Cycling Enthusiast Diaries – How the journey began

Today’s article dedicates to people who have a passion for cycling. Read the exciting tale and trails of a passionate cycling enthusiast.

I got my first cycle in 7th std and loved cycling in the scorching heat of summer after getting back from school. I never left a chance of riding it. So I try to awaken my cycle bug in 2015 when I moved to Gurgaon. My office was 3Kms away, so I brought the cycle instead of the conventional petrol bike. To explore my stamina and interest, I didn’t opt for the expensive one.

I ordered Kross 26T K40 from Snapdeal, which looked macho, with the steel frame and dual shockers. Eighteen gears (3 gears in the front and 6 in the back) costs around 7K. Well, to my wonder, the back pain, which was awful from the past year, was vanishing after two weeks of cycling. I suffered from Osteophytes in the spine, which causes back pain in the prime 30s and is a disease of the 40s.

After that, I cycled daily for office commute around 6-8 Km and 15 Km over the weekends. Each ride in the mornings made me feel like Hawk expanding wings and taking long flights in open skies and my lungs embracing the fresh breeze. In addition, it allows me to have “MY TIME.” Cycling is like a meditation for me.

How Cycling madness got severe

On one beautiful Saturday, I planned a solo and longer ride from Dwarka to Gurgaon, 15 km on one side. It felt like a lot of stretches for the first time. It was 25th January 2015; Obama visited the national capital for Republic Day. India was ready to add another event in history, and I prepared myself to test my endurance. I reached Dwarka in 1 hour 15 minutes, which is 10km/hr. Like a snail on the ground. So, I took a lot of breaks, and upon return, my tailbone and inguen were aching severely. For lengthened cycling, one should use padded shorts to avoid hurting the significant groin area.

TIP IS: To evade severe pain from prolonged cycling, I bought all the necessary accessories like padded shorts, BTWIN Jersey, gloves, sipper, etc., from Decathlon. The next step was to join the riding group. Let’s edge up!!

What you thought I would give up on my madness, Naah, challenged me to push my boundaries further.

TIP IS: It is essential to ride with a group; support and morale get an instant boost. It was GFR-Gurgaon Fun Riders. Ten experienced cyclists will share ten different stories, and you will be weaving the 11th one.

Rides were limited to 30 Kms as the dual-frame cycle was draining all energy. The rear shocker gave enough bouncing to exhaust the body. It was a sign to upgrade the bicycle now!

Before the up-gradation of the bike, I wanted to be sure whether I could do long rides. So, I decided to have the 53Km ride in October 2015, which means an average speed of 13.6 km/hr completed in 5 hours. Though I was exhausted after the trip, I still decided to upscale the bike. Also, the madness and passion for cycling were increasing. I am not going to stop, dude!

The most challenging decision – Which Bike

There are umpteen numbers of options for buying a bicycle, and it was an eye-opener. There are three types of bikes- Road Bikes, Hybrid Bikes, and MTB(Mountain Terrain Bikes). I wanted to go for an MTB, as it was more masculine with thick tires and a sturdy frame hence fit for Indian roads.

It took a lot of research and finally landed upon Raleigh Terrain 10 with 26-inch wheel size. I bought the bike from Kamla Nagar Market and rode it back to my residence in Gurgaon, covering around 41Kms. My bike seller was amusingly flabbergasted.

I rode 303.3 km in the same month of purchase of a bike, which is December 2015, and gained about 1039 meters of elevation.

My First Longest Ride

Political Events made my journey more memorable, I covered significant distances on these events, as the pollution rate is less, and the roads are sparsely dense. When Delhi was making a new history, I was a proud contributor. 1st January 2016, the day Mr. Kejriwal had started the odd/even campaign, I decided that I will ride from my home in Mayur Vihar Phase-2, covering a distance of 36 Km. So, the total length was 72 km. I was riding at 19.2 km/hour. It was the longest ride, and I loved every bit of it. I saw people standing holding signboards saying, “I support odd/even, Create pollution-free Delhi.” I was encouraged as I was the benefactor. And entirely in love with my vehicle.

When Delhiites were busy exploring options for buying one and one odd four-wheeler at home, I felt proud to own my two-wheeler. My Raleigh Terrain is the best!

Outline of my cycling journey

1. 1. It started in January 2015.
   2. Moved to Raleigh Terrain in December 2015.
   3. Covered 863.5 Km in the First year of 2015.
   4. Covered close to 1500 Km in the second year 2016.
   5. I already covered 900 Kms in 6 months in the third year, targeting 3000 Kms for 2017. Everyone asks me why mad about cycling? I say them; this is my first love undiscovered till 2014. Now, I am not going to stop. It gave me great buddies who are fit and more aware. I have made several friends from different nations as my group is about cycling enthusiasts. The time when the cold fresh breeze oozes your face, that feeling of freshness only a cyclist can understand: my performance and output increases in my office. I am fit and look younger. Aah…. yeah, I can go on and on when it comes to my first love.

So guys, have your own story with your love! Join me in cycling or have any query regarding cycling tips we can discuss it. Yes, before I leave a few things I wish to say to everyone:

Let’s make Delhi bicycle-friendly with zero pollution guys:

1. No cycling lanes in the metros.
2. Motorists in metro cities don’t have a driving sense.
3. It can only ride in the early mornings in metro cities.
4. High Pollution levels.
5. We need to improve Bike2Work in metros to lower pollution levels and fitness.

So peeps! Explore the surroundings by cycling!!
Story compiled and Edited by Deepti Chawla – Storyofsouls.