Cycling
Sixteen months after living in Holland, we’re now discovering the joy of cycling, and riding together—for both fun as well as for exercise.
In early January 2007, we bought our first bicycle here, basically to overcome hauling the weekly grocery from the not-too-near supermarket, on foot—especially during cold winter.
I am not new to cycling; every kid in India rides one—or at least did, when I was a kid. But throughout my younger years, cycling somehow was always about one or many of these activities: for transporting oneself from point A to point B; for getting my mother’s list of groceries home, or being a shuttle for my sister.
Riding for fun perhaps never did exist for me.
Or may be it was crushed by the state of Indian roads, known for the mixed mode traffic, and where the small users suffer the brunt inevitably—thanks to the gross disrespect, the motorists have towards cyclists. Or may be I wanted to avoid the un-cool tag, because in India, cycling is somehow perceived to ‘reduce your social status,’ once you are out of high school. Or may be I wasn’t so strong willed to desist the taunts of my school buddies.
My first (and only) regular bike was Speedking—a relatively unknown brand, which at the time, was sold only through Army canteens. I bought one through a friend of mine, whose grandfather was a retired Army official in the Indian Army. I bought it for Rs. 512—my parents gave me. It was a simple, bare-bones, no-gear bike. It came in the only color—red. I would tweak this bike endlessly, for that little change in riding experience; and it served me well for years. But I digress.
Holland’s cycling culture renewed our interests to pursue riding yet again years later. But riding alone isn’t fun of course. So, my wife and I went down to the local Halfords store, and got another bike—so we could both ride together over the weekends.
It helps that the cycle paths here in Holland are arguably the best in the world. They have their own traffic signals, direction sign boards, lanes, and tunnels—not to mention their own rules. But they are not the only reason riding is fun. Many, many of the tracks lead you to discover your private Holland—picturesque, virgin, lined with delightful wooden bridges over canals and waterways; helping you explore woods, forests, wild life, mysterious tracks, dunes, and other lovely getaways.
We almost regret starting this late.
To top everything cycling gives a 360deg panorama view that no car can match.
I envy your city Chetan, here in Melbourne Cyclist are always in a danger of being runover. Most roads are still hardly Cyclist friendly while our politicians talk of many grand things.
May 6, 08 at 10:07Suman: The Melbourne angle is indeed news to me. I assumed it would be at least in line with places like Perth.
May 6, 08 at 23:11Melbourne definately have lots of cycling tracks around the city and various parks etc, but I was really looking into practical daily commuting. Unless one lives in inner suburbs of Melbourne, cycling to work is nearly impossible. Especially after the ‘No Cycle in trains’ policy.
May 7, 08 at 14:56