Time for #EBookGifts 2025
9 months ago
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Crap Bike Lanes
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Winter is coming
And it's time to prep you and your bike. Check out this checklist from the Guardian newspaper in Britain. Here's the first two on the list. Oh, and check out some of the cool gear links-- like Dashing Tweeds.
1. Winterproof your bike
To help your steed cope with gritted roads and grimy puddles, you need to prepare it for the horrors ahead. Clean it properly and then apply an all-weather lubricant to the chain and any other parts where metal meets metal. Don't go mad. The oil should not drip and must under no circumstances must it touch your brake pads or wheel rims.
2. Get lights
With the rapidly decreasing number of daylight hours, a good set of lights is more important than ever. Any brand will do, just check the running time and avoid any that use expensive, awkwardly shaped batteries. Knog lights are very popular, and clip straight onto most bikes without fiddly brackets (knog.com.au). You can also get flashing pedals such as those made by Pedalite (pedalite.com).
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Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Mes nouveaux vélos
I promised the gang a report from Montréal on the subject of Bixi, the new public bicycle system, which I joined just in time for Anticipation, the 2009 World SF Convention, and here it is. No pictures - keep forgetting to go out and snap some bikes at their stands. But my effort may be redundant.
I signed up and paid my initial subscription on-line while still in Victoria - $28 for a month, which covers any number of 30 minute trips (as long as they're at least 5 minutes apart) during the month. Any number, not one per day. When I arrived back from Victoria, helmet in holdall, my package was waiting, including a shiny red plastic key with an identifying number and embedded chip-that-tells-all, and a small foldout map indicating stations and coverage and bicycle routes. The only complaint I have about the latter is it doesn't show the direction of these bicycle routes. I had to log in to the website to activate the key, and on Wednesday August 5, I was ready for my maiden voyage, down to the Convention Centre to help set up.
So, out to the stand nearest where I lived, put the key into the slot by the bicycle. Yes! Green light. Tug at bike. Nothing happens. Tug a little harder at bike. Nothing happens. Try another bike. Oops, red light. Back to original bike, insert key, get green light. Tug firmly, bike releases. Magnetized holder.
OK, I haz bike. It's a solid, sit-up-and-beg design, dull silver finish, broad black plastic handlebars. Cradle with a bungee cord in front to function as a carrier. Helmet on, adjust seat, hop on, wobble into bike lane. Haven't done this for a while. After a couple of blocks I discover first a second and then a third gear, accessed by twisting a ring medial to the right handlebar. By then the wobble has evened out considerably, and I'm picking up speed in the bike lane heading down St Urbain, dodging the cracks, the manhole covers and the potholes.
That first run was straight down St Urbain to the Convention Centre, the only hazard some construction that narrowed the street down uncomfortably. I missed having a handlebar mirror - my neck ain't made of rubber no more. It took 13 minutes, according to my trip record on Bixi Space. There was a stand with vacant spaces just outside the Convention Centre, so I cruised to a stop, lifted the bike into place, pushed, green light went on, all done.
Getting home proved to be more of a challenge, since by the time I left the Convention Centre, my straight route through the centre was blocked off due to a street festival. I worked my way east and west and eventually found myself going up Saint-Laurent with all the diverted night traffic, jousting with a bus and dodging parallel-parkers. Trip home, 29 minutes, one shy of the 30 minute free limit. Based on that experience, the next home trip I did, I caught the metro past the centre of town, and then picked up a bike.
The longest trip I've done so far was a 33 minute run to the limits of the service at Jean-Talon. For that I will have incurred a $1.50 fare. That was the first bike I reported as having problems, having discovered after I started out that not only was one of the brake levers broken in half, but the gears were slipping - I suspect a previous rider had tried to force 10 gears out of 3. Every time I hit a bump, it would spontaneously drop a gear. Mind you, that was to be preferred to the Millennium Sparrow's (my 1980 Nishiki, aka the Spuggie) trick of gearing up in cold weather, particularly on hills. Reporting in consisted simply of pushing a button on the station. The only other problem I've encountered is a bike that refused to check in at the first 2 stands I tried, but I requested an extension on my time, went round the block and it checked in fine. It would be an advantage to have a cellphone for such occasions, and it would be best to make allowances in timing for not getting the bike into the first station.
