BENGALURU: Cycling during travels connects you with nature and people. That’s KS Lokesh’s belief, who pulls out his cycle every time he sets off on his travels. When he’s not managing his wine stores, the MD of Madhuloka Liquor Boutique, is pedalling to take in the beauty of places on his bicycle.
“It is fun to travel that way. I’ve seen people riding bikes in Manali-Leh. But in doing so, there are chances of missing many things. When you cycle, you can enjoy each and every view, inch by inch,” says the 48-year-old businessman, who otherwise doesn’t participate in cyclothons or events.
His interest in cycling began two years ago, when he, along with some friends,wase looking for a fitness regimen. They decided on cycling and started the HSR Cycling Club in December 2016. “I wasn’t really into cycling. The last I probably got on one was during my school days,” he says. Their first ride was to Chikka Tirupati, and Lokesh recalls being “too tired to cycle back.” “I didn’t have adequate practice, and couldn’t cycle back. I put the bicycle in an auto rickshaw and came back,” says Lokesh.
Now, he’s worked on his stamina and fitness levels. His club members and him ride their cycles every alternate Sundays for a 70-80 km ride. Mangaluru, Puducherry and Chikka Tirupati are favourite destinations.
In June this year, Lokesh cycled in Manali-Leh. With extreme temperatures, Lokesh admits that it was a challenging trip. “I cycled at Khardung La Pass as well. There were days when it was pouring and extremely cold. I felt like I was losing my fingers. I wore gloves, but water would still seep in. We still managed to complete the ride in 11 days,” says the nature-lover. He’s cycled in foreign locales, including Germany, Netherlands and Belgium, where he appreciates the “separate lanes and lane numbers for cyclists on national highways.”
This, quite in contrast to Bengaluru, where, he says, managing traffic as a cyclist is a task. Despite having met with an accident while cycling, where a two-wheeler rammed into his bicycle, leaving him with knee injuries that took months to heal, Lokesh hasn’t given up. His preferred routes include Bannerghatta, Sarjapur, Gunjur, Chandapura to Muddenahalli, Jigani and Anekal.“People love to cycle here and there are now bicycles available at Metro stations. But there should be separate tracks for cycling,” he suggests.