Mumbai pedals for green cause

It’s not about the bike. Lance Armstrong said it and Mumbaikars from all walks of life came out on the streets to prove it on a pleasant Sunday morning. All of Mumbai’s movers and shakers also came together in the city’s very first BSA Hercules India Cyclothon.

The dabbawallas on their desi ‘Atlas Goldline Super’ not only raced but beat the Firefoxes and the Raleighs. The famous Mumbai spirit prevailed. Despite a few teething problems, everyone had a good time.

Some participants at the first, 12-km, event waited at traffic signals to let private vehicles pass. Others were taken aback by the sheer rashness of the dabbawallas, who have aced the art of overtaking with pride. In just about half an hour, the first biker crossed the finish line, while a dabbawalla with clinking wheels dashed to second position.

The enthusiasm seemed to break at the seams for the kids’ two-km race. While several young and not-so-young ladies made a proud display of their pink Ladybirds, the little men drove with vigour, occasionally turning back to look at a proud parent break into a smile. From here on, the smiles and cheers only widened. The differently-abled in wheelchairs also enthusiastically participated.

Just as the sun peaked and ‘children lost and found’ announcements filled the holding area, the 24-km event took off, that had the added attraction of cycling on Mumbai’s very own Sea Link. More and more eager cyclists took on the stage. A unique sight came in the form of elderly V S Iyer and his three-wheeler propaganda to help the planet. ‘Why are you cycling at your age?’ asked an onlooker and pat came the reply: ‘Cycling rakhta hai pair garam, peth naram, dimag to thanda aur bimaari ko danda.’

At the end, some put their cycles on a pollution-spewing taxi and drove home. Others decided to cycle back home into the far suburbs; some took the pick-up-and-drop facility provided by the sponsors.

“It is only today that I can cycle on the highways,” said Tejinder Singh of Goregaon. While he runs his software consultancy business from his office in Andheri, he cannot think of cycling on any of the weekdays. “I don’t think I will survive for more than a couple of days, given the traffic scenario,” he adds.