A ‘super rider’ on the pedal bike, K.D. Leju’s cycling exploits belie his age and humble social footing.
He rides the bike with panache and dishes up an ethnic culinary delicacy at his modest teashop at Perumpadanna, near North Paravur, in his more ordinary avatar.
At 51, the biker is part of a group of five cyclists setting out to do a 1,000-km non-stop rally in 75 hours flat from Saturday!
The Brevet, as the event is known in cycling parlance, is organised by the Cochin Bikers Club, an associate of Audax India Randonneurs (AIR), which is affiliated to the French Audax Club Parisien.
Newspaper report
In hindsight, it was a sense of purpose that drove Leju, Lenin to the neighbourhood, to roll away on his first cycle with gear some four years ago.
A newspaper report on the health benefits of cycling gave him the thrust to invest in a bike that cost him Rs.12,000. His present bike came at Rs.85,000. On his daily morning sojourns to nearby places, he met up with a fellow cyclist who introduced him to fabulous cycle mechanic Murukan and subsequently to the Cochin Bikers Club.
“Contrary to perception, there’s a lot to learn to become a rider: From the weight of the bike to the way you mount, position yourself, the kind of gears to be used, the thickness of the shoes to be in sync with the pedal and basic repair and upkeep of the machine,” explains Leju, an undergrad who set up his modest hotel some 20 years ago.
With fellow cycling enthusiasts, he floated the Paravur Bikers Club a year and a half ago, but long and safe rides taken out under Cochin Bikers Club have continued right through.
“The weekend rides apart, I’ve been on non-stop, time-bound rides to places like Munnar, Ootty, ValparaiVagamon and Kanyakumari. It’s such a great feeling to pedal away, the wind blowing against your face. It’s non-polluting, not noisy and is healthy for us and the environment,” he emphasises.
Super rider title
Leju twice clinched the super rider title, for which medallion is bestowed by the French club, completing well before time 200 km, 300 km, 400 km and 600 km rides. “It qualified me to take part in the bigger 1,230 km Brevet held in Paris every fourth year. There was one last year, but I was short of money to be on the trip.”
He hopes to be part of the next edition armed with another SR title from the current 1,000-km ride. Riding along with him this time around are four men and a woman, Subethra Jayaram, a psychotherapist.
“When I did the 600-km marathon, I got to sleep for half an hour in between. Maybe I’ll take a nap for two hours during the ride, as it’s important to arrive at the checkpoints on schedule.”
When Leju is on the bike, his wife takes care of the teashop.
