Today, I am writing about my experience of riding with the Cycling Zens group. I discovered about this group on facebook. Peter, who is the co-founder of this group had posted an event for a Sunday morning ride covering a detailed journey plan. After reading through – How could I not enroll for it 🙂 I went ahead and booked a bicycle with the events company.
I was at the meeting point at about 5.15 am to see Peter and collect my bike. I was happy to receive a white Firefox MTB as a companion in my journey. A couple of other riders were also present. And from there, we moved to Cafe Coffee Day, Wadala which was the starting point. A group of 7 riders were waiting for us. We did a brief introduction and then 2 more boys arrived. They came from Belapur and had started as early as 3 am to be here. Only passionate cyclists could do this!
At around 5.45 am, our group started riding with one guy leading the pack as we moved forward with a target distance of 50 kms to cover. Peter was on his motorbike while his colleague, Zafar followed us in a back up car for support carrying refreshments and first aid. With empty roads in the morning, the pack reached close to the Vashi bridge in about 30 minutes. We could see the Sunrise with the creek on either sides.
After another 20 minutes of riding, the pack had reached on the palm beach road. The stretch is about 10 km long. Roads are absolutely smooth with natural barricades of lush green plantations. I saw many runners, morning walkers and cyclists along the route. Some of them appeared to be accomplished athletes creating an energetic surrounding for us. It was inspiring to see so many people coming outdoors with a serious mindset for fitness. With half the distance covered we decided to take a pit stop at the Nerul Lake.
The view from the lake was beautiful and I sat on a bench to relax and unwind. Peter and his Cycling Zens team distributed RITE BITE energy bars, bananas and water to us as we were enjoying the nature. I spoke to my fellow riders and each one of us had our stories to share from our past rides. One gentleman had come from Mulund, another from Borivali. To our surprise, there was also a participant all the way from Rajkot. Wow! only a few can get so intimate for sports and those who do are achievers. Conversations went on…
Open Skies & Butterflies Hovering on The Tranquil River,
Picturesque! Passage of thoughts giving me Silent Shivers.
The Warmth of the Sun Drifting through a carved stone of a Thinking Man,
Rejuvenating – in this Flawless, Floral & Breathtaking view I Am.
It was time to return with some exceptional memories. We rode back with as much discipline as we could – just like tiny ants moving in a straight line. The support continued with the back up team guiding us through the route. And we reached the finish line clocking 51 kms distance in 2 hrs 29 minutes of time.
Happy, Contented and Kudos all around. The ride was over with some delicious breakfast we all shared. Leaving with a souvenir of new friendships and memories…until the next ride.
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Author: Vijay Malhotra, Mumbai
This looks like an interesting way to go on a group bike ride 😎
Hi, Thank you for appreciating. Yes, I ride with a new group every time.