In this first post and Video in a series that captures the growing cycling culture in India, we speak to Rahul Garg about the birth and growth of Madover Biking, a community-based platform that organises serious riding events, races both on the road and on the Zwift platform.
Madover Biking is a community-based platform that was born in May 2018 from a group of cyclist friends that saw a need for organised cycling events in Delhi India.
Rahul Garg is the founder of Madover Biking and I talk with him about cyclists in India that have access to the gear and feel the need to compete. Cycling for recreation and sport has increased over 200% in recent years, so Rahul and his crew organise official events to form a league that undertakes rides and races for serious competitors. These events range from Street racing in India's traffic, to endurance events but also making teams and races in the Online Zwift platform so the riders can still compete from their homes.
"after a ride with friends we discussed that there was a lack of road cycling racing culture in Delhi and we decided to do something about it..."
Recreational cycling and racing is difficult in India because of the dense population and therefore traffic as well as air quality, but there are those that have good bikes and equipment and they want to compete. Madover Biking organises events on the outskirts of cities where the traffic is easier to deal with so people can have a serious ride. They organise endurance events and TT events but also utilise the Zwift indoor training platform and form teams to hold and compete in events online.
Their earliest major event was the “Right To Ride” event where the group intention is to educate road users about cyclists on the road and lobby for safe bicycle lanes.
This first video in the series is an insight from the man himself as to how the platform has started and gained momentum.
Madover biking is a platform that caters to the community by organising cycling events for cycling enthusiasts in Delhi India and surrounds.
They looked out and saw and spoke to their community about the need to have some active competition in their sport and pulled together with founder Rahul Garg to make a competitive platform.
Madover Biking organises these events in the form of Time Trial (TT) Endurance and community rides which have 50 ~ 60 participants and have also started a Zwift indoor cycling movement.
The races are usually organised early morning on the outskirts of town when and where there is less traffic, however, it can still be daunting to the uninitiated. While the starts and the races share the road procedures are put in place such as
Informing the police of the event
2 x ambulances are on standby
They form barriers with cars behind, and on the side to help segregate the traffic from the riders.
Organising these events in India is a huge task and to consider the safety of riders during the event is paramount in their organisation. While there is a risk, to date there has been no major accidents or injuries regarding vehicles, so an impressive record under the circumstances. Each event carries a basic message in education to the public and the community about cycling safety so that all road users can understand the vulnerability of cyclists in this city and help petition for dedicated bike lanes to encourage this sport and recreation.
None of this can be done without community support and so Madover biking enlists in the order of 15~20 volunteers from the cycling community to help organise, run stalls, form the car barrier, station at navigation checkpoints and so forth to make a successful event. They also gain sponsor partners to provide meals at the end of the events to get all the participants together and promote that camaraderie that is the cycling network.
Great that you can join us again for Part 3 of our journey into the Indian cycling scene with Madover Biking. Click the image or HERE for the Video
In this part 3 of the interview, we discuss the end to end planning that Madover Biking as a community cycling platform provides for its events.
We have been discussing with Rahul Garg the founder of Madover Biking, that this platform has been borne out of necessity by the growing market of competitive cycling to provide an avenue for riders to be pit themselves against each other with racing and cycling events.
The events include Time trial event and masters events, which are longer endurance type races where all the participants start together and have the opportunity to form a peloton, make breakaways and use strategies to gain positions in the event.
While there is a competitive nature in their events, the skill level varies, and everyone who is serious gets the opportunity to race and improve with this social sport. Registration for Madover Biking events is necessary and the participants are scrutinised. This is no Sunday cruise around the park!
The events which have between 50 to 60 participants are planned end to end with notification to the Police and other relevant authorities for the routes used and of course, it is important to ensure the riders have what they need. Pre-event there is hydration and gels available, during the event, volunteers mark the routes and post-event there is a prize-giving ceremony and food to put back what your effort took out.
This part of the interview discusses cycling as a sport in India that has significantly increased and connection through the various groups. Cycling can be enjoyed all year round in India with only a few places with adverse weather at different seasons. Madover Biking hold events where the participants earn points to gain prizes during the year.
Hello and welcome to the Perfuro Gear Blog during these unusual times of 2020. This week I have contacted a number of cycling tour operators to get an idea of their business and what to expect when you book a tour with them and also how the Covid19 virus has affected their business and what they are doing to keep their business going forward in these trying times. I have spoken to a number of tour operators, and I will make separate blogs as they are all worthy of some promotion as well.
Recently I have had a great talk with Marco Mori who is the owner of Gusto Cycling in Tuscany, ITALY. Please make sure you have a look at the VIDEO .
Marco, who spends his time between Tuscany and the UK, has been passionate about cycling since he was a child and now he has turned this into his business. Marco has been involved with travelling and tourism all his life working for all types of companies and recently made the change to offer something himself to a recreation that was quality and different.
"Gusto is Italian for taste" and so Marco designs tours that immerse you in the Italian culture and cuisine. You can bet that after his planned day of cycling, you have earned a good meal and a lovely wine to go with it. His tours are mostly self-guided, but can he also caters for guided tours, that extend into the North or the South of Tuscany which can be day tours or travel on a circuit for up to a week staying in a different location daily.
