Bengaluru, with its superb weather and green cover has always been considered a haven for cycling.
Over the years, the cycling scene in the city has evolved from being a preferred commute option to an lifestyle choice for youngsters in the city, who look at cycling as a healthy and adventurous option to braving the daily commute on cars and buses.
More and more cycling groups are coming up in the city that conducts regular meet-ups and organises rides to nearby destinations like Mysore Road, Nandi Hills and Ramanagaram.
For Ismath Sadhir, a student at the Indian Institute of Science, cycling started as an attempt to travel across the campus.
“The campus is huge and I felt that a cycle would be the best way to commute, since I can save fuel costs and also get some much needed exercise. I think Bengaluru is a great city to cycle at night. Cycles are also helpful during traffic jams, when you can weave through long lines of vehicles. I do not lose much time in commuting and enjoy the workout. I have ridden with groups such as the Bangalore Trekking Club and the IISc Bikers Network (IBN) that conducts regular trips once a week.
I had no idea about the city or its people when I moved here, but cycling has helped me in building a new social circle. “
He adds, “With the rising costs of commute, cycling is a great alternative to fuel guzzling cars and motorbikes. I wish BBMP can build cycling tracks and get more people keen on cycling for commute and India starts to manufacture better quality cycles.”
Management trainee Puneet Jain agrees, “Like the west, having dedicated cycling paths would help more and more look at cycling as an option for their daily commute. People still see it as a leisure activity. I feel that building better tracks and promoting cycle rentals will change that perception.”
Sudhish Raj feels that Bengaluru is not an ideal place for bicycle commuters.
“You tend to breathe in more of the polluted air, since a cyclist breathes more heavily and most motorists are very inconsiderate to cyclists. However, riding in the early mornings and late at night are very rewarding experiences.”
Kumar T.V. runs a cycle store at Kammanahalli Circle and says that over the past few years, the profile of his customers has changed.
“Earlier, it was mostly the blue collar employees and students who used to buy cycles and they preferred the regular ones without gears and other fancy accessories. That has changed a lot now in the city.”
Kumar adds: I see that many youngsters are getting serious about cycling and are always keen on picking up bikes that are light and are equipped with a host of gizmos, such as multiple gears and complex GPS systems to make their ride comfortable and navigate rides away from the city. It has become a lifestyle fad. I feel that it is a good thing. More and more people taking to cycling will make commute a breeze in Bengaluru.”
South Fire Cycle Nights was set up by a group of friends-Aditya Mendonca, Ritwik Burman, Manav Menon, Sriram Nair and Kalyan Keerthi a couple of years ago as an attempt to provide a new activity for Bengalureans on weekdays. “We discovered that most people just went out pubbing every day, since there was nothing else to do. We started to conduct cycle rides on select weekdays. It was a huge success. We want to revive the cycling culture in the city. If you do not own a bike, you can rent one out by logging on to our FB page.”
He adds, “I think the outskirts of Bengaluru with the huge roads and low traffic density are the best places to cycle. We also conduct occasional trips to Nandi Hills and other nearby places. We are working on ways to make cycling more popular among youngsters.”
Popular clubs
* Bangalore Cyclists Group
* South Fire Cycling
* Bangalore Brevets
* Bangalore Randonneurs
* Tour of the Nilgiris
Popular trails
* Airport Road
* Nandi Hills
* Mysore highway
* Ramanagaram
* Hasserghetta
