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Motivation for penning this article:
The average city traffic speed during peak hours has dropped to single digits ~8Kms per hour. Commuting problems are compounded with last mile connectivity issues.
The congestion at every 100 meters has added new dimension to mental stress and our ability to reach X kms in certain Y mins.
In this age of fast life with slow traffic, learning to cycle along the mainstream congested traffic can be a new life skill.
In peak hours, a cyclist is new cool Jerry among many anxious Toms riding cars and bikes taking forever to reach destination.
There is huge potential to change your daily life for good with cycling.
Who needs the least adaptation to take up cycling once again?
You guested it correct, a motorbiker (we Indians call biker)!
Why a biker can easily adopt to cycling?
You have vast experience riding in mainstream city traffic. (which most members here have)
You have good knack of handling bad roads.
You know what it takes to ride safely in rain and during night hours.
You know how to protect yourself. (I guess most members in this forum know this art)
Optionally you may own a good cycle OR know the difference between doodh-walla (milkman) cycle versus good cycle which anybody can ride for minimum 25kms in a day.
Now lets understand what is Life Skill:
Life skills (meaning): Abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable humans to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of life.
Examples: Swimming, Public speaking, Cooking, Prioritising tasks, Time management etc etc.
If you recall any life skill you have learnt from scratch and mastered it, most of them will follow the below process
What made me take-up cycling again?:
Like most Indians, I dumped my cycle after passing 12th class.
The next time I touched a bicycle was when my son turned 2 and had to upgrade his indoor roller to a tiny 2-wheel cycle.
It was pure bliss to teach him the art of balancing. More than teaching him, I was getting a break from daily stress and quite refreshing to resume the daily grind.
When the time for next upgrade came, I walked into a bicycle store which sells what a layman calls Phoren made geared cycles.
I had no clue about the such cycles and why they are so costly. But I liked the concept of cycling and was impressed with the idea of someone old and unfit like me could cover 100 kms on those. After all 100 kms is really a big distance.
It was like fish meeting water moment for me.
I couldn't buy a cycle for my son there, couple of weeks later bought one for myself. I did buy one for my son from a different shop.
Fast forward 5 years:
I have covered approximately 10000 kms in commutes and weekend escapade. As a 40th year birthday gift, I did a solo ride to my hometown covering 225kms in 1.5 days.
Escapade meaning: an act involving some danger, risk, or excitement, because it is different from usual or expected behaviour.
After 5 years of uneventful riding, it's doesn't feel like an escapade.
I hope to continue it like that.
Finally, I'm sharing the 3 steps to prepare and take plunge into cycling:
Step#1: How to Start: By studying your route:
If you are a good swimmer in river or streams, you know most of the required tricks. Treat the vehicular traffic flow as flow of water.
- Pickup a route which you take regularly. (e.g. Office, Club, Friend or relative's place).
- Any distance in excess of 5 kms which touches mainstream traffic is preferred to break the fear factor.
- Practice riding motorbike on LEFT SIDE of road preferably below 30 kmph speed.
Studying the route on motorbike for above aspects will prepare you to ride with the flow and build required memory to confidently start riding cycle.
Any new route you are taking in future, you must observe and follow all the above.
Overall, being aware of dangers and ability to tackle them is all that matters.
Step#2: Do a recce (Meaning: preliminary surveying or research) on your bicycle:
Like any computer game, the best level to start is Level#1 i.e. A cool calm Sunday morning.
Morning will be silent, free from restless drivers. You will be relaxed, free of any work tensions or unrelated thoughts.
This will help you focus and replay all that you have observed last few days and execute the ride as expected.
You can also carry the bag-pack that you carry daily to give the real feel.
Take note of the the time taken to cover the distance. You can add up 10 to 15% of time considering stoppages in signals.
You may also do an additional ride on late Sunday morning (~10-11AM) just to have good feel of riding with more intense traffic.
On Sweating and Endorphins:
Cycling triggers endorphins which are hormones believed to be make the mind happy and ready to take up challenging tasks.
