A month ago, I bought a cheap, used mountain bike. I’ve ridden it twice since then (or technically three times, counting the test ride after I bought it). Why did I go for a cheap bike? Well, I wasn’t sure I’d actually enjoy cycling. Turns out I do.
By the way, this is my second bike. My first one met a tragic end when I took a spill over the handlebars on a hill. That fateful crash was the end of my steel companion—dented wheels were the least of its problems. I tried fixing it myself, but only made things worse. Back then, I didn’t have the skills—or, more importantly, the internet.
Conquering the roads
With my second bike, I set myself a clear goal: I want to learn how to cycle on roads, not sidewalks. For one, cycling on sidewalks isn’t allowed by the rules. And besides, it’s much faster to ride on roads.
From noisy chains to game day
Thursday was a perfect day for cycling—10°C, clear skies, and a mild breeze. My route was from home to the township of Vysokyi. Why Vysokyi? I wanted to catch a football match between Metalist and ETM. Vysokyi is where Metalist’s training camp is located.
Two days before the game, I’d taken a ride around Kharkiv and noticed my bike chain was making odd noises, so I needed to oil it. I’d never done that before, so I turned to the internet for help. Half of Wednesday went to finding and buying oil and oiling the chain. The rest of the day I spent trying to adjust the transmission for better reliability—also a first for me. I didn’t finish it that day, so I had to continue on Thursday morning. Luckily, the game didn’t start until 4 p.m., so I planned to leave around 2.
By Thursday, I’d managed to get the bike somewhat fixed. I double-checked the chain and felt nearly ready to go, but… I realized the transmission was still acting up. Bloody buggering hell! I gave it a third try, and finally, it worked. The time was 3 p.m.—no problem; I could still catch the second half.
The journey: cycling to Vysokyi (almost)
I started cycling around 3:10. The distance to Vysoky was 25 km, so the round trip would be 50 km.
Obviously, I decided to stick to the sidewalks, as neither I nor my bike was road-ready. Why? First, I didn’t know traffic rules well enough (I didn’t even have a driver’s license). Second, I didn’t have reflectors or lights. I did have a helmet, but since I’d be using sidewalks anyway, I figured it was safe without it. I’m not an aggressive cyclist, either.
As I rode, I noticed that cyclists tend to attract attention here. I had a few random interactions along the way. But anyway, enough of these sentimental details. What about football? I’ll be honest—I didn’t make it to Vysoky, and I didn’t see the match. I cycled about 22 km and then realized it was about to rain. So, screw football—I decided not to get wet and dirty and turned back. Unfortunately, it rained anyway. I got soaked, covered in mud, and cold—all while wearing shorts.
That’s how far I got.
Cycling back was tough. I was exhausted. I’d already hit my second wind and was working on my third. Suddenly, the transmission problem popped up again. Gear shifts were clunky, making it really hard to ride uphill, so I had to dismount. But since I’m writing this, I made it home alive.
Lessons learned: roads, rain, and resilience
There are a lot of cyclists playing with fire on our roads. Riding in the dark without lights is practically asking for trouble. I also realized how awful sidewalks are for cycling here. The curbs are high, ramps are scarce, and the sidewalk asphalt quality is terrible. Still, despite everything, I enjoyed this little adventure.
Oh, and by the way, Metalist won: Metalist 6:0 ETM.