The one-way deal is wonderful. It frees me up to, for instance, bike in daylight and take the Metro back late at night (the bike is, however, equipped with reflectors and a flashing head-light), or bike to the market with empty bags and take the Metro back with 5 lbs of tomatoes and 3 lbs each of apples and pears (I go a little crazy in the market). I get the impression the bikes are well used: I see quite a number of them during commuting hours along the main cycling thoroughfares, pedalled by people in business suits, and I see them by ones and twos in the side streets off hours, pedalled by tourists. The same rack, completely full in the morning, will be completely empty in the early evening. There are iPhone apps for tracking availability.
Bixi announced recently that it will be moving into London and to Boston, and I see they are doing a trial run in Ottawa-Gatineau. Hmm, I wonder if my key would work ...?
I signed up and paid my initial subscription on-line while still in Victoria - $28 for a month, which covers any number of 30 minute trips (as long as they're at least 5 minutes apart) during the month. Any number, not one per day. When I arrived back from Victoria, helmet in holdall, my package was waiting, including a shiny red plastic key with an identifying number and embedded chip-that-tells-all, and a small foldout map indicating stations and coverage and bicycle routes. The only complaint I have about the latter is it doesn't show the direction of these bicycle routes. I had to log in to the website to activate the key, and on Wednesday August 5, I was ready for my maiden voyage, down to the Convention Centre to help set up.
So, out to the stand nearest where I lived, put the key into the slot by the bicycle. Yes! Green light. Tug at bike. Nothing happens. Tug a little harder at bike. Nothing happens. Try another bike. Oops, red light. Back to original bike, insert key, get green light. Tug firmly, bike releases. Magnetized holder.
OK, I haz bike. It's a solid, sit-up-and-beg design, dull silver finish, broad black plastic handlebars. Cradle with a bungee cord in front to function as a carrier. Helmet on, adjust seat, hop on, wobble into bike lane. Haven't done this for a while. After a couple of blocks I discover first a second and then a third gear, accessed by twisting a ring medial to the right handlebar. By then the wobble has evened out considerably, and I'm picking up speed in the bike lane heading down St Urbain, dodging the cracks, the manhole covers and the potholes.
That first run was straight down St Urbain to the Convention Centre, the only hazard some construction that narrowed the street down uncomfortably. I missed having a handlebar mirror - my neck ain't made of rubber no more. It took 13 minutes, according to my trip record on Bixi Space. There was a stand with vacant spaces just outside the Convention Centre, so I cruised to a stop, lifted the bike into place, pushed, green light went on, all done.
Getting home proved to be more of a challenge, since by the time I left the Convention Centre, my straight route through the centre was blocked off due to a street festival. I worked my way east and west and eventually found myself going up Saint-Laurent with all the diverted night traffic, jousting with a bus and dodging parallel-parkers. Trip home, 29 minutes, one shy of the 30 minute free limit. Based on that experience, the next home trip I did, I caught the metro past the centre of town, and then picked up a bike.
The longest trip I've done so far was a 33 minute run to the limits of the service at Jean-Talon. For that I will have incurred a $1.50 fare. That was the first bike I reported as having problems, having discovered after I started out that not only was one of the brake levers broken in half, but the gears were slipping - I suspect a previous rider had tried to force 10 gears out of 3. Every time I hit a bump, it would spontaneously drop a gear. Mind you, that was to be preferred to the Millennium Sparrow's (my 1980 Nishiki, aka the Spuggie) trick of gearing up in cold weather, particularly on hills. Reporting in consisted simply of pushing a button on the station. The only other problem I've encountered is a bike that refused to check in at the first 2 stands I tried, but I requested an extension on my time, went round the block and it checked in fine. It would be an advantage to have a cellphone for such occasions, and it would be best to make allowances in timing for not getting the bike into the first station.
