JOIN USIt’s often said, ‘Happiness is to ride a bicycle and feel the wind on your left cheek’. With a chaotic traffic to deal on a daily basis, getting one’s cycle out and being in control can definitely put a smile on one’s face. And there are many Bengalureans who do that at the drop of a hat if not regularly.
For Alicia Souza, an illustrator, owning a bicycle after many years was a thrilling experience. Not having ridden a cycle since childhood, the brand new cycle once again brought out the child in her.
She explains, “It is so much fun to be your own motor and moving. I also realised that I was so unfit after my first ride! I always found it cute when the children in my neighbourhood would walk with their cycle up to the peak point. However, when I rode up there, I realised how difficult it is to actually do it.”
It’s been just a month since she purchased the bicycle but she says she’s having fun.
“I don’t use it for my commute as it’s not that easy to ride in the city. But I roam around in my neighbourhood and sometimes even take it to go buy groceries. I thought it would be a good idea to take my dog, Charlie, for his walk while I’m riding but that just turned into a disastrous event. When I was pedalling, he thought I was running and he would move faster, making things difficult for me, or his leash could get tangled in the cycle,” she laughs.
She’s now planning to take her bicycle to the Cubbon Park this weekend. Alicia is not the only one. There are many who cycles during their weekends. Karthik Jannu, a professional, loves waking up every Saturday morning and get pedalling with his friend, Sai Nidhish.
They initially started cycling to short distances from where they are staying, like Cubbon Park and Lalbagh, but ever since they switched over to geared cycles, they are covering longer distances too. Karthik says, “I bought my bicycle six years ago because I love cycling. I wanted to explore and keep myself fit. I cycle to the gym and that would be my cardio workout for the day. It’s a very good workout practice for your body, especially the lower body and core muscles.”
He is, however, disappointed that the city is not cycle-friendly at all. “Cycling infrastructure is in a bad shape and it’s scary to ride as other drivers don’t care much about traffic rules.
There’s also no dedicated cycling lanes and parking facilities. With the growing traffic and mounting pollution problems in the city, I wish the government would improve the infrastructure so that many could cycle to work. Thus we can reduce the traffic congestion and carbon footprints.”
Satish Addanki, the director of ‘ridepositive.com’, has been riding his bicycle for the past five years. He says, “I started cycling because I was overweight. Since I am 50 years old, running wasn’t advisable. I chose cycling because I know it gives me the best of both worlds. I’m proud to say that I am a fit man now and I love cycling. Even if it is not for fitness, I take my cycle out for a ride at least three to four times a week.”
With cycling become a popular choice amongst Bengalureans these days, knowingly or unknowingly, they are staying healthy. Most of them start with a short ride and move on to longer ones. But the only wish they have is to make the roads cycle- friendly.