One of my favorite past times when I was growing up was cycling. From the time my mum taught me how to cycle when I was 8 until I graduated from high school, there was hardly a day that I didn’t cycle. In those days, what else could we do if we didn’t play outdoors? On rainy days, exam days and days where we were out of our little beautiful town, my bicycle took a rest.
My first bicycle was an Apache, a blue one. My little brother who is four years my junior was always my pillion rider. I was the ring leader who brought him around and out of our neighborhood on the bicycle to pluck flowers outside people’s houses, played with stray pups and kittens and I even cycled to the river to enjoy the mesmerizing scenery. I’ve had my fair share of bicycle accidents but was nonchalant about them, though some of the injuries were pretty bad.
When I was 14, my parents got my older brother and I a racer bike. I rode on the racer bike to the tuition center about 3km away from where I stayed, crossing traffic lights and on roads heavily congested with cars. It’s a miracle I survived those days that I raced on the road on my racer bike and never had an accident, except being chased by feral dogs.
My two teenage daughters now do a different type of cycling ~ in the gym. My eldest daughter spends 1-2 hours a day at the gym on the gym bicycle. Ever since she started on her daily gym regimen, her complexion has improved. The teenage pimples on her face have gradually petered out and her stamina has improved.
One of my fondest memories with bicycles is when my besties and I spent 10 days at an outward bound school when we were 15. One of the obstacles was a 2-hour cycling endurance test around a fishing village on a customize bike. At the end of the 10-day course, we were as tan as bronze and my mum was shocked to welcome a ‘different’ daughter home! lol!
One of my latest dream gadgets is some best women’s bikes, as shown in the pictures below. The hubs has a bike that he bought a few years ago but he hardly rides on it now. He used to cycle alongside me when I jogged on the road. It would be awesome if we could cycle together.
The benefits of cycling is impressive. The health benefits of regular cycling include:
- increased cardiovascular fitness
- increased muscle strength and flexibility
- improved joint mobility
- decreased stress levels
- improved posture and coordination
- strengthened bones
- decreased body fat levels
- prevention or management of disease
- reduced anxiety and depression
- improved mental well-being
- improved lung health
Aside from health and fitness improvements, cycling saves time and money on fuel.
Now are you convinced to get a bicycle yet?
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