The one-way deal is wonderful. It frees me up to, for instance, bike in daylight and take the Metro back late at night (the bike is, however, equipped with reflectors and a flashing head-light), or bike to the market with empty bags and take the Metro back with 5 lbs of tomatoes and 3 lbs each of apples and pears (I go a little crazy in the market). I get the impression the bikes are well used: I see quite a number of them during commuting hours along the main cycling thoroughfares, pedalled by people in business suits, and I see them by ones and twos in the side streets off hours, pedalled by tourists. The same rack, completely full in the morning, will be completely empty in the early evening. There are iPhone apps for tracking availability.
Bixi announced recently that it will be moving into London and to Boston, and I see they are doing a trial run in Ottawa-Gatineau. Hmm, I wonder if my key would work ...?
Friday, August 21, 2009
Teaser
For a new NZ-built electric bicycle.
To quote:
“YikeBike is a super light small electric folding bike with
carbon frame weighing in at less than 10kg. The radical
mini-farthing wheel formation is designed to fold into
less than a third the volume of any other 20 inch folding
bike. It has a powerful 800W motor and anti-skid
regenerative brakes. Given the super small size and
weight it can easily be taken on busses, trains, cars and
easily stored under a desk or in a cupboard.”
To quote:
“YikeBike is a super light small electric folding bike with
carbon frame weighing in at less than 10kg. The radical
mini-farthing wheel formation is designed to fold into
less than a third the volume of any other 20 inch folding
bike. It has a powerful 800W motor and anti-skid
regenerative brakes. Given the super small size and
weight it can easily be taken on busses, trains, cars and
easily stored under a desk or in a cupboard.”
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Commando Brian
While I've gone into sea kayaking, he bought an inflatable and started exploring commando kayaking. But he's developed his own unique twist; he rides his recumbent trike to the launch point, then loads up his trike on his kayak. This way, he's taken his ride home with him and can peddle back from wherever he puts in.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Shweeb is Shweet!
You jump into an aerodynamic capsule and race like a bullet for three laps. With seven gears to play with it’s easy to get up to your top speed.
Feel the adrenalin kick in as you fly around curves swinging out 60 degrees! You soar 4m above the pond and then miss the ground by inches!
Your seat adjusts to your exact height and is as comfortable as a hammock. The highly efficient vehicles let you go much faster than a bicycle.
The above comes from the Shweeb website. Now check out the promo video....Sure, Shweeb is only available inNew Zealand, but the simplicity of construction makes me think that there might actually be a role for Shweeb in mass transit. I could see myself cranking one of these home from work each day. The pods would be the expensive bit, and mass production could minimize that expense. Just one more option for a varied transit system.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Cleaner Cycling
Here's something cool that I found while looking for green household items and gift ideas.
Gaiam's handmade vegetable soap is made with bike power! The unique invention pairs a bicycle power train with a soap-mixing vat allowing the soap-makers to pedal their way through every batch without electricity, synthetic scents or chemical hardeners. The soap is then cured for two months.
I wonder how many soap-makers and how many shifts of cyclists it takes to make a vat of soap.
Gaiam's handmade vegetable soap is made with bike power! The unique invention pairs a bicycle power train with a soap-mixing vat allowing the soap-makers to pedal their way through every batch without electricity, synthetic scents or chemical hardeners. The soap is then cured for two months.
I wonder how many soap-makers and how many shifts of cyclists it takes to make a vat of soap.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
New Wheels
Bought new wheels last week. A Salsa Fargo.
Supposedly it's the only bike of it's kind - a mountain/touring bike with 29" wheels. There are range of "29'ers" available these days. Your average mountain bike has 26" wheels and you're average road bike has 27.5" wheels.
It's outfitted with all top quality Shimano XT components and Avid BB7 mechanical disc brakes. While not a road bike per se it goes pretty quick with a sweet spot for cruising on the flats at 30-35 km/h. Super comfy ride, brazings for six (6!) water bottle racks, and designed to take racks for front and rear panniers.
It was over my $1,500 budget by $1,000 but it was love at first ride. Shout out to Jon and the guys at Oak Bay Bikes for making me an offer I couldn't refuse, they gave me a fantastic deal.
