Dawn of the Cycling Era

Photos:
http://www.orkut.co.in/ExternalAlbum.aspx?uid=17222778662928045236&aid=1233391862&t=13607252506625484727&vid=09415311337540897468&ik=ACGyDXv3t-hzhCCIb4hQYHjakDJsc23Rcw


January 29, 2009
I stall my morning runs in order to accommodate my cycling aspirations. My brand new Merida bicycle is all geared up to ride. Today I intend cycling my way to office and back. I load my backpack with my laptop, fresh clothes, towel, other bathing essentials & Gatorade. My wife is very apprehensive about the idea of me going out alone on a cold winter morning on a bicycle. My workplace is over 22km from my house.

I don the vividly textured helmet, dark glasses and leave at precisely 0735 hrs. Within two minutes, I am cruising on the expressway in the leftmost narrow lane. Early morning traffic is thin with most vehicles zipping past in the fast lane. An early flyover heaves me out of my comfort zone. I flick the gear lever shifter and the rear derailleur elegantly glides the chain drive onto the bigger cogwheel. Immediately, my legs feel the relief and my ride is merry again. As I cycle down the slope on the other side, a thick blanket of cloud envelops the highway. The visibility reduces drastically and the traffic slows down. But I’m unaffected. The fog plays spoilsport for all except me. I am pedaling in my comfort zone with my knee cranking at its peak efficiency. I have been cycling for over half an hour now and sweating all over my T-shirt and jacket. Even though the ambient temperature is low and it’s very foggy, I do away with my jacket and dump it in my backpack. I take this short halt as an opportunity to gulp down some Gatorade. Within a minute, I am back on my ride. I appreciate every passing mile as I’m physically overwhelmed with the very frequent gradient variations on the highway that I never noticed during my regular car errands. I’ve been shifting gears very often so that my legs pedal at a near constant RPM.

Randomly, my eyes glance upon my arms stretched out onto the handle bar. I’m shocked for a moment, as the hair on my lower arm appears to have turned white. The mist has nucleated as millions of tiny droplets on my outer lower arms braving the fog draft. I am now approaching the end of the expressway and am hardly a few km from my office. The fog has thinned away and now the road is very flat. I start pedaling fast and soon I enter my office gate at 0831 hrs. I’ve completed my cycling endeavor in 56 minutes. The security guy doesn’t recognize me in my attire/helmet/goggles and I show him my access card. Once in office premises, I find a suitable covered parking for my bicycle and head for the shower. Of course, before everything else, I call up my wife and convey my accomplishment.

During my 10 years at work, today is the first time that I’ve taken a bath in my office! I am in my cubicle by 0900 hrs and the run of the mill begins. Post lunch, lots of folks want to ride the bike and I’m more than happy to oblige.

The return journey is uneventful and I’m home before dark. My wife is relieved and gives me a grand welcome! As I enter my house, she takes a couple of snaps and has lots of goodies ready for me to devour. Her happiness is short lived as I disclose my plans to repeat the cycle escapade yet again tomorrow!

January 30, 2009
I log a total of 90km on my bicycle in my two days to office. The weekend (& the fatigue) slows down the pace of my exploits. But at the end of the day, I’m very satisfied with the carbon credits that I’ve earned!!!

Bicycle Details:
Make : Merida
Model : TFS-100V

Specifications : http://www.meridaindia.com/images/matts-tfs100v.pdf
Dealer : MERIDA FLAGSHIP STORE A-59A, Central Market Lajpat Nagar II, New Delhi - 110024 Phone: +91 11 46546298
Website : http://www.merida.com/, http://www.meridaindia.com/
Misc stuff : Tyre clampers, Puncture patch, locks, foot pump, front & rear LED light, goggles/glasses to protect your eyes, a cycling helmet
Cycle spares Shop : Sector 5, Noida