It's Like Riding A Bicycle

“It’s like riding a bicycle”. I’ve heard this old saying a million times and have even offered it up as encouragement myself a time or two. It is meant to suggest that the task you are about to attempt is one that you have done before, and although you may not remember how you did it, once you begin the “memories” will kick in and everything will fall in place. You will pick up right where you left off, no need to wish for the dreaded “beginner’s luck”.

I do remember learning to ride a bicycle. I remember crashing in to a pole that we used to tie the Shetland pony we got from Satan’s clearance isle and destroying the battery operated headlight on the bike’s front fender. I have to admit I liked the broken-in/roughrider look the damaged fender gave the bike, and though my parents were not exactly happy about this, I think we all understood that I probably wouldn’t need this headlight for any midnight biking excursions. Had they purchased me a banana style bike instead of one that looked like a prop from Aunt Bea’s Big Adventure, I probably would have not felt the need for such drastic customization anyway!

But I learned to ride; that was the easy part anyway. I think we can all agree that learning to stop is really the hard part. The way one learns to regulate speed is directly linked to the damage done while attempting to stop. This is a lesson best learned on a bicycle, it takes a little of the wonder out of there being 120 mph branded on the speedometer of your first car! Possible and good idea are two entirely different concepts.

I also remember just how sore my backside was at the end of a long day’s ride. Long day being a relative term for a 5 year old and of course I would never notice the discomfort until the heat of the moment had passed. When my mother said “why don’t you boys go outside and ride your bikes” the pain disappeared with a few rotations of the pedals. I don’t recall the day when my butt had finally toughened to the point of no discomfort, but it must have happened; if it hurt forever bicycles would be obsolete. After the break-in period, the only time I remembered I even had a butt was when school started or it rained for a week.

So here are a few things to remember when you are told “it’s like riding a bicycle”.

*There was a little damage when you first learned the task, expect some damage as you re-learn.

*If you didn’t love it before, you most likely won’t love it again for any length of time. At some point you will remember why you discontinued the task. Was it really your style or did you have to bang it up a little for the best fit?

*Just because you remember “how” doesn’t mean that you should go as fast as you can (or used to). You don’t have to stop, but be sure you at least test the brakes before they become a necessity.

*And finally and most importantly-Expect your butt to be sore when you start back up! It toughened before and it will again.