Originally Posted by
kensuf
It's exactly 365 days since I went for a ride. The last two times I was run off the road by cars, the last one shook me up enough that I haven't gotten back on it. I was cruising on a road that had absolutely zero traffic and was wide open with visibility for miles, she came up slowly next to me, then cut right in front of me to turn into her house.
I've been running a fair bit lately. 8 miles on Monday, 5 miles Tuesday, 5 miles last night with sprints worked in. I'd like to get back on the bike, but my wife's also worried about the car thing.
I feel you. As weather starts to get nice again, I start thinking about heading back outside with the sunlight and the fresh air. Heck, I just bought a new helmet. Then, I think about how stupid it was that I got hit in May 2021 (stopped at a light, the lady stopped behind me suddenly decided the light had changed when it hadn't and ran into me and I got a short ride on her hood at probably not more than 15-20 mph at the absolute most). That low speed collision messed my back up and wrecked my bike (still dealing with insurance). Thinking about what might happen at moving speeds on the empty, hilly, curvy roads I like to ride (no one to see me for a while if the driver leaves), and heading back down to the basement to get on Zwift seems pretty damned appealing every time.
Haven't ridden outside other than a couple MUP rides with the family, a few rides in the subdivision with them, and a couple shakedown rides up and down my street when I was building up my new bike (that promptly got put on the trainer).
13-14 years ago, I was walking home from work and walked past the aftermath of a fatal bike/bus collision (and walked passed the ghost bike every day for the next year+ until we moved), and somehow I was easily able to convince myself it couldn't happen to me, but, now, I don't know. I miss it, but...
I don't exactly feel afraid of heading out onto the road, but the excuses of why the trainer is a better choice keep coming easier and easier.