I got into a fight with a bush. The bush won.
I ventured out yesterday to find a cafe for some quiet writing time and ended up walking around Vancouver for nine odd hours because I didn’t feel like heading back yet (it was a very Forrest Gump moment). I passed several cyclists along my route from Downtown to Davie, around English Bay and Stanley Park, through Chinatown and sketchy East Hastings, past Broadway and the Drive, and all the way along Kingsway to Metrotown. When I finally arrived home at around 10:30pm, I thought “this would’ve been a lot faster on a bike.”
Today I took out the old beater, inflated the tires, and set off for a nice easy ride through the park. *sigh* The saying “it’s as easy as riding a bike” has always irked me. A good friend of mine taught me how to ride a bike when I was 17 but I haven’t ridden one since.
Learning as an adult is very embarrassing. While the “I think there’s something wrong with your bike” comments are sweet, I can only honestly reply with “no, it’s not the bike. It’s me.” Despite going a pathetic 5km / hour with brakes ready at both hands I managed to land in a ditch and then a thorny bush. I know it’s just like when I first learned to drive a car — practice makes perfect and eventually the fear will go away. Still, it’s not exactly a self-esteem booster to come home with arms and legs covered in cuts, a bloody tissue in hand, and a twig still stuck in your shoe. It’s going to be a painful summer…
The moral of the story: For the love of all things good, please teach your kids how to ride a bike while they’re still kids!!
Looks like your gonna need a lot of bandages. =(
Ouch! I scored a big graze on my leg today as well — and I was only walking!
Bike riding is easier if you go a little faster — it makes it easier to keep your balance. Maybe you should have some more lessons? It can help!
It seems counter-intuitive to go faster in order to avoid greater injury. But since you’re the second person to suggest it, maybe I should go fast before I learn to go slow…
The thorny bush encounter was along a narrow path where I had to stop because there were people ahead. It was the stop that got me.
How did you manage to scratch your leg whilst walking??
Ouch! Going faster will make it easier. You won’t be so wobly. It’ll just take some time to get over the fear of going faster, just remember you can always slow down and put your feet down.