Bike to work

“It was during cycling in childhood that I remember feeling free and independent for the firs time,” says 41-year-old Uchil,whose immense love for cycling and intense hatred towards cramped train compartments urged him to start riding to work in 1993. He formed the group Cycle to Work in February 2010 to bring in like-minded individuals together and encourage others to take up cycling. Now the group has over 250 members.

Vanessa Caesar,one of the few women in the city who cycle to work,turned to cycling at the age of 17 for its sheer joy and consciousness about the environment. Caesar is one of the members of Cycle to Work. “I cycled everyday from my house in Mahim to my college in Peddar Road. In fact,that’s when I began cycling for everything,be it shopping for groceries,going to the bank or for meeting friends,” says the 32-year-old financial executive assistant,who cycles from Andheri Link Road to her workplace in Prabhadevi everyday.

Age is all in the mind,says another member,73-year-old Brian D’souza. He cycled to his workplace for 38 years and still does around 15 km a day for all his errands. “I began cycling 50 years ago and continue to do it. It’s the only form of exercise in my age and I really enjoy it,” says the septuagenarian who lost vision in his right eye in a shooting accident at the age of six,but that didn’t not him from sport.

“I’m what in cycling paralance is known as a MAMIL: middle-aged man in Lycra,” says 47-year-old Anool Mahidharia,talking about the term used abroad to describe men between 35-50 years of age who have traded their four wheels for a cycle. “Although I cycled during my college days,I began riding to work only in 2007 mainly because I was frustrated with the long hours of commuting.”

Nothwithstanding the heat,pollution and erratic traffic sense in Mumbai,they swear that cycling is the fastest mode of transport in the city. “A cycle gives you amazing mobility and is the easiest to manoeuver. It’s the only vehicle you can lift above your head and easily transfer to the sidewalk during a traffic snarl,” says Uchil. To prover her point,Caesar took it a step ahead by timing her journey to and from office on the cycle and by public transport. “I took almost the same time to reach,riding at my own,as I did using bus,train and rickshaw,” she says. This is besides the obvious benefits such as good health and saving money.

Safety is foremost on the minds of these cyclists though they insist that Mumbai roads are not a bad place to be. “Mumbai is probably the safest city in the country for cycling. I haven’t ever been hurt other than a few rare bruises ,”says Mahidharia. D’souza,who has chided quite a few people for not observing traffic rules,says,“The rickshaw wallahs and taxi drivers can make your life hell. But I carry a whistle with me and when I get stuck,I blow it to attract people’s attention.” They wear helmets and other protective gear,use front and rear lights and observe traffic rules to send out a message of safety consciouness to the public.

To make cycling a part of people’s pysche,Uchil organises paid fun rides up to 80 kms from the city. “I post about a ride on Facebook and people from the age of 17 to around 60 sign up. Many who think that they won’t be able to do more than 7-8 kms finish the ride,” he says. The mindet of the people needs to be changed. “I even take tours in the city and take people through traffic so that they have the confidence to ride alone when they have to,” he says.

Despite the recent interest in cycling,few people in the city commute to work on cycles. “I’ve never met a fellow rider on my way to office since I began riding and I’ve been able to convert only 4-5 people in the last few years,” says Mahidharia.

Uchil agrees saying even though the group has 250 members,hardly 10-15 of them actually cycle to work. “They are interested in it but need more time and confidence to start on their own which is what the group aims to help them with,” he says.

The reasons people cite are manifold,says Caesar,such as planning required,lack of parking space and cycling being expensive. “But malls like Palladium now have free parking for cycles and even otherwise you can always tie it to a pole or grill which is safe. My bike is a basic BSA,a hand-me-down to which I added gears and new handlebars which cost almost nothing. It works as good as any other,” she says.

The cyclists feel that even if cycling is considered a fad,it will help the sport.