It does sound like a dream to take off to a scenic locale and maybe just breathe for most Bengalureans. But you could actually pedal away to new-found happiness with city-based cycling group Pedal in Tandem. Meet Dheeraj Subramanian and Poojya Basavaraj, a city-based couple who always had travel on their minds. Taking the plunge meant quitting their well-paying corporate jobs but their initiative Pedal in Tandem that kicked off with a few weekend rides has now evolved into a community of over 100 members who take off on offbeat cycling expeditions.
Dheeraj Subramaniam begins, “Starting this group came by realising that a lot of people needed to be outdoors than just limit themselves to the usual weekend routines in Bengaluru. When I started cycling in 2014, I found it enjoyable, as it’s not just a lifestyle sport but also a great way to travel. We kind of married these two concepts with Pedal in Tandem.”
They organise weekend rides and a bigger one once every month. Dheeraj says, “I started out by taking a few people to some nice routes. I saw that there was interest and their eyes lit up. We progressed from small, weekend rides to holistic travel events with a lot of cycling, a bit of trekking and cultural immersion as we prefer being in non-tourist locations.”
Their local connections in these destinations help them curate these all-inclusive events. Taking into consideration elemental risks of this being an outdoor event, Poojya says, “There are a lot of uncalculated risks that you will come across. Traffic can be really intimidating, which is why we drive out of the city for most of rides. The experience of cycling at a nice, serene place is what they enjoy the most about it. It’s travel, but it’s also understanding local culture, connecting with the people and that kind of immersive experience is what makes each trip unique.”
There’s no such thing as mundane with the group as the dynamic duo revisit their routes often and the people who join them are far from monotonous. Bhargavi Naidu a frequent rider with the group quips, “Every ride is very interesting as they don’t ever use the same template. Each one has been a very different experience because of the kind of places they choose. They time it in such a way that all of us get breaks at equal intervals allowing for there to be enough flexibility to take breaks in the squad car or have refreshments”
While Poojya names the Udupi-Goa route to be her favourite, Dheeraj prefers the Nilgiris. They are yet to explore North India and are looking at trips in New Zealand and Southeast Asia.
