Hyderabad cyclists great day out

More than 2,000 cyclists including school children, women, techies, doctors, elders and others actively participated in the ‘The Great Hyderabad Cyclothon & Carnival’ organised by Hyderabad Bicycling Club in association with SmartBike, HMTV, The Hans India, Kapil Group, CtrlS and Pallavi Group of Schools here on Sunday at Gachibowli Stadium. The cyclothon was flagged off by K Vaman Rao, Chairman Kapil Group and DV Manohar, Chairman Hyderabad Bicycling Club.

Active participation Despite a heavy downpour on Saturday night all over the city, a large number of crowds attended the event and proved their interest in cycling. Cyclists indulged in rides of different categories including Joy Ride: 5km, Mass Ride:10km, Foundation Ride:25km, Endurance Ride:50km and The Grand Ride:100km. The first ride, ‘The Grand Ride: 100 km’ started from Gachibowli Stadium at 6am and passed through ISB, Shankarpally, and back to the starting point.

The organisers had set up water stations and snack points to boost the energy of participants along the cycling route. During the 100km ride, every cyclist had to touch the halfway mark at 50km before returning to the starting point. The other ride participants of 50km and 25km also had to follow the similar process to finish their rides. Medal distributionNCC cadets distributed medals to 100km, 50km and 25km finishers and participation certificates to 10km and 5km riders. Dr Narender Reddy, Shinde and Raviteja emerged as the first finishers in 100km, 50km and 25km respectively.

Dr Chakri and Dr Ananth from Eco Fresh presented air masks for the first finishers.Republic Day with cycling DV Manohar, Chairman, All India Bicycling Federation and Hyderabad Bicycling Club, said, “We are celebrating the Republic Day every year by organising the cyclothon event to create awareness among people about cycling. In this fast-paced era, we are breathing polluted and unhealthy air, which is creating many health issues. Non-motorised and pollution-free transportation like bicycling will help neutralise diabetes and enhances fitness levels. There are more than 16,000 registered members in the Hyderabad Bicycling Club and are regularly participating in the events to stay healthy.”

Last-mile connectivityManohar also informed, “Through our SmartBike: Public Bike Sharing (PBS), we are renting our bikes in cities like New Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad to lessen air pollution. In Hyderabad, we have collaborated with the Hyderabad Metro and set up many bike stations. The main objective of the PBS concept is to offer the last-mile connectivity solution to the general public and to encourage the use of public transportation. It is great to see the increasing number of participants every year in cyclothons.”

Planning 1,000km ride Dr Narender Reddy, the first finisher in 100km said, “I completed my 100km ride in 3-hours-25-minutes without taking a break. Previously, I participated in many such long rides. When I began my riding, it became difficult for me to cycle more than 60km, but with the practice, now I am able to ride any kind of distances. I am also planning to ride 1,000km through Hyderabad, Warangal, Bhadrachalam, Rajahmundry and Vijayawada soon.”

All the way from the UKUK-based Sandra Meyer and Elena Gallego have come all the way from the UK to participate in the cyclothon. Sandra Meyer said, “We are working in the Novartis company. We used to participate in this kind of events thrice a year. Our Hyderabad friends invited us to this event. It is always great indulging in sports events in India. Here, we completed our 50km ride.”

The child prodigy Finishing 50km ride is becoming difficult for elders these days, but the 12-year-old Ishaan Sharma of Hyderabad completed the 50km ride with ease and became the youngest in the category. His mother said that he started riding at the age of 7 and has been actively participating in many such events since then.

80’s & 90’s cycles, flash mobs, stunts After the cyclothon event, the participants were seen busy in checking the 80’s & 90’s cycle models displayed at the venue and some even tried to ride. Normal cycles, auto rickshaws and goods carriers of the bygone era were on display. While many were busy with cyclothon events and checking the old model bicycles, youngsters were seen conducting flash mob dances. A few cycling experts enthralled the audience with breath-taking stunts.