Biking- the Best Way to Get Around
I never feel more on edge than when I'm perched precariously on the seat of my electric blue Schwinn bicycle. Don't get me wrong; biking is the best way to get around in the University area. But it's certainly not as easy as it looks.
Every time I hop on my bike, I’m trying to get over the fear of being hit by a car. Here in Syracuse, drivers and bikers have a tricky relationship. They tolerate each other, but we don’t feel very comfortable around each other. Whenever bikers are on the road, drivers forget everything they’ve learned in Drivers Ed. Strange thing about bikers is that there was no class to get a “biking license,” yet everyone seems to think they know proper biking etiquette is. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m clueless.
What I do know is that my bike has come in handy many times when I was running late. It would usually take me about 25-30 minutes to walk from South Campus to campus (I have short legs, don’t judge me!). But on my bike, I only need about 10 minutes to cycle to get there. That's 10 minutes of me intensely pumping my pedals and praying I don't look as clumsy as I feel.
I'm what some would call a self-conscious rider. If I'm alone on the rode, I tend to belt out the words to Miley Cyrus’s “We Can’t Stop.” When I’m with a bunch of other riders, it’s like a scene out of the Sound of Music, with Maria and the Von Traps gliding down the road. But as soon as I hear a car pull up beside me, my confidence flees and I suddenly wish I had on training wheels so I could force myself to ride in a straight line.
As unsure of myself as I may feel on my bike at times, I wouldn’t trade the alone time I get when I’m riding. I don’t have to listen to awkward conversations on the bus; I don’t have to worry about walking too slowly on the sidewalk in front of someone. I can enjoy the time to myself and organize my thoughts before I go and face the day.
As for the on-edge feeling I get every time I hop on my bike, I’ve learned to relish it. After all, how will you know you’re still living if you don’t feel your hearting beating from time to time.
