GreNo West- City riders cover 300 km ride in 20 hours

In the concrete jungle of urban life, one seldom finds the time or the energy to explore places on a bicycle. Yet, some of the cycle groups have kept this sport alive. For cycling groups, cycling is not merely a means of keeping fit but a passion.

November 6, 2022, became a historic day for four cyclists from the Greater Noida Active Riders Group (GNAR) namely Pravjot Singh, Dr Ravi, Mansi Verma, and Sunil Sachdeva rode 300 km within 20 hours. Thus, earning the title of SR Super Randoneeur.

Dr Ravi, one of the riders of the group says, "Only the finisher knows the struggle and pain of this sport. It is awesome sometimes to check your capabilities. It was a fantastic ride with my co-riders."

They marked this journey from Indirapuram to Roorkee. The four riders share that finishing a 300 km ride in a single run is not an easy feat. They add that they hope that this would inspire riders all over the country to switch to cleaner means of transportation. They highlight that cycling is pollution-free, sustainable and healthy. Now that all four cyclists are active, they all intend to finish 400 and 600 km rides.

While explaining what is the SR title, GNAR founder Ritesh Mishra says, "Similar to how students who study for a doctorate after five and a half years receive the DR designation, or how students who study for an engineering degree after four years receive the ER designation, there is a category for super randoneeurs (SR) in cycling, which requires participants to complete rides of 200, 300, 400, and 600 kilometres within a set amount of time."

He also mentions that another G-NAR rider, SR Meet Sagar Singh, who recently achieved SR status after completing all challenges, is preparing to cycle 1250 kilometres.

The riders who just added a feather to their cap by completing a ride of 300 km share their experience with CitySpidey.

Mansi Verma says, "I first took membership of AIR (Audax India Randonneurs) and was allotted my Unique Rider Number. I promptly registered for the 300KM BRM and it's the best opportunity to meet new riders and share your experience. It is an endurance ride that demands that you are physically well prepared for cycling for more than 16-18 hours at a stretch."

Sunil Sachdeva says, "It was awesome to ride long distances on a cycle, my experience with 300 km BRM was tremendous. We did face many problems like punctures, injuries, and wrong side traffic movements but we enjoyed each moment and completed on time."

Pravjot Singh says, "Having the combination of being a late starter, tiredness, darkness, being alone, no sleep and saddle pain and the conflict with my mind was a deadly combination. But the feeling of joy after completion and team GNAR's support made me feel it was worth every ounce of it."

Another founder and Senior Cyclist of the GNAR group Somnath Singh says, "We are among one of the most active cycling groups of India where 230 riders are connected. Every day we start the ride from Gaur City at 5 am. This always gives us a morning boost and energy. Any cyclist can join us for a joyful ride and within one year they will have covered the maximum number of places in Delhi NCR."