If you know me in person you know I cannot, for the life of me, ride a real bike. I've got horror stories beyond imagine. I'm actually terrified to ever get on a bike again after last years episode...
My mother got me a bike in June of 2011. It was beautiful! On the way to my parents house from the mall we got it from my mom rode it and showed me how to properly back- peddle since I'd never had a bike without breaks before. It looked easy enough, I tried it for about 15 minutes and felt comfortable enough to ride home. It was dusk, so my parents didn't feel so great about letting me ride (since my track record with bikes is so beyond terrible) but I assured them that I would wear my helmet like a big girl and I'd probably be home before dark. I slapped a backpack with my laptop in it on my back, put on my helmet, and said goodbye.
As I rode I felt exhilarated- it wasn't anything like in the past! I was careful, and though as I got to the major road between my parent's house and my apartment I felt a bit weary, I went ahead and walked it across the street to save myself danger/embarrassment. I was quite wise about the whole thing, very cautious, and happy that I'd have something to cut my 45 minute walk to work in half.
I lived at the bottom of a hill, my plan was to walk the bike down the hill because of how steep it was. There was a school, a few houses, and then I'd have to get off. Passing the school I saw a teacher get in her car, I knew she'd have to exit out of the parking lot from where I had already passed- but the thing is she didn't and I got spooked and peddled really fast to avoid her windshield and it all went downhill from there- literally.
My peddles went so fast I couldn't put my feet on them which mean't I couldn't back peddle to stop, all of the huge rich houses on the way to my abode had rock gardens and two car driveways so I couldn't flop over to the side and crash on some grass either! My heart sped up, I knew I was in trouble. I hit the steep part of the hill before I knew it and flew down it with lightening speed- towards another major road. I was going to die.
I don't know how I thought so fast but I steered to the right and just before I hit the street I flew into a telephone pole: the bike flew, I flew, my backpack flew. By the time I opened my eyes I noticed the bike was bent around the pole, my backpack was 10 meters away, and I was on the sidewalk that once to the left of me... I felt an extremely warm, sharp feeling on my belly. I looked down- blood. Not a lot, but some, which scared me. I sat on the grass and wailed like I did when I was 5, 10, 12, 15 after so many bike crashes and thanked Allah I was alive and that I WORE MY HELMET. I seriously don't know what would have happened if I hadn't.
Well, I do. I'd be pretty mucked up in the head, or dead.
Needless to say, I eventually got home, dragging my mashed bike by the bent-in-half handle bars. The wheel was so badly bent it didn't even turn so I had to use a lot of strength to get it home. I could not believe I had totaled my new bike within 45 minutes of owning it. I was in so much pain, my thigh and my belly swelled so fast it burned.
After that I got yelled at by my parents/husband. I yelled at myself. I cried over my new bike. I went to bed.
The next day I had TONS of bruises, so many in fact, they didn't heal fully for 3 or 4 weeks.
Boy, and my lady parts hurt bad too- so glad I got pregnant after that insanity...
Anyway, the point of this story was I will ride again- and I have. On my stationary exercise bike with nearly 0 risk of crashing unless I fall off of it.
I love it, I'll update about it. I do about 30- 45 min a day and I hope to lose some weight from it.
Ta ta!
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