It is a well-known fact that the Noida Cycling Club is one of the largest cycling clubs in India, but what is lesser known is that the NCC is not just limited to cycling. What sets the Noida Cycling Club apart from the rest is that it not only organises weekly rides but also conducts numerous attractive games and programmes, acting as a magnet for cyclists all over the region. One such ride, “Game of Trails”, was conducted on September 26. On the day of the event, the organising team of the NCC gathered at the Great India Place mall in Noida at 4:30 in the morning to inspect the weather and the track. The riders arrived at 5 am, with Mr Sameer Kathuria, a Steadfast athlete, being the early bird. As one of the most experienced riders in the group, Mr Sameer took the lead in guiding all the new riders. . Ahead of the ride, the organisers interviewed a veteran NCC rider to promote cycling among outsiders. With a footfall of over 50 cyclists, the ride began.
In no time the riders completed the first section of the ride, and reached Noida Gate, where everybody stood in line for a group photograph. They subsequently headed to the final destination- the Yamuna river bank. After reaching there, all the riders were advised to not ride alone and stay in a group, as it was drizzling with mud everywhere. With trees all around and a visible flowing river, the beautiful track was undoubtedly perfect (fix space between perfect and for) for an off-road ride in Delhi.
While the riders were taking several laps of the track to meet the target, Team NCC began preparing for the games. After spending more than an hour in the jungle, the riders started to arrive one by one (no hyphen). Team NCC began the first game- the Sachet Challenge by Steadfast. The sachet challenge was followed by another thrilling race, where the cyclists were made to run in groups of five for 100 metres carrying their cycles on their shoulders. Some cyclists even fell while trying to run fast, but thankfully nobody got hurt. After the tiring race, the cyclists took some rest. Each member of the club lay next to the bank of the river and enjoyed the morning with the snacks served by the NCC’s organising team.
Now it was the time for the last and the most exciting game, “Balance the cycle”. The cyclists were made to stand in a specific place and weren’t allowed to keep their feet on the ground. The person who could do it for the longest duration was declared the winner of the event. The final event for the day was the presentation ceremony, where winners were awarded with Steadfast shakers, Polygon caps, and other exciting prizes.
All the members of the club had the time of their lives. They were grateful to have been associated with NCC. The perfect end to the event was the riders forming a line, holding a sachet of Peanut Butter, and cheering “Go, NCC, Go!”.
