fall from grace

i was recently gifted a spanking new bicycle...a gorgeous white and orange (and no sushma, the orange isn't autumn sunrise like my hair :)). the last time i rode was in the 8th Std, when i'd ride my precious electric blue cycle to school everyday. that was moons ago. and that was VERY different from riding now.

riding a bike in bombay then, one was faced with unique challenges. most of them were to do with manoeuvering. manoeuver carefully around garbage, potholes, autos and 2-wheelers. and of course, people and dogs. once you got the knack, you could actually cruise along the main roads despite all the obstacles (no, in those days, 8:30 am in juhu was NOT traffic-jam time). in fact, soon enough, you could even ride without your hands. of course, riding in the monsoon was a different ball-game altogether. you never got to cruise, but you felt the thrill of the raindrops stinging your face and you entering school looking like a something-bedraggled-that-the-cat-dragged-in. no, the raincoat was never effective enough against the strong winds. and anyway, soaking in rainwater was way better than soaking in perspiration, which was inevitable every non-monsoon afternoon on the ride back home. other than that, it seemed rather simple.

riding in brussles is expectedly different. first, your new bike actually has gears. and 24 of them. for a machine-phobe, this unnecessary complication is terrible news. anyway, you struggle with trying to get the right gear combination for yourself, and finally you do. then, you ride on the 'wrong' side of the road. why can't the whole world drive like india and the UK? worse, at every signal, you have to alight, and walk your bike across the road. so no scope for cruising...so you say, bah, too boring. let's go ride in the woods nearby. you've seen enough people biking and running there, of course you can do it. except you forget that the woods are characterised by criss-crossing 'kachcha rastas' around the lake, that many tyres have rolled along. and the deep furrowed ridges they leave behind are tricky because if you bike right through them, u may not come out easily, especially if it's slushy because of recent rain. and if you go around them, you're likely to skid anyway. good times.

of course i skid, despite what i thought were a number of brilliant swerves and saves. so much for my 8th Std days of cocky, handsfree riding!! at the ripe age of 30, it's quite something to fall off your bike. and while my knee is scraped and blue, it's my ego that's bruised. as if the terrible hair colour wasn't bad enough...the universe is conspiring against my efforts of turning into an elegant woman! i may as well give up and laugh!