| COVID: Cycling clubs culture hit Jammu streets, appeals to save environment | | |  Early Times Report
Jammu, July 17: Returning to fitness spree in fight against COVID19 the people of Jammu have hit back streets with the revival of cycling clubs in various parts of the city.
Pedaling cycles, the young and the old are seen around parts of Jammu city especially in the morning and evening hours after markets shut at 1900 hours and vehicular traffic lessens on roads in view of COVID19 guidelines.
The culture of cycling clubs revived after Unlock 1.0 was announced and it ultimately gained momentum in the past one-month period.
“We were fed up of sitting home during lockdown period and it led to anxiety and stress,” Avinash Sharma, a banker, riding bicycle with his family in posh Gandhi Nagar locality said.
He added, “when Unlock 1.0 was announced, I decided to go for cycling during evening hours with my sons.”
The banker said that he was surprised to see youngsters pedaling around and have become more health conscious.
“We are a group of five classmates and living nearby to each other in the same locality,” Ankit Sambyal, a teenager expressed.
He said that attending regular online sessions, watching television or playing online videogames have turned to be a boredom, adding, “we all planned to start a cycling club and it worked ultimately.”
“Daily in the evening, we go out for cycling in Sainik Colony area, which is surrounded with greenery and many sectors have parks and tracks as well,” he said and added that after their initiative, many people started joining them and now many can be often seen pedaling and enjoying cycling which not only de-stressed them but helped in taking care of the health/fitness.
Manayta Khullar, a housewife in posh Trikuta Nagar locality expressed that lockdown period was really upsetting.
“We a group of 5 to 7 ladies go out for cycling in the evening as it was must to revive our fitness, which has almost lost during two month long lockdown,” she added and wished that may the COVID period gets over soon and normal routine life returns to the track but people should realise that everyone respect nature and nothing against be done.
The cyclists however, appealed people to adopt a healthy life and if possible, adopt cycling culture to save environment and make Jammu city pollution free and also wear face masks and follow all COVID guidelines/SOPs while cycling.
Subash Mahajan, a cycle dealer said, “earlier people hardly used to buy full sized cycles except few and the demand was only for kids cycles but in the past two months, especially during Corona period, cycle sale has doubled.”
He said that some people ask for branded cycles that ranges between Rs 9000 to 25,000 with gears but the mostly sold are average cycles between Rs 4500 to 6500/- which is also affordable to all and best choice to non-professional cyclists only for fitness purpose.
“Last month we sold two high quality top gear cycles worth Rs 75000/- and I was surprised to see that in a city like Jammu, a customer asked for the top model bicycle,” he added.
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