The other day I was jogging in the park. I saw a lady riding a bicycle, rather clumsily. She was possibly a learner. As she rode past me, I heard her screaming at her friend, “I don’t know how to step on the brake!” Her friend replied, “No, you don’t!”
Ah! Bicycle… I can’t remember when was the last time I rode one.
I grew up in a small town. As a student, I used to ride a bicycle to school. After finish high school, I attended a university in the nation’s capital. Kuala Lumpur’s clogged streets weren’t friendly to cyclists, so I got myself a motorcycle. At the same time, my little hometown got more motor vehicles each year. Today, it is no longer safe to ride a bicycle there.
Amsterdam is one cyclist-friendly city. There are lanes reserved for bicycles. Cities in China also have bicycle lanes. Somehow, as Chinese get wealthier, more and more opt for cars. In fact, in the first quarter of 2009, China leapfrogged the United States to become the world’s biggest car market.
In the past, cycling was a mode of transport. Now, it is just a sport. As we are concerned with global warming, air pollution, high oil price and personal health, should we not encourage more people to cycle?
Bicycles in Amsterdam
London also have bicycle lane. I really like to cycle, wanna do a cycle trip at London one day, when the weather is good!
ReplyDeletehaha my first time learning bicycle was during my primary school time, being trained by a friend who at that time needed my companionship the most. She was a very distraught little girl but she is very determined when she trained me.
ReplyDeleteI've always remembered her.
now need to pinjam kid's bike to main main ..hehe
ReplyDeleteYour post brings to mind my own experience of learning to ride a bike. I got into a horrible accident one time though...I still have a scar as a reminder. Still, cycling was fun and I agree with you..it's more of a sport these days. But I believe KL city is not conducive for cycling...in fact, it's dangerous.
ReplyDeletekikey
ReplyDeleteThen you should blog about your cycle trip :P
lisa
Trained by your friend? That's uncommon.
pingping
I'm afraid you are too heavy.
Mei Ting
Actually, even my hometown is dangerous for cyclists.
铁马是我童年的重要交通工具。没有他出门很不方便。。。现在住在城市的小孩，有很多都不会骑脚车，他们简直没机会体会骑脚车乐趣。
ReplyDeletei used to ride bicycle to sch too! my bicycle was all pink. LOL. DIY with the left over gate paint from the house. lol. so each year when my parents repaint the house with watever color, my bicycle will be in tht color :D
ReplyDeleteimagine if cycle in KL. i think i will die of panic
花木兰
ReplyDelete现在的城市小孩只骑三轮脚车 :D
xin
Wow... you're so creative!
Haha that lady must be a seasoned driver. LOL.
ReplyDeleteI cycle for the sake of pleasure/exercise, never for the sake of transportation... because it's kinda scary. No mirrors, no nothing. Just a piece of metal.
Maybe KL should start by example. Get rid of all those highways and make bicycle lanes? Lol. But at least it's an idea.
ReplyDeleteI used to own two kick ass mountaint bikes.
ReplyDeleteThe first one, stolen when I parked my apartment, my usual place.
Then my second one (even more kick ass than the first one), I bring up to my house everyday instead of leaving it on grounf floor. but stolen in college one day.
Since then, my dad bought me a car instead. i miss my mountain bike.
Haven't ride a bicycle for ages... now want to cycle also dunno where to find one. Maybe in Fitness First, that type also consider as bicycle hor?
ReplyDeleteIt's been a long time since I last rode on a bike too...especially when mine was stolen....ARGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH! Ha :D
ReplyDeleteNeo: in order to qualified as "BIcycle" is has to be two wheels. Fitness First one has no wheel, or at most, one wheel, therefore it doesn't qualified as "BIcycle".
ReplyDeletea "TRIpod" means it has three legs. anything has more or less than legs no longer qualified as "TRIpod".
and they don't call a "TRIsaw", "TRIangle", "BInocular" for no reason.
TRI harder next time,
See ya next time... BI-BI...
day-dreamer
ReplyDeleteThat lady was either a seasoned driver or seasoned motorcyclist.
JL
Bike lane in KL? Maybe at the outskirts. I am afraid not in the city center.
Calvin Foo
You can still buy a mountain bike - for exercise.
neo
Haha... not sure whether that one can be considered a bike. Calvin Foo certainly doesn't agree.
tekkaus
Why people want to steal bicycles? Hmm... I don't understand.
Tandem biking the best!
ReplyDeleteFirst the bicycle lanes, then the bicycles.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, Singapore is trying to connect various parts of Singapore with bicycle lanes, across various parks. In about 5-10years timeframe, I think.
baoru
ReplyDeleteI tried tandem biking once. Tough -_-"
shingo
That sound great. But wondering if the weather of Singapore is too much for biking.
I haven't ride a bicycle for years, don't know still can ride one without falling or not. These days people can perhaps ride one virtually on Wii. :)
ReplyDeleteI used to ride a bicycle to school too!! ^_^
ReplyDeleteIrenelim
ReplyDeleteYes, I think riding on Wii is a good idea. The TV set can display any location we like.
迷迭香
So that's a history, just like mine?
Recently, I have been to a few bicycle shop looking for a mountain bike, wow... the price is really AMAZING! a basic bike might cost about 3k+
ReplyDeleteTHLL
ReplyDeleteThat's why I said cycling is a sport now. Only hobbyists will spend that much money for a bicycle.
第一次学骑脚车时撞到一个凶阿婆，被狠狠地骂了一顿！幼稚园，小学至中学，我都是走路上学滴！:P
ReplyDeletechristine哗。。。幼稚园都走路上学，很危险哟！
ReplyDelete