If you’ve ever shared the bike lanes or roads in Davis with me, I probably owe you an apology. Yes, I’m that cyclist who’s swerving through the roundabouts, holding onto the brakes for dear life, and sometimes dealing with handlebars that randomly turn backwards. But here’s the thing: I’m still out there doing it, and there’s a pretty good reason why.
My not-so-amazing biking journey starts in elementary school. While most kids were already zooming around on their bikes back then, I never really learned how to ride one. No one taught me until middle school when I finally got started on my bike riding journey, but oh my goodness, was I slow. We’re talking so slow that drivers actually stopped their cars to laugh and talk about how slow I was going. After that super fun experience, I went home and vowed to never touch a bike again.
Then I came here to UC Davis, a bike city where there’s such a prominent bike culture that bikes probably outnumber people. My first thought: Me? Biking? Absolutely not. But as a freshman with no car, I honestly had no choice. I needed to get around fast, and my feet alone just weren’t cutting it.
Enter my guardian angel of a roommate. She spent countless late nights in the dorm parking lot during fall quarter teaching me the basics. Encouraging words from both her and kind strangers who witnessed my wobbly progress kept me going. At this rate, I was able to bike to church every weekend!
My cycling journey leveled up once more when my cousin gifted me one of her extra bikes… though “gift” might be a generous term. This bike has a peculiar personality quirk: it occasionally decides that straight handlebars are too mainstream and opts instead for a sideways or backwards orientation. Thankfully, with patient friends and multiple repair sessions, we’ve managed to maintain a somewhat functional relationship. Let me tell you, though—crazy bike aside, just biking itself was also a struggle. Braving the roundabouts? Terrifying. Biking next to scary scooters? Even worse, especially with my total lack of biking confidence.
Even with all that drama and maybe one or two bike crashes (which, by the way, were usually not my fault), I keep riding. Why? Because it’s actually worth it. I can go wherever I want, whenever I want. No more waiting around for rides or dealing with the bus schedule. Plus, it’s way better for the environment, and I’m unintentionally getting exercise, so win-win! It may be a challenge and a struggle, but the process itself is still so rewarding despite all the windy wobbly rides. (Side-note, can we talk about helmets for a sec? I know they’re not always super cute. I know they mess up your hair. You know what’s even less cute? A concussion. So please wear your helmet! You can get one for free at the bike barn!)
To sum up, here’s what I’ve learned from being the most uncertain cyclist in Davis: sometimes the things we’re really bad at are the ones most worth pursuing. Whether you’re as terrible at biking as I am or there’s something else you’ve been avoiding because you think you’ll look stupid, this is your sign to just go for it.
I’m still that wobbly cyclist in the bike lane, never winning races or looking graceful getting on or off my bike. But I’m still out there every single day, getting slightly better by the second, and honestly, that’s enough for me.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go check if my handlebars have mysteriously reversed themselves again.