Wheels of Change: How My Cycling Journey Took Off

Some passions begin with a spark. Mine began with a cousin.

Back then, I had no idea that two wheels could carry a soul across states, cultures, and consciousness. But everything began to shift when I saw Thippesh H.P.—my cousin—cycling through the town. We weren’t close at the time, but I’d often notice the grace in his rides and the beauty in the photos he captured while cycling. There was something magnetic about it. It wasn’t just the journey, it was the freedom—raw, untamed, and quietly powerful.

As days passed, we began to speak. The distance between us closed, not just in blood but in bond. Conversations turned into friendships, and slowly, my interest in cycling deepened. I remember borrowing his brother’s cycle for short rides—just one or two days at a time. Those short rides felt like big adventures. Like I was testing the waters of something far greater. In 2019, I made a decision that would quietly change the course of my life—I bought my own bicycle. It wasn’t a high-end tourer or a fancy machine.

Sandur Trip Highlights

Just a sturdy, reliable MTB that would carry me across roads unknown. And then came the trips—the real kind. The kind that stay with you forever. I rode with Jeevan, a dear friend, and his brother Sharath. Together, we rode not just for fun, but for discovery. Nine days across the coastal belt, tracing the waves and the scent of salt in the air. Five days exploring Sandur, among hills, dust, and silence. Trips to Hampi, camping under the stars and ancient stones. Night halts under sky and sky alone—sometimes near lakes, sometimes in the wild.

We even pitched tents near Chitradurga, feeling like wanderers from another age. It wasn’t about destinations. It was about movement. About simplicity. About being in touch with your body, the land beneath, and the wind brushing past your ears. What started as a borrowed ride slowly became a life practice. A way to meet myself. To see the world not from behind a glass window, but through the sweat of my brow and the rhythm of my own breath. I didn’t know then that this small spark would grow into a wildfire of purpose—taking me across India, and soon, the world. But like every journey, it had to begin with one humble cycle… and a cousin who showed me the road.