How did you start biking?
I learned to ride when I was 10 to visit my relatives and buy snacks from the nearest convenience store. I only took it seriously after I started my own online retail business seven years ago. I had to go to the post office to deliver packages every day, and because my house was only 2km away, biking was the best option. Even then I didn’t ride more than 10km per day.
What inspired you to go to the next level?
Before I joined V-Team, I had never gone beyond 20km a day. The other bikers on Pantip regularly went for 100km trips, which inspired me. On my first real trip, I went for 100km. I was neither prepared nor physically fit for it; jumping from 20 to 100km in just one day was too much for my muscles. It was exhausting. My bum hurt like hell.
Is that your proudest biking experience?
Absolutely. I wasn’t prepared at all and didn’t think I could make it. I just went slow, enjoying the scenery, not knowing when my strength was going to run out. Things got tougher when I entered Bangna-trad; there was so much dust and so many cars coming my way. I didn’t stop anywhere. I had no destination in mind, just the road.
Do you have a biking goal?
No. I just want to exercise and reduce my cholesterol level, which is higher than normal and has decreased significantly already. I also want to keep outperforming myself in terms of distance, but now I’m happy with my 300km around Khao Yai.
How did your bike become the “legendary housewife’s bike”?
I posted about my 159km trip to buy khao lam (bamboo rice treat) in Nong Mon market on Pantip just for laughs. I didn’t expect people to be so impressed. Honestly, it wasn’t so much impressive as unprecedented, as most people don’t like to be seen riding one. It doesn’t look cool. I don’t even like it. It doesn’t have any charm; it’s just cheap. You get a little more tired riding it when you go on a long trip, that’s it. Cheap and expensive bikes aren’t that different; it’s all a matter of taste.
Ever been in an accident?
As we all know, the roads in Bangkok really suck. One night, my bike hit a really nasty bump on the road. It was actually my fault; I was inexperienced and riding too close to the cars to see the bump in front of me. All I’m asking for are smooth and flat roads, but it’s not like anything’s going to change. I’m not surprised that people don’t bike in Bangkok, what with how the roads are, people’s road rage and bad traffic.
What do you love most about biking?
These days many people live a rushed life and they miss out on a lot. Going slow affords me the opportunity to see and appreciate things that I normally don’t pay attention to. It’s these little things in life that make it worthwhile.