And to compete with all the silly gps-enabled kayakers around here, here's my gps-enabled 40k ride from last night. ;)
View Track 2 in a larger map
PS. You'll notice that the stop point is a little short of the start point...had to make a pit stop at the Penny Farthing to do some carbo-loading at the end of the ride.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Pushing
Did decide to push out a bit today. The sun was out, the weather warm, so I headed out to the transition point of the Galloping Goose/Lochside trail to decide which way I would go: north or west. West won. I headed out along the Goose to View Royal and Colwood to see if I could find this:
Yes, the rare Vancouver Island Lee Valley Store. In fact, I think this may be the only one on the Island. As you can see, I got lucky and found it, and only 17 kilometres from my own front door! It's still early in the year, and it won't really be out of hibernation for another couple of weeks, but still it's nice to know that its okay and has made it through the winter.
About 500 metres from where I spotted the Lee Valley (and yeah, I'm still jazzed about that...), I stopped at one of my favourite places on the Goose:
This bridge is only accessible from the Goose, and only by bike, or on foot; You can't drive there. And why would you want to go there? Well, it's just over a really pretty (and pretty deep) gorge with a stream rushing through it.
I've often wondered if I could take the Pamlico down it, but it's probably too narrow for that. The creek boat I sold Joel last week might have made it, but that will have to be up to Joel now.
On the other side of the bridge, the creek gets a bit gnarly, before settling down.
This is what I love about Victoria; if you bike, hike, or kayak, there are these amazing places within an hour of your front door that are completely inaccessible by other, more conventional means of transportation. Heck, add the bus and a huge area of the lower Island opens up to you.
As for me, well, after getting home, I have to admit, the legs were pretty empty. Not the crippling pain of my Nelson ride a couple of years back, just empty and noticing that there wasn't a whole lot of energy left available to them. I'm really glad there was no crippling pain and missing out on that feeling that I was about to have a fatal heart attack, it's only good.
Yes, the rare Vancouver Island Lee Valley Store. In fact, I think this may be the only one on the Island. As you can see, I got lucky and found it, and only 17 kilometres from my own front door! It's still early in the year, and it won't really be out of hibernation for another couple of weeks, but still it's nice to know that its okay and has made it through the winter.
About 500 metres from where I spotted the Lee Valley (and yeah, I'm still jazzed about that...), I stopped at one of my favourite places on the Goose:
This bridge is only accessible from the Goose, and only by bike, or on foot; You can't drive there. And why would you want to go there? Well, it's just over a really pretty (and pretty deep) gorge with a stream rushing through it.
I've often wondered if I could take the Pamlico down it, but it's probably too narrow for that. The creek boat I sold Joel last week might have made it, but that will have to be up to Joel now.
On the other side of the bridge, the creek gets a bit gnarly, before settling down.
This is what I love about Victoria; if you bike, hike, or kayak, there are these amazing places within an hour of your front door that are completely inaccessible by other, more conventional means of transportation. Heck, add the bus and a huge area of the lower Island opens up to you.
As for me, well, after getting home, I have to admit, the legs were pretty empty. Not the crippling pain of my Nelson ride a couple of years back, just empty and noticing that there wasn't a whole lot of energy left available to them. I'm really glad there was no crippling pain and missing out on that feeling that I was about to have a fatal heart attack, it's only good.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Pinarello
Well, here's what £7000 will buy you. This is the "limited edition 'Prince of Spain' Pinarello, named in honour of the cyclist Alejandro Valverde and decked out in Spanish national colours". That front chainring? 59 teeth. The front forks have a barley twist to them--just marketing according to its owner, Sir Alan Sugar. You can read the story of a ride in the Daily Mail.
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Monday, March 23, 2009
Hurtin' Unit
Yesterday (Saturday 21 mar) Paula and I met John and Richard at the ORS spring gear sale, and then I picked up my bike from the in-law's place and headed out for another ride. It's going to take a lot of rides between now and June to even be halfway ready (as well as quite a few trips to the gym for core strengthening). About 4 km into my ride, I pulled a John at about 35 kph.
I still don't know exactly what happened, but I was moving nicely past Reynolds School and then I was over the handlebars and sliding face first down the street, shedding speed and parts as I went.
