Hot on wheels

Ekshikaa’s interest in running marathons led to her latest hobby, cycling. A first-year student at MEASI Academy of Architecture, Chennai, Ekshikaa, fell in love with the sport at a professional cycling stall at a marathon in Chennai two years ago.

“I now own a Schwinn Point Terra. My longest ride so far has been 200 km in 11 hours.” She cycled from ECR Toll Gate to Puducherry and back, “It is called a brevet,” she points, adding that with this made her the Youngest Female Randonneur in India when she was 16. She had dreams of doing the Nilgiris Trail (800km) but is now grounded in Chennai as her classes have started.

“Now, even my dad has bought himself a cycle and joins me on rides,” she says. Her mother is also as keen on cycling but restricts herself to short distances of 30-60km. “The feeling of the wind on your face is inexplicable. One may get tired riding a bike, but on a cycle, you are just floating away.”