Cycling culture in India. "Paddle Your Heart Break Your Chains"

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Mountain biking is an extreme sport which requires nerves of steel, peak fitness conditions, endurance, stamina and a lot of technical know-how and skills to move yourselves up the gnarly climbs and to ride downhill swiftly without falling off.

Broadly speaking there are two types of bikes namely road bikes and mountain bikes. There are further subdivisions but in India the popularity of mountain bikes is more. Mountain bikes are so popular that even in the cities people prefer to buy mountain bikes (hybrid) rather than a road bike. This is probably because of the fact that a hybrid mountain bike can be used in diverse terrains. A more specialized bike made especially for downhill with rear suspension or full suspension is called a downhill bike which is more popular among professional mountain bikers than amateur ones due to the fact that a lot of technical skills are required to ride such a bike and is the most expensive bike costing more than 1 lakhs. A good downhill bike might cost around 3.5 lakhs but as most of the professional athletes at that level are sponsored by various bike companies it makes more sense. I got a chance of riding with such professional mountain bikers who are one of the best in India and were sponsored by Psynide bikes, Cannondale, Haul apparel India, Hero bikes, btwin etc. I also documented the rides on a go pro camera to promote such an amazing sport. Having explored this extreme sport around Himachal riding hours around various trails i have developed a lot of enthusiasm understanding this sport even more and its status in India and its evolution. The great thing about this sport is the beautiful terrain, the fresh breath of air under its cardio intensive core, the fight to never give up on paddling along your team and the most important the extreme rush of endorphins that are released by the end of the day. "Its all about doing something for the first time that means nothing to anyone else but everything to yourself."

(Note: copyright images : Nishant Thakur)

A mountain bike has a lot of engineering involved as the gear sets which are dominated by Shimano brand have evolved through time. The gears we have on these mountain bikes (MTB) help to ease paddling when moving uphill and also increase the RPM when the biker needs to move faster downhill. The hybrid MTB will usually have three gears front and nine or ten on the rear. A downhill bike would usually has one in the front to discourage chain coming off due to the heavy shock experienced during riding downhill on trails. The brakes today have the option of disk and shoe/ v-brake. Disk is further divided into manual and hydraulic. The tires come in three sizes 26 inch, 27.5 inch an 29 inch each having its own pros and cons. (Xavier, 2016)

India has gradually turned into a popular destination for adventure seekers, mountain biking is among the adventure sports that give adrenaline rush and is absolutely thrilling to perform. The scene is no different in the case of mountain biking.

The best destinations for mountainbiking are Leh Laddakh, Uttarakhand (Kumaun) and Manali. Shimla and Nainital have been organizing annual mountain biking competitions.

MTB Himalaya formed in 2004 has promoted mountain biking in India by organizing various events in India which have influenced many local, amateur and seasoned athletes in India “The world is looking up to India as the next big destination for extreme sports like mountain biking, when are you going to break your mental block against this exciting adventure sports?” (Chandra , 2014) India boasts of having one of the most amazing mountainous terrains in the world. With the advent of organizers like HASTPA and MTB Himalaya, which have been organizing races and events in the Himachal Pradesh since the last 10 years, the sport has now reached a scale where people from all corners of the country now come and participate in week long races. Events like MTB Shimla, a 2 day racing event starting from Shimla, Trans-Himalayan MTB which is organized in the arid mountainous regions of Lahaul and Spiti district, MTB Kerala and MTB Sikkim are attracting more and more participants these days. A lot of international participants from Europe, Africa and neighbouring nations like Bhutan and Nepal have also taken to participate in these events to enjoy the beauty of the Himalayan terrain. It won’t be surprising to witness more such races happening in the coming years. (Ani, 2016)

Mountain biking is a extreme sport and safety measures should never be ignored. One of the prominent Mountain biking legend from Pune passed away last year when he met with an accident in an expedition in Leh. The mountain biking community will remember his efforts and the passion with which he developed his skills and inspired many. (reporter, 2017)

Bibliography

Ani. (2016, april 15). lifestyle viral and trending. Retrieved april 9, 2018, from Deccanchronical.com: https://www.deccanchronicle.com/lifestyle/viral-and-trending/150416/india-s-most-popular-mountain-biking-race-back-in-himalayas.html

Chandra , A. (2014, june 4). Retrieved april 10, 208, from traveltriangle.com: http://traveltriangle.com/blog/mountain-biking-in-india/

reporter, s. (2017, july 14). home, pune. Retrieved april 9, 2018, from thefreepressjournal.com: http://www.freepressjournal.in/pune/punes-iconic-mountain-biker-crashes-to-his-death-in-leh/1102739

Xavier, L. (2016, october 2). sports. Retrieved april 9, 2018, from hindustantimes.com: https://www.hindustantimes.com/other-sports/wheels-of-change-india-slowly-pedalling-its-way-to-a-cycling-culture/story-gGmHrrW4WXWbAg0yNOGoqL.html