Imagine you’re in Bolzano, a quaint valley city close to the Austrian border and surrounded by mountains and vineyards. You hop onto your bicycle and cycle all the way to Venice in Italy over the next eight days. Your path will take you through the crystal clear waters of Lake Garda, onwards to Soave — a township in the Province of Verona famous for producing Soave white wine — towards the medieval charm-exuding Verona, and finally, to the city of canals, Venice.
“You’re free to stop and take pictures or step into a café, enjoy a coffee or wine or sample some Italian cuisine and then, get on with your journey. We travel at about 15 to 20 kilometers per hour and about 50 to 60 kilometers per day, so it’s not hectic at all. You can explore places at leisure,” shares Aditya Bhide, director of a travel comapany, who organised his first cycling trip in 2017, and has since organised ones in The Baltic States, France and Switzerland.
Aditya is one of many cycling enthusiasts, who are championing a burgeoning form of bike tourism called bicycle touring. Ahead of World Bicycle Day, when cycling enthusiasts around the world will celebrate their favourite mode of transport, we speak to those among them who are going the extra mile to promote bicycle touring.
When asked what motivated him to explore the space, Aditya says, “I realised that there were more people opting for offbeat holidays. Also, cycling as a hobby as well as a market is booming. So, there was a market for it and in today’s India, money is not a problem.”
Niharika, India’s first woman triple-Super Randonneur.
While those seasoned in bicycle touring would prefer calling the above, ‘lightweight touring’ or ‘supported touring’ — variations of bicycle touring — because of the presence of a support vehicle that tows most of your heavy luggage, there are those in the space who are fans of true blue bicycle touring, which means that they travel with their bag, baggage and gear, on their own over long distances. Dhruv Bogra, who quit his corporate job to go on a year long cycling tour from Alaska to Peru, covering a distance of 15,000 kilometers, is one such person. His trip ended in 2017 and his journey formed the basis of his book, Grit, Gravel and Gear, which was published in 2018. Since then, Dhruv has undertaken many more ‘micro-adventures’ throughout India on his cycle.
“On my trips, I’m on my own. From carrying heavy gear, to camping out in the open, to cooking my food, I do it on my own. The best part about bicycle touring is that you get to experience the world in a raw format, up, close and personal. Be it wildlife or cultures, you’re exploring them at close quarters,” he shares.
For 35-year-old Priyanka Dalal, bicycle touring is all about being on the road.
“There are three types of cycles: road bikes, which have thin tires; mountain bikes, which have thick tires, and hybrid bikes, which have medium-sized tires. The last variety is perfect for bicycle touring because the tires are perfect for cycling on smooth to slightly bumpy surfaces and the absence of suspension improves speed,” she shares.
— With inputs from Sashidhar Adivi