Everything worked the way it was supposed to--my helmet took a shot (when I took it off I found some gravel embedded in the Styrofoam), my gloves shredded, avoiding serious damage to my hands, and so on. Interestingly, it was my left hand glove that shredded the worst, while it was my right hand that took the most damage (all my knuckles are skinned like I punched a grater, and the side of my hand has been seriously bruised).
And, of course, both elbows have significant road rash. The brand new (3 weeks old?) bike jacket is shredded and the zipper destroyed, but the on-sale and quite cheap jersey was left in perfect shape. So there wasn't even any dirt in my elbows.
I did head for the doctor' office immediately afterwards, as I have some quite significant pain in the right side of my neck where the muscles attach to the skull, but the doctor seemed quite unconcerned by it. The muscles over my collarbones are strained, and I appear to have really sprained the pectoral muscle on my right side, but overall, I faired way better than John did when he went over his handlebars.
The bike sustained almost no damage--some tearing to the left handgrip and I bent the crap out of my seat--mostly, I think, because the bike rode most of the stopping distance on my back rather than on the road.
I still don't know exactly what happened, but I was moving nicely past Reynolds School and then I was over the handlebars and sliding face first down the street, shedding speed and parts as I went.
Everything worked the way it was supposed to--my helmet took a shot (when I took it off I found some gravel embedded in the Styrofoam), my gloves shredded, avoiding serious damage to my hands, and so on. Interestingly, it was my left hand glove that shredded the worst, while it was my right hand that took the most damage (all my knuckles are skinned like I punched a grater, and the side of my hand has been seriously bruised).
And, of course, both elbows have significant road rash. The brand new (3 weeks old?) bike jacket is shredded and the zipper destroyed, but the on-sale and quite cheap jersey was left in perfect shape. So there wasn't even any dirt in my elbows.
I did head for the doctor' office immediately afterwards, as I have some quite significant pain in the right side of my neck where the muscles attach to the skull, but the doctor seemed quite unconcerned by it. The muscles over my collarbones are strained, and I appear to have really sprained the pectoral muscle on my right side, but overall, I faired way better than John did when he went over his handlebars.
The bike sustained almost no damage--some tearing to the left handgrip and I bent the crap out of my seat--mostly, I think, because the bike rode most of the stopping distance on my back rather than on the road.
Friday, December 05, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
He's Baaaa-aack!
Photo from The Guardian website
Read an interview with Lance Armstrong in The Guardian. And yes, a great deal of time is spent discussing the drug/doping issue.
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Thursday, September 04, 2008
Who Ya Gonna Call?
I was fully alert and conscious after I fell off my bike, the lone time I've ever had to call for an ambulance after being injured in an accident. (Mind you, my left arm was in four pieces.) But what if I'd landed on my head instead of my shoulder? What would happen if paramedics or other authorities were trying to contact my family and I was unable to respond?
Stephanie found this online. It's called Road ID, an engraved bracelet that can be personalized to contain your personal contact info, health insurance numbers, and even a personal motto if you like. They also offer an interactive version which directs emergency personnel to a website that can contain your medical history and contact info that you can keep updated.
Here's mine, newly arrived in the mail. (I've blurred out the numbers.) Inexpensive, it's another one of those pieces of biking/kayak gear that I hope I never need, but I'm glad I take along.
Stephanie found this online. It's called Road ID, an engraved bracelet that can be personalized to contain your personal contact info, health insurance numbers, and even a personal motto if you like. They also offer an interactive version which directs emergency personnel to a website that can contain your medical history and contact info that you can keep updated.
Here's mine, newly arrived in the mail. (I've blurred out the numbers.) Inexpensive, it's another one of those pieces of biking/kayak gear that I hope I never need, but I'm glad I take along.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
Three Wheelin' in the Summertime
Time to introduce you to a couple of pretty cool guys; Siniasa Grgic and Darrick Hahn. They are the proprietors of Fresh Entertainment out of Southern Ontario, but this summer they are doing something a bit different. this summer they are cycling across Canada on a couple of recumbent trikes to promote a progressive radio show on CJLY out of Nelson. B.C. called Deconstructing Dinner. DD is heard locally on CFUV radio, and if you're not listening to campus/community radio, you're really missing some great programming.
