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Young World
Pedalling away to glory
JAIDEEP SHENOY
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With the wind in your hair and a song on your lips, ride away!
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Fit and happy: Cycling enthusiasts
Bicycle bicycle bicycle, I want to ride my bicycle bicycle bicycle, I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike, I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride it where I like – Sounds familiar? Well this evergreen number from Queen on “Bicycle Race” was certainly on the minds of 220-odd people, most of them children, who participated in the Bicycle Rally 2007 organised by Rx, a fitness institute here recently.
They were out there on a cold December morning just to pedal away to glory and relive the days when bicycle was the ubiquitous mode of transport for getting from one place to the other.
The only thing they had on mind was perhaps this line from the number – “Bicycle races are coming your way, So forget all your duties oh yeah!” The only difference was this rally was no race. It was more of an attempt to take home the idea of fitness among people.
Fit cyclists
The idea of holding this rally struck Gayathri Bhat, a physician, who one day decided to take off on a bicycle with her daughter Mallavika on a particular route covering some of the most scenic spots across the city. The fact that she could cover the route in around 90 minutes with Mallavika made her think about getting more people on to the cycling bandwagon. The first anniversary of Rx managed by her came in as a handy occasion.
There was a lot of excitement among the children, who were the most keen to take part in the event. There were no prizes for finishing first. The idea of the rally was to complete it and prove a point on personal fitness. A ferry crossing at a stage in the rally, a quick breakfast in the cool surroundings of Tannirbhavi, all added to the excitement. Yes, the rally also had a pilot car leading it and emergency personnel in ambulance trailing it. The only spin off was that two persons – a man and a woman went home with a bicycle each courtesy the sponsors. Our present day lives are so mechanical that we need a vehicle to commute even small distances. Walking or even using a bicycle is something, which is almost unheard of, especially among the children. Their turning up in large numbers is a good sign, adds Dr. Bhat. So shall we hit that Queen’s number once more?
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