Like riding a bicycle...

So, back when I was 26 years younger, I got a lovely Fuji Gran Tourer bicycle. Burgundy with French handlebars and 12 speeds, I loved riding it for 3-5 years, then other interests began taking over, and my best friend moved to another city and biking to see her was no longer an option. I kept my bike, refusing to sell it when my folks sold theirs, I couldn't imagine wanting any other bike.

Fast forward 21 years... I house/dog sat for a friend and, lacking a car, I figured I'd ride my bike. But first, I needed to get it serviced. 2 new tires and tubes and a good lube, and she was ready to go. I got on, and realized that 21 years is a long time. No, you don't forget how to ride a bike, the old saw is true, but you sure don't get right back into the swing of things! I could barely control that bike, I'd forgotten the trick of balance.

So, I get the bike home, and as I'm not sure of the local laws, I get a helmet and I get on, just to ride around the block, nothing too ambitious. I didn't make it. I didn't crash (barely) but I could barely steer and had to walk my bike down the sidewalk, because my balance was so bad, I couldn't stay on the sidewalk. That was really demoralizing. So, the next chance I got- I bought gloves, knee and elbow pads, and got back on the next day.

I don't know if it was the practice or the confidence that I was less likely to die of road rash, but I made it all the way around my block, including the section on the sidewalk. I even managed not to crash when my pedal scraped the curb, downhill! Okay, so I'm disgusted at how hard I'm finding it to ride my bike, but I'm really enjoying relearning it. I'll keep using my crash pads until I'm really confident, but I am getting back into it, and I still love my bike.