Life Cycle

The trials and wonderment of life on two wheels.

: Name: Chris L; Location: Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Cyclist - tourer, commuter and recreational rider. I have never owned a car, preferring to travel by bicycle, or by public transport on the rare occasion that isn't practical. I was a regular contributor to various internet-based cycling fora over a number of years. This blog is the place where I talk about the life cycling has provided for me, as well as the occasional rant.

View my complete profile

Victoria 2002 -- The Great Ocean Road, The Grampians and on to Mt Gambier.

Tasmania 2003/04 -- The full circuit taking in some stunning scenery.

Victoria 2004 -- Phillip Island, Wilson's Promontory, the Alps, and all in between.

South East Queensland 2005 -- Some short wanderings on the all too scarce long weekends.

New Zealand 2006 -- A circuit of the amazingly beautiful South Island.

Scotland 2007 -- Amazing history and incredible scenery in a nice, compact package.

A couple of articles I've written about cycling.

Advocacy/on the road

The man in the brown shirt -- Is profiling just another word for bigotry?

Cyclist inferiority complex-- Isn't it time we got over this?

Implementing "change"-- How badly do you want it?

General

Just why is cycling such an integral part of my life?

"Crazies" and others?-- Contrary to popular belief, not all the nutters live "in the sticks"

The wave-- Is it really such a big deal to give a wave and not get one back?

Familiarity breeds contempt-- There is actually a very good reason you crashed on that "familiar" road

Essays and articles I've written about various issues -- not always related to cycling. I like to think of myself as a wannabe philosopher sometimes.

How did we get to be so paranoid?

Is this really healthy?

"Common" people -- what is so special about being middle-class?

The will of God, or a cop out? Just who controls our destiny?

Audax Australia
This is the umbrella organisation running long distance cycling events in Australia Their website includes a calendar of events.

Bikejournal
A place where cyclist can keep track of their mileage and any number of other statistics, as well as an attached forum.

Bikeforums
A set of discussion forums covering almost every conceivable cycling related topic.

Cycling Adventurer
The Cycling Adventurer has tossed in the structured life of an urbanite to explore the world by bicycle. A well-written site detailing how he came to cycling, and what he learned along the way.

Crazy Guy on a Bike

Bicycle touring journals from all over the world, including a couple of my own.

This is my LBS on the Gold Coast. While they cater more to the racing market, their service, advice and workmanship is the best on the coast.

St Kilda Cycles

Importers of all manner of things hard to find in Australia, including the legendary Schmidt hub dynamo & E6 lights.

Bicycle-eye
Wonderings and wanderings out and about in Portland, Oregon, US

The Journey
The journey begins in Perth, Western Australia.

Lance Notstrong
The "other" Lance!

Ms Mittens
The Wired Cat on-line

Aussie Writer and Cycletourist
A blog chronicling the writing and cycling of a seaside baby boomer.

Up in Alaska
Jill's subarctic journal about ice, bears and distant dreams of the midnight sun.

The Kin Chronicles
Taking mediocrity to a new level of ordinary.

Allez
Riding and running with a vengeance.

London Cycling Diary
Pedalling across the capital since August 2005.

CouchPilot-2-BikePilot (Zin's cycling blog)
Living an adventurous life with Type-2-Diabetes.

The adventures of Crazy Biker Chick
... Including cycling, adventuring, cooking, knitting and ranting.

Redneck Espanol
The two wheeled Spanish redneck.

Treadly and me
"Work is something I do between riding my bicycle".

Crowlie
Womanist philosophy and theology. Cycling, climbing, art, single-motherhood and fire-twirling.

Adrian Fitch's random rambling.
A bit about cycling, a bit about genealogy, a bit about radio but mostly a lot about nothing at all.

Geo's big adventure
The life and times of Geo.

It's about the bike
Musings on the cycling life.

Spinopsys
Various cycling tidbits.

Industry Outsider
A blog about bikes and stuff.

Tweed Coast Treadly
An old man's bicycle riding diary.

A cyclist's life in Tenerife
(Canary Islands).

Bike to work to live to bike
It's never too late to get back on the bike

Stupid Hurts
Just the random scribblings of a guy with a bicycle

I'm not drunk enough for this
Really, I'm not.

BikeHacks
What can I say? Just read it.

Mozam's cycling adventures
A random collection of the things I like to do most, and mostly that is to ride my bikes, bicycles that is... My musings from competitive riding, long distance endurance to puttering around the neighborhood..

More cycling blogs

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Sunday, May 22, 2011

Down

I have just sat through an enforced weekend off after a nasty crash on Thursday night, and I have to say, cabin fever is seriously depressing. The crash itself resulted in me descending a "hill" at Robina way too fast, then having to slam on the brakes when someone in front of me decided to turn into a run-down suburban shopping centre on the slope that is almost never used. There may have still been a way out of the crash, but in that split-second I had well and truly hit the panic button, and I seem to have somehow flipped the bike over a kerb, and landed on a narrow strip of grass.

The grass probably softened the fall a little, but it still hurt. While nothing is broken, I've still had an entire weekend to reflect on my stupidity that caused the problem to occur. I'm still amazed that I can be so careless on familiar roads that I could probably ride blindfolded, and yet navigate much more difficult roads on overseas bike tours or my weekend rides. Being stuck inside with that frustration is not something I have any intention of repeating in the future. The fact that I had a wholly unproductive weekend probably says it all.

Another lesson to learn.

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