World Earth Day: He cycles 50 km to work everyday

In a time when even the lankiest of teens prefer a heavy motorcycle to a bicycle, 46-year-old Franklin Alagala is passionate about bicycles and loves zipping through the city on his Scott Sportster X40. In fact, he is so passionate about it that he cycles 50 km to and from work every day!

A techie at Infosys, Franklin’s job demands him to stay glued to his computer screen for the better part of the day. He tried accommodating time for gym and swimming but to no avail. One day he stopped by a cycle store and browsed through the ones displayed thinking he would cycle to work. He consulted his colleagues and they laughed at the preposterous idea of cycling all the way from Bhoiguda to Gachibowli in the morning and back again in the evening. Determined, he bought a Scott and cycled all the way to work.

“I was puffing and panting by the time I reached office that day. I was very tired and couldn’t ride back home. So instead I took a bus,” Franklin recalls. After repeated attempts, riding 50 km on the cycle is now a piece of cake for Franklin. “Now I reach office in about 66 minutes. Sometimes I cover 200 km for the pleasure of riding,” the rider shares. On weekends, he goes off on his cycle, riding towards Mahbubnagar or Kurnool. Recently, he cycled along with a few friends all the way till Bhongir in Nalgonda.

In the case that he takes his car out, he ensures that he pins his cycle to the back of the car. In the three years that have passed since he first rode to work, he has become a celebrity of sorts at his workplace. He formed a club at Infosys and encourages people to ride to work. “Riding to work gives me a sense of achievement, a victory each day. It is immensely pleasurable and comes along with health benefits,” beams Franklin. Franklin, who has spent close to Rs 2.5 lakh on three bicycles, has a piece of advice for the younger generations, saying, “Kids these days must burn fat, not fuel.”

By:E Sai Kishore