After getting back on the bike after an accident, what struck me (other than the ground) was how much the experience was just like getting out of lockdown | OPINION
I crashed my bike last week. I’m fine, I just have some small cuts, impressive bruises, and a heavy resentment towards those in charge of the poorly maintained roads.
My first ride back was a short one on familiar streets, to a local bike shop to have my bike properly checked over and repaired. I was hyper-aware of my surroundings and a bit shaky. Nothing felt right, so I took it slowly, and tried to take deep breaths and avoid people doing the wrong thing . The second ride was longer. On Saturdays I deliver cookies for my wife’s business all over the metro area, and luckily this was just to one regular customer, in a familiar area, seven kilometres away.For this ride, I leaned on family to make it easier, taking my mother with me. Her slower tricycle gave me an excuse to take the ride slowly, and having someone to talk to reduced my anxiety. By the return journey I almost felt back to my old self, wanting to take the long way home.