Bikebikebike!
I love my bicycle. It's an entry level hybrid, handy for running to the shops, capable of carrying my not insignificant weight and has a removable basket for the messages, gives me decent traction on roads but not too much so I'm not struggling too much. All in all, am very happy with my decision to get this particular one. I love it so much and I love how happy being out on it makes me (exercise that I enjoy? Yes please!)
Every time I've gone out on it that I'm wearing anything other than leggings+top (hoodie, whatever) + hi viz waistcoat I've been yelled at as clearly I didn't already notice that I'm female and fat and needed it pointed out to me. I won't repeat some of the things I've been called. The words "road tax" have only been shouted at me once, when I was on the wide hard shoulder of the old N1 or whatever it's called now with metal death boxes zooming past me at 100kph or thereabouts. I try not to let it get to me and I've a fairly thick skin when it comes to insults from strangers. But still... it shouldn't happen.
I've been nearly squished so many times by bad drivers I've lost count. Narrow twisting country roads with proper hedges are great fun for me and I get to see a lot of the country - or at least bits of fields - at a nice sedate pace. They're not great for cyclist visibility, though, hence being covered in hi-viz. I nearly got squished by a tractor once, which amused me more than it enraged me. Worse, though, is the town or near it. A few weeks ago I got a clip from a silver micra wing mirror. Or what I assume was a wing mirror. The idiot driver wasn't paying attention to the three cars in front of it that had overtaken me relatively safely. Still not giving me quite enough room, mind, and all crossing continuous white lines. I'm fairly certain the rules of the road have something to say about that. Silver micra driver didn't notice the others overtaking and whoooosh kept going straight at about 60kph. I'm lucky I wasn't knocked off or worse, just had a rather magnificent bruise on my right arse cheek for about a week. Reported it later that day when I was feeling a bit less shocked but only had a partial reg to go on. Had a nice long chat with a garda who seemed delighted to have someone to talk to about bike safety and cycling round these parts. Haven't been out much since and going near that road again scares me more than I'd like. I really dislike that some drivers seem to think that endangering my life is a good trade off for not having to slow down for 10 bloody seconds or so. But I love being out on my bike too much to let it stop me altogether. My damn roads, my damn town, not letting idiots stop me enjoying either.
Every time I've gone out on it that I'm wearing anything other than leggings+top (hoodie, whatever) + hi viz waistcoat I've been yelled at as clearly I didn't already notice that I'm female and fat and needed it pointed out to me. I won't repeat some of the things I've been called. The words "road tax" have only been shouted at me once, when I was on the wide hard shoulder of the old N1 or whatever it's called now with metal death boxes zooming past me at 100kph or thereabouts. I try not to let it get to me and I've a fairly thick skin when it comes to insults from strangers. But still... it shouldn't happen.
I've been nearly squished so many times by bad drivers I've lost count. Narrow twisting country roads with proper hedges are great fun for me and I get to see a lot of the country - or at least bits of fields - at a nice sedate pace. They're not great for cyclist visibility, though, hence being covered in hi-viz. I nearly got squished by a tractor once, which amused me more than it enraged me. Worse, though, is the town or near it. A few weeks ago I got a clip from a silver micra wing mirror. Or what I assume was a wing mirror. The idiot driver wasn't paying attention to the three cars in front of it that had overtaken me relatively safely. Still not giving me quite enough room, mind, and all crossing continuous white lines. I'm fairly certain the rules of the road have something to say about that. Silver micra driver didn't notice the others overtaking and whoooosh kept going straight at about 60kph. I'm lucky I wasn't knocked off or worse, just had a rather magnificent bruise on my right arse cheek for about a week. Reported it later that day when I was feeling a bit less shocked but only had a partial reg to go on. Had a nice long chat with a garda who seemed delighted to have someone to talk to about bike safety and cycling round these parts. Haven't been out much since and going near that road again scares me more than I'd like. I really dislike that some drivers seem to think that endangering my life is a good trade off for not having to slow down for 10 bloody seconds or so. But I love being out on my bike too much to let it stop me altogether. My damn roads, my damn town, not letting idiots stop me enjoying either.