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The Cycle Run 2004 was formally launched by Adhiraj Sarin, MD, and G Hari, president, TI Cycles, in the presence of former Indian hockey team captain Dhanraj Pillai and four-time world billiards champion Michael Ferreira in Chennai on April 16.

The event will be held Sunday, April 18, and will be flagged off by cricketer Kapil Dev from Island Grounds at 7 a.m. Cycle Run 2004 will see the participation of more than 1,000 Chennai residents. Amongst those coming together in this event, called Pedal for Clean and Healthy Chennai, will be sporting legends, CEOs and filmstars. Cycle Run 2004 aims at promoting cycling as a fun-filled as well as an effective fitness activity.

Cycle Run 2004 is supported by the Cycling Federation of India (CFI). J S Grewal, secretary general, CFI, will be present on April 18 to oversee the event.

Speaking about the event, Adhiraj Sarin, MD, TI Cycles said, "We want to let people know that cycling is not just for commuting. Internationally, cycling is a sport, a way to explore outdoors, exercise and an activity in which the whole family participates. In India, cycling has a long way to go before it evolves into a pure leisure activity. The BSA Cycle Run 2004 is the first step towards our vision of creating an important role for the cycle in the everyday life of all Indians.” 

Speaking on the occasion, G Hari, president, TI Cycles, said, "The initial response to the BSA Cycle Run has been very encouraging. We have received entries from Chennai residents belonging to all walks of life. Looking at the response, I am sure that we would make it an annual event and also take it across.

"I still remember my childhood days when I used to cycle to my hockey practice sessions. Cycling is a healthy activity. It's not just a sport, it's also recreation by itself. It's the best way to have fun and to stay fit. It gives me a lot of pleasure to be associated with Cycle Run 2004. I would like to personally thank TI Cycles for putting this event together. It is a wonderful way to say how much you care about creating a clean environment and helping people to rediscover the joy of cycling,” said Dhanraj Pillai.

Michael Ferreira felt that "With the kind of importance and hype that is given to cricket in our country, other sporting events have taken a backseat. It is nice to see that corporates such as TI Cycles are taking the initiative to promote sports other than cricket. In developed countries we see that all sports are promoted equally. The gap between promotion of cricket and other sports needs to be bridged rapidly if we are to become a world force in the sporting arena."

The event also has other famous personas participating. Film actress Laila, Mrs World, Aditi Gowitrikar, TV personalities Vijay Adhiraj, Chetan, Aman Verma, Ruby Bhatia, Tirumurugan and many more are coming together for a common cause - to Pedal for a Clean and Healthy Chennai, said Hari. “We believe that it is time for all of us as a nation and as a city to REDEFINE and REDISCOVER the role that this humble product can play in our daily lives. The BSA Cycle Run 2004 has been conceptualised with the aim of bringing cycles back into our collective consciousness and highlight how cycling can be so easily incorporated into our daily lifestyle,” said Hari.

“We hold fond memories of those days when we could zip around narrow lanes and bylanes on bikes with our friends. The run also aims to demonstrate that cycling is not restricted either to the rural poor or to urban kids but that it can be adopted by any age group and gender, irrespective of their socio-economic status.” 

“It is an extremely healthy way to incorporate exercise into our daily lives. We all know that cycling helps to tone and trim muscles, especially those in the lower back and upper thigh. Let me share something more interesting with you. Studies done by the British Medical Journal have shown that half-an-hour of cycling at a moderate 20 mph helps bum 692 calories; while a person loses just 168 calories in half-an-hour of brisk walk. Cycling as a means of fitness is, therefore, at least four times more effective. In a lighter vein, for those of us who are hard pressed for time, it also means that we can cut our daily walking time by one-fourth and we are still going to end up burning the same amount of calories! It is, in fact, a more leisurely, a more comfortable and a more effective form of exercise than many other activities.”

Hari pointed out, “Chennai, as you know, like many other cities in our country, is highly polluted. The suspended particulate matter, S0₂ and NO₂ in the air, that are contributed by motorised vehicles, add to this menace. While the governments are working in this direction by evaluating more efficient means of transport, it is also time that we as concerned citizens make intelligent transportation choices as well. We are told that in cities like Chennai and Bangalore, people make thousands of trips everyday of a distance that is less than 2 km. These are essentially errands that people run from home or from work and sometimes even for leisure. For these short errands, we can easily switch from cars and motorised two-wheelers to cycles. Moving for these short distances on a cycle for our little chores like buying fruits/vegetables, visiting friends or paying bills would mean that we save not just fuel costs but also help reduce air and noise pollution levels.”

“We need more cycling lanes, more parking spots for cyclists and most of all, cultivate respect for cyclists,” Hari said in an impassioned plea.