Doof

Wow. I got the rare opportunity to leave work early today, while it was still daylight so I headed home riding along my ‘summer’ routé taking in the City Circle path anticlockwise upstream from the Yarra, to the Merri Creek path, then across heading west past the zoo to home in Fleming-town.

But I didn’t get too far.

Just north of the South Eastern expressway, concluding a nature break had me remounting & traversing parkland to rejoin the path, my front wheel of the Jamis Exile found a MTB wheel sized hole that catapulted me straight over the ‘bars & onto my back [pack]. Somehow I smashed my saddle distorting the saddle rails against the seatpost clamp at a 30deress angle sloping to the right hand side.
I didn’t hurt myself, wearing so many layers as we do this time of year & perfecting the stuntman roll in primary school, just saw me take the doof through my backpack. Right elbow stings a bit though.
Mightily peeved about the destruction of my much loved saddle which has out lived two other of my commuter bikes.
I didn’t complete the intended route & jumped on the madness of the roads to take me straight to home the quickest way.
Sure it was then peak hour, but I still don’t know how sane cycle-commuting through this sort of heavily trafficked roads can be for those who do it. Perhaps it was my moment earlier but to me it seemed that the motor traffic was darting about in unexpected ways & kind of closing out a lot passing opportunities for me as they sat in the gridlock. Even with marked cycle lanes I was detouring to the right of some cars to make my way through.

I have a spare saddle, the Fizik Gobi I bought last year, but I remember it being a little firm in in the wrong places.
Don’t get me wrong, I love those madly thin saddles with apparently hardly any padding, as it’s amazing the comfort a correctly shaped firm saddle can be. Oh well, at least I have the option of the Gobi.

Reminds me that the drivetrain on the Jamis Exile is screaming for a replacment, I can lift the chain clear of over half a tooth on the single speed's chainwheel. But time, I wish I could purchase some time, some spanner time. Taking it to a shop is off the agenda. I can't afford to be dissapointed twice again.