Spreading the cheer!

The heavy overnight shower in the city seems to have had no effect on the morale of the city’s enthusiastic bicyclists who showed up in large numbers on Sunday morning to participate in the mock event in preparation for the impending Guinness World Record for the world’s longest single-line bicycle parade.  

Bicyclists of all ages convened at the P. V. Narasimha Gyan Bhoomi to ride 10 km non-stop in a single line in what happened to be the fourth mock event organised in the city to train for the record, which has been scheduled to take place in September this year.

Former national hockey player and founder of the Hyderabad Cyclists Group (HCG) Ravinder Nandanoori, who initiated the parade, said, “The whole objective of this initiative is to show solidarity in fighting for the cause of a greener earth and our physical wellbeing. We also hope to spread awareness about the benefits of cycling and to urge more people to take up the sport. I want all cyclists from Hyderabad to participate in the event.”

Ravinder then went on to explain that the record calls for 2,000 cyclists traversing 5 km in a single line. He said that it must be conducted in a systematic and composed manner and, therefore, ensures decorum on the streets even during the course of the event. As per the rules of the parade, cyclists may not get off their bicycles during the course of the ride or take water breaks. All bicycles are required to move at a uniform speed of 10 kmph while maintaining a distance of 10 ft from every preceding bicycle till the end of the journey. Participants are further advised to not carry mobile phones during the ride.

An increasing number of new faces has been noted in every subsequent mock event, so it certainly does look like the word is spreading quite dramatically.

Consultant Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine specialist Dr Vamshi Kiran Badam, who participated in the mock ride, said, “I rode the bicycle after exactly one year today and honestly, it was a great experience. I feel a lot healthier today than I did yesterday! Besides, it feels lovely to be a part of such eco-friendly initiatives.” Microsoft employee Manish Sharma believes that such community events facilitate the much-required personal interaction with like-minded people. “In addition to the opportunity that the event provides to learn more about the sport from professionals, it also brings together a bunch of like-minded people and promotes in-person interaction, which is extremely healthy for the mind.”