Amid pandemic, Ludhiana falls in love with cycling

With their fancy, high-end cycles, some with mounted speakers, residents can be found pedalling in parks and leisure valleys including Sidhwan Canal waterfront, Rakh Bagh and Rose Garden.

With rising concerns over health and immunity amid the pandemic, city residents from all walks of life are embracing cycling as a means to keep themselves fit.

An old man cycling at the newly built Green Park adjoining the Sidhwan Canal at Sarabha Nagar in Ludhiana on Friday. (Harsimar Pal Singh/HT)

With their fancy, high-end cycles, some with mounted speakers, residents can be found pedalling in parks and leisure valleys including Sidhwan Canal waterfront, Rakh Bagh and Rose Garden.

A visitor to Sidhwan Canal waterfront, Sandeep, said, “It is good to see a large number of residents turning to cycling and the trend is catching on. From kids to senior citizens, everyone is cycling. They have nowhere else to go anyway and the weather conditions in the evening are encouraging.”

A youngster cycling in the rain with an umbrella at Rakh Bagh near Guru Nanak Stadium in Ludhiana on Friday. (HT PHOTO)

Youngsters are often spotted clicking pictures with their bikes for the media.

A resident of Model Town, Guneet Singh, said, “We are a group of four friends and we started cycling after gyms closed down. While long distances are covered on holidays, we cycle for at least an hour on a daily basis. Now, cycling has become a part of our lives.”

He added that the government should promote cycling by building cycling tracks in the city to ensure their safety as the trend was sure to grow.