Virtuous cycle!

Octogenarian Bylahalli Raghunath Janardhan travels all across Bangalore on his bicycle. The retired railway official also regularly joins the 40-50 km weekend rides organised by the GoGreen GoCycling club.

Taking actively to this “sport” at the age of 64, he vouches for its many benefits. “When I retired from work, I wanted to stay fit and decided to take up cycling as that was my childhood passion. Now I cycle to most destinations, including short-haul trips such as Bangalore to Mysore. This way I am also contributing towards maintaining a pollution-free environment,” says the proud cyclist, who also loves to participate in marathons and trekking expeditions.

Raghavendra Shankarnarayan, a 34-year-old project manager at TechMahindra, cycles nearly 8 km each day from his home in upmarket JP Nagar to his office on Hosur Road. He says he reaches earlier now, compared to his more than hour-long drive in peak traffic earlier. “This also helps me keep fit as I have no time to visit a gym regularly,” he says.

The forty-year-old founder of GoGreen GoCycling, Prabhakar Rao too began by cycling 9 km to office in 2008. Till recently the CIO of a Bangalore-based garment exporter, he believes cycling is one of the best ways of paying back to Nature. Rather than cycle on his own, he felt the environmental cause would be better served by roping in more people. “I decided to talk to my friends and relatives. Though initially people were a bit sceptical, mainly due to the traffic conditions and constant honking by other motorised vehicles, the concept soon picked up,” he says. Starting with five members, the club today has more than 2,000. Besides 35- to 40-km rides every Sunday, it organises a 120-km endurance ride on the fourth Sunday of the month.

Fun and Fitness Cycling clubs have mushroomed across the country, offering both short- and long-haul rides; the information sharing on social media has only added to the swelling interest. Equally, lifestyle-related health concerns are a major motivator.

After a massive heart-attack about a year ago, 40-year-old Rishi has taken up cycling to keep fit. He says he shed nearly 15 kg within a year without resorting to any crash diet or rigorous exercises.

“I signed up with a cycling club for taking rides together. This not only helped bring down my weight, but I also get to relax with likeminded people,” says this MNC executive.

For Mukund Rao, cycling helped him reconnect with a childhood love. “As children we always enjoyed cycling… we rented cycles as our parents could not afford to buy us one. But as grown-ups we avoid cycling as we feel shy and self-conscious,” he reasons. Disagreeing with those who see the cycle merely as a cheap mode of transport for those who cannot afford anything better, he says the truth dawned on him when he bought one for his son. “My childhood passion got reignited and I decided to indulge myself in a good quality bicycle.”

Soaring sales Far from its perceived “humble” image, cycles today are taking high-end avatars. And keeping pace are the gradual improvements in infrastructure and the emergence of greenfield cycling tracks.

Gaurav Wadhwa, founder of Delhi Cyclists, points out that even three years ago people were unwilling to shell out more than Rs 8,000 for a bicycle; today, many buyers start at Rs 15,000 and quickly upgrade to cycles priced Rs 25,000-30,000. A high-end bicycle can cost up to Rs 3-5 lakh, he says.

Apart from home-grown brands like Montra, imported brands such as Trek, Scott, Giant and Cannondale are finding many takers.

TI Cycles, which owns the brands Montra and Hercules, has witnessed 35 per cent annual growth and sells close to 700 bicycles each month, says R. Sreenivasan, National Sales Manager. The company has helped set up nearly 150 cycling clubs countrywide and organises cycling events regularly.

“At most of these events, we have seen participation by the whole family… husband, wife and children. Cycling is one of the best ways of bringing a family together. It also instils confidence and positive energy. We promote cycling not just to boost sales but also as an activity,” he says.

Sale of accessories such as helmets, gloves, seat cover and bottle holder has also grown.

Although high-end cycles currently constitute a minuscule share of the estimated 15.5 million cycles sold annually, it is expected to increase substantially in the coming years, says Sanjay Singh, Vice-President, Corporate Planning, Hero Cycles.

The company is banking on technological strength to boost the demand for premium and high-end bicycles.

A majority of cycle users in the country are those who cannot afford any other mode of transport, says Anumita Roy Chowdhury, Executive Director — Research and Advocacy, at the Centre for Science and Environment.

The road ahead Practise of cycling across Indian cities – big and small - is highly prevalent. “But of late, we are noticing trends wherein people who have other transport options are also showing interest in cycling. Their number, in fact, is growing in a big way,” she says.

However, chaotic traffic conditions and poor infrastructure act as major deterrents. According to the World Health Organisation, half of those dying on roads worldwide are “vulnerable road-users” — pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.

“While there is a huge latent demand for cycling, it is not translating into actual demand as people think twice due to the perceived risks. It is important to provide a safe environment and reduce the friction or conflict between cycles and other high-speed motorised vehicles,” says Anumita.

Segregated cycle tracks are seen as a solution, besides the use of road engineering techniques to reduce the speed differential between cycles and motorised vehicles.

And where such tracks exists, maintenance and enforcement is key. “Pune, for instance, has an extensive cycle track but it is not well-designed or maintained. Delhi has a cycle track spread over 40 km but there are instances where two-wheelers and four-wheelers ply on them,” says Anumita.

The Urban Development Ministry’s plan to roll out a Public Bicycle Scheme for 10 cities might go a long way in elevating the status of the bicycle to a mainstream mode of urban transport. “Such bike-sharing schemes where you can hire bikes will help achieve last-mile connectivity and cut pollution,” she says.

Kolkata pedals in reverse And even as a number of cities are attempting to become cycle-friendly, Kolkata has struck a contradictory note. Police recently barred cyclists as well as the city’s famous hand-pulled rickshaws from 174 roads and streets, restricting them to by-lanes purportedly to ease traffic.

Now, even hardcore biking enthusiasts are wary of harassment on their weekly rides, says Gautam Shroff, owner of Kolkata-based cycling club Ride2Breathe.

The club now plans to file a PIL to get the ban revoked.

“While infrastructure needs to be improved, what is more important is the need to bring about a change in the mindset of people. We need to respect each other on road to ensure a safe trip for one and all,” Shroff says.

PICTURES: SHOBHA ROY, G. RAMAKRISHNA, K.R. DEEPAK

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