Oh A Very Dangerous Ride Indeed

It was not the thin wedge of path that I roade upon beside the river, nor was it the approaching joggers or dogs, nor was it the blinding sun that masked objects until they were right in front of me, it wasn’t even my out of practice self but what proved to be the greatest danger on my bike ride was a tiny little waddling child who had yet to learn to speak.

It was a beautiful evening, a slight breeze rustled the air and the sun shone brilliantly whilst countless Londoners enjoyed the path along the river. Some were lounging in their boats, some were walking leisurely, some were sweating as they jogged whilst others like myself were powering along the path on their bikes. It was my first serious ride after purchasing my new bike so I was not sure how I would handle it.

The path however was smooth and straight, without any long slopes or tiring hills except for the odd climb before a bridge. We ate the miles up, my uncle and I, who has been recently introduced to the world of cycling.
“I’ve been missing so much with all these years in my car!” He exclaimed as we took in the stunning views.

It is true I guess. Despite only dreaming about driving, I can tell that cycling is far more enjoyable and exhilarating when it comes to the everyday commute. Tiring for sure, but exciting nonetheless. I wonder how people cycle long distances to work and overcome the problem of sweating. You may laugh but it is a serious issue! Next year I will be cycling to university so I don’t want to end up reeking!

After ten miles, we arrived at Canary Wharf where I stopped to buy a drink at Waitrose. I looked out of place amongst the hundreds of city workers who were rushing around buying their groceries whilst I walked around in my 3/4s searching for the chilled drinks section.

The ride home was brisk as we wanted to catch the Brasil match. Yes it was not a thriller and sadly, I don’t think Brasil have a chance of winning the world cup with their current form.

However as I rode the short sprint home after waving goodbye to my uncle, the chain on my bike slipped off. As I was fixing it, a cute toddler walked up to me and I smiled. His mother who was walking ahead suddenly began to shout “No! No!” I was wondering why she was making such a fuss when the kid casually walked up to me and gave me a little slap! It was quite funny actually and I laughed as I reassured the mother that it was okay. The kid must have a bit of a wild streak since his mum knew that he was about to slap me!

So there you have it, a nice bike ride with a hint of danger.

Until Next Time

A Worried Student