The Wheels Going Round

 

Early morning songs

Whistle through the coastal fog

As a ghost chorus.

 Tuesday, June 1, 2021

 It’s been a month since I started riding a Can Am Spyder trike and two months since I’ve ridden a bicycle. Now I feel I’m in that scary limbo world of feeling confident enough to feel I know how to ride the trike and healed enough to consider training on a bike again.

 The Spyder handling has gone from wondering how I’m going to approach and come out of every turn to actually feeling fun without the thought of, “this is fun!.., uh…? Am I going to make it through this turn?”.

 And that’s the mindset I’m worried about. I know my skills aren’t what they should be after only a months of weekend riding, so I don’t want to be over-confident. But that’s always the problem with driving, that twi-light learning curve zone where you’re a newbie but don’t feel like it.

 On the other set of wheels… I’m determined to start bike training again and will start indoors through the summer on a new tri-bike (that’s a triathlon bicycle; not a tricycle – those test poorly in the wind tunnel.); a bike that I’ll eventually get back out on the road with and compete on.

 But my scars, and still healing bone and skin, have me much more trepidatious and far less excited about getting back outside. I’ll do it. I’m sure I’ll enjoy it. But that worried feeling of going down is going to make it difficult to relax enough to both enjoy the experience and to handle the bike correctly when problems arise.

 
I gave up motorcycle riding because I didn’t feel I could relax enough to be safe. I’m hoping that’s not true of cycling. But that decision will be put off until the end of summer. I’m hoping my conditioning and my goofy drive to compete will give me the confidence to get back out there.