When is the last time you cycled? Thrills and chills of first-time road biking

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When is the last time you cycled?

When asked this question, I used to say never, until mid-2018 when I decided to learn how to bike (again, for the third time) and this time it worked...and such an exciting, liberating, and even more gratitude-filling experience as an adult..my friends who learned cycling as kids may not fully appreciate the unprecedented joy of the first time when you get to balance and make corners without falling...Anyway, fast forward after cycling in the parks (and any other place very far away from any motorist) for about three years, I decided to give it a go with my first tarmac road/highway cycling experience. 

To provide some context for our international readers, most Kenyan roads are not cyclist-friendly – there are no lanes dedicated to cyclists as yet (but this is likely to change on some major highways, so they say). Currently, if you decide to go for road cycling, you will bike side by side with motorists and the notoriously fast and sometimes barbaric motorcycle riders ferrying passengers while both overtaking and overlapping you. With this background, I needed a little more encouragement for my first road cycling experience, so I joined a group cycling together for the day. The cost included a bike hire, where they also ensured the hired bikes were mechanically sound, so thankfully I didn't need to figure out these technicalities. The venue was on the outskirts of Nairobi, with some escape from main roads from time to time. 

Inasmuch as there were vehicles and motorcycles, they were thankfully not so many, affording us to pose for photos on the tarmac road when traffic was clear.

We cycled around the lush Tigoni tea farm area, arguably one of the most scenic yet near Nairobi experiences. 

I’ll share five tips from my first experience of road cycling to help out the reluctant ones that have mastered off-road cycling but are scared of venturing out on the motorway like I was initially. 

1. It's a good idea to venture further from the busy heart of Nairobi roads for your first road cycling adventure, and where possible, go for a scenic venue - this will make the experience more motivating.

2. Always ensure you wear bright-coloured clothes for everybody to be able to see you. A reflective jacket is also highly recommended (the organizing group provided this for us). You will also need protective wear - a helmet is a must-have (while the group also provided this, i'm glad I carried my own as my thicker-than-usual African braided hairstyle didn't allow the small-sized helmets that had remained to fit well, so if you have yours that you are well accustomed to, best to carry it - it's very risky cycling without a helmet). Other personal and nice-to-have apparels that will make your experience to be more enjoyable are: (i) hand gloves designed specifically for cycling, to relieve the likely soreness that comes with extended cycling times, (ii) shades to protect you from the glaring sun, (iii) cushioned/padded pants designed specifically for cycling, (iv) extra portable padded seat to put on top of the bike seat, particularly if it's a little hard - you'll thank yourself later, (v) water bottle which you can place on bike water section, if this provision is available on your bike (mine didn't have, and it's a hit or miss scenario with most hired bikes), so you may need this last item, which is, (vi) a small backpack to carry (extra) water and small snacks.

3. The sound of lorries was especially terrifying plus some road hooting bullies who never miss once in a while...my cycling friends told me so long as your situational awareness is high, you just need to ignore and keep moving (this is another way of saying you’re advised to keep off any form of distraction, especially listening to music on earphones, which I love to do when off-road cycling, but when on a major road you need to be fully alert – things can turn south in a split second and you will want to be ready if they do).

4. At the start of the group event, it was looking like it would be a men-only gathering till three other ladies showed up...inwardly, I was wondering if to quit as I figured the men would be going at rocket speed, and instead go for the all girls' yoga event that was simultaneously taking place at the same meeting point. I quickly googled up some inspiration to muster some courage to stick to my decision, although I questioned my sanity a few times. Nevertheless, the men were super supportive all the way....much more than the ladies that later joined in actually. If you ever find yourself in such a situation, there is no need to shy away even if it's all men-event, just show up and go with the flow! After some more internal encouragement, off we cycled from the main road to the lush green tea farms and back to the main road. It was such an exhilarating experience!

5. You will encounter some lows and inconveniences – expect and make room for this mentally and take them in stride if/when they occur. We experienced some ‘adventures’, with my having to endure a double puncture just past midway the route. One of the other cyclists also needed to contend with a broken pedal towards the end. We had to carry find innovative ways to ferry our bikes, instead of the bikes carrying us….but we laughed as we appreciated the bumps instead of all smooth moments...after all, when you look back, what would life be without some shake-up resilience-building moments -  what we describe as down moments...I learned such a mindset perspective-shifting lesson!

Getting creative ferrying our 'injured' bikes -  the one on top 'nursing' a double puncture and the other one had a broken pedal (circled in red)

I would definitely encourage you to give cycling a try soon, even if it means learning to bike... and the answer next time would be 'I recently biked'👌

As I wind up, I realize there's more needed to sustain this hobby so that it can move beyond being a one-time event. Besides these few monthly or randomly organized cycling events, does anyone know of any more regular bike clubs you'd recommend in Nairobi and its environs ( preferably those catering for either advanced beginner or intermediate level and those venturing on off-road routes ... my superhero threshold levels do have limits😂)?