Klutzy Sylvie's Adventure on Bike

Two years ago, I wrote about my disasters with my contact lenses. Now, I've confirmed that it's not a biennial anomaly, but rather an ingrained trait.

Yeah, I admit it, I'm the biggest klutz in the family. And probably in my department, heck, division, even.

See, two weeks ago, I went cycling with my colleagues at the East Coast Park. Every Singapore resident would know that the cycling paths in East Coast Park are among the best, maybe regionally.

Smoothly tarred blacktop that can accommodate 2 cyclists side by side comfortably. Not that we were cycling side by side, forming a roadblock, but you get the picture.

I last cycled two maybe 3 years ago, and my colleague was rather wobbly on her bike. The other two were holding their own.

Then I got the momentum going, and we happily pedalled to Changi Beach via the park connector. Or tried to.

3km to Changi Beach, we stopped to admire the planes on the Changi Airport runway. And I fiddled with the gears.

Our target was to cycle all the way to Changi Beach in one hour, but since we were 3km away from the target and yet busted half of the bike rental period, we decided to turn back. We'd reach Changi Beach another day.

Actually aching butt/thighs/calves were the main reason we turned back.

Halfway back, I was enjoying the brisk sea air when the bike drifted left towards the barrier. The water on the other side of the barrier flows into the sea. And the chain slipped.

Argh. The handlebar crashed to the barrier and it threw me up off to the right.

As I tumbled off the bike, I was thinking, "Thank God I'm not wearing shorts."

Must. Protect. Face. Argh. Blacktop.

Said blacktop was burning my elbow when I sat up and tried to get off the road. Skinned elbow was oozing blood.

Jeez, I could feel a serious bruise forming on my knee, courtesy of the handlebar.

My colleague (the one who wobbled) ran back and helped me up. Another came back to fix the bike chain.

Well, I'm klutzy but lucky too. Other than skinned elbow, giant bruise on knee and multiple smaller bruises on my legs, I was able to laugh it off.

Until I got home and elbow, knee, legs, thighs, butt, calves started to protest in earnest. And the next day was Monday!

My older sister offered to give me a massage, and proceeded to pound me for half and hour, with me screaming/laughing like a banshee. The baby (my 8 month old niece) sat looking at us in baffled delight at the new loud game.

The aches disappeared the next day (except for the raw elbow), but my knee was sporting a huge blue potato chip-like discoloration, which fascinated the baby endlessly.

We're planning another cycling joint this weekend, hopefully we'd go further than the last time.

And hopefully my klutziness has been expanded for a long, long time and becomes dormant.


P/S: Doraemon said he was not surprised I fell & showed no sympathy. OK, the next regional business trip, I'm going alone.