Durga Puja is a magical time in Kolkata. The entire city seems to express joy with lights and colors as hundreds of beautifully decorated pandals rise up. Here are three cyclists in Kolkata talking about how they enjoy exploring the city of joy on two wheels.

Santosh Kandwal is riding the B'TWIN Ultra 700 AF in the photo above. That road bike has been updated in our Van Rysel collection. You can check it out here.

"It's such a beautiful experience to ride the colorful streets of Kolkata during Durga Puja. The city has such charm and when you have the amazing pandals as your destination, it motivates you to ride more. We can also observe that the people are so cheerful and happy during Durga Puja." - Santosh Kandwal, Cycling Omni Sport Leader, Decathlon Salt Lake.

"I feel that cycling is the best way to roam during Pujas. In this time especially when we are avoiding going out as a family, if you go by car you will have to find parking. A cycle is a better option as you can exercise and see pandals. The one thing I would want to see more is if we can have more parking spaces, I know of friends who want to cycle to work but in some cases the are unable to because of parking." - Prakash Singh.

"For me riding is better with good company. We wake up early, don't have to call each other to get up, and are out for rides." - Prakash.

If you're looking to cycle near New Town or Salt Lake, you can visit our Decathlon stores at Salt Lake or New Town to gear up for your cycling needs with cycles, cycling accessories, and cycling apparel.

Exploring Kolkata on hybrid cycles

Prakash has been riding the Riverside 50 hybrid cycle and having a great time on two wheels. "I'm a runner, I took to cycling later. I did not want to invest a lot at the beginning as I wasn't sure how mu I would be cycling. Sunil at Decathlon Salt Lake recommended that if I'm looking for a bike without gears, I can try the Riverside 50 as it is a beginner model but is a comfortable hybrid. Now, even when my friends ride it, they tell me how enjoyable it is to ride." - Prakash.

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"Since we were kids, we used to always go pandal hopping with our parents in a taxi. As we grew up, we followed the same with our families. During Durga Puja, we thought that if we take a car, we'll have to park it long distance. But if we have a cycle, we can take it anywhere, park in the by lanes. We can ride long distances, to villages, wherever we want. It lets us get fit and cherish nature." - Sumit Das.

Pandal hopping on cycles

"As kids we used to cycle around. But as grown-ups, we had office duties and lost touch with it for a while. After getting a bit unfit, I was driven to find ways to keep moving and get fitter, so I started running and cycling. I've run marathons and now I mix running and cycling together." - Sumit.

"There's a group of us, we stay in PS Ixora, Rajarhat, Kolkata. We often cycle in the morning just to enjoy the ride. We always look to motivate each other, that you don't have to run a marathon but do something to get fitter, keep moving, run or walk or cycle or pursue any fitness activity." - Sumit.

"I have a Riverside 500, it's about 11 months old now. I've cycled about a thousand km, and am just getting started." - Sumit.

If you want to experience the joy of cycling, you can buy Decathlon cycles in Kolkata from Decathlon's stores in Salt Lake, Shakespeare Sarani, Newtown or Garia. Decathlon's cycles also come with a lifetime warranty on the frame, fork and handlebars.

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