| Author | Message | ||
Nippu Side Hero Username: Nippu Post Number: 2421 Registered: 12-2008 Posted From: 24.148.3.170 Rating: N/A |
HYDERABAD: It may sound like an adventure sport on Hyderabadâs roads but a bunch of nature enthusiasts in the city have started cycling to work. These bikers have not only parked their four-wheelers in the garage but are inspiring others to opt for the humble cycle. On World Earth Day, Hyderabad wakes up to many denizens who have dropped the car for a cycle. Take for instance, Kukatpally resident Sridhar Birlangi (32) who cycles 18 kilometres everyday to Hitech City, on his Cannondale F9. While he has done his environmental calculation (I save the earth 5.2 kg of toxic emissions), he has added up what he saves every month, Rs 5,000, by not using his car. Employed with Convergys, Sridhar has even started a website giving tips on which bicycle to use and how to maintain them. While the trend is popular in many western countries, it is aided with the presence of a separate cycle track. With no footpaths in the city, a cycle track is a far-fetched luxury. But that hasnât deterred the biking community. While fast moving vehicles and improper traffic management are a sore point, they stick to the cycle. âThe traffic is a deterrent but I feel proud that I am using an environment friendly option to commute,â says 30-year-old Manoj Jain, manager, software engineering, Computer Associate, who cycles on his Hercules ACT 110 from Miyapur to Gachibowli. The two-way ride adds up to 30 km, he says. With many IT firms having a shower facility at the workplace has helped bikers nurture this passion. They carry clothes with them to work, and log on to their system after a shower, having cycled through heavy traffic and dusty roads. The âswearing-by-the-bicycleâ brigade also comprises 40-year-old Srikant Shetty, a systems analyst with a software firm and a resident of BHEL. He cycles 30 km every day and says that while initially his family frowned on his decision but with his back pain disappearing, they are happy now. His four-wheeler is now used only for family outings. Though there is a Hyderabad Cycling Club which holds weekly rides, people opting for bi-cycles as alternative transportation to automobiles will make a huge difference to the cityâs growing pollution levels, environmentalists say. These enthusiasts are growing in numbers, with some joining them out of sheer curiosity. Tony Kurian, 25, is one of them. Apprehensive initially, Kurian did a search to confirm that people were indeed cycling to work. âTo my surprise, I found people do cycle to work. For past two months I have been cycling and have lost six kgs, which is a big gain for me,â says the resident of Banjara Hills Road No 3, who bikes it up to Prashasan Nagar, Jubilee Hills, everyday. Soon, Tony left the gym as he felt the bicycle ride made him feel trimmer and stronger. And if he took 45 minutes to reach office earlier, the commute time has dropped to 26 minutes. Bikers say cycling for 20 minutes is as good as walking for an hour. It is a complete exercise for heart and is as good as swimming. | ||
Nippu Side Hero Username: Nippu Post Number: 2419 Registered: 12-2008 Posted From: 24.148.3.170 Rating: N/A |
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/City-biker s-blaze-new-green-trail/articleshow/5842331.cms |