Saturday, December 12, 2020

fifteen kms cycling

 Very soon the mechanised vehicles in Pune will be replaced by cycles. Wishful thinking? Well, there are all indications that this may happen soon.

Did a 15 kms ride this morning and it was very refreshing to see the young and the not so young pedaling away. Some were doing a mix of walking and cycling 


Reminds me of something the Dutch Cycling Embassy had put out on their Tweet, "My hope for 2021 is that we can move beyond the shiny and new, and focus on real world solutions that are proven to work. Don't build Hyper loops and Tesla tunnels in cities where it remains unsafe for a child to cross the road or a parent to ride a bike"

When you are at a slow speed you can take in some of the landmarks of Pune, like the Shinde Chhatri at Wanawadi 


Or the Ohel David Synagogue (Lal Deval) near Camp


Talking of Camp (Main Street) it is a different sight, with all the shops closed in the morning. 


The St Patrick's church looks grand against the morning sky.


One has to be a little alert in the morning as there is no saying who will cross your path (and they have the right of the way) 


It is good to see some youngsters practicing football 


Passed the race course and saw the usual sight over there, horses getting their early morning practice ride 



It seems time stands still in some areas of Pune like this picket fence and the grand old tree. My guess is, this tree must be more than two centuries old. 


Made a 3 minute video on my 15 kms ride. Like I said in the beginning, lets give back Pune its old title of "City of cycles"
My cycle is back home, rearing to go for another spin tomorrow morning. 


 

51 comments:

Jeanie said...

Rick would be doing a happy dance! Anytime a mechanized vehicle is replaced by a bicycle, he's over the moon!

Haddock said...

Jeanie, tell Rick I am with him. I for one have decided to use the cycle (instead of the scooter) to cover all the short distance errands.

Elderberry-Rob said...

I cant ride a bike! More videos of your cycles please - it's so interesting to see your location, I love to see other countries and how people live.

Haddock said...

Ok Betty, will send you some links of videos taken earlier.

Linda Stoll said...

I love seeing the view at your place, Haddock! It was fun to connect with you today!

Haddock said...

Glad that you enjoyed it Linda. Now that things are opening up slowly, I intend to venture out more often and capture more.

Christine said...

Cycles are a good thing

DUTA said...

Unfortunately, I can't ride a bicycle. I own an adult tricycle, though, and sometimes use it.
We're gradually reaching the point where cars will be out, cycles and walking - in; that's good. Our health and Climate normality depend on that.
As usual, great pictures and lovely video!

Haddock said...

True Duta. It’s a win win situation, as you mentioned, our health and the world climate depends on how we treat the planet earth.

Anonymous said...

Hi Joe,
Long time !!
How are you & family keeping?
Nice to read your blog and see Pune changing.
Regards,
Vikrant

Anonymous said...

Wow great Joe
This will keep you healthy - Sasirajan Iyer.

vimala madon said...

A lot of people here in Hyderabad too have taken to cycling. I even saw a pic of a young man travelling to work on a unicycle. I used to cycle to school and college in them ole days but am terrified of the traffic now. Nobody follows rules, there are no dedicated cycle lanes, I'd rather walk when I'm not chauffeured around!

Haddock said...

Vimala, the unruly traffic problem is one of the main reasons why people hesitate to take out their cycle on the road. In Pune dedicated cycle tracks are being laid but shops encroach and occupy these tracks. Sad situation.

Anonymous said...

Dear Joe
Thanks you have rekindled my mind towards Pune. i remember earlier days after leaving the hostel i use to stay in Rastapeth along with my colleagues and one of them was great Sasi Iyer and i owned one cycle antic type for local movements and also catching the early morning shift bus as normally i use to be late.(always wait for the third whistle of Deshpande to the attendance).
Your trip and the route from east street was really welcome sightseeing for me in particular.
You people will convert pune into nonmotorized two-wheelers paradise. Thanks once again to remind me of my earlier days.
regards - Krishnamurthy Gopalan

Haddock said...

Good to know that I brought back all your old memories Krishnamurthy. Poona became Pune but deep down it is still the same old place that we know when we came here in 1973.

Bijoux said...

I enjoy bike riding. My favorite time was riding an electric bike around Southern California.

Mary said...

I loved that bike ride with you, and such a great choice of music. A bike ride is something I can no longer do at my advanced age!!! I guess there's no mandatory helmet law, I see some riders without them.

Thanks for waking me up to something cheerful this morning.

Mary -

Mary said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
gigi-hawaii said...

I used to ride a bicycle when I was young, but after falling off twice, I gave it up. Your environment looks nice.

Haddock said...

