Little update of my own

[7rider]

Hmmm where to start.....

This update has several pieces:

This comes from prewreck thinking: I was looking at the Madone. It was around $2,500. And I asked on another biking forum about it. A young snobbish cyclist replied that I couldn't have a bike that cost more than my accumulated total of miles ridden so far.

Good grief. That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.
Well, if that's the criteria, than I'll NEVER get that new Seven, because if I hit 2500 miles this year (split between 3 bikes, mind you), that would be a personal best for me. No way. Ride what you like, what you can afford, and what suits the purpose for which you bought it.

Since then I have worked with some of his friends to have some Share the Road signs put up. We had three signs put up at the accident site and are working to have 100 more in the area.


And back to the present.....I still don't feel as strong as I did prior to the wreck but I think that I'm getting there. I still have some rib pain and some shortness of breath. I ride differently now, very cautious, probably unnecessarily so, but I ride in a different comfort zone than others. I've seen things and experienced things that others haven't.

But I feel good! And I love to ride. And I'm so happy that Mr. and Silverson are riding too. Life is good!!!

Congratulations on your progress - on all fronts!!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I often ponder on how far you have come since your awful accident, and I remember your posts when your riding companion was killed that day- you were in shock. I also marvel at how Mr. Silver has started cycling and how both of you ( and now 3 with son) are packing on the mileage and becoming such a healthy family that does things together. It's all such a huge inspiration to all of us on the forum.
Keep riding, and keep safe!!

[lauraelmore1033]

Wow! So many inspiring stories here on TE. You and your hubby are both heros to me. I would say that you are more than entitled to your beautiful bike. In any case, leadership which results in safer roads for all cyclists should carry much more "weight" than simply logging in the miles.

Gee, by the mileage/dollar ratio theory, I'm entitled to a new bike! My Raleigh only cost $500 and I've logged more than 1300 miles on it--and have literally ridden the wheels off of it! (I've had to have the back wheel rebuilt). I'll see if I can't appropriate that little bit of dogma and turn it to my favor

[silver]

Oh, Ladies, I didn't expect this response and reading your replies made me cry. Happy tears!!!!

Thank you all so much for the support that you all have given both of us.

southernbelle: I was told that I'd likely always feel twinges from the bones breaks, possibly only when the weather changed but would feel the breaks from time to time for up to two years. That's OK, I can certainly tolerate this. Just very glad that it doesn't still feel like it did at first! I'm sure you can relate.

Regarding the "earn your bike with miles" challange: I certainly don't believe that you need to do that. And it's comments like that that is the reason that I don't go to that forum again (sorry grammar police, I couldn't think of a better way to say that). But I guess I did accept the challange in a sort of "well, I'll show you that I'm worthy of the bike!" way. And of cause if we can use it to our advantage to justify a new bike then we should go for it!

Thanks all!!!!!!!

[RoadRaven]

Its so wonderful that the crash did not deter you from hopping back a bike... well, onto your new madone...)

And to hear your progress and thoughts from you is super...

Bodies heal, and yours is doing well and am pleased that it is starting to feel almost 'normal' and relatively painfree... well - reduced pain anyways.

I totally understand about being more cautious and riding differently, but this is a good thing. Your silver-tinged family would be at a loss without you, and your experience will have given SilverSon some insight he may not otherwise have had and awareness that crashes do happen and the potential longterm consequences of that.

The best bit of your update???


But I feel good! And I love to ride. And I'm so happy that Mr. and Silverson are riding too. Life is good!!!

[Crankin]

People who tell you that you "can't" ride a certain kind of bike for that kind of reason are just dumb (well, i want to use another word, but can't). I am sure that some think that I don't deserve my Kuota, being a 53 year old fitness rider. I will never be a racer, but, you know what, who cares? My LBS also deals with a lot of serious racers and roadies and they are always nice to me. Maybe it's because I spent good $ on the bike, but we don't really buy much else there because my husband does all of the mechanical stuff and we get most other stuff on line. Today i met a friend for lunch and locked my 10 year old Voodoo Hoodoo up in front of the shop. One of the employees, a younger woman, came out and was "oohing" over the way I had fixed up this bike. She then asked me if i had just had a birthday. I said no, but then I realized she remembered that someone had come in a bought a gift card for someone named Robyn, but he didn't know the last name (it was one of my colleague's husband). He was picking it up, as my students had collected money for this as a retirement gift. She figured out it was for me and put it under my account.
You've done the same amount of miles that I did all of last year and most people can't even fathom how someone could ride a bike 3,000 miles!

[jobob]

You done good, silver.

It's funny, when I first joined this forum, I had a hybrid bike which, while it was fine, I thought it would be nice to have a road bike.

In one of my first posts here, I mentioned that I was planning on doing the Cinderella metric century in a few months time with my hybrid, after which I would get the road bike. My logic was, if I could do the metric century, then I would "deserve" a road bike (my words).

The ladies on the forum disabused me of that silly notion mighty quickly. I had my first road bike a couple of weeks later.

[ladyicon]

Silver, your post brought tears to my eyes. You have been through soooo much that you more than deserve that new Madone. You have given me so much inspiration with that one post. Thanks.

[indysteel]

Silver, thank you for sharing that with us. I'm rather choked up--by your own story and Sam's. I'm so glad you're back on your bike and that your family is right there with you. Good for all of you.

Congratulations on your mileage for the year. What an accomplishment!!!! Ride that Madone with pride! You've earned it in any number of ways.

Kate