The Art, Science, and Pain of Cycling

All my friends know my true feelings about cycling. My first brush with cycling (the two wheeler kind…) was during my high school days. With my father away in Africa and me and my sister not knowing what to do during one hot summer afternoon had a hard look at the only two wheeler, that stood in our house.

My father’s second (or 3rd or …) hand cycle. It was one of the first prized possessions from my father’s initial salary. I always loved sitting on it, with the stand on and do some pedaling. I would day dream riding it to all the great places in the city...Never thought of how I was planning to cycle from my house that was in the middle of nowhere and get to the city which was about 25 Kms.

Anyway, I and my sister got lot of encouragement from my mom and our neighbors for bravely pulling out the two wheeler and trying a hand at it. We pushed it around, in front of our house for 10 minutes and I was already away in my dream land doing the Korangu pedal…I don’t remember what happened after that afternoon, I continued my korangu pedal dreams, but nothing in reality.

After couple of years I was learning all about center of gravity, centrifugal and centripetal force and the famous cycling example. I decided that one day I will discover where my center of gravity would be when I am on a cycle and do the balancing act perfectly.

By then my brother had graduated from korangu pedal to normal cycling and my sister was successfully cycling even in a saree. I was a great pillion rider. I loved sitting on the carrier behind my brother and go around. By then we had moved through the big cities of Madras and Hyderabad.

I then moved into hostel for my PG and again I was successful pillion rider with Di pulling me around with all her strength. I guess our friendship weighed more than me, Di never cribbing. Then started the nightmare...I moved away from kornagu pedal days into normal cycling in my dreams (the one that actually comes in the night when we sleep)…Soon it was a nightmare as I continued to fall from my cycle often in my dreams.

By then reality struck and I realized I will never ride a bicycle in this lifetime. The haunting returned after all these years when I joined this new company which has a huge campus and if you need to move around the best way was cycling. The hot sun made my walk between Building 23 and 44 a true test of endurance. Mahesha went and bought a cycle and was all determined to take me through my physics lessons again. I was not sure to feel happy or sad. I dint want my son and niece to learn the laws of gravity through me. The naughty laugh from them when I sat on the cycle was enough for me to run and hide into my house.

But thanks to a kind hearted thief, Mahesha lost the new cycle within days during one of trips to the public library….poor mahesha was heartbroken & we went to see the movie “Welcome”. A welcome relief indeed.