Well, since my experience last week on my old clunker bike, I had to resort to driving to and from work, which wasn't so bad as I was working at a site pretty close to home anyway. I should mention that the old clunker was performing quite admirably until about 1km from home when the back tyre blew. I mean, the tyres are likely to be somewhere in the vicinity of 10 years old now, so it was only a matter of time I guess. So I semi-rode home on a flat tyre, which was not pleasant and made worse by the head wind from hell. So, on the weekend I bit the bullet and ventured out to some bicycle shops and see about purchasing a new set of wheels. I really needed to get this bike on Interest free, or else it was likely that Miss R and I wouldn't be able to eat for the rest of the month. I went to one bike shop that was so busy, that I wandered around, looking like a customer in need of some help for a good 15 minutes. No sales assistants came to assist me and to be honest, their range was pretty shit. So I left. I then ventured out to a BICYCLE SUPERSTORE and lets be frank here, it was fricken immense. I found a couple of bikes that I liked, but alas, they couldn't do interest free payment plans, only Lay-by and to honest, I needed the bike there and then. Anyway, next day, I dragged Miss R to another well known medium sized bike shop. They had a range of good quality bikes at quite good (actually, pretty awesome) prices. I settled on what is now known as a flat-bar road bike. Basically it's like a road bike, but with straight handlebars like a Mountain Bike. I was impressed by the carbon fibre forks and seat post, the insanely large crank gearing and the overall look of the thing. Miss R convinced me to get it cash there and then and not to worry about interest free payment plans and shit. Suffice to say, Miss R and I will be resorting to 2-minute noodles this month. MMmm, yum. Anyway, I rode it to work for the first time this morning and it is amazing what a difference a good bike makes. I mean, the mountain bike I had been using was a pretty bloody good bike, but this thing simply flies. In other news, summer is on the way and it got to like 34 degrees or something like that yesterday. I'm not a big fan of summer at all. It gets far too hot to sleep or do much else. I'm looking at getting air con installed in the bedroom. We have it downstairs in the lounge, but that's no good for when it comes time to go to bed. I think I only got 2 hours sleep last night, the rest was just a sweat fest.

Bicycles

It just so happens that the bike I have been using for the past 6 months to travel to and from work I had loaned off a very good friend. He needed it back so I took it back to him of course. Suffice to say that I had to then resurrect my old clunker for the ride into work today. Holy shit man, it really is amazing what a difference a bike makes. My legs were HURTING within 10 minutes from leaving home and then the seat post decided to collapse on me, so in the end I just thought screw it, I'm driving. I don't know what would have been worse in the end. Like I have mentioned countless times, driving to work, and home again, is the absolute bain of my life. It's funny actually, in the city there is the brand new BHP-Billiton office complex. Right next door is the QV apartment complex which also contains a gym and a Safeway supermarket. Imagine if you lived at QV and worked at BHP? Quite honestly you would never leave your little area. All your needs are met right there and you wouldn't waste 2 hours a day stuck in fricken traffic. On the downside, you wouldn't have a backyard. Bummer.

Zombie driving.....

This may happen to you, it may not, but sometimes, when you are driving somewhere you go every day, such as work, have you noticed that sometimes you completely zone out and realise that you don't know where that last 5km went or that last 10 minutes? Now fair enough, driving auto pilot style is common place I reckon. However, I have noticed lately I am doing the same thing on my bicycle. Particularly riding along St George's Road which is straight and flat and only interrupted by a few traffic lights. Not a great attitude to have, especially since I saw a guy get hit by a car which was negotiating one of the many vehicle cross overs. He was okay, probably zoned out and to be honest, I don't know how you can get hit if you are alert and watching the road properly. And, such it was to have an eventful ride home that I saw not only 1, but 2 people walking their respective whippets! They were all different as you would expect and I stopped at each to have a pat and talk to their owners.

Stupid bike riders

There's this portly middle aged cyclist who I sometimes see during my commute up and down St George's Road. I just want to mention right here that this guy is a first class, top shelf dickhead. The number of times I have nearly seen this guy get wiped out by cars because he is too impatient to wait for a green light. He then has the nerve to stick his finger up at drivers as if he has right of way! I really really wish this guy would get hit by a car so I can stand over him and just let him what an absolute tool he is. He's probably some super stressed merchant banker/stock broker who works in the city and is too arrogant to know better. Good on him, hope he's happy with life.

bikes and dogs!

When I ride my bike, to and from work each day, it never ceases to amaze me how some cyclists are still alive. Honestly, every day I see at least one or two run red lights, nearly get hit by cars at roundabouts because hey, you gotta give way to the right dickhead, and generally think that they own the road. Me? Well, cars are bigger and it doesn't matter if they are in the wrong or not, a cyclist is gonna come off second best. It's a pity that some don't have this mentality. Then there are other who think that the commute is a stage of the tour de france. I hate these guys. The best way to get up their goat is to keep up with them when they fly past. I don't know why I hate them, probably because of their arrogance. I can keep up with them for the most part, but after a few minutes I back off. We're thinking of getting another dog. Probably not for a few months, but probably a rescue grey hound. Such beautiful dogs and honestly, I think Cleo needs a bit of competition because there are no other dogs in the park that can keep up with her, and she loves playing chasey. You can see it quite clearly that she eases off so other dogs can keep up with her. Can't wait to see her on the track though. Hopefully we'll get her on one soon.