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Cycling is a low-impact workout, but it has its pros and cons. Here's how a group of Chennai-based enthusiasts benefited from cycling, and learnt to recognize their limitations
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They are Chennai’s men and women in tights.
Samir Singla, 44, is a plump, rotund man and looks every bit the chef that he is. Srinath Rajam, 56, is tall and skinny, standing at 6ft, 4 inches, and weighs just 77kg. Neville J. Bilimoria, 44, just about crosses the 5ft mark and is compact on the horizontal axis too. Sharmishta Narayan, 32, is a short and stout woman, chirpy and full of energy.
Dressed in their figure-hugging lycra outfits, they do not paint a great picture of being fit and, even less, embody fitness: no six-pack abs, or toned arms and legs, or chiselled chests. But, put them on a saddle and they will surprise you.
Singla, founder and CEO-chef of catering company Uncle Sam’s Kitchen, cycles 100km on a whim just as easily as he rustles up sumptuous parathas and chicken curry in his kitchen. Rajam, co-owner and director of TV Sundram Iyengar and Sons Ltd, an automobile distribution company, cycles about 350km every week. Bilimoria, an immigration consultant, is also a well-oiled extension of his Cervélo S5 (the Jaguar equivalent of bikes) as he cycles early mornings along the East Coast Road—the highway that connects Chennai and Puducherry. Narayan, a customer relations coordinator with management consulting firm McKinsey and Co. who took to cycling to shed a few kilos, has done that and also completed 100km, 200km, 300km, 400km and 600km solo rides this year. Though it wasn’t their first preference, the cycle has become their vehicle of choice to reach their fitness and health goals as well as a passion.
Running is definitely the quickest way to lose weight as you spend more energy doing this than while cycling, says 46-year-old Rajeev Koshy, an orthopaedic surgeon and avid cyclist. “But cycling is a better option for some because it’s an open-chain exercise (where the limbs are free to move) that exerts much less pressure on the joints and bones, which means you can do it for a longer duration of time and more efficiently. Also, the recovery time for cycling is much shorter compared to a sport as gruelling as football, hockey, rugby," says Kerala-based Dr Koshy, who used cycling as a form of active recovery after a surgery to treat his Achilles tendinitis (inflammation of the tendon).
While Singla has managed to control his weight, increase endurance, maintain a healthy heart and keep at bay ailments that come with age, Narayan has shed 35kg since she started cycling in July 2012. “I am 75kg now. I was a tad bored of the gym and running was not best suited to me. When I went for my first 100km ride on a borrowed cycle, I finished it in under 4 hours. I realized I was good at it and enjoyed it. It was not a struggle. Cycling, coupled with yoga and a proper diet, has helped me," she says.
Cycling is a fairly new sport in India, and Chennai, like rest of the country, had little or no availability of proper cycles, cycling gear and service back-up till 2009. Along came Suresh Kumar, an enthusiastic cyclist and owner of Pro-Bikers, Chennai’s biggest store dedicated to high-end cycles and all things cycling. “I have been connected to cycling since birth. In 1975 when I was born, my father started Balaji Cycles—it is one of the biggest cycle businesses in the state today. I grew up on cycles. My friends at the gym were bored of the treadmill. So, I organized a short ride for about 30 of them in 2010. The response was great and people wanted better cycles. So, after a few more rides, I set up the Tamil Nadu Cycling Club (TCC) in 2011 with my friend Vasanth Ramaswamy," says Kumar, who has participated in several international cycling events. TCC was a great thing to happen to Chennai cyclists.
Bilimoria says: “It was not easy when I started as I had never sat on a cycle for such a long time. I suffered from saddle soreness. But I stuck to it, thanks to my friends in TCC."
Even though cycling is better than high-impact activities such as running and crossfit for the body, it is not without risks. The biggest problem is that our cities and towns are not planned keeping cyclists in mind. In fact, planning authorities have a negative attitude towards cycles in city traffic—Kolkata police’s ban on cycles on the city’s arterial roads being a case in point. Chennai is no different. Environmental activist Sunita Narain, who was hit by a car while cycling in south Delhi earlier this month, is among the victims in a long list of India’s nameless cycling casualties.
“It is definitely very tough to cycle on Chennai roads. I tried few times to cycle from home to work, which is only about 8km, but found it extremely tough due to the pollution and no road safety for cyclists," says Bilimoria.
The high cost of equipment is also a major hindrance to the widespread growth of cycling. Even if it’s a ₹ 2,000 cycle, you need one to take to the sport. But for a basic cycle, pants, helmet, gloves and other accessories, one must shell out a minimum of ₹ 60,000-70,000, Rajam says. “That’s a conservative figure, if you plan on competing," he adds.
A road bike with aluminium frame can cost upwards of ₹ 40,000. Alloy bikes start at ₹ 75,000 and carbon bikes are ₹ 1 lakh-plus. Add to that the cost of gloves ( ₹ 500-1,000), shoes ( ₹ 5,000-7,000), hydration packs ( ₹ 500-800), standard cycling bib ( ₹ 3,000 onwards), cycling jersey ( ₹ 1,000 onwards), handlebar tape ( ₹ 1,000 onwards) and helmet ( ₹ 1,500 onwards), and you can begin to appreciate just how expensive the sport can be.
Then there is also the risk of accidents and injuries. One can suffer serious injuries in a crash even while cycling at a moderate speed of 20 kmph, says Dr Koshy. “It is crucial to invest in proper cycling shorts, helmet, gloves and other equipment because poor equipment can lead to serious groin, hip and other injuries," he adds. Among other injuries is ulnar neuropathy (prolonged pins-and-needles sensation in the arms) that is caused when the cyclist’s grip is faulty or too tight. Cyclists often experience severe pain in their calves and thighs because of blocked iliac artery caused by sitting for long hours on the saddle. Prolonged seating also causes the piriformis syndrome, which leads to severe pain in the hips, says Dr Koshy. “Though cycling is a low-impact activity, it also results in wear and tear underneath the patella of the knee. Watch out for that," he warns.
How much cycling is good for you varies from individual to individual. Your body can function efficiently only with a certain amount of exercise. One needs to find that limit for oneself and then work within that. Take Dr Koshy. He has undertaken longer cycling rides but prefers short- to medium-distance rides because that’s his optimum performance zone. Same is the case with Rajam. Bilimoria and Narayan, on the other hand, perform well even when the duration and distance of the ride are longer.
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