By Jaymin Shah
Chief Bike Officer, Scott Sports India
It was a Sunday morning, the early bird in me woke up to the tick-tock of my clock at 5 am. I had my breakfast, wore my jersey, cycling shorts, pulled up my socks, got into my shoes and grabbed the water sipper, helmet and keys of my bicycle. My Scott bicycle was waiting for me in the parking area. I hopped on to it, wore my helmet and eye gear and headed towards the junction where I was supposed to join the rest of my team - a motley group of seven cyclists.
From that starting spot in Thane, we began to cycle our way along the Eastern Express Highway. We reached Sion by 7 am and were joined by some of our team members from Kalina and Andheri. We then moved together towards our destination, the Gateway of India, zipping through the early morning breeze, the adrenaline rush making our spirits soar higher. This feeling is one of the main reasons why I am so passionate about cycling. Every ride gives me the time I need with myself, to introspect and understand myself better.
I am often reminded of the day when I started cycling. It was on my friend’s cycle that I went for my first ride across the city, exploring it in a new way. The ride was exciting, thrilling and refreshing.
Over a period of time, I bought myself a brand new Scott bicycle and riding it filled me with contentment, pride and joy. I can never get tired of cycling and the urge to keep going on in life emerges from this spirit, which also gives me a boost to ride even more enthusiastically.
Coming back to our Sunday ride, we kept taking sips from our bottles to keep ourselves hydrated, along with the occasional stop for fresh juices and omelettes. This helped us to a great extent, keeping us energized all the way. It was a 30 km trip from Thane to the Gateway of India, and another 30km riding back home – 60 km in all. We cyclists in Mumbai face the biggest problem of having no dedicated cycling track along the main road. So, the only option we are left with is to hit the highway. Another problem is that there is no direct route of 100 km at a stretch, because of which we have to keep going round and round in circles, if we want to cycle for 100 km or more.
We reached the Gateway at around 10 am, ate again and then began the ride back home by 10.30 am before the scorching heat of the sun could beat down on us. The end of the ride would mean aches and pains followed by long showers and ice packs. But, the physical pain came with a huge sense of mental calm, which gave me the energy to take on the rest of the day and the week ahead with a new zeal.
Feedback: jaymin.shah@scott-sports.co.in
