Pedaller boom

Vehicles in long snaky queues, endurance tests that devoured minutes and hours, haggle for a drop of fuel — the late night picture before every petrol bunk in the state early this week was a reminder of an unglamorous, predictable reality we choose to ignore conveniently. One fine midnight, our fuel stations shut shop for an ‘indefinite’ period citing reasons of sorts they found injustice in.

What would have all of us done if our motorbikes and cabs ran out of fuel? All public road transport mechanisms came to a standstill? Common man can’t put things off and wait, but move on. Meet four people who brilliantly whizz past spiking fuel bills, air contamination and ill-health with sheer pedal power.    

In 2009, Prakash P. Gopinath and fellow riders pedalled hard from Kasargod to Thiruvananthapuram. Case in point: Fund-raising for the children’s destitute home Chilla. An impetus for Prakash to start a collective of like-minded people sprouted there and Indus Cycling Embassy, now based in Thiruvananthapuram took shape in Thrissur.   

A year ago, he took voluntary retirement as senior section engineer with the Railways and has been devoting himself fully into biking. He is a face of the cycling community in the state capital for healthy commuting. “When we founded the Indus Cycling Embassy, few people were attracted to cycles. Over the past one year, the situation has changed drastically. More and more people realise the positives of cycling. I consider cycling a powerful weapon to fight rising oil prices, environmental pollution and traffic congestion,” he explains.

He organises weekly rides for public, conducts special classes for women riders and takes up rides for social causes. Too addicted to riding, he is known among the rider community as Cycle Prakash.

It won’t be a hyperbole to say Louwke Van Der Steen, rode all the wayfrom Holland to Kovalam. A many-year-old bike from his home country has been a companion for Louwke, the head of global delivery support of SunTec Business Solutions, Technopark. So when he shifted to Kuala Lampur, Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram, he ensured his bike was airlifted every time. “In Holland, everyone cycles and bikes outnumber people, say 1.8 cycles per person,” he chuckles.

Twice a week, he covers 24 kilometres from his residence in Kovalam to Technopark in bicycle. Weekends and Sundays, he joins a group cycling team for long journeys. In Bengaluru, he participated thrice for the 1,000-kilometre week-long rides in Tour of Nilgiris. “Riding is an ideal way to see places and meet people. It’s a hobby, passion and I love touring around with others. As long as we do it, assure safety gears are worn, equipment ready in place and must-do etiquettes followed,” tips Louwke.

Amit Passi, head of BPO, Allianz India, checks into a five-star hotel for dinner three to four times a week. For a man of his standing, Amit can come in a chauffeur-driven car but he takes pride in riding a cycle to the city hotel from the place called Akkulam in Thiruvananthapuram suburbs.

Leading a team numbering more than 3000, he is an inspiration for his teammates to follow suit. Even the CEO of Allianz India has got a cycle after Passi! “The five-star hotel has had a cycle park from the time I started cycling to the place. I would say more and more companies in Technopark come forward, promoting employees to cycle and open dedicated parking zones. ‘Go Green’ has turned passé and we collectively should go ‘Green Green’ for our ecosystem,” says Amit.

The next man in picture owns an automotive showroom in Kochi, who cycles 20 kilometres a day. Peter K. Chacko, managing director of Pete’s Automotive Products Private Limited, got into the habit in his fight against heart disease.

From his home in Kolenchery to Muvattupuzha and back, he assures 20 km everyday. “I led a sedentary lifestyle until three years ago. So my doctor advised me either to walk or cycle. Till a year ago, I used to cycle to my office but stopped due to some technical issues,” says Peter. On Sundays, he enjoys longer rides of 70-80 kilometres with family members.