Bike #1
The stars didn't fall today; Friday, October 23
I met one of my bike instructors by chance the other day and it reminded me that I actually blogged about my bike journey, starting from the fourth stage so.. I'll be releasing snippets of it. Here you go, stage 4.01 and the eventual 4.02 exactly a year ago. It took me three tries and it was the scariest stage I've ever encountered *deep sigh* I still hate going around roundabouts and I do it on an almost daily basis in school *deeper sigh* All the way until the TP test, I was still making a wide turn upon my exit from the course lulz.
23/9: Went for my first 4.01. This course was for the S course and the crank course. I did terribly. To pass, I have to get under 11 seconds for the S course and 6 seconds for the crank. I thought I'd be fine but I started getting scared that the bike was tilting too much. So I'd actually close throttle and slow down a lot so my timing was just terrible. I managed to improve in my timing but ya Allah, my exits and sharp turns got worse and worse. I'd make a wide turn and almost collide with another vehicle. I even ran into the kerb and onto the grass at one point. Lol? But that wasn't just it. I've fallen a lot of times over the last 5 months while doing my practical. So falling wasn't something I was unfamiliar with. But falling and getting a slight graze on my right arm was a first. Allah..
23/9: Went for my first 4.01. This course was for the S course and the crank course. I did terribly. To pass, I have to get under 11 seconds for the S course and 6 seconds for the crank. I thought I'd be fine but I started getting scared that the bike was tilting too much. So I'd actually close throttle and slow down a lot so my timing was just terrible. I managed to improve in my timing but ya Allah, my exits and sharp turns got worse and worse. I'd make a wide turn and almost collide with another vehicle. I even ran into the kerb and onto the grass at one point. Lol? But that wasn't just it. I've fallen a lot of times over the last 5 months while doing my practical. So falling wasn't something I was unfamiliar with. But falling and getting a slight graze on my right arm was a first. Allah..
24/9: Went back again for 4.01. This time round, I didn't fall alhamdulillah but oh dear God, I hate the crank course with all of my guts and then some. I'm still a fail when it comes to changing gears early and I'm still doing wide turns though I'd like to think I'm getting slightly better.
15/10: I passed my 4.01 after the third time and I sustained worse injuries than the first one. What's a graze compared to very bruised knees with a scrape on one? *dry laughter* Two weeks after that, I went for 4.02 and my knees were still hurting. I went for 4.02 with a lot of fears. It was revision around the circuit and I basically feared all of them. My very last thoughts before entering the bike room was "와 마리얌아 넌 미친나봐" (because no one says "you must be crazy" with as much impact as the Koreans do) but miraculously, I managed to keep my butt on the seat and my bike off the kerb and passed everything in one go. Yesssssa Alhamdulillah!