So it's actually true what they say: It's like riding a bike...once you learn, you'll never forget.

I rode a bicycle today for the first time in about 10 years. The last bike I ever owned was given to me by my parents for my 11th birthday. It was a red Mongoose boys bike. I hadn't ridden one since because my high school was too far from my house for me to ride to school. When I went to college in the city, I didn't need a bike because everything was walking distance or accessible through public transportation.

Here at Oxford, it's a different story. I no longer have my free San Francisco bus pass and I don't have a car. It's pretty much a bike town here. Everywhere you go, you can see cyclists zipping in and out of alleyways. Next to the bigger colleges, you can see racks full of bikes hastily chained to fences.

I was a bit reluctant to get a bike when I got here because I was too intimidated by the little one-way streets and the whole driving-on-the-opposite-side-of-the-road thing. I just walked everywhere instead. But lately, I've been looking for a bike to cut down on my walking time.

I answered a few ads and found a bike this morning for only 25 pounds! It's a decent city bike with a wicker basket included. I was skeptical at first because most of the other used bikes were about 60 pounds and new city bikes are well over 150 pounds. It turns out the guy selling it was selling it for his mom who no longer needs it because she moved to London. So I think he was just trying to get rid of it.

I'm pretty happy with it so far. I was a bit nervous riding it at first. I kept expecting to fall over or get hit by something, but I think my guardian angel was looking out for me because I made it home in one piece. I rode my bike for by the river for a couple of hours and took it to the other side of town to the library. It felt pretty good at the time, but I'll admit that I'm feeling quite sore now! I guess my body's just in shock that I actually got a bit of exercise today.