Hi Dawn! What a lovely story. I rode bikes as a kid and teenager, then didn’t until 2020, when Covid hit and there were hardly any cars on the road. I suddenly had a craving, so I went to a bike shop and tried an electric bike, and bought one! I was a bit chicken at first (still am but not as chicken) but it felt so wild! It felt like freedom! I love it! I don’t use it as often as I’d like to, and wouldn’t go for hours because despite getting a super soft seat it still kills my bum, but I enjoy the (other!) sensations! Good for you for learning later in life. I would like to learn to sail… But not sure I could pull sails with my wonky neck and shoulders, but that would be one thing I’d like to learn. What a lovely piece you wrote! Cesca xx
Thank you! I'm still not great at it. My balance is iffy, and that seat is far from comfortable. I used to ride horses in my younger days, but that bicycle seat is a special kind of saddle sore.
I agree! I rode horses until three years ago. I still have two dressage horses but I had to stop riding because of a stupid yoga injury in one of my neck ligaments. So my trainer rides them now. And yes, those bicycle saddles are awful. But check out the Bikeroo on Amazon…it’s the most comfortable one I’ve found and I tried loads. My husband says it’s embarrassing, but I don’t care. It’s not like a good dressage saddle (how could it be?!), but it’s an improvement on those horrendous ones that mess you up big time!
Good for you, for learning and for writing about it. A lot of adults are afraid to appear foolish. If only they knew that everyone who knows how to ride a bike is so pleased to see others learn, too. We've all been there, just at a younger age. We've fallen. We've gotten back up. We've been nervous to turn, nervous to stop. We've caught the front wheel on a raised edged (driveway apron, sidewalk along grass) and regretted it. Like, REALLY regretted it. But we've persevered because riding a bike is a joy like no other. Finally: You might want to raise that seat, if you haven't already. When seated, you should be able to place your big toe on the ground -- comfortably, without tilting or straining your calf muscles. If your foot is flat on the ground, your seat is too low, and that throws off your balance significantly. Keep ridin'!
Here's how to get there faster than "eventually." Raise the seat and don't pedal. Just scoot along pushing from the ground with your feet. It will raise your confidence, refine your balance and get you accustomed to sitting properly with no risk of falling. Heck. I don't even know you and I'm proud of you. Adults learning to ride a bike, man. Priceless.
Well done! I think this is amazing. I rode bikes as a child but that was a long time ago! I don’t think I could ride today. So I admire your courage. For some reason, one of my children never learned either and I always feel guilty that we didn’t teach him when his brothers were taught. I don’t want him to find himself in a situation where he’s embarrassed. He doesn’t want to learn now but I know he wishes he knew how.
I never really thought about it and it never came up as something I needed to know how to do throughout my life. Once you're an adult, you're more focused on driving a car than riding a bike. at least I was. My husband just retired and we downsized to a single car household. He got a bike so he can ride to do quick errands if I have the car. I decided I wanted to be able to go for rides with him.
Good morning Dawn. This is a great story! I’m glad you found a way to learn to bike. Your story resonated with me so much. I learned to ride a bike on my brother‘s banana seat bicycle when I was ten. We were also poor and six of us shared two bikes, both my brothers. Then, we girls had rollerskates. And I never saw it as a gender issue, but clearly my single mother thought that boy should ride bikes and girls should have rollerskates. I didn’t enjoy myself but I wanted to prove that I could do it and I loved the colorful plastic tassels that hung from the handles. I didn’t bike for many years as a young adult because I was busy working to pay rent on a shared city apartment with two other young women. I was in my 40s when I decided to do triathlons and bought a 21-speed bike. Talk about ambition! Haha. But I didn’t enjoy that part of the triathlon at all. I felt like I was going nowhere and I was—I couldn’t get the bike into the proper gear, and my ego was bruised, but I did not fall and I managed to keep going and finish strong since swimming and running were my thing. A decade or so later I finally gave the 21-speed bicycle to my step granddaughter who probably sold it, because she was no more inclined to ride a bicycle than me. But I clung to all that the bike represented—daring myself to do something out of my comfort zone. At 63. I have no desire to get back on a bicycle. Of all the things I can do in life, riding a bike fits neatly in the category of been there done that. ❤️
That's what my bike needs - tassels! I'm going to stick with it and see how it goes. Just got home from my third day of riding with my husband. Short trips around the neighborhood, but I'm getting better at it. I'm glad you did those triathlons. I can't swim, and some say I can't run, at least not with any semblance of grace.
BTW, did you know that a hippopotamus can both run and swim faster than a human? That means the bicycle is only hope for beating a hippo at a triathlon. :)
Haha, yes to the tassels! We need pictures, of course! And let me tell you when I was in Africa last year we were way way too close to the hippopotamus in the lake on a shallow skiff boat with no protection!
I bet that was a thrilling experience! I want to go out west where buffalo wander alongside the roads. I'm not dumb enough to get out to pet one, but I would love to hang out the car window and take pictures!
Hi Dawn! What a lovely story. I rode bikes as a kid and teenager, then didn’t until 2020, when Covid hit and there were hardly any cars on the road. I suddenly had a craving, so I went to a bike shop and tried an electric bike, and bought one! I was a bit chicken at first (still am but not as chicken) but it felt so wild! It felt like freedom! I love it! I don’t use it as often as I’d like to, and wouldn’t go for hours because despite getting a super soft seat it still kills my bum, but I enjoy the (other!) sensations! Good for you for learning later in life. I would like to learn to sail… But not sure I could pull sails with my wonky neck and shoulders, but that would be one thing I’d like to learn. What a lovely piece you wrote! Cesca xx
Thank you! I'm still not great at it. My balance is iffy, and that seat is far from comfortable. I used to ride horses in my younger days, but that bicycle seat is a special kind of saddle sore.
