Today I rode the bike again

No, no this is not going to turn into a journal of bike riding, though come to think of it, what is wrong with that ?

This morning, Archana, my yoga teacher said we were going to ride my bike.

Okay bike riding is not exactly Yoga, but then Archana is more fitness trainer than yoga teacher. She told me the other day that I could lose weight with breathing excercises, but it was likely to take longer than her and my lifetime put together.

Archana rings my bell at 6:30 every morning (and this is our winter schedule - in the summer it was 6am) . Every morning when I wake up somewhere between 5:45 and 6:15 I have this crazy urge to send her an SMS asking to skip the class, and huddle back under the covers. I have done it once maybe twice under dire circumstances. More often, I drag my feet at the beginning of the class, and Archana is constantly looking for ways to snap me out of it.

We did tubes one morning (loved it.. but hurt like hell for days), gym ball a few times, dumb bells... I am amazed at the repertoire she carries in her gym bag. And we havent even got to basket ball and swimming yet. Swimming wont happen for a long time cos they've drained the BPII pool following the dengue scare. Besides its too cold to swim right now. Who knows what place I will be in in life by the time they fill that pool again. Besides I dont know that I have the physical and moral fortitude to swim.

So anyway, the biggest quandary after acquiring the bike on Saturday and learning how to ride it on Sunday was how would I practice so that it became second nature, and I could lose some of my inhibitions. Besides, the fact is that I can ride a bike, but I need help starting it, I panic like hell when I see another car, bike, human or animal (yes you have to worry about them too in Delhi) alongside me; I struggle with the brakes and until this morning I could not turn. So okay, "I rode a bike" "I can ride a bike" all these would be slight euphemisms. Best case I would have to wait till next Saturday to ride the bike.

So I was thrilled when Archana said we would ride the bike today. But then reality hit me. The forecast had been for a frigid night... so chances were it would be pretty cold in the morning. And it was still dark out. The good news is that most of Delhi is asleep at 6:30 in the morning. I was not likely to make a spectacle of myself at that hour - Archana's biggest dread is that I will run into another of her clients who will comment on the excercise. (She had told one of her other clients she was teaching me to ride a bike, and the comment back was "Why ? Doesn't she have a car ? Why would she want to ride a bicycle at her age ?"- this from an upper middle class resident of BPII who pays a personal trainer to come excercise her every day - Archana who herself had ridden her scootie from her home some 5 kms away, and who is always freezing, said it was not so cold. So I said "in that case to hell with what the neighbors think".

It was dark and cold downstairs. But the chauffeurs - the biggest gossip network in town - and the cars were not up and about. Archana held the bike steady issuing instructions in Hindi.

First thing that passed us was 2 women who looked like they were in their 40s. They were talking about me!!! When I got closer one of them cheered me on, and said "Hey if you learn to ride a bike, maybe we too will be inspired to do the same!" Does anybody in this city know how to ride a bike ??????? Ok so I exaggerate - my cousin Bana from down the street and her 6 almost 7 year old son are avid bikers, and I have an invite to come ride my bike down their street any day. Right Bana... so a precocious 7 year old and a 3 year old on a tricycle can roll on the floor laughing as they watch me wrestle the bike for control.

Anyway - I rode the bike - I panicked when I saw a car coming out of the garage - struggled with the brakes, struggled with the restart.....blah blah blah.. I completed 4 rounds of BPII - 3 of them without Archana . Status - I think I've figured out how to apply the brakes instead of trying to stop the bike with my feet, I can make 90 degree turns - next time I have to try circles - though why would anyone want to go around in circles ? - and I still panic (but I do that even when I drive a car - and I've been driving a car for 20 years so maybe that isnt going anywhere for a while ? ) . It was exhilirating, and I cannot wait to ride again.