Shifting Gears

*Originally published on my Wordpress blog 05.31.2022

The Universe has spoken. Well, the Universe speaks all the time but this time I am listening. I got hit by a car while riding my bicycle early on Sunday morning. I thought I was being safe: waiting until it was light, wearing a safety vest, lights on the bike, mirror to be aware of what is behind me, choosing a time of day/week when there is little traffic. But this is a largely rural county. The roads have always been viewed as the purview of cars and agricultural equipment. Bicyclists ride on them at their own risk. I have been taking the chance for years. 

This was the fourth bicycle accident in twelve years and, finally, I am listening. I was only mildly injured. I am lucky that I am not having to make a date with a surgeon as I have had to do after previous accidents. But I am done with road bicycling. The accident occurred on a narrow road and the driver admits to taking her eyes off the road for just an instant. That’s all it took, right? I was thrown to the ground but the driver did have the decency to stop and offer assistance. I declined the 911 call because I knew I did not need that level of care. I needed a ride home and a way to get the damaged bike home (both of which the driver could provide via her Subaru). When I got home I had my local EMT (who also happens to be my son) check me out and we agreed that I could lay low with ice and Advil for a day and see if more was needed. 

I know how lucky I was. It could have been so much worse. People die riding bicycles in this county all the time. People are permanently disabled from accidents. I have pushed my luck by riding all these years.  It is time to find another way to get the exercise and exhilaration that I get from bicycle riding. I will still allow myself to ride on designated bike trails but not on highway bike lanes. They are simply not safe from vehicular traffic. The designated bike trails (rails to trails often) around here are not challenging enough nor are there very many of them but they can give me a feel for the good old days of road biking. I also will allow myself to continue bicycling on errands in town. Yes, my most severe bike accident occurred right in the downtown sector (right hooked by a truck pulling into the Safeway parking lot) but, when I ride in town, I ride on wide residential streets. I can get to the library, the post office, the Whole Foods, the dentist, the Art Center, and other locations by selecting  my route carefully, Yes, I could still end up in a bike accident but all the risks are diminished. 

Those long Sunday morning bike rides mattered to me. I am enchanted with the eye candy of this county. The colors, the views, the fresh air - they are intoxicating.  I do listen to music via one headphone and that added to the experience. I am also a person who thrives on movement and enjoys my own physical strength. Even though it can be a killer, I love the long and/or steep hill work. There is satisfaction when the hill is climbed and exhilaration when I descend the hill. In truth, it felt to me as if cycling was my perfect exercise. So now what? 

For years I was a runner and that had a lot of appeal. I developed arthritis at a relatively early age and subsequent total knee replacements have put running out of my game forever. I turned to swimming for a couple of years but the pool lap schedule just doesn’t work in my life. I will add that I am not a natural swimmer and find swimming to be too difficult to be fun for me. I like kayaking but that is a big proposition. I have to rent the kayak and just deal with the inconveniences so not such a great option for a routine exercise activity.

I have considered adopting mountain biking as an option. There are still the charms of eye candy and exhilaration but getting injured continues to be an issue. The cars might not be present but rocks, gravel, other bikers, tree branches/roots are still along the trails - all potential accidents waiting to happen. Additionally, I would need to invest in the bike and the equipment - a different helmet, more padding, and a rack for the car. And then there is the matter of driving to the mountain biking location so I would need to tack more time onto the endeavor.  

I like working out on a bicycle so I am wondering about investing in a recumbent stationary bike. I can use this for half hour periods (about the longest I can handle the boredom of stationary machines) several times a week and then also take daily neighborhood walks. I live in a town that has plenty of hills so I can push myself as much as I want. I currently do some free weights on a regular basis and some yoga on a daily basis but both of those have become ritualized. Perhaps now is a good time to refresh those activities?

My fall back activity since childhood has always been hiking. I am thinking that I can trade in those long Sunday morning rides for long Sunday morning hikes. That’s doable, isn’t it? Again, there are many hiking options available in this county and even in adjacent counties. I would never run out of places to hike. I have also returned to a long ago interest in birdwatching. Birdwatching is not easy to do on a bicycle but it seems like hiking is the ideal partner to birdwatching. I enjoy photography and was accustomed to stopping for photographs while out on those long bike rides. Hiking might slow me down enough to discover more photo opportunities. I own a high quality Canon camera. I could even learn how to maximize its use rather than turning exclusively to my iPhone. 

Yes, the Universe is speaking to me. They are saying, “It’s time to shake things up a bit. It’s time to try on something new. You’ve been in this cycling thing for quite some time. That’s all very well and good. There is more, however, to life than a bicycle. Look around you, girl!"  In general, I’ve been asking myself how to listen. Maybe the Universe is showing me how to listen and also how to respond.  I can stay open to possibility, I can stay curious. What a ride, eh?