Midnight in Mumbai on cycle!

Mumbai has the most amazing quirky things to offer.  All you need is the willingness to embrace their quirkiness.

Last week, I had an opportunity to do one of such things, which until that moment seemed impossible to me: a moonlight Mumbai cycle ride! Now you will say, why on Earth would anyone want to cycle the streets of Mumbai at midnight? Well, first of all, just for the kick of it! Secondly to check whether honking-free and traffic free roads were something known to Mumbai and lastly to breathe a somewhat pure air. I mean, come on! 

Out of sheer curiosity, my friend and I, we went half an hour before the registration time. We were greeted by a group of young girls and boys, who happened to be the organizers of the ride! I was pleasantly surprised to see that such young people were working towards making the Maximum City even more interesting. 

The idea of Mumbai Riders came to its founder, Rishi Shah, after his extensive traveling in Europe last summer. He thought it would be amazing to replicate the concept of 'cycle the city' in Mumbai to give its busy dwellers a chance to rediscover and admire the city's beauty. His idea was supported by two of his friends - Falak Parikh and Saurabh Punamiya and many more. Since December, they had successfully organized 10 rides and the one in which I participated was the 11th one.

Once all the 60 registered participants turned up and were equipped with snacks, we headed to collect our cycles. Most of us had not even thought about cycles after we left school a decade ago. So once we got the cycles, the first thing everyone did was to paddle a few meters in the adjoining lane just to confirm that they were still able to cycle! After checking the tire pressure, other technicalities of the cycle, some group photos, and a lot of selfies, we started our mission-on-wheels to enjoy the midnight ride in the city! 

The route of the ride - 22 km!

It was a perfect night to cycle. The cool breeze from the sea was shooing away the mid-March Mumbai heat. The contagious enthusiasm and the new-found passion for this eco-friendly way of discovering the city was quite something. A few stars had joined us in the sky and the car-free roads were an icing on the cake! 

After passing by the iconic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and the Gateway of India, we took our first stop at the Asiatic. I had never been on this side of the town and it felt Bollywoodish to be sitting on the steps of the Asiatic Society Library. It was a moment to say: 'Eating samosa at 12:30 am on the steps of Asiatic - check!'. 

The next pause was at the historic CST, but it was a technical halt to try to reduce the gap between the group. Well, to be frank, it didn't help, as a few of us were quite fast than the rest of the group. So, it was decided that we all meet at Haji Ali directly. 

I had never thought that the ruthless city of dreams, which is constantly bustling and throwing challenges at you every now and then can look so serene and peaceful. I almost couldn't resist loving this mad city! The moment we crossed Marine Lines flyover, the stunning beauty of the 'Queen's necklace' rendered us speechless. We didn't even want to stop and take photos (though now I think we should have). Maybe we were just so mesmerized to be on the Marin drive getting the feel of the city that stopping and taking photos would have interrupted our conversation with the city. We were engrossed in listening to what Mumbai had to tell us. I think this ride gave me the unique opportunity to see a different side of the city that I will never forget. As we were riding and bagging in small achievements of climbing up the Pedder road without getting off the cycle, it felt as if the city was smiling at us and clapping for us!

We reached Haji Ali triumphant! What an experience we had just lived! The place was filled with laughter, smiles, streetlights and a few stars! Once settled on the sidewalks, people got busy enjoying their samosas and with renewed rounds of selfies.  

I must say that our young, enthusiastic and down-to-earth, college going organizers are doing a great job. Their meticulous planning and sincerity are making the rides popular. A few glitches are there, but can be easily amended with more experience. So if you planning to visit Mumbai sometime soon or are already here, keep a lookout for the rides. They are one for the most à la mode activities these days and are sold out within a few hours!

I am definitely going for the next one to discover a new area of Mumbai and to get some more memories!