Move over food and fashion blogs, bike blogging is the buzzword in namma Bengaluru! A refreshing trend of sorts; cyclists penning down interesting observances from their saddle escapades is garnering popularity like none other.
Largely perceived as a trusty guide, a large number of city folk see it as a forum that fuels some real cycle-spiration. The city’s enthusiasts share their inputs on the trend.
“An unplanned detour has taken me to some of the most beautiful places with crazy experiences. This year, I explored a lot of hills in the south. At the start of 2016, I wanted to pedal away to one hill every month and write about it so that it could be a handy guide for explorers around me. But I realised, it was a lot of hard work! So, I took to Instagram, instead, to post snippets from my cycling expeditions. The idea was to share experiences with one underlying message ie. to embrace the detours and discover beauty in the ruggedness,” shares Archana Sheshagiri, a city-based cyclist.
But for Chidambararam Subramanyam, a software professional and cycling enthusiast, credible and incisive blogs are the biggest go-to, for explorers this season. “I began blogging to help people plan before riding the routes, better. It’s important to be accurate and state facts, to get the attention and a steady flow of viewers. Personally, the idea has made me a more alert rider. The biggest takeaway is when people tell me that they started cycling long distance after trusting my blogs as a guide to routes!”
While the fitness fancy trend is already making waves all over, seasoned cyclists reiterate how one must not get carried away by mere facts. Anil S Kadsur, a city-based endurance cyclist, opines, “Referring to such blogs is recommended because it gives you an idea about where you stand in comparison to the others, and what to expect from a particular place. However, remember that the journey one will explore is what one is capable of. Also, it’s always a better idea to take inspiration but not let it condition how you perceive a particular place. Because, the idea of referring to a blog is to be informed not influenced.”
On the lookout for some biker-spiration? These are a couple of interesting picks...
- Bikey Venky (http://www.govenkygo.com/)
- Shaunak Chakraborty (https://mybowlofbaloney. wordpress.com/)
- Opendro (www.opendro.com)
