Thulp. Thadak. Thump. He’s slumped against the handle bar, acutely aware of every little bump on the road. He’s stretching his back more than he should and at 65, that could be quite a strain. He’s been in the same posture for over an hour, but for Arun Krishnan who wishes to compete in a triathlon, this is nothing. “This is not a sport where you bother about comfort, it’s more about endurance,” he explains.
His cleats are clipped onto the pedal, his watch is monitoring his heart beat and the cadence sensor on the wheel even tells him how many times he’s peddled. As he gets to the ECR stretch, he gradually picks up momentum. He goes faster and faster till he’s riding at 65 kmph, with the wind in his face, his helmet making sure his hair stays in place. It’s exciting, it’s exhilarating and he absolutely loves riding his new bicycle.
“Somebody said I’ve practically bought speed,” says Arun, who owns a Scot Plasmas 10, a cycle completely made out of carbon, making it weightless and giving the rider the luxury of speed. It comes at a cost though, and Arun says it costs more than a compact car would. With the focus on fitness, many outdoor activities have been picking up in the city over the past few years. Even as the number of people who take up cycling gradually increases, there are many more who are willing to go a step further and invest in high-end models. Suhail Ahmed, founder of choosemybicycle.com, explains, “These bicycles have better quality components that are long lasting and more comfortable. A lot of R&D and tech also goes into their manufacturing.”
With high end cycles, it is important to find the one that fits the rider best, because there are cycles for different terrains and the wrong fit can cause many aches and pains. Suresh Kumar, member of Tamil Nadu Cycling Club (TCC) and owner of retail outlet Probiker, says it is people mostly in the age group of 30-45 who make this investment, though he still has customers outside this age group who are willing to spend on their bicycles.
Thirteen-year-old Hussain Surti started cycling for fun two years ago, but when he realised how much he loved it, he bought the Focus road bike, to enter a higher level of cycling and compete in races. Cycling through traffic, however, is not an easy task. “Evenings I’d never risk it,” he says, seriously. “I can go by myself in the mornings, but my parents don’t allow it.” Instead, he straps his bike to a trainer at home, making it stationary and cycles inside the house to work on his stamina. Over the weekend, he takes his bike out and sometimes rides all the way to Mahabalipuram, with his driver tailing him to make sure he’s safe.
When he’s on the road, he’s likely to see many familiar faces, because the cycling community is a small and a close-knit one. One of the usually recognised faces would be that of 20-year-old Sachin Krishna Rao, who owns eight cycles in total, including a unicycle. The best of the lot, however, is the Cervelo S5, known as the world’s fastest and lightest bike. He rides with the group Mad Rascals and says there are six other people in his team who use the same model.
Sachin started cycling in 2011 so that he could lose weight. Today, not only has he got fitter, he has also found his passion and made many close friends along the way. Every day, he cycles for a minimum of 60 km or a maximum of 150 km with his team, training for races which take place all over India.
Not all those who use high-end cycles are looking to compete in races though. Some, like Aparna Rajkumar, are ecologically conscious and are looking for a fun activity to keep fit. “It’s a non-impact sport and it works for me since I’m pushing 40,” says Aparna, who cycles to work as a step towards being more eco-friendly. She often cycles with members of the TCC and together, they keep a tab on their health and how much fuel they save.
Her bike, the Brompton M3L is “the Rolls Royce of folding bikes and completely handmade”. It is compact and weights only 12 kg, making it easy to carry around. “Tomorrow if the metro rail is up and running, there’ll be nothing like it. I won’t have to worry about parking anywhere,” she says happily.
The efficiency of such bikes is definitely superior, but ultimately, it all boils down to the skill and fitness level of the person riding the bike. Many don’t mind paying for quality, and are willing to shell out money for a faster, lighter ride. There are many benefits to cycling, and from the looks of it, many more to cycling with a higher end model.
