This story is from April 5, 2016

Mumbai’s night riders

Mumbai’s night riders
File photo
MUMBAI: The sun goes down, the stars come out. And all that counts, is here and now,” says Kirti Rudra, an avid night cyclist from Bandra, who explains how Mumbai has taken to night cycling like never before. They scout the city roads late at night as the traffic lessens. With their bikes, they speed around the bylanes of South Mumbai to catch a glimpse of its nightlife in a different light.
Mumbai’s nightriders as we call them, are an enthusiastic brigade of both young and old who explore the city on their bicycles, an unusual tour that starts a little before midnight and ends at dawn.
Kirti further adds, “I’ve been cycling at night for about five years now and every time, I experience a new side of Mumbai. Be it people stopping at Marine Drive for cutting chai or early morning lovebirds at Bandstand — it’s a really fun ride.”
Avni Rangaokar, a member of a group that organises midnight cycling tours around Mumbai, says that night is the only time when it’s fun to tour the city on bicycles.
“We conduct two types of cycling tours — the Coastal ride that tours through Colaba, Marine Drive, Girgaon Chowpatty, Worli Seaface, Haji Ali, Mahim Dargah and Bandra Bandstand. The Heritage ride covers Gateway of India, Nariman Point, Breach Candy, Haji Ali, Flora Fountain and Rajabhai Chowk.” Cyclists as young as 12 years old to older people have been a part of these rides that begin at 11.30 pm and end at 5 am.
Another cycling group started by Rishi Shah, Falak Parikh and Saurabh Punamiya, all in their early twenties, is the youngest of all the groups. “We love travelling, my friends Rishi and Saurabh have cycled across Europe, while I have cycled in some parts of US (Niagara and Buffalo regions). It is the most exciting thing to do, hence we thought why not do something as interesting in Mumbai, so that the maximum city too can tap the global cycling culture. One of the best ways to relax yourself after the tiring chaotic life of the city is cycling,” says Falak.

Harsh reality
Although midnight cycling around South Mumbai is a trend among people of all age groups in the city, Mumbai is not encouraging enough for real cycling — be it to work, institutes or just as a way of life. While we all rave about lifestyle changes that we need to implement for a green living, Mumbai doesn’t really have a great cycling culture we can boast of. Being one of the pre-requisites to qualify for a smart city, the city does not even have proper cycling tracks.
Saurabh Gupta, who travels within the city on a cycle says, “Cycling in Mumbai is life surfing.” He further adds, “There are so many bumps and traffic, which make the ride a really tough one.” However, one thing that Saurabh vouches for is that Mumbaikars make way for cyclists and also help them get through traffic. He adds, “Mumbai is my favourite city for cycling. Traffic cops wave up and are extremely encouraging when it comes to cycling in the city.”
In fact, autowallahs too are very helpful and lend cyclists a hand while they are stuck in traffic.
Only track in Mumbai
The Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) is the only place which has cycling tracks as well as a dedicated parking space for cycles. However, there are narrow barbed wire drain covers next to the track, which is risky, as cycle tyres usually get stuck in those drains.
Moreover, the lanes marked for cyclists are always occupied by cars, which make it difficult for them to ride freely.
Gupta travels from Powai to Colaba on a regular basis and takes about 55 minutes to an hour one way to cover 75 km. However, he warns that one should avoid dangerous paths like highways, as the traffic during peak time is not for amateur riders.
While another cyclist from the city Nikunj Vora, adds that there are a few thumb rules that cyclists in the city must abide by. “They must wear a helmet, while riding and cycles should be equipped with proper lights, especially if you are a frequent night-rider. Moreover, gloves give you a good grip, which will help you get a smoother way around the city. The challenges during monsoon are slightly more as the roads are bad, and there are several pot holes which result in punctured tyres and damaged bikes,” says Vora.
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