Since we didn't have a bicycle, I never had hope of riding one or even sitting on it. However, during one August break, we traveled to the village, and my dad's eldest sister had an old bicycle.
This bicycle had no brakes or chain cover, but it could take you anywhere, just like any other bicycle. It was the first thing that caught my attention when I arrived there.
My first ride with my Uncle didn't end well. He was sent on an errand, and I stealthily tagged along. I pleaded with him to let me ride on the bicycle, and he joyfully agreed.
"Stretch your legs well and hold onto my waist tightly," he told me, and I nodded.
But after a few minutes, I got carried away by the cool breeze brushing past us, and before I knew it, my heels got caught in the spokes.
The injury wasn't severe, but it was painful enough for everyone at home to notice my limping. In the end, my mom Uncle got scolded, even though I was the one who pleaded with him to let me ride.
The injury didn't scare me, though. A few days later, I gave riding a bicycle another try. I kept trying so much that my cousin got tired of teaching me, and we shifted it to another day.
The impression I had of a bicycle before actually learning to ride one was that it's fun, simple, and adventurous. And indeed, it is fun and adventurous, but is it really that simple to ride? Hmm.
After some days, I decided to give cycling another shot, this time with my Uncle as my tutor. I absolutely loved the way he taught me, taking it step by step.
”First, climb onto the pedals and look straight ahead while trying to pedal”
"Don't focus on your legs! Keep your eyes on where you're going!" he would shout whenever I veered off into the bushes.
I found it quite challenging to pedal and control the direction at the same time. My main focus was always on the pedals, it wasn’t easy figuring out how to coordinate my leg movements to keep the bicycle moving. I would lean my body to the right while pedaling with my left leg, and vice versa.
One thing that made the learning process a bit tiring was that I wasn't tall enough to sit on the seat, so I had to stand the whole time. My uncle would support me by pushing the bicycle, and I would pedal every ten seconds, constantly checking both my legs and the direction.
Since the bicycle had no brakes, my uncle had to drag it to a stop. Later on, I started dragging my legs on the ground to act as brakes. I ended up with a few scratches, but nothing serious until I mastered the whole process.
All of this happened without our parents' knowledge, so when I excitedly told them I could ride a bicycle without any help, they didn't believe me. I had to ride it in front of them to prove it. They were amazed at how quickly I had learned something that took them weeks.
I was happy they didn't witness my struggles with the bicycle. It made me realize that in life, our successes should speak for our efforts in the end.
Their compliments boosted my confidence, and I continued to cycle more and more. I even tried carrying loads while riding!
It's been a while since I last cycled, but I'm sure I can still do it without any difficulties.
That will be all for today, thank you so much for your time and support 🤗
How was your cycling experience? Did you end up with a wound or a scratch like me? Did you find it simple? I'm really curious to know.
Hello Bicycle lovers in the community ! It's my first time posting here.🙂