With smiles every mile

The charm of the Garden City still lingers. That’s why many here take to cycling to explore the beauty of it. Various cycling groups are emerging and cycling events are being organised. 

The ‘Vodafone Cycling Marathon’ is one such event that is scheduled to take place on March 1 in Koramangala and has a number of cyclists highly excited. More notable are the number of women cyclists taking part in it. They are not only managing their high-flying careers with their family, but also taking time Watching the increasing number of women cyclists taking over the roads has only motived Sukanya Rajan, an HR Consultant with an IT firm, who will be covering 40 kms at the marathon. 

“As a teenager, I used to cycle a lot. But post marriage and family, I had stopped for a while,” she notes. One fine day, as she recalls, she just made the “abrupt decision” of getting back and now, it has been a few months. 
“I cycle whenever I can to work depending on my schedule. The distance is around 14-15 kms. I would love to explore different places around the City on my cycle like Nandi Hills, Big Banyan Tree and Doddaballapur,” she notes. According to her, “Cycling helps us as well as the environment.”

Shivla Saksena, who works with the CSR sector, is also ready to do the ‘Passion — 40 kms’ and rides a Rockrider Btwin. 
“Though I have taken part in cycling marathons before, this is the first time I am taking part in this marathon. People told me since I have done more than 25 kms, I should do 40,” she exclaims. She has even been training for a few months for it.

“I have been playing badminton and doing yoga regularly as you need stronger legs to cycle long distances,” she notes. Of late, many people are taking to sports bikes, she notes. “Offices have also started to realise the need for a shower room, as many professionals are cycling to work. In fact, my office just introduced one,” she says. Shivla has also joined a cycling group near Sarjapur Road and cycles to work which is in Marathahalli from her home near Bellandur. 

A trip to Scotland helped Lalitha KV, a market researcher, realise the beauty of cycling. “Many people would explore different places over there on a cycle and I thought why not do the same? I like cycling as well as travelling,” she notes.

Lalitha wasted no time at all as the first weekend after she bought her cycle, she went from her home in Yelahanka to Hesaraghatta. “The entire experience of it, with the open roads and clean air, was so good. After that, I have been cycling every weekend. The best part is I have made so many friends and it has helped me lose weight,” she says. “I don’t go everyday but I can’t see my cycle lying around ,” she laughs. She would love to see Kerala on her cycle and wishes to cycle to Mysore too soon.

For Smita Ahuja, who owns an e-commerce portal, cycling was her New Year resolution. “It’s my first marathon and since I am new to it, I will be doing 20 kms. Cycling is the perfect low impact exercise that’s why I chose it. But the problem in Bengaluru is there is no place. The roads are full of traffic during the day and in the night, they have no lights,” she notes. 

According to her, cycling is a lot simpler than any other form of exercise. “You just need to have a destination in mind and once you go there, you have no choice but to come back,” she laughs. 

With an increasing number of cyclists taking to the road, their advice for the young is to just get out on the cycle. “Jump into the fray! Pick up your cycles but make sure you wear a helmet,” says Shivla. 

The second edition of ‘Vodafone Cycling Marathon’ will be held on March 1. The reporting point will be St Francis School, Koramangala, Sarjapur Road.