BENGALURU: Sighting a cyclist on the roads of Bengaluru has become a common sight. With the imposition of two lockdowns, cycling seems to have taken over as a new hobby. We speak with cyclists from across the city to lay off the land of the current cycling world.
Talking about the growing trend of cycling in the city, Vidya Chandran, founder of Spokes Women (an all-women cycling community), suggests that the number of people cycling on the road during the 2020 lockdown was more compared to 2021’s lockdown. She believes that, in the past year, there has been an increase in the number of cyclists on the road, ranging from children to adults. She says, “Cycling gave a sense of activity because gyms were closed. It was far safer because you were not in contact with anyone else while riding, for you could always ride alone.”
Cycling during the lockdown meant being witness to the empty and clean streets of Bengaluru, a rare sight for the citizens of the city. For India’s walking violinist, Dr Aneesh Vidhyashankar, the best part about cycling during a lockdown were the traffic-free roads and a clean city. “I have been cycling for many years now, but I enjoyed cycling in the city, the most during the second lockdown. It was a way to de-stress. I started posting pictures and after looking at the photos, people living away from India felt nostalgic and fondly remembered the old Bengaluru,” he says.
Aneesh believes that cycling is the way forward although, from a safety point of view, cycling is a very difficult affair in India. He says, “Cyclists abroad have the right of way, you don’t get to mess with them. But here, we don’t have the infrastructure, so cycling in the city is difficult with all the traffic and roads.” While cycling keeps Jonathan Clyde D’silva, fit both mentally and physically, cycling has taught him that long journeys might not be the best but the destination is worth it. “In terms of personal growth, cycling has taught me a sense of togetherness and how two random cyclists can just become friends because their destination is the same,” he says.
For Jeslyn George, a resident of Bengaluru, cycling is a fun way to stay active and bond with people, “it is a win-win situation”. She also finds cycling liberating and empowering. “When we went for a 100 km ride, I was the only woman in the group. One of the cycles got punctured, so we went to a village to get the cycle fixed. A group of women and young girls were questioning me and one of them called me a ‘Superwoman’. Such incidents make you feel good and it is empowering.”