Essay on “Bicycle Popular Again” Complete Essay, Paragraph, Speech 600 Words for Class 9, 10, 12 and Graduation Students.

Bicycle Popular Again

In 1976, six-year-old Anil Uchil started cycling by renting a bicycle at 25 paise an hour. He got his own road bike when he turned 13 and cycled everywhere: to school, college, and even to work in 1993. He still cycles to work. “It’s healthy, environment-friendly, and economical. But the real reason I cycle is that its sheer fun,” he says.

Earlier this year, PM Narendra Modi, in a speech on the environmental crisis, said, “Why don’t we make Sunday cycle day? I am saying that only one day a week; don’t use fuel-driven vehicles.” Internationally, a lot has been done to encourage people to use the bicycle as a primary means of transport. UK’s Cycle to Work scheme offers tax-free bicycles to employees. 45% of people in Copenhagen cycle to work/college. In Brussels (Belgium), Geneva (Switzerland), or San Francisco (USA), it is not uncommon to see top-rung corporate executives in three-piece suits cycling their way to the office.

Cycling, though, has been a part of Indian culture for decades. Apart from people across strata in smaller towns and villages, in cities, mill workers, newspaper delivery boys, milk vendors, and bread sellers have always used bicycle. Today, the resurgent popularity of the bicycle isn’t so much as a practical mode of commuting as it is a way towards fitter lifestyles and eco-friendliness.

Around the late 2000s, as the middle and affluent classes took to cycling, internet penetration also grew in India. Many made use of social media to create awareness. Numerous groups on Facebook today help cyclists connect to fellow riders. The shared passion for cycling brings together absolute strangers, building friendships and a sense of community.

Jose George, an avid cycling enthusiast and the owner of the cycling store, Haybren Adventures, says, “Riding in a group is always more enjoyable. And you end up riding a lot more.” Usually, the ride distances range from 20 to 80 km and are held mostly on weekends. Besides the environmental benefits, cycling is also an effective way to break away from a sedentary lifestyle. “It’s a low-impact exercise where you don’t carry your body weight. The machine does. It’s a great stress buster too,” George says.

But while there are eager riders, the lack of infrastructure is a deterrent. Dedicated cycling lanes are still a distant dream. And if the traffic and questionable driving skills of many don’t discourage you, the potholes and gaps between concrete segments might. Another sore point is the derisive attitude of motorists and drivers. Banker and cycling enthusiast Ninad Waghule, 28, says, “Most drivers aren’t considerate towards cyclists. However, if you’re on an expensive cycle and wearing a helmet, you get more respect compared to a regular person commuting to work. It’s a pity.”

The cycling culture has also given birth to adventure travel companies that organise cycling trips. From short weekend trips to longer and more arduous (but rewarding) journeys, cycling tours are gaining popularity. CEO Prateek Deo Gupta, a cycling enthusiast, says, “Travelling by cycle, as opposed to a car, shows you know more of the local culture”. Nitin Yadav, the co-founder of Delhi-based Cycle It, which focuses solely on cycling trips, says the past four to five months have particularly seen a rise in numbers, in Kumaon, Uttarakhand. Launched last year, Cycle It offers trips on the picturesque Manali to Leh route, and

American science educator Bill Nye famously said, “There’s something wrong with a society that drives a car to work out in a gym.” Thankfully, in spite of potholed roads and our despicable habit of honking cyclists out of the way, things are changing.