Welcome! I’m Jane. Pi-cycles is where you’ll find my thoughts on cycling, mainly road cycling in Berlin, and living with Type 1 Diabetes. Plus bonus sprinklings of my better half, Nadja, and our British Shorthair cat called Pi.
Me
I came to Berlin in 2011 from the UK, via 20 years on Malta, after meeting Nadja (more about her below). I originally identified as a footballer but after buying a mountain bike in Malta and really getting into the cycling life in Berlin, I’d say I’m a cyclist now. I love exploring new roads, longer distances and pushing myself as hard as I can.
Wife
My wife, Nadja, and I met in 2011 on Malta and pretty soon after I moved to Berlin. Our relationship has been recognised twice by the German government – first as a civil union in 2015 and a marriage upgrade in 2017. Nadja is incredibly supportive and she has a lot to put up with – living with a cycling enthusiast with Type 1 Diabetes is not easy! She does not identify as a cyclist but is often found on a bicycle, and being a true Berliner, complains at the sight of any incline.
Pi
Pi is our British Shorthair cat. He’s named after the number and doesn’t like cycling because it means we spend less time with him. He loves to join us on road trips and is at his cuddliest when I’m driving.
Warning: He’ll willingly show you his tummy but will attack the second you take the bait.
Tim
Tim is the latest addition to the family. Our neighbours couldn’t take him to their new flat and so we have successfully integrated him into the family. He may look younger than Pi but he is actually 6 months older! Tim and Pi love chasing each other around our flat and both agree that we don’t feed them enough.
Non-Warning: He loves tummy cuddles.
Bicycles
We have five bicycles between us. All are necessary. Obviously.
- Bolt My Rose Xeon RS road bike. Needed for serious road cycling: events, long distances, climbs, etc.
- Flash Nadja’s Cube Cross Race Pro. Nadja needs a road bike for outdoor events. I use it for the occasional ride too.
- Earp My Fixie Inc Peacemaker. My fixed gear ride, used for everyday rides around Berlin.
- Severus My Bulls Copperhead MTB. A hard-tail MTB, great for riding through the forests.
- Bonnie Nadja’s Bonvelo. Her single speed daily commuter and city bike.
Type 1 Diabetes
I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) in 2014 at the age of 33. I used to manage my T1D with multiple daily injections, where I injected fast-acting (or bolus) insulin for meals and corrected high blood glucose (BG) and slower-acting (or basal) insulin to set my blood glucose management baseline. Since May 2022, I switched to an Accu-Chek Insight pump which continuously delivers fast acting insulin.
I monitor my BG with a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) which gives BG readings straight to my phone every five minutes. The pump and CGM are connected using the DBLG1 system which also includes an algorithm to automatically inject insulin using the pump based on my BG reading from the CGM.
Living with T1D is a 24-hour business, it hugely impacts my cycling and my cycling has a huge impact on my BG management.