When I was kid I always want to have a big car where I can living in. People call it "Living on Van", yea! That something that mostly adventurous person who love to be jumper want it so badly.
Until there is a time when I start to be called "ADULT" and my mom asked me if I want to buy a house or a car?
Then I said NO... I want to spend my money for an experience not a thing. She knows that I travel a lot like crazy, I could spend my whole life to leave a comfort zone and am OK to stay in a place far from home, meet new people, have a lot of life stories.
Growing up in Indonesia, mostly people depending on a car or motorbike to go anywhere even for a 5 km distance. You could get a license at 17, and most of us did it. If you don’t have your driver’s license, you’ll find yourself left out of events, asking your parents for rides, or navigating a near non-existent public transit infrastructure which are sometime is 'inconvenience' for most of Indonesian. So, no wonder all of peoples need (or wants) a car(s).
Source: Nick and Val Wheatley
TWO WHEELS, NO MATTER WHAT
When I lived in Bandung, I love to do cycling occasionally because Bandung has a lovely weather to do it and those hilly and the mountain are worth the sweat to be deal with. Until three years ago when I moved to Jakarta, I never thought that I will deal with a big city life and even commuting with bike because the weather and the people feels so crazy for me at that time. I knew the cycling culture would be intense going in, but what I wasn’t prepared for is how it would redefine my view of 'commuting' by bike until 2 years ago I move to Alam Sutera Tangerang.
Q
When the first time I moved there, all the signage says "BEST TOWN FOR WALK AND CYCLING", and I was wonder "Seriously???". Because of the weather I don't think that this town is best to do so. LOL.
Most of time I commute by grab, there is no convenience public transportation in Alam Sutera. It is pretty hard to get place to place especially in Alam Sutera. So last year I impulsively decided to buy one mountain bike in Decathlon because I consider want to go anywhere because I'm kind of a girl who love to say "You can go fast, but I can go everywhere". I named him 'TeeBee". I love him so freaking much because its so comfortable to ride and I can go anywhere with him. I promise to myself to commute anywhere I go with him. Yes, I committed to my self and TeeBee at least I decrease intensity of using Grab/ Gojek/ Taxi, unless its urgent and I have no choice.
TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE PLANET
Most of people do a lot of campaign to save the earth or preserve the planet BUT they are so lazy to walk, cycling, or using mass public transportation because it is so hot and takes time to do so especially for urban people in a big Cities in Indonesia.
Cities around the world are grappling with ever-increasing amounts of traffic, and traditionally the solution to this problem was always build more roads. I believe it’s time to change that mindset: cars are a luxury, not a right. We should treat them as such. People, and the planet, need that to happen.
Riding did such an amazing thing, it is reduces air pollutants (walking and biking emit no greenhouse gases). Reduces noise pollution and congestion. Reduces the need for new parking lots and roadways. Saves valuable green space from development. So can you imagine if 50% of people inside the city cycling to AT LEAST COMMUTE to work or for groceries?
Are you guys still wanna show to your grand children this kind of view?
I NEVER WANT A CAR EVEN MORE
Since I living here, I realize that I love to enjoy the sunshine more often, commute everywhere, aware to my surrounding because I didn't go too fast yet too slow, move my body, sweating, get tan line, and produce endorphin a lot which definitely makes my mentality better and happy everyday.
I never believe that just because of a bicycle, I feel so much better than before, physically yet mentally. Realized that cycling is not only fun and a great way to lead a healthy lifestyle, it can also be a key of social change, it can be shaping the future of humanity.
I seriously in love again with cycling. Exactly a same feeling when I was elementary school, my dad bough me a nice cute yellow pastel bike with a basket. Start from it I said to my dad to stop sent me to school because I want to ride my bike (FYI, my parents decided to move my school that closer to our house, to make them easier to sent/pick me up or manage the time, so no issues to riding, right? LOL) and yes I rode the bike almost everyday and I still remember I am happiest girl on earth once I riding my bike, even at that time my parents kind of worry to the only one (and naughtiest) daughter ever so sometimes they let me rode my bike but they are behind me to stalk LOL.
I know TeeBee is not my first bike but TeeBee is a starter of my happy machine after so long, the things that I regret is I completely stopped riding 7 years ago. And I promise to myself that will never happen again.
“Ride as much or as little, as long or as short as you feel. But ride”
- Eddy Merckx, Belgian road cycling legend