Anyway, Sinisa and Darrick started their tour of Canada out of Mile 0 here in Victoria on May 08, 2008 and have taken a southerly route across the country. Their blogsite is here with the first day report located here. And pictures here. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to be going 70 km/hr down the side of a mountain when you're about 150mm off the pavement, these guys can tell you!
Anyway, Sinisa and Darrick started their tour of Canada out of Mile 0 here in Victoria on May 08, 2008 and have taken a southerly route across the country. Their blogsite is here with the first day report located here. And pictures here. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to be going 70 km/hr down the side of a mountain when you're about 150mm off the pavement, these guys can tell you!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
John's Old Ride
John was a very conscientious rider -- when he bought a new bike, he gave the old one to Bernie. Great idea, that. Bernie knows how to do lots of things to fix up a bike, and the frame was about the right size. So, after thanking him, and getting his tools and cleaning supplies and so on, Bernie set about tinkering with the bike.
He took off part after part from John's old bike and his own old one. I came by and found bike bits everywhere on the lawn, neatly sorted. It's always a bit of a mystery for me to see how many parts a bicycle really has. I don't think of the bearings, eh? Or all the links of the chain.
It turns out John's old bike was REALLY worn out. Like really. As in You Can't Get There From Here. As in, the bearings were worn out, the pedals were worn out, everything was worn out, as in even the welds were cracked so the frame was no longer useable.
The upshot of the matter was, Bernie kept a pile of usable parts and took both bike frames and the worn-out parts to Recyclistas. That bike shop not only uses such things to service bikes, they make art from the stuff that's no longer serviceable.
Awesome to know that John WORE OUT a bike seven ways from Sunday. And now it'll be art.
He took off part after part from John's old bike and his own old one. I came by and found bike bits everywhere on the lawn, neatly sorted. It's always a bit of a mystery for me to see how many parts a bicycle really has. I don't think of the bearings, eh? Or all the links of the chain.
It turns out John's old bike was REALLY worn out. Like really. As in You Can't Get There From Here. As in, the bearings were worn out, the pedals were worn out, everything was worn out, as in even the welds were cracked so the frame was no longer useable.
The upshot of the matter was, Bernie kept a pile of usable parts and took both bike frames and the worn-out parts to Recyclistas. That bike shop not only uses such things to service bikes, they make art from the stuff that's no longer serviceable.
Awesome to know that John WORE OUT a bike seven ways from Sunday. And now it'll be art.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
My New Ride
Check it out, here's my new ride. My old bike was going to cost too much to tune up, so after 13 years it was time to retire it and look for something new.
I ended up with a Trek 24 speed hybrid. Disc brakes. It's a nice ride, although I think I'm going to change the factory seat for my old "cushy" seat.
I ended up with a Trek 24 speed hybrid. Disc brakes. It's a nice ride, although I think I'm going to change the factory seat for my old "cushy" seat.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
The Long Recovery - Week 52
A year ago on this day, I fell off my bike. I dislocated my left arm, fractured it in three places, broke another bone in my left shoulder, and suffered associated muscle and soft tissue damage. The next day, I had four hours of surgery as a plate and ten pins were inserted to repair my arm which was then re-located into the shoulder and held in place by a strip of muscle that was sown across the socket. Damaged muscle was also reattached. This was followed by five months of physiotherapy.
Today, the arm feels okay. It is not 100%, and likely never will be. However, it does what I need it to do. I can ride my bike, I can paddle my kayak. I remember sitting in Emergency, doped to the gills on morphine and looking down at my busted shoulder, resigned to the fact that I might never kayak again. I thought that that was a cruel move by fate to let me discover a new sport that I love, only to take it away from me.
Fortunately, that’s not the case. It doesn’t seem to hinder my kayaking at all. In fact, strength and mobility seems quite normal if I keep my arm below shoulder level. It is only when I lift it above shoulder level that mobility issues arise. I can’t lift it straight up over my head anymore. I can only get it to about 75 degrees. I can cheat it, of course, and twist my torso a bit so it looks like I can get full range, but I know I can’t actually achieve it. It doesn’t hurt or anything, it just simply stops and won’t rotate in that direction anymore. My strength has not yet returned to normal. Lifting heavy boxes over my head is an adventure.
