Accident

Well it has been a good winter season for my commuting. But finally I had to take a day off due to "injury."


I probably should've been smart and just walked my bike to a clear road but I do get some excitement from riding in the snow so I wasn't going to let this day stop me.


Long story short, bike slid one way and I tried to regain my balance and sort of did the splits. I was in some slight discomfort for the day. Nothing major.


I did end up walking back home, luckily I was only one block into the ride. I called and told my employer that I was in a slight accident and explained to them what happened. Well quite a few people were worried about me that day. Majority assumed the worst...an Accident, must have been hit by a Car. But I was fine.

The point of this little entry is not the accident but the things people said to me the day after.


"YOU SHOULD GET YOUR DRIVERS LISCENSE"


Not sure how this would solve anything. I would still be in the same environment...and must say I do feel that I have more control on a bike than in a car. I could probably list many things that could go wrong with me driving a car. I would still be faced with the dangers of traffic, the dangers of road conditions.


I feel safe and free on a bike. I would I want to go and change that!

Acceptance

"Americans are broad-minded people. They'll accept the fact a person can be an alcholic, a dope fiend, a wife beater, and even a newspaperman, but if a man doesn't drive there's something wrong with him."

Art Buchwald, 1968

Luka Bloom by The Acoustic Motorbike

Luka Bloom - The Acoustic Motorbike

The day began with a rainbow in the sand

As I cycled into KerryCattle grazing on a steep hillside
Looked well fed, well balanced
Close to the edge

Pedal on, pedal on, pedal on for miles

Pedal on
Pedal on, pedal on, pedal on for miles
Pedal on

I take a break, I close my eyes
And I'm happy as the dolphin
In a quiet spot talking to myself
Talking about the rain
Talking about the rain
All this rain

Pedal on
Pedal on, pedal on, pedal on for miles
Pedal on

You see whenever I'm alone
I tend to brood
But when I'm out on my bike
It's a different mood
I leave my brain at home
Get up on the sattle
No hanging around
I don't diddle-daddle

I work my legs

I pump my thights
Take in the scenery passing me by
The Kerry mountains or the Wicklow hills
The antidote to my emotional ills
A motion built upon human toil
Nuclear free needs no oil
But it makes me hot, makes me hard
I never thought I could have come this far
Through miles of mountains, valleys, streams
This is the right stuff filling my dreams
So come on, get up on your bike
Ah go on, get up on your bike

Pedal on

Pedal on, pedal on, pedal on for miles
Pedal on

Finally

With my face to that bitter wind
I bombed it into Killarney
Skin raw like a sushi dinner
And an appetite
That would eat the hind leg of the lamb of God
Even though you know
I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing
Then settle down for a quiet night
Think about what I've seen and done
And wonder

There's a reason for this

Now is the time
To speak of the problem troubling my mind
Sick of the traffic choking our towns
Freaking me out, bringing me down
Knock down houses, build more lanes
Once was a problem, now it's insane
My solution it's one that I like
It's Muddy
The Acoustic Motorbike
So come on, get up on your bike
Ah go on, get up on your bike

Pedal on

Pedal on, pedal on, pedal on for miles
Pedal on

Ah go on
Ah go on
Get up on your bike
Get up on your bike

The Road To The Future Is a Bicycle Highway By Rogr Lee

Th' RoAd tO th' fUTurEiS a BiCYcle HIghWay

Rogr Lee©

2004 Donald Roger Lee (SOCAN)

(Y' know I've seen there's) bad things coming down the pipe

Faster than the speed of hype
Things are gonna take a bite out of the world as we know it
Everything is heating up, spinning 'round, this speeding up
Fear and lies are eating up the world as we know it

And Th' Road to th' Future is a Bicycle Highway
Th' Road to th' Future is a Bicycle Highway

Feel the wind in your hair, smell the beautiful air
Wave hello to a stranger!

(Y'know there's) hard things coming down the pipe

Faster than the speed of hype
Things are gonna take a bite out of the world as we know it
Everything is heating up, spinning 'round, this speeding up
Fear and lies are eating up the world as we know it

And Th' Road to th' Future is a Bicycle Highway
Th' Road to th' Future is a Bicycle Highway

Feel the wind in your hair, smell the beautiful air
Wave hello to a stranger!

Good Deed

Well today on my commute I had the opportunity to do a good deed. These chances never seem to come about to often, so I figured I would take this opportunity.

As I am heading down the road I am noticing that traffic is getting backed up in my lane. I try to see what the problem is, as I get closer I start to notice two guys pushing a stalled car. I pedaled up closer and jumped off my bike and gave them a hand to push the car into the gas station. Luckily it wasn't to far. After getting him to the pumps I hopped back on my bike and was off, didn't give the guy enough time to say thanks...who knows if he would've even said Thanks. He was probably embarrassed of causing a back up in traffic.

I don't know what this guy may of thought about people who ride bikes...either way I hope this brings a new light to his thoughts. It might even encourage him to get on a bike...might even be a little more reliable than his CAR!!

Bike Songs

So the other day at work, someone mentions to me about the song "Bicycle Race" by Queen. I forget how it came up in conversation. But yeah that is one song that I do not have on my IPOD. But I did share with her, that is a song that I sometimes sing in my head moments before a ride. You know it is just all that anticipation of being free while I ride.



I decided to share some of the songs that I feel are Bicycle inspired and enjoy listening as I am rolling along on the pavement.


In future post I will supply the lyrics and possibly a link so that you too will be able to enjoy these songs......

For now here is the list...............

The Road To The Future Is A Bicycle Highway by Rogr Lee
One Less Car by Whitey on the Moon
My Bike by Ghoti Hook
Bicycle Song by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Surfwax America by Weezer
The Acoustic Motorbike by Luka Bloom
Girls On Bikes by Royce
Bicycle Built For Two by Mitch Miller
Bicycle, Bicycle, You Are My Bicycle by Be Your Own Pet
Bicycle Song by Orbit
My White Bicycle by Tomorrow
Bicycle by Pumptown
Bicycle by Livingston Taylor

Bike Movers

So the other day I was helping my Future Brother In Law move. It was a nice cool day, we had some snow from the night before roads weren't too bad. Of course he had a bike that we needed to get to his new place. I knew of only one way to get that bike to his new apartment...a no brainer......RIDE IT!!

So off I went...now during this ride of course I thought about something that I read on the Internet about people moving just by bikes and a lot of people and trailers. Yeah that would be great to do.

But getting back on track...as I approach an intersection, I see a fellow cyclist. He is pulling out of a driveway with a trailer full of "stuff"...then I look again....another Trailer with a TV...I Look again and ANOTHER TRAILER with some more prized possessions. He had a friend with him that had a fridge...I had to take a close look to see if that was on a trailer...but he was walking with it on a fridge cart. But yeah I was amazed to see this guy hauling all of those trailers.

I had to stop and make a quick phone call to Tracy to share this exciting news. So I thought I would share here as well.

Happy New Year to all...It's going to be a GREAT one!!