Twenty years ago, a group of cyclists would not have caught much attention. It was a time when almost every school-going child flaunted his/her cycle.
The poor man’s mode of transport has since then largely disappeared from roads that are ruled by motorbikes. These days bicycles are more a part of the fitness culture.
The Great Cycle Challenge is an attempt to rekindle old glory of the cycle and make it a part of our daily lives. “Our aim is to instil the spirit of cycling in the new generation,” says K.T. Abdul Nassar, chairman of the Green Care Mission, an environmental organisation based at Mavoor here.
It was on January 31, 2016 the Great Cycle Challenge was launched through an event, ‘Pendrive to Biennale’, to welcome the New Year 2017.
As part of the celebration, the Green Care Mission collected around a lakh used ballpoint pens from the district and took it to Kochi where they were used for an installation as part of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.
The drive was accompanied by Haritha Sancharam, a cycle rally involving 40 cyclists of Team Malabar Riders.
The Wayand Hill Challenge, the Ride to Lakkidi, to promote the Malabar River Festival, and the Ride to Ooty were some of the other initiatives under the cycle challenge.
Around 20 such feats later, Mr. Nassar feels that cycling is the best way to put across a message to the public. “A peloton in full gear is sure to grab attention, much more than a group of motorists,” he says.
For followers of the cycle challenge, cycle is a fitness device and much more. “Cycling 30 to 40 km is good for one’s emotional well being too,” Mr. Nassar says, adding that people are joining cycle clubs in good numbers after news of cycling feats started appearing in the media.
A cycle track along all main roads is a long-pending demand of the mission. “We had cycled from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram to submit a memorandum to the Chief Minister raising the demand,” he says.
The latest event under the banner of the Great Cycle Challenge is the Calicut Cycle Carnival scheduled for December.