In general you can't avoid being sweaty but can only minimize it. On a side note there many health benefits of sweating. You will have a glowing face (like just out of a spa) when you reach workplace!
Amount of sweating generally reduces by 60-70% as you learn to switch gears effectively and adopt optimal cadence (pedaling RPM).
You will ultimately learn ride on low sweat mode which is working against your instinct. (like Sehwag playing on Dravid mode)
Sweating varies from person to person.
Weather and temperature are also major factors.
It peaks immediately after you reach destination and stop riding (like any moderate physical activity you sweat more after you stop).
It also depends on whether you have rode non-stop or have made multiple stops on junctions/signals.
It depends on how much of your stretch has tree cover and the terrain itself.
Just wipe off your sweat with a towel and in 5 mins you will look normal.
Step#3: Your first weekday ride on bicycle:
Any day is best day once you decide. Most people will prefer Friday or Saturday depending on which precedes the weekend .
Previous day carry a set of cloths and place it in the office. Leave your laptop back on the office desk.
Have nice meal and sleep on time so that you can get up at least 30 mins before usual time.
What to wear:
T-shirt and shorts (including the undergarment which you need to change at the office)
Shoes or floaters depending on your comfort, office protocol.
A bottle of drinking water.
The torch and back light for evening.
A surgical mask to avoid dust.
A clean bike in good condition. You also need that to showoff to your colleagues.
Sun-glass to protect eyes from dust.
Finally wear a cycling helmet.
During the ride:
Start on time, plan to reach office early by 15mins.
Be calm, on road, make sure you memorise all safety aspects at each stretch of your route.
Don't be in a hurry. Take a break if required. It won't make much difference to your travel time. Be cautious at the signals and faster stretches.
Don't get into arguments with anyone; remember Sachin or the airplane mode.
Reach safely on time.
Cycling is estimated to be 5 times efficient than walking. If you can walk for 1km you can cycle for 5km with equal effort.
Hardest part here is to take the first step, then everything falls in place.
You can see the there isn't much I can share on what to do on the actual day the first ride. It's the preparation of body and mind that matters.
Hope this will inspire someone to cycle and post back with any help needed.
If you have read till this point, I think I have spoilt you for good and accept the curse of your wife (or girl friend) or husband (or boy friend).
Good luck and thanks for reading.
So, what do you want to play on roads, a cool Jerry or an anxious Tom?
Whatever be it, enjoy the ride!
The average city traffic speed during peak hours has dropped to single digits ~8Kms per hour. Commuting problems are compounded with last mile connectivity issues.
The congestion at every 100 meters has added new dimension to mental stress and our ability to reach X kms in certain Y mins.
In this age of fast life with slow traffic, learning to cycle along the mainstream congested traffic can be a new life skill.
In peak hours, a cyclist is new cool Jerry among many anxious Toms riding cars and bikes taking forever to reach destination.
There is huge potential to change your daily life for good with cycling.
Who needs the least adaptation to take up cycling once again?
You guested it correct, a motorbiker (we Indians call biker)!
Why a biker can easily adopt to cycling?
You have vast experience riding in mainstream city traffic. (which most members here have)
You have good knack of handling bad roads.
You know what it takes to ride safely in rain and during night hours.
You know how to protect yourself. (I guess most members in this forum know this art)
Optionally you may own a good cycle OR know the difference between doodh-walla (milkman) cycle versus good cycle which anybody can ride for minimum 25kms in a day.
Now lets understand what is Life Skill:
Life skills (meaning): Abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable humans to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of life.
Examples: Swimming, Public speaking, Cooking, Prioritising tasks, Time management etc etc.
