I know its only February, but I am known to bite off more than I can chew, so when the husband asked me last week if I wanted to start my cycling lessons again, I said yes.
Yes, I can't cycle.
Before you guffaw in amazement - yes you- or smirk, I must tell you that it is actually very common. I know two other people who can't cycle either. My mother, and my really good friend, who lives literally a couple of blocks from me.
(maybe this is why we are friends in the first place.)
Well, I haven't actually suffered in terms of my quality of life because I can't cycle. I am more of a water person than a land animal anyways. I can swim endlessly without breaking a sweat, but I look pathetic when I run (or hobble).
But I do blame my parents for not teaching me. My mother tells me that it is my father's fault for not taking the wheels off my training bike. At 8, I realized to my horror that I couldn't cycle when I got on a bike at the Traffic Police park at East Coast beach and could not move. I returned the bicyle and became a pedestrian instead.
I attempted to acquire the skill at 13, but then my friends laughed so hard at my incompetence that I eventually gave up. At 20, the then-boyfriend now-husband came along and bought me a bike, determined that his girlfriend would learn (or else) and we did a couple of rounds on the HDB carpark roof. There was another aborted attempt in Pulau Ubin, where lots of swearing occured.
Then life happened, and that cycling thing never did.
Why now?
Well, quite simply my motivation stems from the fact that I can't stand the thought of my toddler learning to cycle before I do. She is already pretty good on her 3-wheeler, and I think it will be only months until she demands to cycle for real.
When that time comes, I aim to be a competent cyclist, or so help me God.
I will not stand for my toddler laughing at her mom who doesn't know how to cycle.
How did it go?
Pretty good, I must say. For some funny reason, I didn't forget any of the basic skills I learnt ten years ago. The brain is an amazing thing. I managed to balance, get off, and cycle for 30 minutes today. At one point, I actually started enjoying myself and ignoring the funny stares I was getting from the Sweeper Uncle, and assorted teenager passerbys.
Repeat to self: I will not be a Loser Mom.
(No photos today- I was too busy trying not to injure myself or others- but I will take some in my next lesson!)
