It’s not uncommon to see a group of cyclists heading towards the outskirts of the City, especially during weekends. For a variety of reasons, more and more Bangaloreans are taking to the activity, either in groups or going solo. Metrolife speaks to some regular cyclists to discover the source of this passion.
Four years ago, Dipankar Paul bought a cycle to commute the 15 kilometres to his office. After bumping into another passionate cyclist, he started joining different clubs for long weekend rides of 100 kilometres or more. That was when cycling became such a craze in his life that he bought a better cycle and organised a nine-day-long South India cycle tour. Since then, there’s been no looking back.
“The driving force has been the fun, freedom and independence from sitting inside a boxed motor vehicle. The fun of cycling through the beautiful roads in France, the majestic Himalayas or the wonderful Western Ghats is unmatched, when compared to a motorised travel,” shares Dipankar, who recently completed a tour of the Nilgiris. “Even in the City, cyclists zips through traffic faster than most other drivers. And it’s eco-friendly! I am happy to reduce my carbon footprint the best I can,” he adds.
What is next on the cards for him? “I trained and completed an event called ‘Iron Man’ in France, which consists of a 3.8-kilometre swim, 180-kilometre cycle race and a full marathon of 42.195 kilometres — to be completed within 16 hours. This year, I’m participating in a similar event in Zurich, Switzerland for the third consecutive year,” he notes proudly.
While the passion for the sport varies from person to person, it’s often the same story for most cyclists. Rohan Kini is a cyclist who owns ‘BumsOnTheSaddle’, a bicycling store that does a lot for the cycling community. “Long-distance riding (more than 100 kilometres) is just catching on. Most folks tend to look at good bicycles for weekend riding and commuting. In fact, commuting, as a segment, is starting to get strong with lots of folks opting to cycle to work,” he informs. Why do people take up cycling? “To have fun, save money, get fit, get to work faster, do something cool or even get into competitive racing,” he answers.
For Neelima, a young professional, it seems to be a quick and simple way to address her occasional bouts of wanderlust. “As a traveller, I find cycling to be a wonderful way to explore new places. The slow pace gives me enough time to look around, soak in the beauty and observe things that might have gone unnoticed otherwise,” she says, noting that she prefers riding through forests and mountains. “In the past, I have cycled to hill-stations like Munnar, Ooty, Mullyangiri and Madikeri and through forest reserves like Bandipur, Mudumalai, Bhadra and Chinar in Karnataka and Kerala,” adds the young cyclist.
For her, cycling goes beyond being an enjoyable sport. “The rush of cycling downhill and the awesome feeling of cycling in the rain are reasons enough for me to take out the cycle whenever I can,” she wraps up with a smile.