Being on wheels...!

"Life is a river they say. No matter what, a river always turns, goes through ups and downs and never stops to move on!” ‘Life cycles’, a documentary on cycling, is something that moved me a lot! This apparently was shared with me by my elder brother, an avid cyclist himself.

Cycling didn’t happen to me just like that. I was always skeptical at the beginning; thought cycling was to be done only during school days. I’m grown up now, cycling would be just stupid! But no, it turned out to be more fun than earlier! Trust me when I say that, the moment you know your effort is making you go faster, become a kid again, cut through traffic and sweat all the anger out: All of that just makes you want to cycle more! The wind on your face feels much much better than that while riding an Activa!

I was inspired by my brother’s stint and that’s how one fine day I got the bike out of the rubble, dusted off some cobwebs, oiled the chains, fixed the gears, bloated the tyres and made my mind. I knew the distance was long, but the inhibition itself motivated me to take the risk. Risk, it never was! I just had to decide, loosen up and get on the bike. Everything after that came naturally. My instinct worked just fine and I knew I was flying. A big ball in red pants to grab attention! And there I was! Eyes tearing out of faces and staring at me, as I zoomed by them! That feeling is still alive!

Starting to cycle all of a sudden wasn’t easy. I spent months deciding when to begin. I started it with Spinning (indoor cycling) and then put myself together and shared my plan with my friend. He obliged and we just begun. We decided to cycle to office on Fridays, as that would help us rest on the weekend! How typical, isn’t it! J Regardless, we have been doing that for some time now! And we plan to change it to alternate days soon!

Nevertheless, cycling for girls isn’t that easy. That’s how I have to have company along with me, whenever I come to office by cycle! Our fellow citizens’ minds aren’t built to accept a lady riding a cycle on the roads. They’ll honk at you, overtake closely, stare at you rudely, and even stop right in front of you when you have just gained pace, as if you are invisible on the road. But that’s them, and we can’t do much but just look at them in disdain! There are a few who give way and wait for you to pedal ahead! But that’s just a handful of them on a road filled with hundreds of people to rush! 

Apart from that, it’s a very good workout for working women like us, who hardly get to spare time to exercise (They come up with all sorts of reasons to avoid! :P). It is quite practical and logical for women staying close by here as they take relatively lesser time to reach and don’t have to face the hazardous traffic of our city. But knowing most of them, they wouldn’t take the plunge so easily! I would still suggest to all to think about it. I have seen many of them spend about 20 odd minutes in the washroom to get ready after they get in office. Then for that matter, they might as well take a little longer to come and clean up after they have cycled to office. It’s much more satisfying and you all will look much fresher! Moreover it costs nothing! J

People won’t change that easily and accept that cycling isn’t just going to help you keep fit, but eventually reduce your expenses on petrol, reduce pollution, reduce traffic problems, and thus reduce stress as well. It’s absolutely insane when just one person in a big car cribs about the traffic, where the fact is they could just take a local bus or cycle to office to solve the same problem. Convenience is killing us so much, that we find all sorts of reasons to cover up a stupid fact that we are running behind status. Money can buy you bigger cars, money can even buy health! But none of us would want to go the cheaper and easier way: buy a cycle! J

So, what are you waiting for! Just put on a helmet, tighten your laces and pedal on!

 

 

Get your life on wheels run by you and not by a machine!

I hope to encourage a few, just the way my brother and my friend have encouraged me! J