As i stood next to State Central Library on Sunday morning, a red building facing Hudson circle, next to it beautiful rose garden, trimmed well and just watered due to light drizzle all through previous day. Sun was playing hide and seek with the cloud was adding all the more beauty to the surrounding. As i just watched saw a biker riding in the slope, moving confidently as she just disappeared i had a smile on my face and soaked in joy, happiness, satisfaction, i lost in my own world only to realize she came back and stopped the bike in front of me.
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| she enjoying her ride |
Just an hour back me,
Murali,
Srinidhi,
Zubin and
Rajesh we were having breakfast at airlines hotel post volunteer meet at Cubbon Park for
Cycle Day. My phone battery went dry as i have asked Indu to come to Airlines Hotel at 9.30 am (whom i have never met before, through BBC she wrote a mail shown interest in learning 'how 2 ride a bike'). I was wondering how do i recognize her, if someone visited airlines hotel on Sunday morning will understand what i am referring to, it is really difficult. We were having some serious discussion along with having breakfast. Suddenly i stood up from the breakfast table, said just a minute and walked towards the entrance of the hotel. I saw a girl entering the hotel, i guessed it right she is Indu. To Cut it short, after the introduction and breakfast we headed to
Cubbon Park.
Found a road next to the Library is the
best for teaching. She started off after few meters went and hit the foot path and fell along with the bike. Small bruises on the left feet and hand. I felt it was a good start, you have already fallen what else can happen, nothing more, gave some positive affirmations and she started off on the saddle again. It only went on improving with a baby steps in an hours time. As a final sign off she rode back on that inclined road and reached the State Library (we met Amit and
Hema who were returning after the volunteer meet and they are from BMS-which is having one of oldest cycling club in Bangalore). Had a glass of fresh sugar cane juice at Hudson Circle and left as we decided to meet Monday morning at 7 am.
We decided to start the ride at
Kanteerava Stadium it is more of a flat stretch we did not need a descent terrain any more. I was running next to her and she was riding the bike (i got an opportunity to run after long time) now and then unexpectedly coming in her way and teaching her immediate braking, she need to come off the saddle and firmly holding the bike and not allowing the bike and herself to fall. Making sure she rides in a line, speeds up, slows down, suddenly applies brakes and then takes off. She did really well.
15 days before a good friend
Sunil a runner bought a MTB been looking for dates to join me for century ride, ie going to be his First Century. For continuous two Saturdays i did Mysore and back, i was feeling uncomfortable(in fact wanted do a hat rick by doing Mysore and back again) as i did not given him the time (i was working one of the Saturday too....). We decided 16th is the day, route is going to be Janapadaloka and back and start time is fixed as 5 am and starting from PES IT, as he wanted to be back before 11 am. Previous evening i sent a sms to couple of biker friends with whom i regularly ride, had quite a good response to it, we had 11 other bikers showing up and taking the total to 13 bikers.
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| at PES IT before the start |
We all started at 5.12 am,
Anand was in his road bike and every one else on either MTB or Hybrid. Just briefed the breakfast point is going to be Janapadaloka and that is the U-turn point also. As we all started off everyone just went off with full speed, i was riding 'My Bike' a single speed steel bike, became last of the pack. I was really finding it difficult keep up the pace, it looks like this bike is good for commute within the city, for longer distances up to certain pace it is fine beyond that it will not take it. After few kms i could catch up with
Ram as he started biking again after 5 months gap was riding it easy, who bought a 2nd hand bike previous day. Rode with him for some distance and took off as he gave me green signal to go ahead.
As kms started passing by met Rahul who just recently completed GMC we spoke for a while and listening to his experiences of the tour. Then met
Ramswarup who was also doing his First 100, he was enjoying the ride listening to the music (good show buddy, on completing your First 100 kms). By 7 am i reached Janapadaloka by then already 6 of them have reached.
Anand raman,
Dileep vaka,
Prarabdh awasthi (all three of them are doing Tfn this year). Sunil and
Venky (both are runners and colleagues). As we were having breakfast
Dr. Shankar and Dr. Ramesh reached there to have a cup of coffee with all of us, so kind of you and thanks for coming. We spent 1.15 hrs there having yummy breakfast as we are talking then i suddenly remembered 3 days before i donated blood and i was not even carrying water bottle. As we are about to leave
Arokia raj joined us who started an hour late, who recently upgraded to road bike (he did not stop for breakfast rode with us immediately).
Return ride i rode with Sunil, it was more of a chatty ride giving him company as he was doing his First 100. He is basically a runner and regular at gym. Did very well considering he was doing his first triple digit. I also made it a point talk everything under the Sun and shifting his focus from cycling. We stopped just after NICE road junction for a tender coconut, reached their respective places just before 11 am, good show buddy.
These two things keep me charged up all the time, First teaching some one 'How 2 ride a bike' . What i have seen over the years is, it brings a positive shift when they learn how to bike. It is also about the freedom and convenience if someone has to commute shorter distances, no doubt it is best mode of transport to explore new places and especially a city like Bangalore. Second one being part of someone who is doing his First 100 kms on a bike. I feel it is paradigm shift and a right move in moving on to endurance or in keeping biking as a healthy hobby to keep oneself Fit in today's world.
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| Sri ram, Raj, Anand, Dileep, Ramswarup, Hrishikesh, Prarabdh, Sunil, Ramprashanth, Babu shekar, Rahul, Venky, Dr. Shankar, Dr. Ramesh |
