Cycling your way to fitness

More and more people are finding cycling the easiest fitness alternative to incorporate exercise into their daily routine, because it is also a form of transport apart from being a cost effective fitness alternative.
Multiple studies have proved that cycling on a regular basis not only aids weight loss, but also helps you de-stress. “Cycling is an activity that does the least damage to your muscles; running and walking often causes jerks.Cycling burns around 30 calories per km and even an amateur cyclist can cover 20 km in an hour without much difficulty. Moreover, cycling is the best cardio workout and helps develop stamina and build a healthy heart,” says architect and cycling enthusiast Jignesh Modi who is also the founding member of a group named Life Cycling Green. “There are a lot of cyclists who ride an average of 30 km every morning. On Sundays, we organise special long-distance rides at various places around the city ranging from 50 km to 200 km. We frequently go to Saputara and Daangs. Once a year, we have really long trips; like a 600 km route from Manali to Leh or Leh to Srinagar during July / August,” says Modi.
Cycling, to a certain extent, brings you closer to the child in you. Remember that feeling of freedom and independence when you first learnt to ride a bike as a child? Moreover, cycling has a broad appeal as a form of exercise. Yes, there is no age bar! Everyone from toddlers to senior citizens can enjoy cycling provided they have the right equipment. “You may not be able to pursue exercises like weightlifting and running a couple of years down the line, but cycling is something you can do all your life,” adds Modi.
Even if you’re travelling regularly for work, you often don’t end up exploring new places around. Once you start cycling, you’ll be surprised by what you'll discover. A study conducted by Victoria Transport Policy Institute in 2006 says that a much higher rate of cyclist commuters are liking their commute than people going to work using other vehicles. Rohan Kini quit his day job as an IT professional and opened up a bike shop only to encourage people to commute by cycle. “The idea behind starting my bike company wasn’t selling cycles but selling the idea to cycling to stay fit. When people will start commuting by cycles, they’ll not only stay for but also become self-reliant. When a bike or car stops working, you have to go a mechanic to get the problem fixed, but when you have a cycle, you can maintain and repair it on your own,” says Kini. With more and more number of people taking to cycling as a fitness activity, there will surely come a day when Surtis will ditch their pollution-causing vehicles and commute to work paddling!
5 cycling routes around Surat
1. Athwagate to Dumas (18 km one way)
2. Athwagate to Siddhnath Mahadev Mandir (25 km one way)
3. Sachin-Palsana route from New City Light area (28 km one way)
4. Surat-Dandi (52 km one way)
5. Surat-Ubhrat (42 km one way)
Cyclist’s safety tips
-Obey traffic signals/road signs
-Never listen to music or talk on your mobile phone
-Look behind before you turn, overtake or stop
-Use your arm to show signals before you turn
-When overtaking parked cars, watch out for car doors opening suddenly
-Avoid cycling next to another person on busy streets
Cycling kit essentials
-Choose the right kind of cycle
-Cycling-specific shoes with stiff soles to avoid soreness
-Dryfit (breathable) clothing with reflective indicators
-An adjustable helmet with a proper fit
-A good pair of glasses with interchangeable lenses
-Powerful rear & front lights
-A water bottle to stay hydrated
-A puncture kit to fix a problem in the middle of the ride
-A pair of gloves with strategically placed padding that provides shock absorption
-A compact rucksack to store your mobile phone and other essentials