Cycling.. Part II

           The sheer thought of getting back on the cycle made me feel happy, as I had not turned to my cycle for many years. I had made plans of getting my cycle back alive, as it had been under severe problems due to absence of a person to care for it. Yes, it was lying there in my native city while I had hopped on to another city for my job. The story of my return to cycling came after my interactions with several high-flyers who were instrumental in promoting cycling as a hobby, an exercise, even more as a lifestyle. I came across a group calling themselves as Chennai Bikers, a humble introduction through my senior/friend Bharani Shivakumar - currently the hot sensation in the cycling group with more centuries on his pedal and saddle. I found the concept interesting, taking up leisure cycling. Though I had a problem of being away from Chennai, which happened to be one of the main reasons of not being able to participate in the rides organized by them, it made me plan for atleast few rides under the aegis of the group.
            It so happened that a new era of cycling rose to the dawn in Chennai with more supporters for leisure cycling. Reading through the numerous mails sent to the mailing group, I felt the dire need of driving along with the pack. I had been missing the action for quite few months, when there was a new mail and a mailing group with the tag line Tamilnadu Cycling Club - a new club for all those cycling enthusiasts in the metro. What a miracle?! The initial rides organised included few of the famous personalities which the metro boasts of.. Still it continues, without explicit promotions.. Thanks to the great pack of riders, my wish for getting on the saddle grew more and more, without proper fuel to the desire. And came the news of my friend Bharani making a great deal at cycling with his entry into Tour of Nilgiris (TFN '09) - a unique Indian version of racing across different terrains including mountains of Nilgiris. Adding to the desire, there were news regarding individual riders making attempts to make long rides interesting and hogging off century miles on saddle.
              I found more people on the mailing lists, keeping the group aware of the rides they had done, future rides and other interesting stuff about cycle and cycling. I could see the concept of 4M related to manufacturing industry get in close with the cycling stuff too. Men, Material, Methods, Machine - all are very much important for a proper cycling adventure. Finally, I came to a conclusion that I should utilize the opportunity of riding with such great personalities when I visit Chennai. Thus began my journey, to test my endurance to be on the saddle on the first go, during my visit to Chennai. And the time did come, which can be used as a teaser to my desires. Yes, I had got that opportunity to be back at Chennai for a short while, which looked to me as if my desires have let me a chance to try cycling - after 4 straight years of no cycling activity!!

Cycling.. Part I

Cycling...
      Wonderful word which has mesmerized me even at the brink of years when I had a bike to commute.  I had been an enthusiastic person pedaling my way during my school and college days. Started commuting to places around my home during the school days, grew up to commute to my school on a cycle, and furthermore, started going to places within the city on my single speed MTB during my college days. It all started there, zipping past the hectic traffic in a jiffy. It was a momentary happiness when I took out my cycle for a ride, which lasted really for short times. And so it came to an end, the sheer pleasure of cycling, when I left home for my job.
       Being in another city, with heavy traffic on the roads, I felt I should bring my cycle atleast to keep me on pedals, to sail across the traffic. Little did I know at that time, that the high riders of Chennai do not give a damn to fellow motor riders, seldom to a poor cyclist. With high hopes, I shifted focus from the Cycling dreams to Motor Cycle dreams..
       Got a brand new horse from the stable of Honda, to rev up the heat in the city. Spent two years of biking in the roads of Chennai, when I got hold of my old dream.Why not take up cycling as a part of routine, as I loved walking long distances, which might help me save fuel, maintain stamina and keep myself fit. Though I had walked for long distances, I felt I should give it a try - travel the distances on my cycle. It is somewhere around this time when I decided to call it a day to the life at Chennai for pursuing higher studies. And with tear struck eyes I bade good bye to my bike, when I parted off with the keys - it really pains when you sell your bike bought from your own salary...
       This left me with just one option for commuting when I returned home for holidays. My 8 year old Hercules MTB. And that is the start of my second innings on the cycle....
[To be continued...]

Waking up from yet another slumber...

It has been a long time since I stopped writing this slender online notepad termed "blog".. Started writing this for the sheer pleasure of publishing my words online, sometimes I had felt that this is not the only thing which I have to do. "Pen My Thoughts" - nice concept to take in, but turned out to be a slumber-log in few days. Days turned into months and months into years, yet I am seemingly taking a resolve every now and then to start writing - something which I had left in the recent past. Hope to continue this blog, in a better way - with all my memories jotted down.. :)