M A C V A Y S I A

Remember how I said I’d bought a bicycle, and that I wanted to start cycling to work? Well, I’ve been doing it. Since buying the bike I’ve been cycling to work three times a week, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I haven’t been totally consistent, but I’m getting there.

So far a lot of people have expressed their disapproval.

Some say it’s too far. OK, actually a lot of people say it’s too far. Sure, it’s a 40km round trip. But it’s all good, soon I’ll be in wicked shape. And hey, the distance isn’t as scary as it sounds. I can usually make it to work in 45 minutes and I haven’t had sore legs at all yet.

Some say it’s sheer lunacy to ride a bicycle on Malaysian roads. Sure, you need to have eyes in your arse, and I’m sure I don’t need to go into what Malaysian drivers are like. But I’ve found that if you keep a clear head and ride smart and stay the hell out of everyone’s way, most problems can be avoided. And despite the chaos that reigns on Malaysian roads, one good thing is that Malaysian drivers are already quite accustomed to sharing the road with two-wheeled vehicles. I know, it’s different when it’s a bicycle, but I’m an optimist, remember? Or perhaps I’m a realist, because I know that bicycle commuting in Malaysia requires assertiveness, but it’s a different assertiveness than that which is advocated by supporters of bicycle commuting in the west. They’ll tell you to ‘claim your lane’ and other stuff that would lead to a quick but messy death here in Malaysia (come on, could you imagine what would happen if I used the standard western arm signal for a right turn here?). Bicycle commuting here is like doing Parkour on two wheels. You quickly decide on the path of least resistance and then just go for it. What a rush.

Then there’s the lecturer from my uni’s school of medicine who told me he ‘can’t accept’ my new hobby because my knees will be ruined by the time I’m in my fifties. OK, that may be true. But I’d rather have sore knees and the fitness of someone half my age than be a fat slob with great knees. I dunno, you give and take, right?

My mother says she doesn’t want me to cycle so far because I’m already skinny and I’ll get even skinnier. Actually, if I fuel myself properly I’ll build muscle and increase my bone density. And hey, I may have a ’slim’ build, but it’s starting to get more difficult to keep the spare tire off my midsection.

Then there are the people who bring up the hazards of riding at night or in a nasty rainstorm. I’ve already done both, no big deal. Just have to be extra-careful.

Thankfully, I’ve also had plenty of support, especially from Leen. And now that people have seen that I actually went and bought the bike and that I’ve actually been doing what I said I wanted to do, I think some of the naysayers have become more supportive too. And anyway, I paid RM1500 for the bike and its accessories, so damn it I’m going to use it.

I haven’t spent much time on the bike this week. Monday morning I was less than halfway to the office when my front tire blew. I have to get it fixed. If I can get that done soon enough, Friday morning I’ll be on the road again.