Getting Back on the Horse (Or in This Case, Bicycle)

This may come as a shock, but I never learned how to ride a bike. In my almost 24 years of life, I've only been on a bike twice. The first time, all of my cousins tried to teach me all at once--and with four different people telling you so many things, at only about four or five years old (I think), it can be a bit overwhelming. And then comes the incident a few years later, when you try to ride down a hill and hit your head on a tree because its roots were in the way (and because apparently it's acceptable to go down an uneven grassy hill on a bike having never ridden one). Needless to say, those two memories were major factors in me not bothering to learn.

Recently, though, I've been thinking. I'm almost 24 years old. I'm a lot more coordinated than I was twenty years ago (I should hope), and a lot more balanced. Now is as good a time as any to fill in that hole from my childhood. Plus, I need more exercise, and with spring finally here, it's time to get outside. Going for walks just doesn't seem like enough.

But there is a tiny snag. I don't actually have a bike. The only bike I had I shared with my sister, and the last time it was meant to be ridden, I was ten. I may not be tall, but I am certainly too big for a ten-year-old's bicycle. So, it's time to go bike shopping. Since I don't have a lot of money, I'll have to go to thrift stores, or scan the newspapers looking for yard sale announcements. Hopefully I can get a bike in decent condition for a reasonable price. Then I can teach myself to ride and get some needed exercise, and then I won't have to worry about wasting gas in the car the next time I need to go to 7-Eleven for chocolate (wait a second.......).