I agree! I rode horses until three years ago. I still have two dressage horses but I had to stop riding because of a stupid yoga injury in one of my neck ligaments. So my trainer rides them now. And yes, those bicycle saddles are awful. But check out the Bikeroo on Amazon…it’s the most comfortable one I’ve found and I tried loads. My husband says it’s embarrassing, but I don’t care. It’s not like a good dressage saddle (how could it be?!), but it’s an improvement on those horrendous ones that mess you up big time!
Good for you, for learning and for writing about it. A lot of adults are afraid to appear foolish. If only they knew that everyone who knows how to ride a bike is so pleased to see others learn, too. We've all been there, just at a younger age. We've fallen. We've gotten back up. We've been nervous to turn, nervous to stop. We've caught the front wheel on a raised edged (driveway apron, sidewalk along grass) and regretted it. Like, REALLY regretted it. But we've persevered because riding a bike is a joy like no other. Finally: You might want to raise that seat, if you haven't already. When seated, you should be able to place your big toe on the ground -- comfortably, without tilting or straining your calf muscles. If your foot is flat on the ground, your seat is too low, and that throws off your balance significantly. Keep ridin'!
Yes, my husband wants to raise my seat. I'm afraid to have my feet that far off the ground. I'll get there eventually.
Here's how to get there faster than "eventually." Raise the seat and don't pedal. Just scoot along pushing from the ground with your feet. It will raise your confidence, refine your balance and get you accustomed to sitting properly with no risk of falling. Heck. I don't even know you and I'm proud of you. Adults learning to ride a bike, man. Priceless.
I've done a whole lot of scarier things.
Brava for your courage, Dawn! I never thought of riding a bike as a metaphor for writing a book, but it works amazingly well.
They parallel in my mind, but my mind is often not parallel with the rest of the world. Ha!
Do you love it?
Still getting used to it.
Riding my bike is one of my favorite thing.
Well done! I think this is amazing. I rode bikes as a child but that was a long time ago! I don’t think I could ride today. So I admire your courage. For some reason, one of my children never learned either and I always feel guilty that we didn’t teach him when his brothers were taught. I don’t want him to find himself in a situation where he’s embarrassed. He doesn’t want to learn now but I know he wishes he knew how.
I never really thought about it and it never came up as something I needed to know how to do throughout my life. Once you're an adult, you're more focused on driving a car than riding a bike. at least I was. My husband just retired and we downsized to a single car household. He got a bike so he can ride to do quick errands if I have the car. I decided I wanted to be able to go for rides with him.
My next big challenge is learning to swim!
Well I certainly admire you 🤩
Thank you!
Better late than never.
I rode from London to Nice in 2013. Planning my next trip. Invite on its way 👍
I'm secretly hoping to go on a little bike tour through Paris whenever we finally manage to get there.
Great stuff. You’ll love it.
You've inspired me! I'm not sure what will be "my bike ride" just yet, but it's coming. 😃
It’s never too late to learn something new!
Congratulations on claiming your inner child! Have fun! 🚴♀️
I just wish my inner child had younger knees to keep up with the things she wants to do!
I’m so glad I came across your Substack. Your essays are inspiring and so well written. Thanks for sharing.
I'm so glad you're here too! Welcome aboard!
Thank you, Dawn! I love it and admire/respect you! You encourage others!
That's the best any of us can do, really.
Good morning Dawn. This is a great story! I’m glad you found a way to learn to bike. Your story resonated with me so much. I learned to ride a bike on my brother‘s banana seat bicycle when I was ten. We were also poor and six of us shared two bikes, both my brothers. Then, we girls had rollerskates. And I never saw it as a gender issue, but clearly my single mother thought that boy should ride bikes and girls should have rollerskates. I didn’t enjoy myself but I wanted to prove that I could do it and I loved the colorful plastic tassels that hung from the handles. I didn’t bike for many years as a young adult because I was busy working to pay rent on a shared city apartment with two other young women. I was in my 40s when I decided to do triathlons and bought a 21-speed bike. Talk about ambition! Haha. But I didn’t enjoy that part of the triathlon at all. I felt like I was going nowhere and I was—I couldn’t get the bike into the proper gear, and my ego was bruised, but I did not fall and I managed to keep going and finish strong since swimming and running were my thing. A decade or so later I finally gave the 21-speed bicycle to my step granddaughter who probably sold it, because she was no more inclined to ride a bicycle than me. But I clung to all that the bike represented—daring myself to do something out of my comfort zone. At 63. I have no desire to get back on a bicycle. Of all the things I can do in life, riding a bike fits neatly in the category of been there done that. ❤️
That's what my bike needs - tassels! I'm going to stick with it and see how it goes. Just got home from my third day of riding with my husband. Short trips around the neighborhood, but I'm getting better at it. I'm glad you did those triathlons. I can't swim, and some say I can't run, at least not with any semblance of grace.
BTW, did you know that a hippopotamus can both run and swim faster than a human? That means the bicycle is only hope for beating a hippo at a triathlon. :)
Haha, yes to the tassels! We need pictures, of course! And let me tell you when I was in Africa last year we were way way too close to the hippopotamus in the lake on a shallow skiff boat with no protection!
I bet that was a thrilling experience! I want to go out west where buffalo wander alongside the roads. I'm not dumb enough to get out to pet one, but I would love to hang out the car window and take pictures!
You are so inspiring!! My childhood was isolated due to religious dogma. I was a totally different parent. Still thinking about a bike…
Do it! The things we regret most are the things we wanted to do but never did.
Just make sure to wear a helmet!