Sober Cycling in Thailand

I have taken up cycling as part of my most recent attempt to get back in good physical shape – it fits in nicely with the punch bag and my occasional swims. I have only been out on the bike a couple of times but so far so good. Mind you, I’ve had similar feelings for other fitness activities in the past but lost my enthusiasm once the novelty wore off. I have a good feeling about cycling though, and just maybe this will be something that I’ll be for many years to come. It is just such a nice way to spend a half an hour or so and get out in the fresh air at the same time.

My History with Bikes

I haven’t actually been on a bike since the early nineties. It turns out that they are right about you never forgetting how to do it. The last time I apparently cycled was in Oxford and it was midnight and I was very drunk – I say ‘apparently’ because I was in the middle of a blackout and can’t remember a thing about it. My friends at the time told me that I’d decided to borrow a bike and there was just no way they could talk me out of it – not only could I be out of control when drinking but also very willful. Luckily I wasn’t hurt, but that was the last time I rode a bicycle. Now that I’ve discovered sober cycling it seems that I’ve been missing out on a good thing.

Sober Cycling in Thailand

One of the nicest things about cycling is that I get to see a bit more of my neighborhood. I’ve been living in Thailand for almost a decade, and these days it is easy to fail to appreciate things. I have always loved walking, but I soon found out that this wasn’t such a great idea in Thailand. Not because of the heat so much but more to do with the fact that people were constantly stopping to offer me a lift on whatever transport they had with them. This was a great way to practice my Thai, but it took away from the exercise when you keep on stopping. I previously lived in a rural part of the country, and I remember one day going for a walk and literally every car, motorbike, and tractor that day stopped for me – I gave up fitness walking in Thailand after that. With cycling I get to experience my local area, give a smile or wave to a neighbor, and still do my bit for my heart. Nobody has stopped to offer me a lift – at least not yet anyway.

I will see what happens over the coming months but I do hope that this sober cycling in Thailand catches on. I spend so much time working on the computer these days that it can really cut me off from the outside world – other than my wife and son I don’t spend much time with other people. The bike seems a great way to change all this and get to once again appreciate the beauty of Thailand.