Occasionally, I can go for a few hours and forget about it, but most days the shoulder consistently reminds me that it ain’t quite right anymore. It almost constantly feels tight. And it is. It doesn’t sit right in the socket the way it used to and the strip of muscle that was sown across pulls it in hard. If you look carefully, my left shoulder is slightly narrower than my right shoulder. One of the chronic conditions left behind is that I get some slight chafing in my left armpit because the arm is held in so tight. I have to remember to let the arm hang away from my side so the armpit can dry out.
My shoulder gets sore and gets stiff. The muscles, particularly the muscles at the front of my shoulder, are fighting a battle with the stronger muscles of my back. The front muscles, which have all been tightened due to the accident, want to pull my shoulder forward and in, a folded-in slouch in other words, while my back is trying to keep things straight and upright. The front muscles ache fairly regularly, not enough to be painful or debilitating, but enough to remind me that major trauma occurred here. The same is true of the stiffness, which is mostly like a dull background noise, a persistent irritant like a buzzing bee that remains just out of swatting range.
I shouldn’t complain considering that at this time last year my left arm was in four pieces. And I’m not. But sometimes I feel like an alcoholic who faces his recovery every day. I was hoping that after a year I wouldn’t be constantly reminded of my injury, but it looks not to be the case.
But time heals all wounds, and hopefully my shoulder and I still have plenty of time together.
Today, the arm feels okay. It is not 100%, and likely never will be. However, it does what I need it to do. I can ride my bike, I can paddle my kayak. I remember sitting in Emergency, doped to the gills on morphine and looking down at my busted shoulder, resigned to the fact that I might never kayak again. I thought that that was a cruel move by fate to let me discover a new sport that I love, only to take it away from me.
Fortunately, that’s not the case. It doesn’t seem to hinder my kayaking at all. In fact, strength and mobility seems quite normal if I keep my arm below shoulder level. It is only when I lift it above shoulder level that mobility issues arise. I can’t lift it straight up over my head anymore. I can only get it to about 75 degrees. I can cheat it, of course, and twist my torso a bit so it looks like I can get full range, but I know I can’t actually achieve it. It doesn’t hurt or anything, it just simply stops and won’t rotate in that direction anymore. My strength has not yet returned to normal. Lifting heavy boxes over my head is an adventure.
Occasionally, I can go for a few hours and forget about it, but most days the shoulder consistently reminds me that it ain’t quite right anymore. It almost constantly feels tight. And it is. It doesn’t sit right in the socket the way it used to and the strip of muscle that was sown across pulls it in hard. If you look carefully, my left shoulder is slightly narrower than my right shoulder. One of the chronic conditions left behind is that I get some slight chafing in my left armpit because the arm is held in so tight. I have to remember to let the arm hang away from my side so the armpit can dry out.
My shoulder gets sore and gets stiff. The muscles, particularly the muscles at the front of my shoulder, are fighting a battle with the stronger muscles of my back. The front muscles, which have all been tightened due to the accident, want to pull my shoulder forward and in, a folded-in slouch in other words, while my back is trying to keep things straight and upright. The front muscles ache fairly regularly, not enough to be painful or debilitating, but enough to remind me that major trauma occurred here. The same is true of the stiffness, which is mostly like a dull background noise, a persistent irritant like a buzzing bee that remains just out of swatting range.
I shouldn’t complain considering that at this time last year my left arm was in four pieces. And I’m not. But sometimes I feel like an alcoholic who faces his recovery every day. I was hoping that after a year I wouldn’t be constantly reminded of my injury, but it looks not to be the case.
But time heals all wounds, and hopefully my shoulder and I still have plenty of time together.
Crazed Stories out of Oz
For some great cycle stories, check out http://dangerousgirlinsafetytown.blogspot.com/ D-Girl's been hit by cars, documents the Melburn Massive Alley Cat, and generally has a great time in the antipodes. Faaabulous reading!
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