The cycle story

The newly opened cycle mall- Lifecycle has been the one-stop shop for cycle lovers in the city. And as the customers- teenagers,youngsters,IT professionals and even senior citizens flock in to check out hundreds of varieties of ‘trendy machines’ that are put on display in this- country’s first and the largest cycle mall,one is convinced that Pune is pedaling back at a rapid pace to regain its identity as the city of cycles.

“We have over 230 different models of cycles on display at a given time. From All Terrain Bikes (ATB) to Mountain Terrain Bikes (MTB) and from folding bikes,road bikes to city bikes and even electric bikes,cycling today has become an activity to show off. The brand conscious generation wants to flaunt international brands such as Giant,Trek,Merida,Firefox,Bianchi,Schwinn and so on. There are those who look at cycles as a means to commute and then there are the IT professionals,young collegians who want to flaunt their machines,we want to cater to them all,” says Ulhas Joshi,owner,Lifecycle mall.

From basic models ranging between Rs 7000 and 16,000 to high-end wheels costing as high as Rs 3 lakh,the cycle mall has machines that can leave cycle lovers spoilt for choice. “The whole idea behind starting a mall dedicated to cycling is that we want to make cycling a lifestyle in the city. While the mall just makes good machines available to enthusiasts,the actual running body behind the mall is Zen Cyclists,a group of cycle lovers majority of whom cycle to their offices on a daily basis. Not only that,second and third Sunday of every month,we go on cycle rallies to nearby locations,” says Joshi who started Zen Cyclists four years ago with two cyclists and today has as many as 1,450 members.

Dr Dilip Sarda a pediatrician and one of many doctors,who cycles 12 km every day from his home to his office in Shaniwar Peth. “We want cycles to become status symbols. And that is happening slowly. I am a part of the Cycle Pratishthan in Pune and many of us have multiple cars despite which they prefer to use the bicycle for the simple reason that they are non polluting,occupy less space and contrary to motorised vehicles,sometimes help you reach faster in city’s heavy traffic,” says Sarda who’s been rallying with the slogan ‘pollution pollution,cycling is the solution’ since 1996.

With the increasing pressure from the cyclist groups,the Pune Municipal Corporation,as a part of the work started under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM),constructed 120 km of cycle tracks in the city to encourage cycling. “Pune has been unique in this manner. While construction of such tracks has also been undertaken in cities such as Delhi,Bangalore and Chennai,Pune’s have been the longest tracks in the country,” adds Joshi.

What also makes Pune an ideal cycling destination is the strategic location of the city on the Western Ghats. Located centrally in a bowl-like terrain created by the surrounding mountains,Pune has a proximity to countless scenic locations and mountain roads,which are just within ten kilometers from the city’s circumference. Correctly tapping the adventure aspect of cycling,city based National Education Foundation (NEF) has been organising an adventure race- Enduro 3 for the past eight years. “The approach behind Enduro 3 has been multifaceted. In today’s times when the pace of life has increased,cycling has to be attached with a sense of competition. The stunts,terrains and the challenges involved in this competition test the sportsmen to the extreme limits thus popularising cycling as a survival sport,” says Prasad Purandare,founder,NEF.

“The day is not far when Pune would become the cycling hub of the country placing itself in the line of international cycling centers such as Amsterdam,Bristol,Copenhagen and so on,” smiles Joshi