Wednesday 16 December 2009

I Learnt With Laurence!

I've always imagined there might be a few followers of this blog who also can't ride a bike. However, I never expected to find out about their personal stories, let alone for one of them to contact me.

Well, I was wrong, one girl who has been enjoying my blog for a while approached me and told me about her own experiences learning to ride. This is her story:

                                              TIFF

Tiffany Fletcher is 22-years-old and hasn't been near a bike for seven years!

Tiff told me: "When I was 4 I could ride a bike, it was a junior sized bike at nursery. However, one day when I was 8 or 9 I went to get on a bike and I just couldn't ride it... they say you never forget how to ride a bike. Well I did!

"For the next few years I managed to get out of biking situations, I used the 'I am a girl, I don't want to get dirty' line for years. It wasn't until I started dating that biking situations got more difficult to get out of.

"When boyfriends found out I couldn't ride a bike it became their mission to be the one to teach me, this usually ended up in an arguement because I am basically unteachable.

"I get so nervous that I'm going to fall off I usually start crying and beg them to never try to teach me again.... and I never normally cry over stupid stuff like that.

"Yet I have helped teach my nieces and nephew on tricycles by teaching them to pedal, but for me it just never happened...

"Learn With Laurence has made me realise that it really is a taboo subject and that by not learning how to ride a bike, we felt different from everyone else.

"But it is so good to know that there are other people on the same boat (or bike rather) like me. And with a little encouragement, and a push in the right direction, they could probably still learn to ride a bike too.

"Your blog is an inspiration because we follow you through every biking step you take, the falls and the tumbles and all the other pitfalls inbetween. I am just glad you had the guts to admit it."
Can you ride a bike? Are you learning with the help of my blog? Or just plain enjoying it?

Maybe I should think about making some 'I Learned With Laurence' T-Shirts... or would that be too cheesy?

Look out for some more learners sharing their stories soon!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

i would definatgely buy an "i learnt with laurence" t-shirt but can blates already ride a bike (dont mean to rub it in) but regardless of talent i would still wear the t-shirt!
loving the blog, tres amusant!

KirstyJBourne said...

i couldn't ride a bike until i was about 10..and am pretty naff at it still. I fall off if so much as a rock is in my way!!

Great blog btw <3 fab idea!!

keep up the hard work =)

Emma! said...

I am so pants at riding a bike!

i havn't got on a bike since I was about eight and even then I was rubbish! I would be far too scared to ride alongside traffic anyway!

Love the blog!
Good luck riding

Tom Foster said...

Just wanted to say laurence that you have done so well with your blog it has been really interesting to read. Keep up the good work!

Anonymous said...

Lol. mate you're a joke.