I just wanted to start with this photo– this is my Pa and I just after we had finished cycling the round Taupo race. Its around a 160 km bike ride going round Lake Taupo which is located in the central North Island of NZ. I trained all year for it, so whilst I was well-prepared it still took HEAPS out of me. Dad trained for three weeks because he’s a bit of a procrastinator like that, and I think he may have been more tired than me, though he would never admit it!
I bike to work every morning at 6 a.m.– there arn’t too many cars around but still I am geared up with my flashing lights, bright yellow vest, blue helmet with reflectors, and bright pink arm warmers. Its still very dark round that time of day during autumn, so its better to be safe than sorry. I ride on the road for the most part; I must admit though, that on hills and where there are no streetlights, I am not so confident– I submit to the pedestrian pathways. Then on the way home, during rush hour, I am surrounded by traffic– those who travel by foot and by wheels. Its a craze of activity, and makes me feel very small and unprotected when sandwiched between, say, a cement mixing truck and a bus. It’s speed up or get off the road. Cars beep, overtake on the left at great speed and generally don’t seem to want me there. However, pedestrians don’t want me on their side of things either, and fair enough– I travel quite a bit faster than them and take up a lot of space.
I think it is a law in New Zealand that bicycles must travel on the roads, but to be honest its not just me on the pathways. I think cyclists have varied reasons for doing so, but I certainly know mine; I would rather be cautious at stages of my route to work and back than get run over. Because I hear about it every day– one wrong turn, and that’s it. Mum’s been telling me every single time it happens since I joined the cycling team when I was in high school– shes scared that it will happen to me. And I don’t blame her– just on the road that I used to train on twice a week, there have been multitudes of incidents, as you can see here.
I have considered other options of travel– my dad works at the city a few mornings a week so I can sometimes catch a ride with him– it doesn’t get me there every day of the week though. I could walk– but that would potentially take ages. There are no buses or other forms of transport which are active when I need to go to work. I haven’t gotten my licence yet. There aren’t any cycle ways that take me into town. But there are roads. So cycling is the best option for me… and besides, I love cycling, despite my fears.
Cycling brought me a form of exercise– and introduced me to races, competition. I had a team; we raced together at nationals in 2011 (pictured to the left). I loved the practice rides– twice a week, along the waterfront, just as the sun was coming up, the water reflecting the sunrise, the air cool and fresh as we puffed up hills and flew down them, cruising or racing on the straights. It made me feel so alive. So continuing to cycle keeps me happy, makes me think of those times and means I can continue improving and experiencing these things even though I am no longer a part of the cycling team.
Its also a good way to goof off as well as getting from place to place. For example, it was the way Tom and I got around town in Hanmer Springs. We also used the bikes to go around the mountain bike trails which snake all the way through the forests immediately outside the town– they are simply just awesome. So pretty and it just feels like one big high speed adventure.
So really, what can I do? I don’t want to get hurt or told off for cycling. Some drivers in Auckland genuinely don’t seem to like cyclists. I can understand that from a perspective that cyclists are slower vehicles, or that some cyclists do things like not following traffic laws, stopping at traffic lights, or simply not paying attention. But some of my friends talk about cyclists as if some of them are purposely trying to personally piss them off. And I’m not quite sure what to think of that. What I do know is that cars are a heck of a lot bigger than bicycles, which can makes me feel vulnerable. And whilst it is quite easy to go fast in a car, it takes a lot more effort to do so on a bicycle. Last year, I got totally terrified because I was cycling down a street one afternoon and someone started tailgating me. And I was blocked off on my right and left– there was nowhere for me to go but forward. My brother tells my that the driver would have probably backed off if I had slowed down, but theres still me feeling vulnerable– what if he didn’t? I don’t imagine I would fare very well against a car going at 40 km/hr into my back tyre.
So basically this is my small note of being confused and somewhat afraid of what I should do with my cycling. I am not going to stop though– its my small piece of freedom that I get daily, and lets be honest, its convenient. But I am still going to be thinking about it, and try to think of more ways to make it safer.
missyjamie 