 If the government had paid heed to the fact that a very large part of India commutes on this, we would have had dedicated cycling lanes decades ago, like most other cycling countries. But just like that hasn't stopped millions of Indians from riding long distances on these bikes, sometimes wife and tour at the back, child in front on a baby seat. Middle-aged generation across cities is doing the same, but on slightly different bikes. You wanna come cycling with me? What makes them do it? I want to explore places. I want to make myself feel that I've done something different in life at this stage and stage with all my issues. I know that some of my happiest moments have been when I've been cruising downhill through a sunrise. And you know, there are birds flying and it's cool and the sun is rising. It's an amazing feeling and I feel really lucky that I can do this. The lack of infrastructure also does not hold them back. I had an accident. You know, it was a major accident. I was knocked down by a speeding car driven by a young girl, 21-year-old at 4.30 in the morning. God only saved me. I had an accident on the highway, I mean, going to Noida Expressway. A motorcyclist hit me from behind and they flew up in the air and my cycle broke in five pieces. And I fractured my ribs and stuff. We always try and ride with at least one other person or in a group because it is just so unsafe to ride on your own. I've had many accidents and every time because I've been with somebody, I've been able to be rushed to a hospital or you know, taken to an emergency room very quickly. Now, cross-country cycling does come at a price but the joy of achievement and training that goes into it overrides all of that. But that didn't deter me from taking up this again. So I really don't know how cycling lanes can help alone. It's the attitude which has to change of the people. Cyclists socialize Sunday evenings because we don't ride Monday mornings. We don't socialize, at least I don't socialize Friday, Saturday because I ride Saturday, Sunday. I don't feel I've compromised very much because, you know, compromise really means that you feel that you have to give up something to get something because I'm so keen on what I am cycling and I'm so, you know, sure that this is what I want to do. I really don't mind not socializing. I really don't mind going to bed early. I think all that's good. I started cycling with my husband, with my son and now I mean it's part of my system. If I had to say, you know, I can't cycle because things are not perfect, I don't even know whether to get out of my house that way. I mean, I wouldn't do anything if I've got to wait for everything to be just right. While I was cycling on a long distance, you know, someone asked me, you know, it was a cross-country cycling that what makes you to cycle 12 hours a day, 14 hours a day? I simply said to that person, he was with his wife, I said it's a Janoon and I don't know. It's something which has now become a part of my life. I get up at 4, people call me an old woman. People ask me, really? You sleep at night? You eat your dinner at 6.30? You are up at 4? You eat your breakfast at 7.30? Are you serious? Are you normal? But that's the way I am. And this is a complete lifestyle change which has happened to me in 5 years. Now some upcoming expressways like the Delhi Merit one do have a lane for cyclists. But unless there are strict laws in place, there may be jeeps riding inside them instead of cyclists. The fact is that all these recent celebrations around World Bicycle Day, this movement to get people to pedal instead of accelerate all mean nothing unless the attitude towards cyclists becomes one of care and value.