :-)