This septuagenarian pedals 100 km everyday to stay healthy
Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, July 3
Aged 74, Adarsh Nagar resident and businessman Baljit Mahajan pedals around 100 km daily to stay fit. He has traversed 1.29 lakh km in the past four and a half years.
According to data on Strava app, Mahajan rode his bicycle for 2,463.7 km in June alone, pedalling for 137 hours and 27 minutes (this was much less than his routine average). As per the data, he completed 151.5 km ride in eight hours and 15 minutes on June 29 and 145.1 km ride in seven hours and 48 minutes on June 28.
Owning a sports goods manufacturing business, he says, “It all started when I went to Holland in 1998 as an invitee for a project on manufacturing cricket bats by hand. Landing at airport there, I saw that every car which was in the parking area and also on road carried a cycle. About 3 km away from my hotel, my driver told me that now I would have to walk or take a rental cycle from there to go ahead as the cars were not allowed ahead. Staying there for 32 days, I realised that the air was pollution-free. I came much inspired but my cycle was 24 kg and I did not enjoy it much till I bought a new cycle meant for professionals 12 years later in 2010.”
He recalls, “At that time, Firefox company offered us to start their showroom in the city. That’s how I got a new cycle. I began promoting cycle by forming a club, encouraging youngsters and children to become members and involving all communities by holding cycle rallies and the numbers began to swell. The trek cycle that I now ride weighs just 6 kg.”
Mahajan says his aim is to make the city residents fit through his campaigns. “I get all my tests done every six months and till date, I have had no complication. Being vegetarian, I consume 2 kg of milk everyday in the form of milk, milk shakes, curd, lassi and paneer. I am totally against junk food. I have never tasted tea. My diet also includes nuts and murabbas. My wife Kamlesh Mahajan takes care of it all,” he shares.
He added, “While earlier, I used to calculate the length of my ride on speedometer, I got Strava app in 2016. I have mostly remained among the top five, making it to the first in the country several times. But I am not in a competition with anyone at the moment. I ride with my own consistency and my own speed and would like to continue like this.”
