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How It Feels To Take Up Cycling In Your 30s
A breakdown of my learning journey
For the longest time, outdoor activities were a closed book to me.
Growing up, my parents were always freaked out about the possibility of me getting hurt. Whether I fell and scraped my knee or sneezed once on a cold day, I’d be fussed over as though I’d broken all my limbs at once, and immediately prevented from doing whatever it was that had caused the trouble. In the process, I never learned any of the core skills — driving, swimming, cycling — and never did any sports. Nor did I feel like I had to.
Fast forward to my thirties. I’m starting the unlearning journey, getting better at fitness, taking charge of my mental health. My ADHD still won’t let me drive (and honestly, I have no pressing desire to drive). I do, however, live in a part of the city that has excellent bike paths. Having watched me bleed money on Ubers for the better part of two years, my spouse decided it was time for a change.
“All right,” he said. “Let’s get you a bicycle.”
The beginning
I admit, I waffled. Part of it was the resistance to the effort of learning something from scratch. There was also the extremely Indian fear of “log kya kahenge?” What would people say? A grown-ass woman unable to balance…
