It’s only 5:30 in the morning and the sun is yet to hit the sand dunes that regularly make sand seem like golden dust. An unending sea of glitter lies before us. About half a dozen people have gathered in front of a shopping mall in Udaipur. It is the starting point of a regular cycling expedition in and around the city.
A brief spell of rain has washed the sky blue and cleared the air. The sky was still a bit cloudy, and people have started gathering for the cycling expedition for the day. These are Udaipur’s amateur cyclists. A few are serious and follow their passion with great zeal. Many of them are well-known professionals and scholars of the city.
As the cyclists ride past Chetak Chowk, one of the busiest landmarks of Udaipur named after Maha Rana Pratap’s famous horse, more riders join the pack. By the time they reach their end point at Fateh Sagar Lake after covering Badi Lake, the number of riders has increased to about 25. Most of them treat themselves to hot masala tea at a roadside stall beside the picturesque Fateh Sagar while some of them stop for a smoothie of assorted vegetables at a shop nearby. After a brief chat, they disperse to head to their day job.
They are members of the Udaipur Cycling Club, a group of enthusiasts that was formed in 2015 to promote cycling in the community and live a healthy life. They have more than 120 active members, who cycle regularly on trails frequented early in the morning. The youngest of the pack is only eight-years-old-while the oldest is 70.
Coming together following the initiative of Nitesh Tak and a few of his friends, the group is prone to undertaking explorations of hidden lakes and water bodies around the city. They even embark on night rides which often stretch to over 100-200 km. Should one want to explore the city of lakes on a bicycle, connecting with this remarkable group has never been easier. They can even arrange bicycles free of charge.
Nitesh runs a fitness equipment and cycle store in the city by day and has always been a cycling enthusiast. He would commute by a fashionable MTB or mountain bike in his college days and his zeal for cycling became part of both his career and his hobby after he finished his studies.
The routes that they follow change regularly and are chosen through consultation. Any individual member can propose a route well in advance on the social media group chat so that others can join in the discussion. Virtually anyone, even non-members or outsiders can join, as long as they wear helmets and follow group discipline.
Dos and Don’ts
Ideal time of year
- October-February
Social Media
- @UdaipurCyclingClubOfficial