Pedalyatri: United by cycling love, a big family now

GURUGRAM: A decade back, a shared love for bicycle-riding brought together a group of Gurugram professionals. Ten years later, and fittingly on the first World Bicycle Day (June 3, as designated by the United Nations), Pedalyatri has grown bigger, and the camaraderie on the trails has only grown stronger.
“Like people go to the gym, for us the jungle is the gym,” says Harsha Kapoor, one of the few thousand Pedalyatris.“It’s an escape route for us, an escape from all our stresses.”
Kapoor speaks of the wilds of the Aravalis as a “magical playground”, and the collective passion of these ‘yatris’ takes them to unexplored routes, allows them to enjoy new experiences. It’s akin, almost, to a local version of shinrin-yoku (forest bathing).
“We’re completely non-commercial and non-competitive. So, while members participate in races and win prizes, when we ride, we do so collectively,” Kapoor explains. “And we ride together – come what may, no last person is left behind. This has helped us grow from strength to strength.”
Take Sukhvinder ‘Sukhi’ Ahuja, once a lone rider but now a part of the Pedalyatri pack. “More than two years ago, I used to cycle alone, and one day I had a puncture while riding on Golf Course Extension Road,” he recalls. “These Pedalyatri guys saw me and said, ‘Hey, why don’t you ride with us?’ I asked, ‘Where do you guys go?’ They replied, ‘We go to trails.’
“So, every Saturday and Sunday, I’m riding with them, (and) we do trails – this is the best four hours that I spend in my week!”
Sandeep Kaur has been with Pedalyatri for a year, having been introduced to the group by her husband. What endears her to the collective is its collaborative credo. “When I first joined, my main worry was that I probably won’t be able to ride on the trails, and that I will be left behind,” Kaur shared.
“But the most encouraging thing about the group was that they would always ride along with you, they will wait for you. So, all this helped me get into cycling, and get into cycling on the trails, which otherwise seemed very daunting.” So, as they have done for many others, the Pedalyatris eased Kaur’s concerns and boosted her confidence.
Indeed, here’s a bunch that looks after – and out for – each other. “If there’s a puncture, or if the chain breaks and you can’t repair it for some reason, and you’re stuck 15km from the nearest stop, what do you do? You stay as a pack, you don’t leave anyone behind. That creates a bonding,” maintains Ahuja.
Naveen Goswami, another of the devoted Pedalyatris, has been with the group almost as long as it has been around, drawn to this ‘family’ by its old-fashioned esprit de corps. “I have started so many sports, and my interest would only last for a couple of months, but cycling is the one thing I’ve continued for almost 10 years now,” he admitted.
As much as this community allows its members – head honchos and everyday pros, the young and old, rookies and veterans – a chance to indulge their love of bicycling, Pedalyatris are as eager to make folks in (and around) Gurugram aware about the wonderful richness of biodiversity that lies not too far away from city limits.
Trips deep into Aravali territory have led to a few serendipitous discoveries, one of which was a water body the Pedalyatris named ‘Lost Lake’. Mangar Bani is a regular haunt of theirs. Then there’s Pani Kot, another favourite stamping ground.
From quirkily early starts (around 12 minutes before sunrise) to the typical Pedalyatri refreshment (‘kulhar’ chai and Parle-G biscuits), some things never change. Eventually, it’s all about the memories. “When you look back on your career, you won’t remember the promotions and other gains, but this is one thing which will stay with you,” feels Goswami. “We always remember the times spent in Pedalyatri.”
Pedalyatri has some 4,800 members, mainly from Gurugram and NCR but also from all over India. It has an active chapter in Lucknow, and an upcoming one in Mumbai. It is also active in Hyderabad.