About a year ago, one of my friends bought a Trek 3700 from BOTS. It looked damn cool and like most guys, his shiny new toy impressed me, for that’s all I considered it at that point of time. I had been leading a mostly sedentary lifestyle with absolutely no exercise and an aversion to gyms (still hate them). A cycle seemed like a great option at that time to get a little bit of exercise. I wasn’t even thinking of commuting to office at that point of time. So I bought my Trek 3700 from BOTS.
I stay in the south of Bangalore near Bannergatta National park and I still remember the first ride we did to Ragihalli forest. I will never forget those excruciating 12 KM. In a month it got easier and I was doing 18 KM rides almost everyday. And then one day, I guess I had a kind of an epiphany, I realized that if I was riding 18 KM everyday, there was nothing stopping me riding the 15 KM to my office at least 2 days a week. I started to and that’s when I realized how fantastically convenient it was to commute to office by cycle. For one, it is much, much faster than a car and this is something that people don’t realize or don’t believe when I tell them. When I drove to office it used to take me about an hour in semi-peak traffic (7:45 in the morning). When I started cycling, it initially took me about 50 minutes to reach office. Within about two months though, I was able to bring this down to 35 mins if I pushed hard and 40 mins if I didn’t. Soon I was commuting all 5 days to office by cycle a distance of 32 KM daily. It was great and I loved it! I was getting fitter, losing weight and having so much fun!
Then I changed companies and my new company was 23 KM away from home. Basically the other end of town. There’s no way I can do thins on a cycle I thought. I was wrong. Again, I started with baby steps. I was thinking let me do this at least once a week. It took me about an hour and 15 minutes to get to Yeshwantpur from Begur Road where I live. Though I wasn’t really tired at the end of it that was more time than I was willing to spend on the road. That’s when the same friend who initially bought the Trek 3700 suggested that I try a road bike. I researched it and bought a second hand Trek 1.5 that hadn’t run much.
I now commute to office daily and cover a distance of 45-46 KM almost every day. It takes me 50 minutes in the morning (I leave home around 7:15) and little over an hour in the evening when the traffic is heavier. If I drive (I sometimes do) it takes me 1.5 hours. So there you have it, riding my cycle means that I get so spend an hour more with my kids at home, I’m constantly getting fitter and having so much fun. There are a lot of questions I get asked so here’s a kind of FAQ I’m putting up
- My office is too far, commuting by cycle will just take too much time: I think I’ve answered that. No it won’t take too much time. It will save you time. The caveat here is that you have to invest in a good cycle. I see no reason for you not to! If you can spend 5L on a car, then you can certainly spend 20K on a good cycle when it’s basically serving the same purpose. Getting you from point A to point B. Not to mention the great savings on fuel!
- Am I fit enough: I’d been leading a sedentary lifestyle myself for two years before I took to cycling. Also, I have no shame in admitting that I was 12 KG overweight and very far from being fit. If I can, you can. Needless to say that cycling will help you get fitter. A lot fitter!
- Won’t you reach office tired? No you won’t. In fact the days that I don’t cycle are the days that I feel most lethargic on.
- Won’t I reach office all sweaty: Yes you will. If you’re lucky to work someplace that has a gym or a shower room, problem solved. Else, just carry a change of clothes and freshen up in the washroom.
- What about my laptop: I’ve been carrying a change of clothes and a laptop over the past year. No back problems. Just get a nice enough bag.
- What about the pollution: What can I say? It’s about as bad as riding a motorcycle and if you leave early enough you don’t breathe in that much smoke. Also, it’s going to take folks to take to using public transport and cycling as a means of commuting to get the level of pollution down. So you’re doing your bit.
- Is it safe: Yes it is safe. About as safe as any other mode of transport you use in this city. All you need is a healthy dose of common sense.
If this post inspires you to get your bum on the saddle, fantastic! I must reiterate that you need to buy a good cycle if you're thinking of commuting. Some people think, "Ok, let me start out with a really cheap cycle and if I'm doing it for a while I'll get a better one". While this might seem logical, a heavy steel clunker is very difficult to ride and will put you off cycling. Buy a reasonably light (preferably imported) cycle. It will pay for itself in six months!
Everywhere I ride people are stopping me to ask me questions or generally to wave and smile. Let’s just face it; I’m one of the coolest things on the road ☺. Won’t you join me?
