Noida is better for cycling than Delhi – it’s greener, more peaceful: Preeti Chauhdary, Noida’s long-distance cyclist

At first glance, Noida resident Preeti Chaudhary comes across as any of the thousands of working professionals in the city. But the HR professional, who juggles work and her family, has another side to her – she’s an accomplished long-distance cyclist. Preeti, who took up cycling only two years back so as to beat boredom, has recently become the first person from the NCR to win the title of ‘Super Randonneur’, a rare long-distance cycling feat in which one has to complete rides of 200, 300, 400 and now 600 kilometers in a single season.Talking about how she got the motivation to embark on such a gruelling journey, Preeti says, "I got to know that something like this exists only last year – you complete a set of achievements and get a medal and certificate. I thought, why not do something which can get me a memento or a medal, so that one day, when I stop cycling, I will have it as a memory?"
Braving dehydration, sleep deprivation and malfunctions along the way
The Noida resident started with a brevet of 200km in December 2015, following it up with 400km in March. She says, "I didn’t cycle in January and February because of professional commitments, so I did the 400km one before the 300km. I figured that after doing the longer run, the 300km would be easier, but as it turned out, the 300km was the toughest of the lot. I guess it was because I wasn’t taking it that seriously and wasn’t prepared properly. A little bit of overconfidence had also crept in. I was dehydrated most of the time during that ride, but somehow I managed to cross the finish line about 15 minutes before the cut-off time."
Preeti says that even though the 300km brevet was tough, nothing prepares one for the physical demands of the 600km ride, which she undertook in October. "The biggest challenge during the 600km ride was doing it alone, as I had no pre-decided partner with me. Usually, for long distance rides, one should have a partner for safety and health reasons. But since I couldn’t find anyone, I decided to proceed alone," she says. During the 600km ride, Preeti faced several challenges. "My pedal broke after the 300km mark, and my derailer stopped working too. Due to that I couldn’t switch gears. If it wasn’t for the help from other riders – who got my bike repaired – I would have had to drop out,” she recounts. Preeti says she had to forego sleep and rest in order to complete the ride within the stipulated 40-hour cut-off time. She says, "I slept for barely a few hours during the 38-hour ride, and had to endure some nasty drops in mercury at night. Towards the end, I had to keep talking to myself just to keep myself motivated."
Started cycling to beat boredom
Preeti started cycling in 2014 when she joined the Noida Cycling Club. She says that back then, she had never thought that she would be completing such a massive achievement one day. The Sector 31 resident says, "I started cycling just to get out of my boring daily routine. I’ve been based in Noida all my life, but had to travel a lot for work. But two years ago, I was doing some work that meant that I’d be in the city for a few years. So I decided to start cycling to keep myself busy, as I didn’t have many friends here. I never thought that in such a short time, it would lead to something this big, especially because I have never been a sportsperson or into fitness." Recounting her first ride two years ago, she says, "My first ride was something like 28km, and I thought I’d never be able to match these guys (the rest of the cyclists in the club). It was a gradual process that led me here, aided by support and advice from other riders from Noida."
Noida’s cycling culture needs to catch up to Delhi’s
Even though Noida is considered the most cycling-friendly city in the NCR, with several kilometers of dedicated cycling tracks, Preeti says it does not have a cycling culture, something that Delhi does. She elaborates, "As compared to Delhi, I think Noida is still a little behind when it comes to a cycling culture. It has groups and good riders too, but more needs to be done.” However, she is quick to add the positive aspects of cycling in Noida. "The good thing about Noida is that it is greener and more peaceful for cycling. The Expressway is a great place to do your practice rides because you always run into seasoned professional riders there. I have met the national team, the Railways team and several national cyclists there. Interacting and cycling with them always teaches you a thing or two."
What is Randonneuring?
Randonneuring is considered one of the ultimate tests of stamina and endurance in cycling. To be called a ‘Super Randonneur’, a cyclist must complete brevets of 200km, 300km, 400km and 600km in one season (between November and the following October). All the brevets are to be done within a stipulated time to be considered completed. The season is a part of the Brevet des Randonneurs (BRMs), sanctioned by ACP France, the world’s governing body for long-distance cycling. Preeti finished the four brevets in the recently concluded 2015-16 season.