Mumbai: Man helps distressed cyclists rediscover joys of cycling

Riding a bicycle in the city is by no means easy with cars and bikes zooming past and no cycling tracks Some cyclists met with accidents and gave up on outdoor exercise However a 55yearold garment supplier has been coming to the rescue of such cyclists in distress with his studio where they can cycle at a fixed place on virtual routes offered by an indoor cycling setupSince the lockdown Janak Shah has started renting the apparatus to his clients most of whom are marathon runners They enjoy cycling and train from homePeople cycle at Janak Shahs Prabhadevi studioShah has a studio with an indoor cycling trainer that can display the roads of any city of the world Cyclists can fix their own cycle to it and cycle in place on different routesShah a Sewri resident believes he is preventing people from meeting accidents through the training He has helped doctors teachers students and housewives train through his systemChandresh DedhiaI invited 15 friends who had met with accidents while cycling on the road They practised on the indoor cycling machine It is almost the same as cycling on the road You have to control which direction you will turn in by observing the road on a connected screen Shah told middayPeople can choose the places they want to cycle in Like New Zealand Italy or any other country that lets the application access its routes Amid the pandemic we are not providing the service in the studio but I am giving the simulators on a monthly rent of R30005000Janak Shah PicAtul KambleShah added that beginners can also use it to hone their skills This is perfect for marathon runners or cyclists who are low on confidence and fear riding a cycle Once you build your confidence in the studio you can cycle on the road Shah saidMeet the studio cyclistsChitra Nadkarni athleteChitra Nadkarni 57 from Bandra East told midday In school I ran at the district level and won many awards In 2018 I was cycling near Cotton Green Road flyover and met with an accident because of a rash taxi driver I received stitches on my mouth and lips I did not dare to cycle again but in January 2020 I visited Shahs studio and started training I want to be ready for a triathlon which will be held in January For every runner cross training is important and it comes with cycling I have rented the machine and practice daily on routes of city roads and flyovers It is helping me achieve my goals and dreamsDr Sheetal Mohite spine surgeonDr Sheetal Mohite told midday I have been participating in marathons for several years but this year practising has been next to impossible But then I got to know of Shah from whom I rented the bike trainer and started training at home There are no disturbances like signals speed breakers rain winter low visibility or traffic It increases your resistance power and gives you the experience of cycling on a hill or highway I am going to participate in the upcoming triathlon and am ready for all three activities mdash swimming cycling and runningDr Devendra Chaukar cancer surgeonDr Devendra Chaukar 48 who works at Tata hospital said With no cycling tracks in the city the increasing traffic makes the roads dangerous I am preparing for the Half Ironman Triathlon from homeChandresh Dedhia IT professionalChandresh Dedhia 40 an IT professional in the pharma sector said I have been cycling as a beginner for 20 years It doesnt make sense to buy highend cycles without relevant experience So I joined Shahs studio I got to practice on all kinds of highend cycles I dont have to face rain traffic vehicles Recently the BMC also shutdown the cycling route in BKC You are vulnerable to accidents on the road This studio is perfect to trainmiddays testmidday visited Shah at his residence to test his bike The setup can be connected to a phone tablet laptop or smart TV via Bluetooth One hour of cycling depending on the difficulty level can burn 300500 calories Beginners should start with 30 minutes and increase their time gradually This reporter cycled for around 30 minutes and found it to be just like cycling on the road midday chose routes like Bandra to Worli Munnar to Anamalai and Mumbai to Alibaug In terms of foreign locales midday chose the Otago Peninsula in New Zealand which gave views of the oceanKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news