Well it’s now been almost 5 months since my wrist fusion surgery. Today was the first time I’ve actually sat down and pondered just how long it’s been since that day in June when I went under the knife to repair my destroyed right hand. I honestly thought I’d be back on the bike within 3 weeks doing easy training rides. I was very wrong - it was 3 months until I tentatively got back on the bicycle to go for a wobble around the local bikeways.
Since making those first pedals back on the velo a couple of months ago, I’ve managed to gradually re-learn how to ride a bicycle with the new wrist, to the point where over the weekend I managed to get out for a ride on the southern section of the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail. That ride will be the subject of another post soon, the focus of this post is how I’ve spent those weird months where riding a bicycle wasn’t an option...
For the first few weeks following my surgery, I wasn’t up to much. My days basically involved lying in bed, taking extreme painkillers and listening to Depeche Mode and Elton John (separately, unless there’s some duet out there I don’t know about) on my MP3 player. After that I began reading the few cycle touring books I have, and giving all my old cycling magazines another look. After about a month I felt up to a bit of light computing, so it was time to trawl the internet looking for adventure touring sites in an effort to keep my spirits up and set some touring goals for my eventual return to cycling.
After searching through the usual favourites I happened across the Inspiring Riding website, by a bunch of cycle adventurers based in New Zealand (aka my most favouritest nation in the whole wide cosmos). This site struck a chord with me, as I was laying around equally excited and fearful about getting back on the bike for a new adventure. The aim of the Inspiring Riding site is simple - to inspire people to get out on a bicycle adventure - whether it be a ride to a new suburb or a ride across a new country. For me the site really captured the spirit of adventure that I was desperately trying to reconnect with.
As I loafed around for the next few weeks doing my endless rehabilitation exercises and hoping for the day when I’d be able to go near a bike again, I received an email from the team at Inspiring Riding. They are producing a magazine!!!
The Inspiring Riding website says a lot more about it than I ever could, other than to say this looks like a publication that is VERY much on the same page as I am. It isn’t about having the best bike or crunching the most miles or riding the most technical terrain - it’s just about getting on a bike and going somewhere. The spirit of bicycle adventure really is that simple...
Journey is a quarterly cycle touring magazine that looks to be very different to other cycling and adventure magazines - a journal that has the single goal to inspire people to get out on a bicycle adventure. Something that I think the team at Inspiring Riding do so well is really communicate the essence of why I, and no doubt many others, choose adventure touring and cycling as a lifestyle. To sweeten the deal for me, Journey will contain a lot of stories about getting out in the New Zealand countryside on a bike, as well as bicycle adventure stories from around the world. So obviously I am well pumped at the prospect of getting my hands on the first issue.
To get the Journey project off the ground, the team at Inspiring Riding are offering subscriptions and a bunch of other rewards for early subscribers and supporters. The funds will be used for printing, paper and production costs that will not only provide for a boutique standard journal publication, but will also reduce the need to include intrusive advertising - keeping it all about the adventure and not about the latest equipment.
The Inspiring Riding website and the prospect of the forthcoming Journey magazine has really kept me focused, motivated and inspired for adventure over the past few months, and I wholeheartedly endorse and support the project. I sincerely recommend you check out the Journey supporters and subscription page, and consider getting involved with this startup publication by cycle adventurers, for cycle adventurers. And be sure to check out the video on the supporters page - it was watching those guys sum up the reasons we ride that made me get off my sorry convalescing arse and get back out on the road!
Since making those first pedals back on the velo a couple of months ago, I’ve managed to gradually re-learn how to ride a bicycle with the new wrist, to the point where over the weekend I managed to get out for a ride on the southern section of the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail. That ride will be the subject of another post soon, the focus of this post is how I’ve spent those weird months where riding a bicycle wasn’t an option...
For the first few weeks following my surgery, I wasn’t up to much. My days basically involved lying in bed, taking extreme painkillers and listening to Depeche Mode and Elton John (separately, unless there’s some duet out there I don’t know about) on my MP3 player. After that I began reading the few cycle touring books I have, and giving all my old cycling magazines another look. After about a month I felt up to a bit of light computing, so it was time to trawl the internet looking for adventure touring sites in an effort to keep my spirits up and set some touring goals for my eventual return to cycling.
After searching through the usual favourites I happened across the Inspiring Riding website, by a bunch of cycle adventurers based in New Zealand (aka my most favouritest nation in the whole wide cosmos). This site struck a chord with me, as I was laying around equally excited and fearful about getting back on the bike for a new adventure. The aim of the Inspiring Riding site is simple - to inspire people to get out on a bicycle adventure - whether it be a ride to a new suburb or a ride across a new country. For me the site really captured the spirit of adventure that I was desperately trying to reconnect with.
As I loafed around for the next few weeks doing my endless rehabilitation exercises and hoping for the day when I’d be able to go near a bike again, I received an email from the team at Inspiring Riding. They are producing a magazine!!!
The Inspiring Riding website says a lot more about it than I ever could, other than to say this looks like a publication that is VERY much on the same page as I am. It isn’t about having the best bike or crunching the most miles or riding the most technical terrain - it’s just about getting on a bike and going somewhere. The spirit of bicycle adventure really is that simple...
Journey is a quarterly cycle touring magazine that looks to be very different to other cycling and adventure magazines - a journal that has the single goal to inspire people to get out on a bicycle adventure. Something that I think the team at Inspiring Riding do so well is really communicate the essence of why I, and no doubt many others, choose adventure touring and cycling as a lifestyle. To sweeten the deal for me, Journey will contain a lot of stories about getting out in the New Zealand countryside on a bike, as well as bicycle adventure stories from around the world. So obviously I am well pumped at the prospect of getting my hands on the first issue.
To get the Journey project off the ground, the team at Inspiring Riding are offering subscriptions and a bunch of other rewards for early subscribers and supporters. The funds will be used for printing, paper and production costs that will not only provide for a boutique standard journal publication, but will also reduce the need to include intrusive advertising - keeping it all about the adventure and not about the latest equipment.
The Inspiring Riding website and the prospect of the forthcoming Journey magazine has really kept me focused, motivated and inspired for adventure over the past few months, and I wholeheartedly endorse and support the project. I sincerely recommend you check out the Journey supporters and subscription page, and consider getting involved with this startup publication by cycle adventurers, for cycle adventurers. And be sure to check out the video on the supporters page - it was watching those guys sum up the reasons we ride that made me get off my sorry convalescing arse and get back out on the road!
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