The Bangalore Cyclists

During these times we cyclists are plagued with all kinds of questions, is it safe to ride out? Should I ride with the masks? Group or solo ride?...Etcetera. We try and answer some of these FAQs. 1. Is it safe to ride outside? Yes, the safest way to do so is to go out alone. When people congregate together and someone sneezes or coughs, droplets get onto objects that people touch, and then people touch their faces. The best plan for riding right now is to go out, ride solo, enjoy the outdoors in open areas, and try timing your rides for when you know your route will be less crowded. Always adhere to the Government regulations. Be sure you know what’s going on in your area and if there are any restrictions or mandatory self-quarantines. And, if you’re sick or at-risk of spreading the virus, you shouldn’t go out or exercise. 2. Should I wear a mask out on rides? The purpose of the mask is not to protect you, but to protect other people from you. But wearing a mask also affects how the ex

A great initiative by BMTC, bicycle racks on buses. They hold 2 cycles at a time. The racks will be retrofitted to buses plying the ORR route which will soon have a dedicated bicycle lane. Hope Bangalore becomes the cycling capital of India. Kudos BMTC!     Nelson John https://www.strava.com/athletes/nelsonjohn Follow us on Strava https://www.strava.com/clubs/TheBangaloreCyclists We are now on Facebook, help our community grow. Like and share The Bangalore Cyclists FB page. https://www.facebook.com/TheBangaloreCyclists

Karnataka's Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) has invited Bangalore city cyclists to mark the routes where they prefer cycling lanes. With more people opting for cycling over other forms of exercise, the pandemic has brought the best out of the cycling culture in the city. The crowdsourcing effort will be open until August 14. If your area is not covered in this cycling district it will open up as soon as the plans and budget for the Cycling District 1 are completed and submitted for implementation. The department is considering Purple Line as a cycling route to work, Red Line as school routes, Orange Line as transit routes, Green Line as Rejuvenate Routes, and Blue Line as neighborhood shop routes. Cyclists can look at the map to see if their area falls in and around the identified cycling district, observe points of interest such as work, school, rejuvenate and the last mile for transit, mark them and upload, contributing to the crowdsourcing initiative. The process is s

  Understanding the fundamentals of how gears work changes the way we use, shift & ride. But most often  gears on a bike confuse many people, don’t worry if you're one of them, I'll try my best and help demystify the jargon & principals associated with bicycle drive-train.

I f you're a newbie to cycling, often the anatomy of a bike can be frustrating to understand. You could be at a group ride meet up and hear seasoned riders use terms like a derailleur, crank, caliper. Perplexed!? Or you need to explain to a mechanic what is wrong with the bike. Breaking down the technical jargon is an important step towards becoming a knowledgeable cyclist. Let’s look at the typical bicycle and explain what’s what in the anatomy of a bike.. Frame  - At the heart of the bike is the aluminum, steel, titanium, or carbon-fiber frame. Composed of a top tube, head tube, down tube, bottom bracket shell, seat tube, seat stays, and chainstays. Bar ends  - the angled extensions attached to the ends of some flat handlebars and riser handlebars that provide an alternate place to rest your hands. Bottom bracket  - the collection of ball bearings and spindle housed within the bottom bracket shell of the frame, which provides the "shaft" mechanism on which the crank arm