I did it.
I
learned to ride a bike…thank you thank you. You’re far too kind, please take
your seats – what? Roses? For me? This is all too much to handle at one time. I
mean this was really a labour of love, something I’ve been working at for 20
years now. So to finally see it come to fruition and be greeted with such a
warm response is a little overwhelming.
Now
that I’ve ‘mastered’ the art of cycling I look back and wonder what A) took me
so long and secondly what all the fuss was about? I spent maybe an hour or so
practicing in an alley before feeling ready to hit the streets – well the side
streets, I don’t know why anyone would dare try riding in traffic. I really
don’t know if this is a lot of time or very little when compared to the average
learning time. Although I’m also not sure there is an average learning time for
27-year old adults.
Having
skipped the whole classic childhood memory thing of first getting your balance
and taking off down the street I don’t know how my experience stacks up, but I
can say for sure there was more cursing. I have to give many thanks to my
teacher Pietra for her kindness and patience. There is no doubt in my mind that
holding on to the seat of a person who outweighs you by 100 pounds is much more
difficult than steering a child.
But her efforts
were not without reward albeit not the same as that parental pride at seeing
your child learn and grow or whatever schlock parents feel. I like to think I
provided a serious level of amusement. There has to be an entertainment value
in seeing a longhaired lout violently swivel his hips in some misguided over
compensatory attempt at keeping his balance. I also believe that amusement was
provided for any of the residents living in the houses bordering my learning
alley.
With my newfound
skill acquired the day of my promised public ride had arrived. Although I was
able to ride I realized that my goal of riding along the Seawall was a bad
idea. I am able to stay up but the steadiness of my riding leaves something to
be desired and I figured the Seawall would be awash in too many other bodies.
So I decided to take my ride along the beach path at Jericho.
Unfortunately
the weather did not cooperate with my intended goal. The rain was pretty heavy
on my birthday limiting my public debut and when I say public I mean Pietra and
Waterman. I still managed to go for a short jaunt and I must say it was
awesome. Cruising along the path with the rain falling on my shoulders from
above and the ocean and mountains to my right I couldn’t believe how civilized
a pastime this cycling thing is.
Now,
the trick will be to not become one of the very individuals I called out in my
earlier bike riding post. That is to say now that I have this skill I cannot
let it go to waste and I have no intention to. I admit it - riding a bike is
really fun. It helps that I chose the beginning of spring to learn this new
craft. With the weather supposedly getting better I will now be oft presented
with a chance to head out and ride.
I’m not sure how
often I will ride and I’m pretty sure I’m still a long ways away from using it
as my chief mode of transportation for any of the cross town trips I have to
make (for me the automobile is still the best way to get around). But the prospect
of taking some sunny summer leisure rides has me quite enthused. I will finish
up by yet again calling on those who learned how to ride long ago, but have
shelved that skill for years. Get out and ride.
Next up –
skating.
