macular degeneration, macular, diagnosis Beautiful Day for a Bike Ride – My Macular Degeneration Journey/Journal

Beautiful Day for a Bike Ride

Today was a beautiful day to go for a bike ride. It was around 65 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny. My husband dropped me off on the other side of those two, pesky, main roads I would need to cross and I toddled around town. Never traveling much more than nine miles an hour, I rode through some sections of town I had not seen in two years. Stopped at the convenience market for an ice cream cup and diet Pepsi and got myself home. Nice and singularly uneventful.

I keep looking for online posts on cycling and keep finding next to nothing. If you want to cycle in tandem – and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that – you can find all sorts of tips. If you want to become a Paralympian, there are posts about that.

There just does not appear to be a cursed thing on slightly aged, recreational cyclists who want to feel the sunshine on their faces, the breeze in their hair, get a little exercise and be masters of their own destiny for an hour or so.

When I say masters of their own destinies I might be being a little melodramatic. However, being able to decide which road you want to go down, how long you want to ride and where you want to stop is delightful! Since I have not been driving, those decisions have been taken away from me. At least riding my bike I can get a little taste of those freedoms back.

This was a grand total of three times I have been cycling this season. I have about 25 miles under my belt. Bluntly put, I don’t have enough experience to offer any recommendations or opinions. I know nothing.

The fact that I am still alive to write this does, however, means it is possible. I can tell you what I did and you can make your own decisions. I will not be held responsible for your death or injuries. Use good judgment.

I started in a close, controlled area. I was first riding in a large parking lot after hours. It was there I realized I could look at the horizon and then see what was directly in front of me. I could also see a number of yards ahead of me. Going only 7 or 8 miles an hour, I was not going to run into anything.

There are a couple of alleys I can go down to get to the Rails-to-Trails path. I have been avoiding the main drags and riding on them as little as possible. Crossing the main road I am now crossing only at the lights. Once I knew I could see things that may be directly in front of me, I scooted down the alley and rode on the rails-to-trails. No motorized vehicles are allowed on those.

Today I rode in some neighborhoods in town. The speed limits are 25 mph on the roads I was on. It was midday and traffic was light. Just the same, I tried to remain very aware of the sights and sounds of traffic movement.

So far so good. Remember this is me, my vision, my town. You with your vision and your town may not be able to go cycling. But then again, maybe you could. It was a beautiful day to go for a bike ride.

written April 17th, 2017

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