The Bangalore Cyclists

  It don't matter how fit or not, how young or old you are. Getting on the saddle, pedalling at your own pace, exploring the city/neighbourhood and feeling the wind in your hair releases a burst of endorphins, the feel-good neurotransmitters.  Cycling is a  wonderful activity you can do on your own or with friends. As an avid rider myself, I love riding with friends, makes it so much more fun. 😁 In this blog, I have listed a few key data from n umerous studies and research done over the years showing the benefits of cycling  and compiled them  into easy to read/understand points. Healthy Heart - Just 32 km a week and the potential to suffer a heart disease is lowered by a whopping 50% - British Medical Association. Cycling stimulates and gets your heart pumping which strengthens the heart muscles, thereby burn more calories, lower cholesterol levels, reduce risk of stroke by lowering the resting pulse and blood fat levels. Reduced Cancer Risk - The University of Glasgow's r

It's the weekend and the time is about 6:00AM, you're off on your car/bike to a quick getaway from the city. There is a real good chance you will drive/ride past a peloton/cyclists from local clubs. There is no denying cycling has become one of the most sought after things to do in our post COVID world! More and more people are taking cycling seriously, various governments around the country are taking steps to make cities cycle-friendly (hopefully 😅)  This is going to be a 3 part article (Road, Hybrid & MTBs), In this let's look at road bikes to consider when you have less than Rs.35,000 to cough up for a new bike! I'm keeping it simple, in the below list will cover bikes that are a bang for your buck.  Before we proceed I would like to mention this not sponsored by any individual/brands to have them mentioned in the list, just my opinion :) We all know the higher we spend superior the bike we get, right?! So you may wonder why under 35,000? not 50k? 80k...? We ar

We've all experienced how frustrating and boring the lockdown period was. While most of us binge-watched everything on Netflix, others worked there rears off late into the night thanks to "work from home" 😅 😜 But here is a man from Zirakpur, Punjab who got really innovative and built himself a cycle. Not just a regular cycle, a cycle made of W O O D! While wooden cycles are already a thing in western countries, the trend is yet to catch up in India.  Mr Dhani Ram Saggu is a carpenter who usually received orders to build cupboards, doors, shelves for residents in the area. His livelihood was greatly impacted by the lockdown. With time at his disposal, he wanted to keep himself occupied and learn new skills. Having gained some experience during his time at a local cycle shop, Mr Saggu drew the design on a piece of paper; using spare plywood lying around his home and made a body, handlebars and the wheel rims. From an old cycle, he scavenged the chain, pedals, wheels, sea

So you got a new ride recently? You're super stoked about it! Talking about your new bike at home, with your friends and your colleagues, taking it out for a spin every day, uploading ride stats on Strava... I get it, I get it! we've all been there 😉 In today's market, there are a plethora of options when it comes to cycles and cycling accessories. Here I focus on 6 essential/useful accessories  under a grand   :)  HELMET     Oh boy, I can never stop emphasizing on the importance of a helmet, this is not an accessory, it is essential! First things first, get a decent helmet and never ride without one!    Recommendation :  VAN RYSEL RoadR 100 Cycling Helmet ROCKRIDER Mountain Bike Helmet ST 100          GLOVES      The one part of your body that is in constant contact with the bike are your hands. More specifically, your palms. Wearing cycling gloves not only  wicks up moisture/sweat but also  helps prevent chafing. The padding in the gloves provides comfort and some degree

    Tyre pressure is a highly debated topic among cyclists. So where do you begin, if you got a road, mountain, or hybrid bike?    Conveniently, every bike tyre has recommended PSI stamped into the rubber on the sidewall. Tire pressure has a huge impact on safety and how a bike performs. It’s amazing how easily we miss one simple and free way to improve how our bikes ride: getting the right tire pressure. Higher PSI ( pounds per square inch ) makes the tire harder. Lower PSI makes it feel softer. You need to find the sweet spot for a tire and figure out where the high pressure doesn’t have any risk of blowing off the rim and the low pressure won’t rip off the rim.  Tyre pressure dictates 2 aspects of your ride, Grip & Rolling Resistance. Grip: The more a tyre can conform with the surface that it is rolling over, the greater the grip level that it achieves, which means that an over-inflated tyre that bounces over a surface and rolls only on the central strip will not have optimum

Riding in the rain can be more challenging are dangerous than riding in dry conditions, the reason being the loss of traction, takes longer to stop & the possibility of hindered rider visibility. We can certainly take steps to make them more enjoyable. Here are a few tips. TYRE PRESSURE: reduce by 5 to 10 psi – increases your surface area, and thus grip on the road as well as comfort.