Thursday 5 February 2015

My cycling journey

I have always fancied at how people can ride a bicycle. I wondered about how they could balance themselves on those two wheels, not even wider than two inches. When I was a kid there was this one time when I was forced onto a bicycle by my friends and I fell almost six meters below the road. Thankfully none of my bones broke though I had cuts all over my face, hands and legs. I had to hide behind the door, when my father returned from office, from the fear that he may scold me for trying something I wasn't good at and getting hurt. But now I don't remember if he scolded me or not but he sure nursed my wounds. Even till this day my brothers remembers that incident and laugh. They still recall how my face looked like.
Ever since, I have never even tried to learn how to ride a bicycle let alone ride one. And when I joined college, I saw that many people here were using a bicycle as their means of transportation and almost everyone in my college knew how to ride one and that's when I felt the urge to learn to ride a bicycle.The first time I started to learn how to ride a bicycle, I had bruises on my elbows and knees, I forgot to pedal sometimes and sometimes I forgot to turn the handle on the right direction because I was too nervous and scared. And each time I fell down I would get a new bruise.
After several days I learned to balance on it and did not forget to pedal nor turn the handle. I would ride it in the campus to make sure I can balance well. A few days later, I was cycling on the highway with my friends and the experience was thrilling. By the way, I almost gave a guy a lift on the front wheel on that day. Since then I have learned how to side away from the people walking on the road. The big trucks and buses had me trembling and every time one of those passed by, I stopped.
After a few days of cycling on the highway gave me confidence. So every time I got a chance, I went cycling with my friends. But I never learned to make a U-turn or cross a road, even to this day. I am too scared to turn around, so I get down and push the bicycle to it turn back.
It's now been almost two years since I last rode a bicycle. I have been planning on going for cycling since the starting of the semester but one or the other thing held me back. Finally yesterday I found a reason to go cycling. I wondered if I can balance on that thing again. 'Can I still balance on it?', I asked myself. 'Not confident, may be I can', I replied to myself. So I planned to not go out of the campus if I can't balance well.
When I rode it, I went in a zig zag for a few meters and almost hit a few of those people on the way but I was glad I could still ride on it. When I reached the main gate of my campus, my hands and legs were trembling. I was not so confident if I could ride it on the highway. I however made my attempt and cycled about six kilometers. When I went ahead of my friends I felt like I am going to lose balance and fall down and when I remained behind I felt like I am going to crash into them but thankfully, nothing of the sort happened.
I was sweating when I reached back in the campus. My legs and hands were still trembling. At the same time I was happy that I can still balance on a bicycle. Got to go cycling more frequently, so that I don't have to have those bruises all over again. :)


11 comments:

  1. Keep up your spirit! After a while you will be Ok! Practice makes perfect! ;)

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    1. I will do that mam. Thank you for the encouragement. :)

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  2. When I was in high school I also attempted riding it but to fall few meters below a road. I was almost hospitalized but luckily I recovered in week. Since then I have developed a fear for and never touched one ever since. In college, when all my class boys went till paro for cycling race, I was odd one out. They even made fun of me. But I didn't have choice. My fear for it is still fresh. I don't know when I can overcome that fear and realize joy in cycling like you Sherub. I feel jealous of you. Keep cycling and having fun. Takecare!

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    1. Looks like we have the same experience of our first bicycle rides. But yours was more fatal . I recovered from the shock eventually and I hope you recover from yours as well. I hope to read a post in your blog of you overcoming that fear. :)

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  3. Even I can balance well after seven years of break in cycling~ Its good to learn cycling.. Keep it up Jii. You did it~

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    1. Yes, I did it! and you did it too! cycling is fun as long as you don't fall :P . Happy cycling to you too. :)

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  4. nice!.... I learned cycling during college days and now i am into biking!..:)

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    1. College days taught us cycling apart from just our course. Hi-Five! And happy biking, take care :)

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  5. Hi Sherub Keep moving forward until you catch the northern star.

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    1. Thank you, Norbu. I will make sure I don't give up on it. :)

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