Pause and take a moment to envision the word picture we wish to paint before you.Imagine the road from Bangal Chowki to Market Yard lined with at least 20 Neem Trees. Consider being able to see a peacock dance in the middle of July next to Ahmednagar Fort drenched in raindrops or imagine spotting a vivacious deer hopping in knee-high slender leaves of grass on your trip to Chandbibi's Mahal.
Now try to picture how pleasurable it would be to drive home from work while listening to an orchestra and a symphony of birds. This sounds like a utopia, don't you think? Or is it a dream? No!!!… In our city, those were the good old days, when the only sound we could hear on the city streets were the rustling of trees, the loud knocking of horse hooves, and the screeching of a bicycle tire. The railway horn could be heard as far as DSP chowk. In those days we had found that sweet spot where nature and humankind has created a fine balance and were living together in harmony. This was partly possible because machines hadn’t invaded this green Eden of a city. Most of us used bicycles to commute from one place to another. Owning a bicycle was a thing of pride or a prized possession. The top 5 bicycles sold in Ahmednagar belonged to Hercules, Atlas, Hero, Philips and Raleigh. Wiping them clean every morning was a labour of love. Other than cycles the only mode of transport within the city was a horse Cart or "Tanga" and a bullock cart, because of which words like air pollution, sound pollution, and carbon footprint were not in our dictionaries.
The Ahmednagar Cycling Club, however, has made it their mission to revive the cycling culture in Ahmednagar. Although leaving behind luxury cars and opting for cycling seems to be a popular fitness mantra in the post-Covid world, Ahmednagar Cycling Club has been promoting this lifestyle since its inception. Every year for the past four seasons, the Ahmednagar Cycling Club has organized the largest Cyclothon in India to get the community's residents to adopt healthier lifestyles.
According to recent studies, obesity has become a major public health concern, affecting more than one-third of adults. Nevertheless, new research suggests that there are two more serious threats to the community: loneliness and social isolation. Chronic loneliness among young Indian urban is a mental health issue that is not getting the attention it sorely deserves. Biking can surely be a solution to this problem. The members of Ahmednagar Cycling Club have built a cohesive and safe space for everyone to pedal away loneliness.
Don’t you hate being stuck in traffic? Cycling provides a golden solution to this problem. Riding a bike rather than driving helps the entire community by reducing traffic congestion and crash frequency, making streets safer for bicyclists, walkers, and drivers. Less traffic congestion results from more bicycles on the road than automobiles. Moreover, studies show that biking has had a positive economic impact year after year
A study by T E R I in 2018 said, If half of all trips under 8 km are done through cycling, it can result in energy savings of 0.35 million tonnes. Another study by ITDP also pointed out the fact that “A global shift to increased cycling and electric biking could cut energy use and carbon dioxide emissions from urban transportation by up to 10 percent by 2050 and the society could save more than $24 trillion” Cycling benefits you every which way. Think how well you will sleep knowing that you have not only made a healthy choice for your body but also the environment. Reading this might make you wonder about the environmental benefits of cycling even more.
After the wheel was invented cycling has been one of the most environmentally friendly modes of transportation. Cycling to work, school or the store is the simplest way to help the environment, because every pedal turn helps to preserve our planet in some way. This will not only save you money but will also provide you with the quick cardio workout that you missed by not going to the gym. Cycling's potential benefits outweigh almost any disadvantage you can point to!! Let's see how cycling is beneficial for the environment.
CYCLING HELPS REDUCE AIR POLLUTION:
Can you imagine driving to work at peak traffic hours without wearing a scarf or a mask?
Think for a minute about all the gases you inhale while waiting in traffic for the jam to clear on Chitale road.
Cycling is the best way to reduce your carbon footprint and live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Air pollution is the release of small particles, chemicals, and gases into the atmosphere as a result of activities such as the combustion of fossil fuels, transportation, and wildfires. Car fuels, in particular, contain gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen dioxide, both of which are extremely harmful to the environment when released in large quantities. The worst part of this is that they are slowly poisoning you.
Shorter journeys, in particular, are likely to reap the greatest environmental benefits from cycling. India's oil demand rose from 4.51 million barrels per day in 2020 to 4.76 million BPD in 2021, recording a 5.61 per cent growth. Can you imagine how much oil we use every day? Fortunately, bike riders contribute significantly to reduced petroleum consumption. Logically, this would benefit the entire planet Earth.
CYCLING HELPS REDUCE NOISE POLLUTION:
Don’t you hate it when you are peacefully reading your morning newspaper and suddenly someone on the street honks their car's horn?
