Chennai: In this day and age of endless studying/working hours inside the school and office, with people seated in a place for ages, and with food items having more chemical mix in them, fitness levels have plummeted.
More and more try to set things right by involving themselves in activities that vary from walking to running, hitting the gym or breaking out that bicycle that was gathering dust in the cellar.
We are Chennai Cycling Group (WCCG) is famous for its activites in the city. With chapters present at Anna Nagar, Marina, ECR-OMR, Ashok Pillar and Porur, it has grown in number in recent times and has put social media platforms like Facebook to good use.
Now, there is another chapter. Prabu Devaraj, a 37-year-old IT professional, has been part of the Anna Nagar chapter of WCCG for three years and says he was longing to start one in his place.
‘One month back, I started the Ambattur chapter and now, we have 40 cyclists in our group, with seven regular riders,’ said, the co-ordinator of Ambattur and Anna Nagar chapters, about the inception of the new group.
“It was the dream of mine to unite cyclists in Ambattur and Avadi, who are cycling alone, because when it comes to cycling, things get a lot better when done with a group,” said Prabu.
Speaking about cycling in the city, Prabu had one thing to say – beat the odds. “Chennai is not suited for cycling. We have to be very careful, the reason why we conduct our rides early in the morning. Also, one should have a helmet and backlights as a must. If not, they will not be allowed to ride with us. Safety is given the top-most priority,” he said.
Prabu said he started cycling because he got bored from sitting at a place for a long time each passing day. “That is how I started riding. I start my rides by half past four in the morning. But for new riders in Ambattur, I am starting the rides from 5 am, to make it a bit easier for them in the beginning,” said he.
The Ambattur chapter, however, is not official as of yet because it requires 30-40 regular riders. “But, we are reaching out to people through social media and we will be official soon,” said Prabu.
Asked what makes cycling special, he said, “It is a sport that also brings freedom and passion. You get to go on adventures and explore new places. You also get to meet people from all walks of life and from different age groups. You learn new things every day. Our aim is to bring fitness along with enjoyment. You become a kid when you cycle, it brings back memories, good memories, from your childhood.”
On New Year, WCCG is conducting a newbie ride that is open for people to come and ride for a distance of 25 km. A registration link has also been opened for the same. People who do not have cycles, don;t worry, as cycles are there for rent for the day. For more details, contact 8220536728.