Tales of a cyclist: Part 1 - In the beginning...
Choose Life. Choose commuting. Choose public transport. Choose fucking extortionate train fares. Choose being late. Choose not showing up at all. Choose frustration. Choose inconvenience. Choose being a sheep, stuck in a steel tube being dragged off to market. Choose rotting away each and every day, completely absorbed in your own self indulgent smartphone fueled bubble.
Choose your future.
Choose cycling.
Lets start by saying that I am finally a cycling evangelist but boy was it a hard, pothole filled, road to get here. This is my story...
Last year I up and decided to give Scotrail the proverbial finger and purchased myself some cost effective freedom, a bicycle. Following years of contempt toward public transport, for me this was an easy decision. After all an unfit 30 year old best suited to being slumped on the couch with a remote in one hand and a bag of Sensations in the other; a 20 mile round trip everyday on public roads braving the Scottish elements, what could possibly go wrong?
The first ride...
My bike and gear arrived mid week by courier, I was like a kid at Christmas. I diligently unwrapped each separate parcel, all the while thinking:
"Yes! I am no longer at the mercy of an unreliable transport service. I am the master of my own destiny."
I straightened the handlebars and attached the pedals and that was it my chariot was fit to go.
In hindsight it would probably have been wise to wait for the weekend and do a reconnaissance mission. Especially considering I hadn't been on a bike for almost 15 years. But I was just too excited!
So the next morning I awoke early, ready and raring to go. Donned my newly purchased lycra, it felt like I was working in a sausage factory squeezing meat into their casings, it was not a good look. Immediately I regretted my decision but deemed it too much effort to pry myself out of it.
I put on my helmet, new shoes, gloves and said my goodbyes. I was ready, ready for the open road, ready for some freedom.
The first 2 miles were like a dream all downhill with the wind at my back, I felt like Bradley Wiggins. That is until I reached the first set of traffic lights. What I previously neglected to mention the peddles that I had attached the night before were clipless. For those of you who don't know, clipless actually means clipped in. These specific clipless pedals had a setting which makes it easier or harder to detach your foot and needless to say they were in super glue mode.
I reached the lights, a huge queue of patiently waiting cars were to my right. I tried to detached my left foot, at that very moment I knew I was doomed, I knew I had sealed my fate and had to accept the hit. Everything went into slow motion, I could sense all of the commuters eyes on me as I came crashing to the floor. I took it like a man, but now I was stuck, turtle on its back stuck. The lights turned green and every sodding car went past pointing and pissing themselves laughing, not one person came to help, where was that world renowned Scottish hospitality? I eventually managed to break free, I dusted myself off and got back to it.
Arrived at work absolutely exhausted, soaked in sweat but worst of all with a large dent in my pride. I chalked it up as right of passage, after all I couldn't give up now, I had just spent all that money...
Damn man you're a good writer. You're not Mr. Pc either which is nice :)
@joeyrocketfilms, cheers man, much appreciated. Btw it is such a small world, I was reading your posts this morning about using the #minnowtowhale hash tag, I will be sure to use that on my next post.
I think what you are trying to do for us little guys is awesome. There is some really good content down here in the shark bait pool (a lot of crap too mind) that never gets surfaced, it is such a shame. Keep up the good work and for that sir you have a new follower in me.
Thats pretty cool, thanks man! Where did you stubble upon the post? Thanks for using the tag,It's definitely a teamwork kind of tag.Feel free to visit it and chat with some of the members. The small world will get smaller ;)
@deveerei had re-steemed your original "Introducing Team #minnowtowhale" and I picked it up from there. I will definitely pop on over and have a chat with everyone. I like to be included.
P.S. Were you part of the cast of the 300 movie? If you changed your avatar to black and white I would have been almost certain of it :-P
It's cool that you've known #minnowtowhale with my resteem. It's great to hear I'm able to reach people by resteeming/posting.
Can I be part of #minnowtowhale too?
https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@joeyrocketfilms/introducing-team-minnowtowhale-or-noobs-networkers-and-likeminded-steemians-welcome
Just read that link.
thank you 😃
Haha too funny! Thanks :) I've gotten gm that a couple time. Such a cool gesture because SPARTA!
