Bummed Bums

Yes, that is what I have earned in the trade-off for sexy legs, toned bums and a good night’s sleep. Wondering what it is? Biking on the roads of Zurich, which is not an easy job considering the uneven terrain. The city is absolutely gorgeous and bike friendly and like any other European city it is best explored by foot. Something I had been doing in the past year and also missed in the subsequent months. I have resumed walking now and in turn experiencing the old innocent joys that come with it. This time round I decided to cast the net a little wider and mix in equal measure the challenge of biking around the city. A friend of mine kindly lent his bike which had been stored unused for over a year in his cellar. Another dear friend accompanied me to collect the bike and restore it to a working condition and also to guide me back on the bike. I have ridden cycles in Delhi and one can never unlearn how to bike. But here in Zurich it means riding amongst traffic, people, valleys and hills (almost!) and getting adjusted to the various gears in the bike (I have been advised not to fiddle with them). This needed some mentoring which was ably provided.

So we took the bike out of the cellar, tried to pump it using two different styled pumps. I broke one in the process and was left in the lurch with one flat tyre. We started then to hunt for the nearest pump/gas station and finally lugged the bike into one. Turns out the station guys had spotted us from afar (two girls carrying around their bikes) and were very willing to help. They were snickering when one of us mentioned about getting a pump (!) there. In the end they did their job well and just in the nick of time or they would have shut shop for the evening. Finally all set and also quite exhausted we headed to our final destinations.

How do I feel after all this? It was an adventurous evening out for the girls. It was exhausting and I slept for almost 10 hours that night. My ass has been hurting as hell and I have been sitting on a soft jacket since, to cushion the pain. My leg and back muscles hurt. And yet the simple thrill while cycling down an empty slope, the breeze sweeping through and singing aloud without a care is all that I want to remember :-)