KOCHI:For 29-year-old Rittu J Jacob, cycling is his sole passion and that made all the difference in this young entrepreneurs life. He quit his job to start a platform 'Bourne Riders' for promoting cycling and conducts beginners' ride on Wednesdays. Bourne Riders was started as a WhatsApp group last November with about 10 members, all of them being cycle lovers, Rittu told Express. But the group wanted to popularise cycling outside the digital arena and that led to this start up. Bourne Riders was officially started in March this year.
Today, the team has planned a 20-km ride to the old railway station and Johann Binny, admin of travel blog Escaping Life is also partnering with them. Rittu noted many people have approached them with an interest in cycling and they are happy to spread awareness on the eco-friendly mode of transport. Rittu said his 200-km ride in the Cochin Bikers Club event had a lasting impact. After that cycle ride, I started feeling more confident and stress-free. Apart from being environment-friendly, cycling has a lot of health benefits and brings a positive change in lifestyle, he said. Through this start up, the team wants to empower others, making them realise it is better to cycle a day than spend a hefty amount in hospitals, he added.Rittu also has a unique cycling event to his credit. He travels all around the city every weekend, communicates with the common man and spread awareness on cycling. The solo trip titled 'ridepecharcha' is quite popular on social media.
The photo blog Humans of New York is my inspiration to do so. Whenever I take a break from the ride, I start chatting with local residents and it is an amazing experience, he said. He updates about the different people he meets during his travels along with their photos and a brief write-up in his official account.Rittu said he uses a hybrid cycle for his trips and most people are curious to know about its features. Once, a few kids ran up to me seeing the cycle and I explained it to them. I hope I can encourage the young generation to switch to cycling by doing this, he added. Rittu also shared his habit of posting cycle stories on WhatsApp, which has inspired many of his friends to purchase one. From his childhood, he had a passion for cycling. He recollected how he used to go to school on a cycle and even during college days, he was an active cycle user. He wishes to make the city cycle-friendly by 2020 and also expand the start up by organising more events and activities.The beginners' ride by Bourne Riders will start at 6 am near Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and expects 10-15 participants.