How I learned to ride a bicycle Monday Memories #28

I remember as if it were yesterday the first time I rode a bicycle, I was about 10 or 11 years old, I remember it perfectly because it was an experience full of bumps, injuries, laughter, tears and fear.I was with my brothers and some cousins using a bicycle that a friend of my grandmother's had left in the house because he went to town to visit some relatives who were sick and it lasted about a week and all that time we took the opportunity to practice with his bike, it was hard times and my grandmother did not have to buy us oneand I know it was not good, but we decided to borrow the bike to learn.I had a cousin who knew how to ride a bike and he taught us.

Recuerdo como si fuera ayer la primera vez que monté en bicicleta, tendría unos 10 u 11 años, lo recuerdo perfectamente porque fue una experiencia llena de golpes, heridas, risas, lágrimas y miedo. Estaba con mis hermanos y unos primos usando una bicicleta que un amigo de mi abuela había dejado en la casa porque se fue al pueblo a visitar a unos familiares que estaban enfermos y duró como una semana y todo ese tiempo aprovechamos para practicar con su bicicleta, eran tiempos difíciles y mi abuela no tenía para comprarnos una y sé que no era bueno, pero decidimos tomar prestada la bicicleta para aprender.Yo tenía un primo que sabía andar en bicicleta y él nos enseñó.

It was an old bicycle, a 700 high heavy and very robust with double rod brakes and it was very difficult to brake because as I was very small my hand barely touched the brakes, the normal thing was that we used bicycles according to our age and size, but it was what we had and when using a too big bicycle it was very difficult because I could not sit on the seat which was the most ideal thing to do, But that was not a problem to handle it, we managed to manage it by placing one foot inside the frame of the bike and the other outside, we took the handlebars while my cousin held us so we would not fall, he gave us a little push and we started pedaling always standing upright to do this you need a lot of practice and a few falls to get balance with each fall I learned to insist and improve my technique, but I never gave up, I was accompanied by a great desire to learn and I started in this adventure and if it was a slow process full of many falls and blows, but the adrenaline was the best drug to appease the pain and little by little I acquired more confidence and skill.I have adult acquaintances who have never learned to ride either because they don't want to feel the pain of a fall or the embarrassment that comes with being teased But they don't know the happiness they missed.

Era una bicicleta vieja, una 700 alta pesada y muy robusta con frenos de doble varilla y era muy difícil frenar porque como yo era muy pequeño mi mano apenas tocaba los frenos, lo normal era que usáramos bicicletas de acuerdo a nuestra edad y tamaño, pero era lo que teníamos y al usar una bicicleta demasiado grande era muy difícil porque no podía sentarme en el asiento que era lo más ideal para hacerlo, Pero eso no era problema para manejarla, nos las arreglábamos colocando un pie dentro del cuadro de la bicicleta y el otro afuera, tomamos el manubrio mientras mi primo nos sostenía para no caernos, nos dio un pequeño empujón y comenzamos a pedalear siempre de pie para hacer esto se necesita mucha práctica y unas cuantas caídas para lograr el equilibrio con cada caída aprendí a insistir y mejorar mi técnica, pero nunca me di por vencida, me acompañaba un gran deseo de aprender y me inicié en esta aventura y si fue un proceso lento lleno de muchas caídas y golpes, pero la adrenalina era la mejor droga para apaciguar el dolor y poco a poco fui adquiriendo más confianza y destreza. Tengo conocidos adultos que nunca han aprendido a montar, ya sea porque no quieren sentir el dolor de una caída o la vergüenza que produce que se burlen de ellos, pero no saben la felicidad que se perdieron.