Moments Of Outdoors posted: " It has been sometime since I have decided to challenge myself. Ever since coming back from a week away in Wales I have felt deflated and needing something to sink my teeth into. I remember during the summer I was taken by the idea that I would ride my bi"
It has been sometime since I have decided to challenge myself. Ever since coming back from a week away in Wales I have felt deflated and needing something to sink my teeth into. I remember during the summer I was taken by the idea that I would ride my bicycle everywhere for two weeks to see what impact this has on me.
If you want to read the article I posted it's called Cycle Challenge.
I was most adamant to ride my bike everywhere and took many things into consideration to do with organisation and road/ cycle networks. Yet I never came through with my own plan. I put many obstacles in my way, mostly because I was still adventuring in my van and going places to kayak. Well it's now November and I have still not attempted this challenge. The sudden jump in fuel prices and the mild weather conditions for November has prompted me to get my ass into gear.
Helga - My Trusty Steed
I gave myself 2 days notice to start the challenge. After all there's no point planning things too much and re-arranging things to accommodate my cycling. I pulled my bike out of the shed to inspect how I had packed it away. I was fairly confident it would be clean and serviced, as I would have done this before putting it away. It needed a few more tweaks when I got it out as the rear tyre was pancake flat from having no use. Apart from that there were no issues in preparing my bike. I pulled out one of my bikepacking bags and mud guards and fitted them both to the frame. A quick check to see if my lights were still charged and we were in business.
Let me outline the fundamentals of this challenge. I was to use my bicycle as my method of travel. This includes commuting to work, going to the shop, visiting friends or the gym. If I would normally take the journey on my own in a motorised vehicle then I was to ride my bike. I did know that during the two weeks my van was booked into the garage, I would have to drive my van there and back. I will put my hands up and admit that as the challenge progressed, If someone was to be driving to the same location as me then I would get in the vehicle with them. An example of this was when I dropped my van to the garage. When I needed to pick it up, a family member was taking their vehicle to the same garage so I jumped in the car with them. Otherwise I would have rode my bike. This was one of the only time where I got in the car instead of riding my bike.
The first day of the challenge I rode during rush hour traffic through town and was shocked at how much the fumes of the traffic lingered. I was riding with the traffic and I don't think I took a breath of clean air for the whole trip. I could taste the metal in the air. The warmth of it in my mouth instead of the crisp country air I was used to. After this first day I had an incredibly sore throat.
Helga - Ready For Action
During the week I rode to and from work. Every time I was having to merge with traffic. There were some sections that were on cycle paths off the main road but a majority was road based. I did have to prepare myself to have enough belongings for the days of riding, making sure I had fresh work uniform if I stayed with friends. I left my boots in work and had a spare towel and wash gear to use when I arrived in the mornings. The more I rode the more I found myself unwinding. I wasn't chained by time, as such, I arrived at my location when I arrived. If I was to go hell for leather on the bike then I would only gain a couple minutes of time for the direct input of energy. Hardly seemed worth the effort.
I did find that this slightly slower method of travel meant that I was able to focus my eyes better on the streets at night as there wasn't a mix of headlights charging toward me. I found I had better energy in work as I had already done a bit of exercise. With the increase in exercise there was an increase in hunger as I was burning between 300 and 500 calories per ride. I was able to afford that extra biscuit or drink at the end of the day, guilt free. As the challenge progressed my sore throat did get worse but this was because I had picked up a cold that was circulating through work. I had tried to push through on the bike as this cleared my snotty nose. Another reason why I wasn't pushing hard whilst riding.
I had to stop the challenge after 7 days. Throughout the week my head cold became more developed and started to settle on my chest. What started as a sore throat, which I thought was caused by vehicle fumes, then rolled into a cold. I decided to stop this challenge prematurely as I was just running my body into the ground and not giving it time to relax and heal. Although my usual mentality is to push through. This time I listened to my body.
On Sunday evening I drove my car again. When I got back in the car for the first time I felt disconnected with the world. I had no feeling of speed. I pushed a pedal on the floor and the metal box I was in moved forward. I was used to the direct correlation of effort and speed on the bicycle. The harder you cycled the faster you went. In the car I had no time to enjoy my scenery. All smells and sounds were blocked out and I really was in my own space. I drove along a main road and a drizzle of rain formed on the windscreen. Usually, If I was on the bike, I'd take note of the change in weather and be more cautious for slippery road surfaces and also the effect the water would have on my brakes. In the car I just simply flicked a lever and brushed away the water. Making no other adjustment to the speed or direction.
My Commute
I also had no concept of distance or time. Where everything before had been set on time and distance to figure out when to leave and how long it would take me to cycle somewhere. What was the shortest route or the less hilly, how was my body feeling. All of these were valid travel decisions. In the car I was in comfort and this was a really menial thought. It didn't matter if the trip was 1 or 2 miles different, I felt no consequence. It was really hard to re-adjust. I felt disconnected with the world as I could feel other people's stressful road rage driving affect me. I had spent a week cruising at my own pace on my bike, under my own steam. Now I was back into the realms of aggressive drivers who have to be one car length ahead of you.
I have enjoyed taking on this challenge and feel that I have not quite done it justice. I did figure out that during the week I had completed 70 miles of cycling. The equivalent distance I would have driven would have been near 110 miles. The main reason for the discrepancy of distance is that whilst driving I would use main roads to get to and from places. These are longer in length but a lot quicker to travel on because of their speed limit. These main roads I am unable to cycle on, therefore I had to take other routes on my bike. The mileage That I would have covered in the car is ¼ of a tank of fuel. Given today's fuel prices ( £1.51 for diesel) it is the equivalent of £20.
I always find a sense of grounding when I am on two wheels and the exposure to nature is very significant in this. I hope that I can continue to ride to and from work on occasions to not only benefit my own well being but to just be a bit more environmentally friendly in general. A longer challenge needed next time.
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