17/03/2021
Niksh*th Reddy won the second season of PEDALStorm, topping the distance and elevation gain verticals in the process. He cycled a total of 2229.8 km, with 22239 m of elevation gain which was 20% of the cumulative elevation gain by all the participants in PEDALStorm Season 2, and over double of the second-placed cyclist in elevation gain vertical.
An urge for exploring new places motivated Niksh*th to hop on his bike during the pandemic. It helps you save on the petrol cost and keep you fit and healthy at one go. "Since lockdown left me with little options to go wild, I started cycling. Last year, I cycled around 1000 km in total, checking out some cool places in Hyderabad. That's how I began going for long rides," says Niksh*th.
His new-found craze for cycling got a boost when he signed up for PEDALstorm. "A lot of online activities were taking place in insti. But, the only competition I felt confident to be a part of was cycling. When I joined the PEDALstorm, it inspired me to exert myself to go for longer rides. I sometimes listen to classes during the rides'', he recounts with a laugh. Being part of the competition helped him improve his speed moderately. Besides, riding through the terrain of the rolling hills in Hyderabad helped him rack up a significant elevation gain.
Niksh*th treats cycling as a good diversion from his monotonous routine. "I am not really bothered about improving my fitness level, but cycling is definitely a good workout option". He also adds that cycling has greatly improved his mental well-being, especially his patience levels.
Niksh*th likes to have extended periods when he would cycle a lot and then an extended period of time when he focused on other aspects of his life. “After this season, I’ll take a break from cycling and let’s see what happens next. I prefer not to plan things too much in advance”
We wish Niksh*th all the best for his future endeavours.
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