Calming Influence

The day had been going so well... Okay, so work was work, but the news came in that I was definitely going to have an article in tomorrow's Evening News ('today' now, Thursday 4th) and could I spare the time for a photo to go with it? Short shoot up on Arthur's Seat, me and the bike, at lunchtime. It's going to be an enormously unflattering photo since I was dressed for riding, bright jacket and beanie hat ahoy, but it was too damned cold to get the jacket off to my grammatically-lacking 'One Less Car' t-shirt and expose the follicles.

Anyway, it all put me in a bit of a good mood, until the ride home. I'd decided to stick to the main roads because this morning was slippier than the bastard love-child of Peter Mandelson and David Cameron on the cyclepaths. The car cutting me up to get to a petrol station after getting himself in the wrong lane beforehand was sort of expected with the revving going on. The bus that did a similar thing was not, quite simply because I couldn't believe what he was doing!

I was in the bus lane, the bus was straddling that lane and the lane to the right, clearly having decided to overtake me. The problem was the traffic in the right hand lane was queueing ahead, so there wasn't really the time to complete the move and get into the bus lane. So alongside me he put his left indicator on. Clearly on buses this operates to make cyclists not be there anymore. And let's face it the action worked. I wasn't about to mess with a bus. The REALLY annoying thing about it was he was stopping at the bus stop just 20 yards further on. It clearly didn't occur to him at any point, as he started to overtake (slowly, I was doing 25mph uphill) that he could just slow down a bit, slot in behind, and stop at the stop without inconveniencing anyone at all. No-one else could get up the inside as he was straddling into the bus lane. But no, half passing me, then moving his bus over into me was the preferred option.

I can only imagine my face was a picture as I looked, on a level, with incredulity at the passengers halfway along the bus, as it started to move in and I slammed on the brakes.

I will still maintain that it's safe to cycle, but sometimes you really have to know what you're about, and I've been riding enough years for the 6th sense to have developed. And please no-one mention cycle lanes etc. as the cure, I'd rather have the prevention of everyone treating each other with a bit of respect (plus, at this particular section (Jock's Lodge) the cycle lane gets parked in all the time anyway).

Anyway, got home, had a rant, indulged in some quick retail therapy, found out both articles I wrote might be in the paper as a spread since they need to fill space (I wonder if that means I get paid), found out an article I wrote on (uni)cycling for a legal magazine is in the latest issue which should be with me tomorrow, and worked away on the next issue of the website, which is due online tomorrow night.

So I needed some calm, and sat with one of Mel's Buddha's.

Ommmmmmmmm.........

p.s. the focus on the hand, rather than the head, was intentional...

p.p.s. thanks to everyone for the comments on yesterday's century

p.p.p.s. the ride in this morning had a different effect from the ride home, as evidenced by the editorial for the next issue of my website:

It must have been -2 celsius when I left the house, noting the ice freely formed on the path. Fetching the bike from the relative comfort of the garage I tentatively attached a right foot to the pedal. A slight push forward, ascertaining grip, and a wider-than-usual arc to the left to avoid an unfortunate incident so close to home. I could already feel the nip on my nose, and hear the crunch of frost under the tyres, as my breath formed clouds to billow behind me like a steam train.

The sky was clear, morning just starting to creep in. Enough light to give a deep blue to the sky, but not enough to light my path. The clouds in the distance looked like mountains, already peaked in snow that must surely be heading our way. Turning onto the cycle path the sheet of ice that had formed overnight made itself known, and I gingerly picked my way along. There is no more disconcerting moment than when you happen upon a perfectly flat section of frozen water and everything. Falls. Silent.

Ten minutes longer to work than normal, a sigh releasing the pent-up pressure that had me gripping the bars tightly despite knowing this wasn't the best thing to do in the slightest. And then the smile. The release of those happy little endorphins.

And people wonder why I ride to work...