Pedal pleasure: Finding meaning in riding to office

Tired of scrambling for parking in the city, I switched my mode of transportation from a vehicle to a bicycle in January and the experience so far has been nothing but exhilarating.

Initially, everyone was sceptical of the safety aspect for a cyclist on Doha roads, but that has turned out to be no problem as long as one is not trying to be a cavalier.

Things have certainly changed – and for the worst - on the main and suburban roads of Doha since my childhood experience of being on a cycle in the ’90s; there is now more traffic, less patience and occasionally ‘rogue’ behaviour towards cyclists, but those displaying that tend to act similarly towards their vehicular counterparts too.

I would argue that being on a cycle, other than recreational purposes is still possible in Qatar. It took me a couple of days to determine the shortest route to work and after that the total travel time actually turned out to be less when compared to driving.

From near the American Hospital to Gulf Times building (both on C-Ring Road), on average it takes me eight minutes while on a car it was around 12 minutes. From Gulf Times to Souq Waqif once, it took me all but 12 minutes on a cycle – something impossible in a car at around 7pm in the evening.

Although for longer destinations (Gulf Times to Four Seasons Hotel) it took me 42 minutes on a Saturday when traffic is usually less (I ditch the cycle for car on those trips now). There are good access points for cyclists on every major intersection and that saves one a lot of time to get off and cross with the machine and then get back on it. That allows one to be on a pavement - and slow down if there are more pedestrians, rather than being right in the middle of the road.

In case there is no kerb, I try to ride in service lane (extreme right). I have come across cyclists who were riding against the traffic rather than with the traffic, something which is illegal but cyclists do that to keep a better eye on the oncoming vehicles.

In one instance, I saw a cyclist riding a bike with headphones attached to a digital contraption shoved in his ears. This could be extremely fatal. The safest and the best bet is to keep ones eyes and ear out at all time while on the cycle and not be distracted for one second.

Most cyclists make the choice due to economic reasons and so most often have ill-fitted bikes, something which I learned the hard way too. It is absolutely crucial to have your bike inspected for the fi t (distance from saddle to paddle, seat to handle bar) or one is likely to experience anterior or posterior knee pain.

In three months, I have yet to see a cyclist sport helmet and to be honest myself do not own one either. And as the weather has been pleasant since January, except on days of high wind, what the experience would be like come summer is yet to be seen. Go Lance Armstrong!