Pedalling to a better world

The Montra Tour of Nilgiris was to encourage more people to take up cycling more seriously

December 26, 2014 08:23 pm | Updated December 29, 2014 08:23 pm IST - COIMBATORE

Wheels of change: Participants of Montra  Tour want to sensitise the people on environment

Wheels of change: Participants of Montra Tour want to sensitise the people on environment

Eighty one cyclists (seven women and 10 international riders), recently sped through Coimbatore’s busy roads, dodging honking vehicles, busy pedestrians and curious chai-wallahs. They were returning after having cycled up the Nilgiris from Bangalore over a gradient of 1,200 meters. They negotiated 36 hairpin bends, and spent a day in the hills, covering 97 kms. They are part of the Montra Tour of Nilgiris 2014, organised by Bangalore based Ride-A-Cycle Foundation. They cycled to Palakkad from here where they rested for a day before proceeding to Munnar, where they wound up their eight-day long cyclothon.

Coimbatore came on the fourth day of their journey. “This has been the ride of a life time,” said Misha Gill from Bangalore. “It rained while we were riding in Ooty. It was beautiful.”

The water falls, flowers, mist-capped mountains… the vistas were overwhelming, said Ganesh Kumar from Coimbatore, a software professional working in California. “I had to stop near the waterfall and to enjoy a minute of silence.” “This is the first time that I am visiting these areas on my cycle. Nilgiris is one of the most beautiful cycling terrains in the country.”

An avid cyclist, Ganesh, who cycles regularly in California said amateurs would have found the going tough. “The ride uphill to Kalahatty was especially arduous. And the visibility was nil, with the fog shrouding our vision. But, it was one of the most thrilling parts of the expedition.”

 The journey past Bandipur National Park in Karnataka had its share of drama and excitement. Said Sridhar Pabisetty, the co-founder of RAC-F. “When we reached the park, the guards warned us that a tigress was on the prowl looking for her lost cub. They advised us to back off.”

Even though the big cats did not oblige them with their presence, a few migratory birds and a herd of spotted deer greeted them near the park, recalled Hem, a recruitment consultant from Ahmadabad. He was smitten by the lush terrain. “I find South India beautiful. It was green all around. And, Ooty was fabulous.”

Many of the participants were professional cyclists, heading cycling clubs in their home towns. For instance, Samir Shah and his wife Hemal Shah, have dedicated their time and energy into promoting cycling in their city. “We want to motivate people to cycle. We conduct workshops where professional teach us how to choose cycles, the right way to ride and so on. Cycling has to be taken more seriously in India,” said Hemal.

The cyclists also had those who were raising money for a cause. Gangadhar Balija, an Infosys professional from Bangalore said, “I am raising funds for the Government Blind School, Hindpur, my home town in Andhra Pradesh. And my cycling club is also actively involved in this initiative.” His club, Thunderbolt Cycling Club has 60 techies. “Because of the nature of our jobs, we are prone to stress-related ailments. That’s why we decided to cycle; to lead a healthy life style. It was a hobby initially, but now it is a craze. We plan weekend cycling trips in and around Bangalore.”

 The idea behind the long-distance cyclothon was to revive the culture of cycling in the country, and spread awareness about its benefits. Cycling would have a positive impact on health, environment, tourism and traffic.

A certified mountaineer and an enthusiastic cyclist, Sridhar said, “Cycling is not just about fitness. It is also about sensitizing the world to Nature conservation. And, many participants told me that even though they have visited Ooty before, they never enjoyed it as much as they did during this trip.”

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