Lol I have to ask you a question. Have you ever kicked someone into a giant hole whilst yelling "This is SPARTA"?
Lol no but I sure damn will sooner or later!
Definitely King Leonidas reincarnate.
haha. I'm dying
This is spartaaaa! lol
Cycling is awesome! Would like to do that going to work.. but ummm to dangerous here
@jeanelleybee don't get me wrong it is dangerous here too. I have fallen off a fair amount of times as you may hear in my up coming posts and there have been quite a few close calls. But I am totally hooked, it is part of me now and I wouldn't give it up for the world.
Haha those gifs.
The last ones are funny.
Especially that tortoise. Poor guy!
Still very funny. XD
can't help laughing 😂😂😂
There's a part 2 at the end of the post. There's a link.
let me click it ;(
@deveerei @shahzadnisar I have been busy, there is even a part 3 and 4 now 😉
The gifs are pure fun
Thanks @nativzel, I love bringing a bit of joy to peoples day.
It is hard to advocate cycling here in Manila, a little dangerous as the roads are not built to support this
@dreamiely to be fair the infrastructure here is no good either, the roads are littered with potholes. Only some of the paths are retrofitted with cycle lanes, so the cars are within a few inches of you because they have made the road narrower by adding the cycle lane. And the cycle paths, don't get me started on them, they are often shared with pedestrians who walk in large groups spanning the entire path or dog walkers who let their dog run about off the lead.
I can imagine Manila is a lot more dangerous though, it seems like there is a lot more dense traffic than where I live. At least that is the mental image I get, given the extremely limited amount of information I have gleaned off of films, in particular The Bourne Legacy movie. Which now I am thinking about it probably wasn't even filmed in Manila, does anyone know if it was?
Sorry I am waffling, tend to do that sometimes.
What I am trying to say is thank you for taking the time to read my stuff! Much appreciated.
It was a pleasure reading this!
Good to know at least there is a cycle lane for you! I envy Japan actually in terms of their support to this.
Yeah, super dense traffic coupled with unsafe driving actually makes the danger. You'd often hear foreign travellers say thay they can never drive here, or at least have a really hard time if they would. IF you are one of the few who priotizes safety (before the urge to get ahead of every other car on the road), then you have to be an extremely defensive driver. (Ranting sorry, I tend to get frustrated when driving). This makes it a LOT harder for cyclists. You'd hear news of people encountering accidents that is really discouraging. I for one wouldnt use a bike (manual or motored) here.
The provinces though are totally different! It is with great joy to cycle worh the wonderful nature surdounding you.
Now for the latest bourne movie, it was indeed shot in Manila :)
If you use bicycle here to travel within the city, be prepared to die basically. No amount of safety can protect you if there are uneducated drivers around you (in the PH, there's quite a few drivers, getting a license if fairly easy here).
If you use bicycle here to travel within the city, be prepared to die basically.
Oh how bluntly phrased this is. Haha
But it's true!
I, sadly, agree.
lol
Those gifs are so accurate lol!
Agree! Made the post all the more interesting!
And they're funny too.
The tale of the stuck turtle. Lol
Gonna be a good story, write it @dreamiely
Wow that's cool! 😃
Nice! I've been planning to buy a bike but never got to do it.
You totally should it is without doubt the best way to travel...well that is until I get around to getting my motorbike license :-P
You should totally do it @beng05! Best training ever.
Great post! I love outdoor sports so I will be following your adventures.
@jodiegolier I am glad you enjoyed it. I do have some more tales in the pipeline, hopefully they will entertain as much as this one.
Hahaahha @munchell we've all been there! Cleat in the pedal and fallen flat like a pancake! Very good writing.
Thanks @fitnessgirl, much appreciated. I have some more, hopefully interesting anecdotes coming soon.
Lol yea that was a good one for sure. I need to work on my anecdotes for sure. Wishing I had a better blogging backround but I don't. Just started a week ago. Lots to learn
This is this first time I have ever really written a blog. I am starting to get into it, I can see why people can get addicted.
It really does not look like first, great!!!
Thanks @shahzadnisar I do try my hardest.
You're good mate!
munchell deserve all the appreciation.
Great writing skills, i like the photos most.
Cheers mate, appreciate the love.