We love bicycles, and at BUMSONTHESADDLE we aim to share this passion with as many people as possible. Biking to Work can be one of the simplest things most Bangaloreans can do to kick off a fantastic day. The BOTS “Wheels of Change” project aims to get more people biking to work via corporate workshops, partnerships, events and simply sharing the joy of cycling to work!
Want to be a part of the Wheels of Change team? Shoot us an email – support@bumsonthesaddle.com
How do you discover your inner child? Dr. Ali Poonawala has a very simple way – ride a bicycle and enjoy the wind in your hair!
Dr Ali enjoying peaceful Bangalore Roads at a Cycle Day
photo credit – Bangalore Cycle Day
Dr Ali calls himself a medical plumber (a.k.a Urologist). He has been commuting on a bicycle since 2011, about 27kms a day till 2014 and now about twice a week.
Apart from skipping traffic jams, saving time and having a cardio workout in place, Dr. Ali rides a bike because it is his way of reliving his childhood. Initially he rode early mornings only as he was petrified of traffic. In 2011, while participating in a cyclothon he noticed that he was riding in traffic, but with many other cyclists alongside him. Not only did he feel awesome about it, but he also overcame his fear of riding in Bangalore traffic!
Dr. Ali quotes two principles – the Cow Principle and the Dog Principle! A cow is the best road user ever. It never rushes or wavers its decision. Once it feels safe, it goes on at a majestic pace till it reaches its destination! All motorists respect cows. Dogs, on the other hand are unsure, hyper-excited and rush about and manage to survive by the proverbial whisker, that too because you braked in time! Put simply, Predictability is the key for safe commuting. His humble request to all cyclists is to be the cow in crowded Indian cities.
Dr.Ali has been contributing immensely to the cycling fraternity through his participation and support at the Bangalore Cycle Day, the Bangalore Bicycling School where he teaches adults to ride a bicycle at Cubbon park on Sunday mornings(8-10AM) (https://facebook.com/learncycling) and through his gracious and humorous presence at the Bangalore Brevets.
Dr.Ali has a fleet of bikes – BSA Ladybird, BSA Mach 1, Raleigh Mybike, Btwin Sport1 and Peerless xfold. His favourite workhorse is the BSA ladybird. He also does long rides over the weekend. In 2013, he rode from Bangalore to Pune – 850 km over four and half days – to raise funds for 3 charities.
Apart from cycling, learning carpentry is his latest hobby.
Thank you Dr. Ali for being so awesome!
BOTS COMMUTER PROFILES TO INSPIRE
- Mohan Subramanyam
- Divya Kottadiel
- Ganapathy Subramanian
- Nitin Katageri
- Kishan Kumar (blast from the past)
- Dasarathi (blast from the past)
- Muralidhar Chavan (blast from the past)
- Dheeraj Reddy (blast from the past)