If you recall any life skill you have learnt from scratch and mastered it, most of them will follow the below process
1. You love it.
2. You fear doing it.
3. You start and it is a epic failure!.
4. You fail to get going.
5. You want to give another shot at it.
6. You repeat point #1...#5 many many times.
7. You nailed it and found your mojo.
8. You start enjoying it.
9. You see someone doing it better than you.
10. You learn to do it better with less effort and with more proficiency.
11. You challenge yourself to take up more challenging tasks.
12. You repeat points #8...#11 many many times.
13. You have earned mastery you yearned for since point #1.
14. You don't need a reason to do it because you simply love it.
2. You fear doing it.
3. You start and it is a epic failure!.
4. You fail to get going.
5. You want to give another shot at it.
6. You repeat point #1...#5 many many times.
7. You nailed it and found your mojo.
8. You start enjoying it.
9. You see someone doing it better than you.
10. You learn to do it better with less effort and with more proficiency.
11. You challenge yourself to take up more challenging tasks.
12. You repeat points #8...#11 many many times.
13. You have earned mastery you yearned for since point #1.
14. You don't need a reason to do it because you simply love it.
What made me take-up cycling again?:
Like most Indians, I dumped my cycle after passing 12th class.
The next time I touched a bicycle was when my son turned 2 and had to upgrade his indoor roller to a tiny 2-wheel cycle.
It was pure bliss to teach him the art of balancing. More than teaching him, I was getting a break from daily stress and quite refreshing to resume the daily grind.
When the time for next upgrade came, I walked into a bicycle store which sells what a layman calls Phoren made geared cycles.
I had no clue about the such cycles and why they are so costly. But I liked the concept of cycling and was impressed with the idea of someone old and unfit like me could cover 100 kms on those. After all 100 kms is really a big distance.
It was like fish meeting water moment for me.
I couldn't buy a cycle for my son there, couple of weeks later bought one for myself. I did buy one for my son from a different shop.
Fast forward 5 years:
I have covered approximately 10000 kms in commutes and weekend escapade. As a 40th year birthday gift, I did a solo ride to my hometown covering 225kms in 1.5 days.
Escapade meaning: an act involving some danger, risk, or excitement, because it is different from usual or expected behaviour.
After 5 years of uneventful riding, it's doesn't feel like an escapade.
I hope to continue it like that.
Finally, I'm sharing the 3 steps to prepare and take plunge into cycling:
Step#1: How to Start: By studying your route:
If you are a good swimmer in river or streams, you know most of the required tricks. Treat the vehicular traffic flow as flow of water.
- Pickup a route which you take regularly. (e.g. Office, Club, Friend or relative's place).
- Any distance in excess of 5 kms which touches mainstream traffic is preferred to break the fear factor.
- Practice riding motorbike on LEFT SIDE of road preferably below 30 kmph speed.
Follow these for a week. During the rides minutely observe:
- Honking: You must learn to be non-reactive to triggers and ride in airplane or DND mode. (Be like a Sachin ignoring sledging)
- The road surface, potholes, the terrain (inclines and down-slopes) and the turns and how it affects the speed/flow of traffic.
- Observe the speed and flow of traffic at different stretches. (For bikers and cyclists the change of speed matters more than actual speed)
- Break your stretch logically into 4-5 sections, so that you can adopt different style of riding and safety measures.
- At Junctions, Signals (or the 'Y' stretch leading to the right hand side) where you are required to cross roads at high speeds: You must NOT cross the way you do on motorbike.
Instead cross with the pedestrians or at zebra crossings (if they exists)
If jungle rule prevails you must wait and walk cross this stretch at a convenient time.
- Mark points where roads get narrow down '>' in width or open up wide '<'.
- Branch into where you must keep pace with the flow. Branch out where it is not necessary to keep pace with flow.
Remember at all times you must be STRICTLY ON LEFT side of the road.
- Where roads narrow down, learn to smoothly branch into the mainstream traffic; Where roads open up branch out of mainstream traffic.
- In city traffic 30 kmph is fast. DO NOT DRAFT with vehicles in from at this speed. Instead branch out.
- At slow speeds (where the flow forces every vehicle to follow same speed), you must branch into and piggy back on a rider at front and ride with the flow.
- At slow speeds (where the flow forces every vehicle to follow same speed), you must branch into and piggy back on a rider at front and ride with the flow.
- Note stretches which are dark/ill-lit where traffic flow is fast (in the evenings). You must install blinking red lights on the rear-end. You must also have torch at the front.