Now imagine shopping on the streets of Kapad Bazaar without annoying horns disturbing you while you choose the birthday outfit of your choice
CYCLING CONTRIBUTES TO THE INCREASE OF BIODIVERSITY
We Nagarkars have certainly enjoyed our childhood trips to Siddhi Baugh, Fariya Baugh, Ahmednagar Fort, Chandbibi's Mahal with our grandparents and have enjoyed the sights and sounds of the wild. Ahmednagar, only 30 years back was almost a safe haven for wildlife, be it kites, crows, sparrows, pigeons, parrots, mongoose, ducks, chickens, nocturnal animals like bats and owls even pythons for that matter were sighted easily.
Be it old Municipal co-operation road or Wadia Park road trees like Akaash Neem/ akashjai (also known as Indian Cork tree), Peepal (also called Ficus religiosa), Vaad (The banyan tree, scientifically known as Ficus benghalensis), Chinch or Tamarind (Also called Tamarindus indica), Neel Mohar ( also called Jacaranda Mimosifolia Plant) Gulmohar(also called Royal Poinciana ), coconut trees were found in abundance.
These trees were filled with sounds of birds and reptiles and the buzzing of honey bees. Even the sighting of a monkey who took a wrong turn wasn’t unusual. However today we can't find a tree to stand under on a hot summer day. One of the most significant environmental benefits of cycling is increased biodiversity. Cycling protects green spaces and inevitably also the wildlife that lives within them by generating less noise and air pollution and emitting fewer hazardous gases that contribute to global warming.
You might wonder… How is cycling good for your health? And what are the benefits of cycling? Or Why should you participate in Cyclothon season 5?
Here are 6 simple reasons to start cycling and preparing for Cyclothon 2024.
1. Do you breathe rapidly while climbing the stairs? Or have you faced breathing problems post Covid?
Cycling is principally an aerobic activity. Aerobic activity is any activity that raises heart rate and makes breathing somewhat harder while providing cardiovascular conditioning. Cycling works your heart, blood vessels, and lungs. It firstly helps you breathe deeper, perspire more, and have a higher body temperature. These three things will improve your overall fitness level and make your lungs stronger.
2. Have you ever considered how leading a sedentary lifestyle may be affecting your general health? Or do you want to know how cycling can build muscle?
Cycling primarily helps to strengthen your legs. Cycling is said to improve overall lower-body function and strengthen leg muscles without overstressing your joints. Most gym exercises carry the risk of injuring the joints. Cycling, on the other hand, targets your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves without putting you in danger of injury. Cycling also increased joint mobility.
3. We are mostly confined to our office chairs, which has made us less flexible. After spending a lot of time sitting on the office chair, the quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and hips become stiff. Cycling helps to loosen and stretch these muscles by contracting them. These muscles are exercised during cycling. As a result, the lower body gradually becomes more flexible. Cycling also strengthens the core and arm muscles.
4. If you are looking to challenge yourself physically and mentally, biking is the thing for you. Eddy Merckx, a Belgian former professional road and track bicycle racer who is among the most successful riders in the history of competitive cycling once said, “The race is won by the rider who can suffer the most”
5. Don’t you think it is a powerful feeling to be able to ride for as long as your route, riding companions, or imagination can take you? Consistent biking can improve endurance and fat utilization. Biking challenges you and helps you realize your true potential. Teaching your body to go longer is a medal that is earned and a talent that is developed slowly and consistently.
6. Biking helps you get out of your comfort zone and the joy of pushing yourself increases your enjoyment. You can increase the length of your rides and challenge yourself to set a bigger goal every week. The joy of biking is in physically and mentally transporting yourself to new time zones; this initially causes you to feel hungry and exhausted but also gives you the additional endorphins that come with new horizons and triumphs. Choosing riding partners with comparable or greater stamina and staying close together to encourage each other is an important part of this journey. It's no wonder Louis Baudry de Saunier, a 19th-century French author, said, “A cyclist is a man half made of flesh and half of steel that only our century of science and iron could have spawned.”
"Cyclists see considerably more of this beautiful world than any other class of citizens. A good bicycle, well applied, will cure most ills. This flesh is heir too." These words of Dr K.K Dotty are all the more poignant today than ever. The constant commotion of daily life is unforgiving and renders us nearly unable to notice anything lovely about the city we call home. We rush to work every day, oblivious to the stunning scenery that surrounds Ahmednagar city.
Joining this Cyclothon is your chance to breathe clean air, make a sensible choice that will benefit the health of your body and the environment while indulging in Mother Nature and re-discovering your city.