"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life
you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be
simpler."
-Henry David Thoreau
I have read this quote from Thoreau long ago during my college days. 'Live
the life you've imagined' part of it had stayed there in my
subconscious since then. I have always imagined myself living a life of an
adventurer, sports enthusiast, and a healthy human being. But had been able to
achieve very little in this life endeavour. Living a life in a city with a
corporate job sometimes can create impediments in this pursuit. So what can be
that one solution which can act as a catalyst for you in achieving this
threefold goal of being an adventurer, sports enthusiast, and a healthy human
being. The answer is a bicycle. There cannot be a better and simpler human
invention than a cycle.
So with this I went to Decathlon store located
in Noida Sector 18 with the purpose of buying the simplest Cycle available. I
am a person who likes to keep things simple and believe in doing things one
thing at a time. Decathlon had the
following 3 bikes of my choice and budget:
Fortunately, they did not have the first two bikes in large size. When
buying a bicycle, it is important to choose the right size according to your
height.
M 54 5'6" - 5'9"
L 57 5'9" - 6'1"
XL 60 6'1" - 6'4"
XXL 63 6'4" - 6'7"
"My Btwin Rockrider 300"
So I had to go for the third option i.e. Btwin Rockrider 300 with 21 gears thinking
what I will do with 21 gears. Then I thought what the heck, I will learn how
and where to use them. Instead of this being a little out of my budget I went ahead
with the purchase. I came to learn that in Rs. 9999 they are providing only the
cycle in its crude form, without some essential accessories. The essential
accessory items according to me are as follows:
Back Mud Guard (Front Mud Guard can be omitted) Rs. 400
Back Pouch to Keep the key for the bike lock and other small items (As I
have a bad habit of losing keys and small items) Rs. 300
Back Light and Front Light (So that when riding at night, you can be
spotted easily and from distance) Rs 349
Seat Cover (Which I did not buy initially, but had to buy it eventually
as the bike had literally started being a 'pain in the ass') Rs. 349
Helmet (Which is obvious) Rs, 1599
Biking gloves (Which are optional. I bought it because I needed some
cushion for my wrists. I don't have very strong wrists) Rs. 349
Bike Lock and Key (Theft precautionary measure) Rs. 120
Total: Rs. 3466
This is a small video of the bike that I purchased: Btwin
Rockrider 300
I was now all set to ride my Btwin Rockrider 300 from my home to
office and back covering a total of 27 Kilometers every day. It had only been a
week for me following this routine, but I have learnt a few things about Riding In The
City and Btwin Rockrider 300.
"Day One: Btwin Rockrider 300 Riding in The City" (Sports Tracker App From Google Play Store)
Lesson Number 1: It is very important to use back light and front light
when you are riding in city and that too at night.
Lesson Number 2: No matter how much gaudy and show off it seems, but
always wear helmet/head guard while riding (In India especially where the
culture of wearing helmet had always been scarce, obsolete and
discouraged)
Lesson Number 3: You need to adjust the gear orientation of
your Btwin Rockrider 300 according to your comfort. This you will know
after riding your bike. You can make adjustments to it with the help of this
tutorial video (Not specifically for Rockrider 300, but every gear system is almost the same in almost every bikes)
Overall Rating of Btwin Rockrider 300 after Riding it for a week
in City:
Comfort: 2.5/5. The seat of this bike is uncomfortable. You need to buy a
Gelatinous seat cover for extra cushion. Keep in mind to refer to size chart
before buying a bike if you don't want to get a hunch back because the handle bars are low and cannot be raised.
Gear Shift: 4/5 after a few initial adjustments in the gear system, the
gear shift of this bike has been smooth and accurate.
Weight: 3/5 A little heavier than other mountain bikes, but in Rs. 9999
it is okay.
Tires: 4/5 Broad and sturdy tires which has really good grip. I have
tried this bike on paths with no roads, with bumps and sand, and it holds good.
Balance: 4/5 I happy with the balance of this bike. In cases where the
speed goes to a minimal I don't have to keep my feet down.
Overall: 4/5 overall it is good bike, with a price worth paying. It is
suitable for all kinds of terrain and purposes except racing because of its
weight and tire dimensions.
For any suggestions/feedback/interaction feel free to make use of the comments section below.
For any suggestions/feedback/interaction feel free to make use of the comments section below.
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