@Mary - glad you enjoyed the video. Selecting the music for the video is the most difficult part as it has to match the mood of the video. Helmet laws are there but no one follows and there is no proper enforcement.

Haddock said...

You gave it up too soon Gigi. Falling is part of learning a cycle 😊

Liz A. said...

Looks like you had a good ride.

Haddock said...

That must have been fun Bijoux as you don’t have to put in much effort when it comes to electric bike.

Haddock said...

No doubt about it Liz and I intend to do it more often.

Rabbit said...

Hi,sitting in Nilgiris, it was great to experience your cycle tour of Pune city. Brings back old memories. Way to go

Haddock said...

@Rabbit, I am sure it must have brought back memories of your NDA days.

Anonymous said...

Hi Joe, nice ride. You have aptly described the photo of St Patrick's Cathedral. Looks grand in your video as well. I feel it would be better if you don't wear a mask while cycling - Satish Deshpande

Haddock said...

Understand your concern Satish about the mask, but it. being mandatory,I better wear it. when out of the house.

KParthasarathi said...

A pleasurable exercise indeed early in the morning.

Haddock said...

Yes Parthasarathi, and I intend to do it daily morning.

Ed said...

Where I live, bicycles are very impractical because the distances are too far. The nearest town was 8k away and we drove 80k to the grocery store. But whenever I have live in an urban area, I have always loved using mass transportation and walking. I would definitely ride a bicycle in Prune.

Haddock said...

Agree with you Ed especially when the distance between point a to point b is really far apart.
The next alternative is to have a joy ride around your own house.

Ginny Hartzler said...

Wat a lovely tour! I especially like the buildings and the big old tree. Thanks for visiting me! How is the Covid virus in India?

Mariette VandenMunckhof-Vedder said...

Dearest Joe,
Enjoyed your ride through Pune as it has been a long time since we were there for our work. https://mariettesbacktobasics.blogspot.com/2019/01/my-7th-consulting-trip-to-india-with.html
Things have probably changed a lot.
Good that you cycle a lot and the city is more or less leveled for doing so easily.
In The Netherlands we biked always and that was easy as it is as flat as a pancake but over here we have hills... and the weather can get very hot so that is different.
Hugs,
Mariette

PerthDailyPhoto said...

Love love looooved the video H, you really couldn't have picked a better soundtrack to go with it, marvelous and you are so right, you see so much more when on a bicycle 💙

Haddock said...

Yes Ginny, there are many of those old trees in Pune that still stand.
The Covid situation is not that bad in Pune but one can be safe if you follow all the prescribed safety measures.

Haddock said...

Yes Marietta, Pune is mostly flat so cycling is not that difficult. Your mention of Netherlands brought back memories of us doing tandem cycling at the Marken island about nine years ago.
I remember reading your blog about your stay in Pune long ago. Stay safe.

Haddock said...

Yes PerthDailyPhoto, like I mentioned earlier , selecting the right music for the video mood is the most difficult part. Glad you enjoyed it. Walking and cycling helps you to see more.

Anonymous said...

Joe,
Nice safari, lovely video..!
Wish, the wish (cycle) came true. - Sanjay Chandane

Mariette VandenMunckhof-Vedder said...

💞

Haddock said...

Yes Sanjay, I too wish it came true. I was also reminded of the red cycle you had with the fixed sprocket. I used to use it more than you in the late 70s

Pradeep Nair said...

In Bengaluru too, this year has seen a surge in the number of people cyclling.

Haddock said...

Yes Pradeep, and I hope surge will be spread to other parts of India.

A Cuban In London said...

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and your family! :-)

Greetings from London.

Elephant's Child said...

Slow and steady looks like a delightful way to enjoy your city. Thank you for sharing the beauty and the fun.

Susan Flett Swiderski said...

One good thing that's come from the pandemic is the huge increase in the number of people who've taken up bicycling and/or skating. Hopefully, the outdoor exercise trend will continue long after the world has gotten the virus under control.

Take care, and happy new year! (By the way, I LOVE that 200+ year-old tree. It's gorgeous!)

Haddock said...

True Elephants Child. Slow and steady is the best way to enjoy any place.

Haddock said...

Let us hope Susan that the number will go on increasing.
I never miss looking at that tree when I pass that way.

Corinne Rodrigues said...

Some of the pictures brought back memories of Pune. I lived there in the early 70s and it was such a pleasure to see so many people cycling around.

Haddock said...

Oh yes Corinne, in those days it was just cycles and cycles. I too came to Poona in the early 70s

Donna K. Weaver said...

I love the photos. And those ones with the sketches? Wow!