Isn't she a thing of beauty! She's a Pedego Comfort Cruiser.
I rode it about the street for a little while to get a feel for it and to figure out how the brakes, gears, pedal assist and throttle all worked. Then I decided it was time to take it on a proper outing and I needed to take some books back to library so on I hopped and headed out towards the main road and un the hill. The bike was awesome on the hill - not fast, but it was certainly manageable. I used to work at the top of a hill when I lived in Scotland and I always had to get off my bike and walk up the hill. Electric bikes make hills much more manageable. I got to the top of the hill feeling pretty pleased with myself and then splat, I tipped over just a few meters away from an occupied bus stop (how embarrassing!) I scratched my brake handle!
So I've been riding about 300km a week and I was starting to feel pretty comfortable with everything - maybe even a bit blasé? Anyway, last week as I was zooming downhill on the bike path when I had to brake and next thing I was skidding off the bike path and tumbling over the lovely landscaping! I do remember giving a girlish scream and seeing my feet and the blue sky at the same time! I quickly but shakily got to my feet and tried to brush off as much of the bits of bark and plants that had attached to my skirt and cardigan. My right shoe was shredded and I was bleeding from my hands, knees and the back of my legs. I rode to the end of the bike path before I had to stop to adjust my brake handle as it had moved during my crash. My heel started to hurt a lot and I couldn't put any weight on it at all. I have no idea how I managed to get through a yoga class! It wasn't until about 10 or 12 hours after the crash that my neck started to really hurt. I went to the doctor and I got heaps of painkillers, a foot x-ray and physiotherapy referral for whiplash.
Since then I've still been riding my bike most days but my confidence has taken a bit a knock. I'm more nervous of going fast downhill and I don't really trust my bike when braking. I'm covered in bruises, some big and some small and I have lots of little scratches on my hands and legs. My neck is starting to feel better and I'm getting physio for that and my heel is starting to feel better. The x-ray didn't show any fracture or anything and I'm able to put a bit more weight on it now - which is good because I've still been running a mile a day as part of the #mileaday and #runeveryday challenges and it's not easy to to do on your mid foot and toes. Needless to say I've been getting shin splints and calf complaints as a result. Ha! I'm my own worst enemy!
But I'm still enjoying my bike, especially when its warm and sunny outside. I think I need to be my new bike glasses.
