CYCLING CITIESFeatured

Written by RUMILA G
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Haven’t you ever wondered while stuck in hours of endless traffic how simple it would be if only you could use a bicycle? Not only is the humble bicycle pollutionfree but it also helps to keep you in good health and soaring spirit.

There was a time when driving to the office in the morning one would see hundreds of cyclists making their way to work with their tiffins dangling from the cycle bars. They were quite a menace and if you hit one, God help you! But have you wondered where those cyclists have disappeared? The peddling two wheelers have been replaced by scootys and bikes, a bigger menace on the road these days. If one was in a small town, it was quite a sight to see thousands of cyclists taking over the roads on to way to work. No more. Why has India not taken to cycling, giving the modest transport up for fancy bikes and cars?

Every morning, thousands of commuters in big cities are caught up in nasty snarls and long hours of waiting at traffic lights. Yet we never think of doing something about it. But one woman is showing us the way by leading the pack on two wheel-pedalling. She is Nikita Lalwani from Vadodara in Gujarat. It all happened by accident. Nikita is an instrumentation engineer and was used to commute long hours to work. It was in 2014 when the construction of a flyover near her home made her commuting time to work nearly double.

She happened to also visit Germany the same year and to her surprise she found a large majority of Germans pedalling to work. That was an inspiration for young Nikita and her colleagues and they decide to return home and follow this healthy and clean mode of travel. The next year, Lalwani launched Cycling Cities, an initiative that targets motivating one-third of the population of every Indian city to embed cycling into their everyday life by 2030. It is a huge attempt to revive old habits and bring back the cycling culture.

Through the Cycling Cities project, Lalwani hopes to create a sort of cycling ecosystem, both on and offline, encouraging users through their ‘TRING’ or ‘Try Cycle’ project, in which they can buy and sell used cycles in their cities as well as receive advice and guidance related to the advantages of such a mode of transport and how it also has personal benefits. Cycling Cities believes that every school and college should encourage cycling and is doing all they can to promote a healthy lifestyle through cycling. It has been quite an encouraging journey so far with good responses from many cities. In fact, Nikita got selected for the IIM Udaipur woman entrepreneurship programme in 2016, barely a year after she launched her ambitious project.

But what came as a huge boost to Nikita’s efforts was the surprise recognition by CycleSpace, a Dutch organisation that promotes cycling around the world

CycleSpace elected Nikita Lalwani to be the Bicycle Mayor of Vadodara, the first mayor of its kind in the country. This opened up many doors for Nikita. As a Bicycle Mayor she was invited to the Bicycle Mayor Summit in Amsterdam in June this year and is to be followed up by a much bigger conference, the Velo-City later this year.

Nikita was delighted by the overwhelming response she has been getting from people across the world. In fact, she was encouraged and motivated by managing to crowdfund her visits to Netherlands. The CycleSpace project is aimed at setting up a Bicycle Mayor Network across the world to promote cycling and sustainable mobility by developing innovative ideas. The idea is to build a huge network of cycling representatives worldwide to promote and spread the idea and benefits of cycling to the environment and health.

Nikita is already busy developing an infrastructure to promote cycling in her city Vadodara. She is working with the Vadodara Municipal Corporation to build cycling tracks across the city and provide for parking facilities for bicycles. She has also launched Baroda by Cycle which conducts guided tours around the city and let people experience the joy to cycling around. It is a small step to start with but Nikita is not the one to give up easily.

Cities for Cycles

Ride through busy city centres, scenic valleys and historical sites with Condé Nast Traveller’s pick of the most bike-friendly destination

Once considered a necessary playtime activity for kids, cycling today has caught on big time with the increasing tribe of experimental travellers eager to explore different places in a different way. From dedicated bike lanes to guided tours, many cities across the globe are cashing in on this trend and are going all out to promote the joys of travelling on a two wheeler. Condé Nast Traveller presents its pick of some of the best cycle-friendly places in the world.

Beijing, China

Regarded as the cycling capital of the world, Beijing is probably one of the few cities where it's perfectly normal to see more cycles on the road than cars. With dedicated lanes and routes for cyclists, one of the best ways to experience China’s capital would be on a wheelie. Whether you’re simply riding on city roads or through the majestic mountains surrounding the Great Wall, there are plenty of bike rental facilities along with guided tours to help you explore this fun and environmentally friendly way of sightseeing.

Barcelona, Spain

In an increasingly green-conscious world, bicycle-sharing schemes have taken off in a big way, encouraging people to use more efficient and practical modes of transport. Barcelona recently started Bicing — bicyclesharing programmes — across the city where travellers can simply rent a cycle by using a card that unlocks the bike, thus reducing the chances of theft and vandalism. The best districts to ride in are Eixample, Gràcia, Sant Martí, Sants and Sant Andreu, which are perfect for a leisurely journey around the city due to the absence of steep gradients. For the more adventurous cyclist, there are plenty of routes along Montjuïc (a hill located in near the centre of Barcelona) that offer challenging rides.

Montreal, Canada

If you want a cheap, fun and eco-friendly way of discovering this urban city, there’s no better way to explore it than on a cycle. Montreal has 3,862km of trails with plans to expand. It also has the first urban bikesharing infrastructure in North America — the Bixi programme —making it convenient for travellers to simply rent a cycle and embark on a green adventure. Sights and routes that must make it on your itinerary include St Lawrence River and Lachine Canal, which begins at Atwater Market — an expansive area that houses local, organic and exotic food stalls. Make your way down to Lawrence River to take in the astonishing views of Montreal.

Udaipur, India

The best way to discover rural parts of a region is by making your way through the area like the locals. In this historic city, people ride around on two wheelers all the time. Grab a cycle and make your way through the rustic royal plains of Udaipur, discovering ancient forts, temples and majestic palaces. The city invokes one of the best biking experiences that will have you manoeuvring through hordes of camels, local villagers and markets of all kinds — where you could halt for a quick buy or a scrumptious bite. Hiring a bike here is easy with several rental companies sprawled all over. And, with barely any vehicles in sight, it’s as easy to ride too.

Paris, France

With over 40km of cycle paths and routes in Paris and an array of beautiful locations to visit, this is one city that has to be enjoyed at a leisurely pace. With a wellorganised bike-sharing system and clear dedicated lanes for cyclists, you’ll find half the city using this non-fuel mode of transport. Paris boasts one of the largest and most efficient bike-sharing programmes — Velib, which ensures bike rental at any given time with maximum security. There are also plenty of guided bike tours in and around Paris, so you’ll be spoilt for choice in the world’s most romantic city.

Leh, India

Located to the North of the Indus River at an elevation of 11,811ft above the sea level, and home to pristine lakes and regal mountains is the tranquil district of Leh. Cycling here is not for the faint-hearted. Its rocky terrains and extreme weather make it a perfect destination for adventurous cyclists looking for some thrills. With barely any vehicles on the road, expansive nature trails and several Buddhist monasteries worth visiting, Leh is definitely a city to explore on your bike.

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