Thousands to pedal for cyclists' safety in record attempt

BENGALURU: On Republic Day, over 1,500 cyclists will ride in a linear fashion in Hubballi to send out a message on cyclists' safety. Under the theme #RespectCyclists, they are also aiming at setting a new world record of maximum number of cyclists riding in one line.
“Over 1,500 have already registered the for the event, and we are expecting it to touch 2,000. The current record is for 1,186 cyclists, which we will break,” said Anand Baid of Hubballi Bicycle Club, which is hosting the event in association with like-minded groups.

Wearing the tricolor jersey, cyclists from different parts of the country, religions, caste, creed, ideologies, sex and age will pedal in one single line (one behind the other), maintaining a distance of two bike lengths. They will break the Guinness World Record by cycling non-stop for 4km on Kusugal Road near Keshwapur in Hubballi from 2pm on January 26.

“We are providing free basic accommodation for cyclists coming from all over India. We have cycles on rent also,” added Anand.

Previous records

The record for "longest single line of bicycles" was set by the US in October 2010 with 914 cyclists. In 2015, Cyclist Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina broke the record with 984 bicycles. The current record is held by Bangladesh with 1,186 cyclists riding for 3.2km in December 2016.

The last day for registration is January 10. For details, visit www.hbcriders.com or call 9108507179.

Clear message on wheels

The organisers said the record attempt is to create global awareness about respecting cyclists and taking up cycling as a mode of transport for commuting to workplaces. “Cyclists are the most important component of a vibrant society. In today's world, motorists drive recklessly without respecting cyclists on the road. Incessant honking is also a major problem. It's time there's an awareness on this,” the organisers said.