More than a year after I broke my collarbone, I re-inflated my tires, strapped on a new helmet, and went for a ride along the canal, past the locks beside Parliament, along the river, up Booth Street, along Dow’s Lake, and back home along the canal.
Cycling may carry the distinct risk of breaking your neck, but it beats paying $60 per month to exercise under constant social surveillance at a gym.
Author: Milan
In the spring of 2005, I graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in International Relations and a general focus in the area of environmental politics. Between 2005 and 2007 I completed an M.Phil in IR at Wadham College, Oxford. I worked for five years for the Canadian federal government, including completing the Accelerated Economist Training Program, and then completed a PhD in Political Science at the University of Toronto in 2023.
View all posts by Milan
I came across a stat recently that I thought you might find encouraging (or not) – that over the long term you are more likely to die from heart disease linked to weight gain from sitting in a car than you are from being hit by a car while riding your bike regularly.
Welcome back to bicycling!
I feel like I should prepare a living will, if I am going to cycle in Ottawa traffic. Last time, it was a pothole smashing my shoulder. Next time, it could be a car breaking my neck or crushing my brain.
I don’t want to end up severely brain damaged or paralyzed and not be able to express my wishes. It would be awful to be trapped for decades unable to perform basic bodily functions. It is something I should set down clear and legally binding wishes about, just in case.
I cycled too and from work today, incidentally.