My aunt has recently started taking bike riding lessons in north west London. She is nearly 50 and with her husband, they are learning a new skill together.
Her instructor says that most of his current clients are Asian women between 40 and 50 who have never learnt to ride a bike. For most of these women, they never had access to bikes, only boys did. When they were children, girls from good families weren’t seen on bikes; it wasn’t elegant.
However, in modern day England and in modern India, everyone is riding bikes. It is an effective means of transport and elegance doesn’t even factor into it.
Their reason for starting these lessons is because their husbands and children go off on their bikes and they are left at home doing household chores and getting the lunch or dinner ready. This makes me very sad as I enjoy going on bike rides through the woods that we live near with my children and husband. We go out as a family and spend quality time together. I would hate to be left behind to do the housework. I wouldn’t want my kids to have that impression of me.
I am delighted that these women have taken on learning how to ride a bike so that they can join in their family activity. At an older age, it isn’t easy to learn a skill and the falls are so painful. It has also made me wonder what other skills out there people weren’t able to learn because of lack of access or that they were women.. ….Swimming may have been one.
Bunty
The Chatterjis Blog 