Me and Bikes

I like biking to work each day. It takes me about 25 minutes each way, and I enjoy it, plus it has the added bonus of keeping me fit and healthy, and excercise makes you happy. Thanks endorphins. Trouble is, Hamilton doesn't seem to like me biking. About two weeks after I moved here, I got knocked off my bike at the roundabout nearby. I was going straight through, the dick in the car behind me was turning. End result, I'm sitting on the kerb going, WTF that was close. Of course, about six weeks later, on my way to work, last roundabout, 30 seconds to go. I'm in the roundabout going straight through, and I see this people mover coming at me. Wow, I think, she's going a bit fast, but no probs, I've got the right of way. Then I thought, Uh-oh, she isn't going to stop in time. Then I thought, ohhhh this is going to hurt ... I was right. It did hurt. She plowed into the side of me, spread ribs, bruising to the thigh, scrapes all along my elbow, complete with permanent scarring, and of course, busted bike. Her hubby fixed my bike, and a lot more cautious now, I kept on biking to work, feeling good about myself. Then I went to Palmy to visit family. I left my bike chained to the clothesline between the two buildings where I live. No prob I thought, been leaving it there ever since I moved here. Naturally when I returned from my holiday the bike was missing. Bummer. Good news though, my boss had an old bike sitting around and he loaned it to me. Nice I thought. I am back to exercising. Of course the one day I needed to be at work on time, when the auditor was here, I got a puncture and was late. Then a few days later I'm heading home. There's a blind corner, and I always try to jump on the curb to take it, as I feel safer that way. This time though, I meet a fellow cyclist coming the opposite way. I swerve right, she goes left, and we smack into each other. Buckled wheel, and I'm off the bike again. Had to replace the wheel today, jumped on for a quick spin around the block. Trouble with students is apparently, the cycle lane is where you smash your empty bottles. So now I am fixing another two holes in my tyre. I don't think Hamilton wants me cycling its streets. And the guy at the bike shop who sold me the new wheel said that apparently Hamilton has the worst record nationally for injuries to cyclists. Crap.