Fifty Surtis take up 100 days of cycling challenge

SURAT: Even as Tour de France makes global news in stage nine, locally, Surtis are talking about the 100-day cycling challenge organised by the LifeCyclingGreen club. "We began on June 1 this year. Fifty members are in the loop. The target is to complete 100 days of riding in a span of four months. Each ride has to be a minimum of 10 kilometres and compulsorily tracked on the Endomondo GPS tracker to qualify for the final count.The target is to complete 1000 kilometres and participants are allowed to choose their own routes and areas. One can even cycle to school, college, work and shopping to qualify. The idea is to ride regularly, cycling being a low-impact enjoyable exercise for people of all ages it is fun, cheap and environment-friendly," says Jignesh Modi, one of the founding members of LCG.
While all participants, who complete the challenge will be awarded prizes and certificates for cycling enthusiasts the challenge is non-competitive but rather with their own selves. Jagdish Italiya has already covered 1700 kilometres and trying to target 4000 kilometres by the end of 100 days. "I took this opportunity as a means to lose weight. I went on a strict diet and cycled. I began at 85 kgs. Today, I weigh 76 kgs. I begin my ride at 5.30 and target at least 35 kilometres of Surat darshan. Piplod-Adajan-Bhatha- NGC-Dumas and back."
Falak Gandhi, 26, took up the challenge for the love of cycling where as Nimisha Yogesh Patel took it up to spend some fun time with her spouse. "I am on my 43rd day of the challenge and love every single second of it. Every day, after seeing my son off to school at 6.30 am, my husband and I head towards VIP Road and I cover at least 12 kilometres. He has even modified an old BSA model and converted it into a double-seater, and we share it sometimes."
Yogesh Patel, LCG's founding member took team members to a Tour de Dang' on Sunday, and said, "Seventy-five of us aged between 11 and 55 years cycled from Ahwa to Pampa Sarovar to cover a distance of about 38 kms. We also visited the legendary Sabri Dham at Chamak Dungar' hill, where Shabari is believed to have offered berries to Lord Ram, and Pampa Sarovar lake. It is interesting to mingle cycling with sightseeing."