- Note stretches where road surface is smooth and traffic flow is fast. You must be on branched out mode. You need to be on high alert here to prevent being rear ended.
- Pot holes actually favor cyclists as vehicles are forced to slow down.
- You must avoid flyovers and underpasses, choose a detour which is flat or take service road. This increases the safety quotient many folds versus a gain of few minutes.
- Look for by-lanes which might be free from vehicles. (you may not be able to ride here on motorbike/car, but the maps on bike mode will tell)
- Note stretches which are covered by trees in the mornings. (These are absolute bliss)
Studying the route on motorbike for above aspects will prepare you to ride with the flow and build required memory to confidently start riding cycle.
Any new route you are taking in future, you must observe and follow all the above.
Overall, being aware of dangers and ability to tackle them is all that matters.
Step#2: Do a recce (Meaning: preliminary surveying or research) on your bicycle:
Like any computer game, the best level to start is Level#1 i.e. A cool calm Sunday morning.
Morning will be silent, free from restless drivers. You will be relaxed, free of any work tensions or unrelated thoughts.
This will help you focus and replay all that you have observed last few days and execute the ride as expected.
You can also carry the bag-pack that you carry daily to give the real feel.
Take note of the the time taken to cover the distance. You can add up 10 to 15% of time considering stoppages in signals.
You may also do an additional ride on late Sunday morning (~10-11AM) just to have good feel of riding with more intense traffic.
On Sweating and Endorphins:
Cycling triggers endorphins which are hormones believed to be make the mind happy and ready to take up challenging tasks.
In general you can't avoid being sweaty but can only minimize it. On a side note there many health benefits of sweating. You will have a glowing face (like just out of a spa) when you reach workplace!
Amount of sweating generally reduces by 60-70% as you learn to switch gears effectively and adopt optimal cadence (pedaling RPM).
You will ultimately learn ride on low sweat mode which is working against your instinct. (like Sehwag playing on Dravid mode)
Sweating varies from person to person.
Weather and temperature are also major factors.
It peaks immediately after you reach destination and stop riding (like any moderate physical activity you sweat more after you stop).
It also depends on whether you have rode non-stop or have made multiple stops on junctions/signals.
It depends on how much of your stretch has tree cover and the terrain itself.
Just wipe off your sweat with a towel and in 5 mins you will look normal.
Step#3: Your first weekday ride on bicycle:
Any day is best day once you decide. Most people will prefer Friday or Saturday depending on which precedes the weekend .
Previous day carry a set of cloths and place it in the office. Leave your laptop back on the office desk.
Have nice meal and sleep on time so that you can get up at least 30 mins before usual time.
What to wear:
T-shirt and shorts (including the undergarment which you need to change at the office)
Shoes or floaters depending on your comfort, office protocol.
A bottle of drinking water.
The torch and back light for evening.
A surgical mask to avoid dust.
A clean bike in good condition. You also need that to showoff to your colleagues.
Sun-glass to protect eyes from dust.
Finally wear a cycling helmet.
During the ride:
Start on time, plan to reach office early by 15mins.
Be calm, on road, make sure you memorise all safety aspects at each stretch of your route.
Don't be in a hurry. Take a break if required. It won't make much difference to your travel time. Be cautious at the signals and faster stretches.
Don't get into arguments with anyone; remember Sachin or the airplane mode.
Reach safely on time.
Cycling is estimated to be 5 times efficient than walking. If you can walk for 1km you can cycle for 5km with equal effort.
Hardest part here is to take the first step, then everything falls in place.
You can see the there isn't much I can share on what to do on the actual day the first ride. It's the preparation of body and mind that matters.
Hope this will inspire someone to cycle and post back with any help needed.
If you have read till this point, I think I have spoilt you for good and accept the curse of your wife (or girl friend) or husband (or boy friend).
Good luck and thanks for reading.
So, what do you want to play on roads, a cool Jerry or an anxious Tom?
Whatever be it, enjoy the ride!
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