Sometimes it so happens that, you discuss or float an idea that seems a little vague, a little over the top, a little ambitious but if the will is strong, the time is right and destiny agrees, it gets well received by like minded people and it slowly formulates into a working model, an alternative career option even!!!
Someplaces like these where it all started!!!!!
This happened to a small extent with the evolution of Speaking Wheels, an idea floated by me among Rahul and Nishant which was well received and believed in. Rahul and me have been participants in a number of cycle expeditions as participants , which has taken us cycling to not only different parts of Maharashtra but a few corners of India as well. We had been joined on a couple of long rides which were self supported , by Nishant as an able crew member. We all got talking over an idea and Speaking wheels started rolling…….
We organized our first ride in the last week of April 2019. It was a Night ride to see the different Heritage sites in the culturally rich city of Pune , (which is our hometown too) . A night ride offers the views of the city in a completely different setting. The traffic nuisance is comparatively less as well. A recce ride , Google mapping, fishing out trivia about the various places and soon we were ready to announce the first ever event of Speaking Wheels on social media.
The participants at the Corporation bridge 
A quick stop at the Kelkar Museum 
Kesari Wada visit
The response received for registrations was overwhelming. Of course most of the registrations were by friends and family but the response was very encouraging!! We had decided to restrict the headcount of the group to 20 cyclists. The registrations soon were filled up and we were ready with the entire plan. In the meantime, we had turned down a few late queries for participation, but assured them that we would soon be hosting another edition of the same event in case all goes well in the first. We took down their numbers at our end as well. We also went to the Police department to let them know of our event .The response by the police was also satisfying. The police department was happy that someone had actually taken the efforts to inform them about an event that was to take place in the city during the odd hours of a weekend.
Trivia /information being discussed at Shaniwar Wada 
What better than Kasba Ganpati to flag off the start!!! 
Happy Faces!!
Soon the D day arrived and we were ready with our backup vehicle, the crew members and the leader and the sweeper on cycles. We started the ride with a small introductory session on Pune and its heritage by an eminent historian and off we were. The event progressed smoothly as we hopped on from one site to the other on our cycles at an easy pace amidst some fun and laughter. People got introduced to each other and there was a lot of conversation among unknown people who soon turned into acquaintances if not friends!!! Numerous pit stops for group photos, individual photos , tea, snacks , trivia made the ride all the more fun. We had stressed a lot on safety and we continue to do so. It was great to see all the participants with their reflector jackets, and cycle headlights, cycling in a single file during the night. There were a couple of kids along too who were to be strictly accompanied by their parents/ guardians.
As the ride ended , team Speaking Wheels was ecstatic on completion of the first event and thus embarking on a new journey of organizing different events soon.
Short breaks for Tea, snacks, chitchat really made the experience enjoyable 
We were joined by a celebrity for a cup of tea at 2.00 am!!!
We celeberated the completion of the first event hosted by team SW and soon started planning the next one.
We have successfully completed another edition of the Night Heritage ride , a Bike Hike and Camp ride in Lonavala and a Chai Hop till date. We have organized a few free small rides on weekends for absolute novices or beginners to cycling. We were featured in couple of newspaper articles and radio shows. We already have our calendar full for the next couple of months. What started as a small, ambitious plan is soon taking shape into a promising avenue for us.
The Bike ,Hike and Camp ride at Korigad 
Weekend Free rides for beginners 
City rides in the monsoons
We at Speaking believe that apart from the health benefits of cycling, we want to encourage beginners to restart cycling which they have given up since school. We encourage people to regain confidence about their cycling abilities . We also want to do our bit for the city by asking people to take up cycling more often so that everyone slowly realizes the traffic sense on road .An individual can observe a lot on the road while cycling than rather zooming past in the traffic. We want the citizens of Pune to take up cycling in a way that once the metro route is up, people can cycle upto the metro stations form their homes thus reducing the pollution. It’s a small noble way to help to the city’s cause. We stress a lot on the safety aspect while riding and generally awareness about traffic. We have been collaborating with a lot of other allied individuals and organizations from different fields of life for handing out not just a cycling experience but something more from it which people can take back on a happy note. We want to encourage people from different walks of life to get introduced, make new friends while pedaling along the beautiful locales.
It’s a small dream that has been taking shape slowly but surely. A big shout out to our families who have been not only encouraging but also helpful in our endeavors by assisting us in every possible way. We are thankful to our group members whose presence for the rides matters a lot and now have turned into great friends from being just participants.
We hope and want us to grow in the right direction . We shall continue to believe in our dreams and try to make all of you an integral part of it….. Ciao ..till the next ride!!!!