First bike ride

[cosmolinguist]

The weather gradually changed from mostly cloudy to mostly sunny as the day went on, and I wasn't too spoonless after work, and the combination of these two things made D suggest that we go for a bike ride.

It was my first one since before I broke my ankle so we took it very easy. About a mile each way, stopping in the middle for a couple of pints (I had a nice pilsner, perfect in the sunshine).

Pedaling is fine for my ankle but there are other things: for some reason I can only get on the bike by standing on the left side and throwing my right leg over it (so, all my weight is on my weak leg). It does not work the other way around. I have no idea why. Also, a thing I never noticed until today is that when I'm coasting, my legs always stop in the position where my left is the one that's extended: again, holding most of my weight. This I did try to change but it was always a matter of noticing how my legs reflexively ended up and then trying to alter their position once it'd made my leg twinge. Not ideal.

But the short ride was okay. I can tell I've Done Something, but my ankle isn't particularly sore or swollen. So I think I struck the right balance.

Comments

[mst3kforall]

Hooray for having spoons and nice bike rides in the sunshine (and a lovely stop in the middle)! (And being able to carefully calibrate and not overdo it)

I can only get on from the left side, too. I was told that one had to do it that way for some reason, but I can’t now imagine what that might have been.

[cosmolinguist]

Oh interesting!

I find it so interesting that we all have such consistent experiences here and none of us know why and until now I didn't even know that I had this. :)

[mst3kforall]

I was talking with my partner about this, and he says you can get on either side, but that the argument for getting on from the left hand side may have been that it was easier to hold the handbrake with your right hand when you were getting on?

[cosmolinguist]

The other argument I can see for it, in the UK, is that if you're cycling on a road, getting on (and off) from the left side means you can be on the curb instead of further out where the cars are.