On booking the tour which can cater for individuals to groups, Marco is in contact with you to determine what you would like to get out of the tour and also to understand your fitness level so that he can tailor-make an experience for you and/or your group.
He uses software called Ride with GPS in which you download to your device and he sends you the pre-planned route. The route includes stop off and restaurant suggestions along the way and of course your next hotel stay which is booked in advance. The software runs of GPS data, so you do not spend the data on your device. The application has fully functional visual and audio directions to guide you on your way.
The tours cater for any fitness level and are catered for you; however, he says that they are based on 25~50km per day so you can take in the scenery and absorb the culture in a recreational way but are designed so you have some challenge and earn a great meal. The tours are run on secondary roads and while there is a little traffic, you are riding in the countryside and the motorists are quite used to bicycle traffic as it is one of the main means of transport for the local people. Of course, if you want to go further, that is fine, and Marco can certainly detail a route that can cater to your level. The focus of the tours is to enjoy the rich atmosphere.
He supplies a range of bikes including Carbon fibre road bikes, Hybrid Utility bikes and of course E-bikes which can allow nearly anyone to enjoy the tours. As for bike fit, during the booking process, he takes your measurements and a bike is selected for you that has been serviced and basically altered to suit. You may need to adjust the seat for the final comfort setting.
Marco has two main tour areas in which he focuses. In the north of Tuscany, the distances are shorter, the terrain is hilly but not mountainous, and it is more the industrial area of the region. We are not talking about workshops here, but you come across more medieval villages in which each one is different and specialises in a different cuisine. Part of the tour actually goes to Vinci – the birthplace of Leonardo de Vinci and as such the village is steeped in nostalgia and museums.
To the South, it is a more rural outlook and the villages are spaced more. The distances you need to cover are a bit longer and it is undulating terrain. It is spotted with vineyards and you take in some agricultural tourism where your accommodation is a working farm and 70% or more of the produce you consume is made on the premises. September is the season for the Porcini Mushroom which is only harvested within 4 weeks of a year. The gatherers go out to their secret locations to get this produce and it used extensively in the local cuisines while in season.
Both directions have different outlooks into the Italian countryside and culture and are surely not to be missed.
The Corona Virus or COVID19 as it is known has certainly left its mark on the tourism industry and Marco has also been greatly affected. In some respects, he has some luck on his side as March is still the winter months and so the season for cycling and tourism has not yet started, it starts from Easter usually. However, while the rest of this year is unknown, it is not likely that any booking will be made until some confidence comes back into our lives and we are allowed to move freely about. Gusto Cycling mainly caters for international travellers and so while airlines are not operating and local restrictions are in place for locals and foreigners, it looks like that this year may well have limited custom and we look to next year.
In the meantime, Marco will be having a look at his marketing, updating his social media and website. He plans to detail his tours more visually by getting more photography done so that he can show you the stunning destinations you will visit on your tour.
Please take the time to enjoy this post and feel free to browse the store. We welcome your comments and suggestions.
Perfuro gear was born on the Gold Coast of Australia. The Gold Coast is in the state of Queensland Australia and is in the centre portion of the East coast. The weather here is sub-tropical with long summers and short mild winters, so riding here is a year-round experience.
Places to Go
Apart from the glorious weather here, the riding has something for everyone. Along the coast you will find a flat corridor of beautiful unspoilt beaches with pale yellow sand and clean surfing waves. Perfect for sprints to better your recorded segment or just take your own pace and enjoy it.
Just a short distance inland it begins to get lumpy with natural forested hills. It is very easy to experience the best of both worlds in a single ride. Warm up, then do some climbing and then finish up with some flat sprints.
Did I hear climb? Beechmont, Springbrook, Tamborine or maybe Terra Nora or Tomewin mountains will put your legs to the test with long but manageable climbs with lots of twists and turns. Of course, nearby Mt Coot-tha in Brisbane is also a right of passage in this part of the world.
The Valleys
The Gold Coast hosts some very popular valley rides. Short and fast 40 ~ 50km round trips, head West into the Currumbin or Tallebudgera valley, or do both!!! Nothing better than to capture the early morning tranquillity of this spectacular natural Australian rain forest terrain and the wildlife that goes with it. There is little car traffic as it is not a through road.
The Tour
Or maybe you want to go on a morning tour? This 140km loop that takes in Nerang, Numinbah valley, climb up to the NSW border and then descend into Murwillumbah for coffee. When refreshed, head back to Queensland through the cane fields, up and over Tomewin Mountain or Terra Nora or straight over to the coast for a flatter run. Then, follow it back to your Gold Coast start point. There is a good six hours there and all quite accessible for riders of intermediate abilities. Finish off with beverages, and a big lunch, you are going to burn some calories! Then go a different direction tomorrow.
So, this fabulous place, The Gold Coast Australia, has the great weather and it offers endless options for ALL riding abilities. What more can you ask for a holiday destination?