More Reflections on Biking

I first learned to ride a bike when I was, I think, about nine years old. At the time I felt like most kids learned at a much younger age, but now nine seems so young! I was very afraid to ride my bike because I didn't want to fall off. Even the training wheels frightened me because the bike would tip a little before one of the training wheels would catch and in that half an inch my stomach would do flip flops. I finally learned with the training wheels off by coasting down the driveway, feet off the pedals and prepared to catch me, and one hand on the side of the car. Like so many things I had to learn my own way and in my own time.

But once I had mastered the basics, I quickly became fearless. The bike I learned on had been purchased for me when I was much younger, and consequently was too small. Rather than being hindered by this, I called it a clown bike and proceeded to do stunts on it. While coasting down a very large hill in the neighborhood I would stand on the seat.

I did soon desire a bike I could really ride and pulled my mother's street bike out of the cobwebs. This bike, in contrast to mine, was much too big for me. I wrapped bubble wrap and towels around the middle of the frame and sat there. Once I got going I could stand on the pedals to sit in the proper seat. I had to plan my stops so I could lower myself back onto the frame before my feet needed to be on the ground.

I did finally get a fifteen speed bike that was my size, but the stunts certainly didn't end. I remember one time some of the neighborhood children had discovered that if you stopped quickly, your tire would leave rubber on the road. If you stopped quickly and maneuvered correctly, you could use your rubber marks to write letters. I told the boys to write an "o," somehow knowing that slamming on the breaks while making a sharp turn would make them fall over.

As I got older I didn't ride as much. Our neighborhood was hardly big enough to warrant a fifteen speed bike and I didn't have anywhere else to ride. But my senior year of high school I was on a moon buggy team. We built a moon buggy to compete in the race in Huntsville. Since our moon buggy was pedal powered and I was to be a driver in one of the rounds, I had to dust off the old bike for practice. What a shock to find how quickly you get out of shape once you stop biking!

And relearning how to bike at 24 has certainly been a shocking and humbling experience. My muscles don't seem to be getting sore with the promise of getting stronger, they seem to just be saying "NO!" My "bum" (as the British would say) strongly objects to the hard seat, the bumpy roads, and the lack of shock absorbers. Riding a bike to get places instead of for fun means that sometimes you can't actually ride (like over the walking bridge), and I am very bad at walking the bike. My right ankle has the bruises and gauges to prove it.

But, having the bike means more freedom for me. Today I rode to the city center by myself, bought a new set of sheets for the bed, and rode back. It didn't take hours (it's a 40 minute walk). And I didn't have to carry back my purchase by hand.

Now I just need to master round-abouts.