Ouch.

My mama got me a Dublin City Bikes card for Christmas, cause she loves me, I don't think she realised that the bikes would soon become my enemy that I have to overcome before I can relax again. 4 bike rides, 50% fall rate. That's right, in the last 2 weeks I have fallen off my bike twice. Once on Dawson Street, stupid potholes, which wasn't so bad, didn't really hurt myself or anything.

More recently on Harcourt Street, in the middle of the Luas tracks. Turns out they are notoriously slippy & not a good idea to ride on. The last time I fell off my bike in such a manner I was maybe 2 feet high. Bruised swollen knees, scraped shins & a hurt ego are the order of the day.

I have a love/hate relationship with bicycles. When we were growing up we got all our cousins hand-me-down bikes, but they were great, we lived in the Burren & were the only kids that had a BMX. My first bike was red & orange, & I still remember the day my Dad took the stabilizers off, at first he would only let me cycle around the house, but that evening he took me for a bike ride up the road. As he sped ahead with my Brother, the dog, loyal as ever, stayed with me.

I was tottering along at my own pace, but kept falling off as I was talking to the dog. I got very annoyed & left the beautiful bicycle in the ditch, walked home & refused to go back & get it.

Ever since I have battled to overcome my foe.

I have cycled consistently ever since, as in Clare if you don't own a car (which I don't) you cycle or walk everywhere. Even when I got hit by a car on my bike during my leaving cert I kept on trucking.

I will succeed.

Dublin City Bikes - 2

Sizzy - 0