CYCLING; THE NOVEL FAD

Kochi :The state is heading its transport modes to a newer pace with welcoming arms to the burgeoning cycling craze. It is setting a new trend especially among the youngsters. This leap would fortunately bring positive changes in air pollution control too. 

“Bicycle is the best companion in most of my leisure times, when I feel to take a pedal down the streets I find it fulfilled with my Cycle”, comments Niya Varghese, an engineering student, FISAT College, Angamaly.  Most of the college –going students finds solace in two wheelers for their daily transport needs; the list also includes bikes and scooters. Whilst this trend is meeting a new twist by around the maximum youngsters of the state commenting in unison that, bicycles are their comfortable vehicles.

 









     Anna Binny, a BCom student of Naipunnya College, hailing from Thrissur believes that pedaling on cycle is the healthiest way to stay fit. She says, “Pedaling is indeed a rejuvenating experience, every time I am on my cycle I feel on ease, my friends taunted me in the beginning for being very ignorant about scooters, but for me any other two wheelers makes the ride complex.”

For some of them cycling synonyms with school days, they go back to the yesteryears of cycling from hometown to school and vice versa. Prince Paul of Rajagiri Centre of Business studies, Kakkanad feels that the transport modes too follows a fashion, he says “I perceive cycling in a different way, cycling on the Kochi roads saves a great attention from the passersby, and I can ride on every narrow lanes on cycle. My cycle is my best pal as I don’t have to fill fuel every now and then to be on track.” Being a traveller and explorer Prince thinks it’s important to nurture the environment. “All I can do to maintain the green in its purest form is by doing my part, cycling is my gift to the nature as I don’t suffocate her with the smoke from my bike,”he adds.

 McLean Mike, a bicycle enthusiast from Manchester (UK) found that this cycling fad is brimming in the state. This made him start his franchise for mountain cycling in Kuttikanam, Kerala. Jibin Joy, the Kerala representative of mountain cycling comments” The clients who approaches us are all youngsters who have cycles of their own and if they don’t have; we have rental services too.  But we find most of them are well versed with cycles that we need not train them much to pedal on the hills. This way, the cycling culture is the new style statement among the youth as per my view.”

Why cycling??

A glance at the responses of Kochites…

Reasons why Cycling is making waves in styling their transport modes, Kochites have responses that are actually thought provoking.

Ø   40% of people believe that Cycling is a boon to the green and the advent of cycling craze would make the city a pollution free one; and so they switched to cycles.

Ø    Whilst a 20% of Kochites thinks it’s an attention seeking tool to ride in a vehicle that had been a style statement in the past years.

Ø     For 80% of the cycle lovers, the affordability of the vehicle is the reason why they choose it. They say it’s easily accessible and people tend to lend it as its fuel free.

Ø     The health conscious sets of Kochi who would constitute around 80% of the people is well knowledgeable about the physical strength that pedaling offers and so opt for this mode.

Ø     The parking easiness is another matter driving people to ride cycles. They also think that; as cycles need not require a driving license it makes it less compound; a 60% of the cycle users would come under this category.

-         ATHIRA ELSSA JOHNSON

THE STORY ON CYCLING TREND; THE DECCAN CHRONICLE, KOCHI EDITION