Vidya Chandran - Bangalore

Vidya started her journey into fitness and health as she hit her forties a few years ago (you may find it hard to believe she’s 40+). A warm community in South Bangalore where she used to live was the inspiration through their BEB (Bhaag Elita Bhaag) initiative. After trying her hand at running, swimming and cycling, and doing a few 10K’s, Half Marathons and a Triathlon, she realized that her true passion amongst the three events was really Cycling.

One life changing experience for her was a ride from Bangalore to Kanyakumari in April 2017 with her friends, Anil and Archana. It opened a whole new way of exploring new places. She went on to do some tours in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bali, Ireland, Netherlands, etc. The HandleBars, her venture was an attempt to combine her passions of travel and cycling.

Another event that made a major impact in her life was a ride from Gujarat to Assam in 2019. Termed K2K, 11 cyclists from various states in India, were sponsored by Lion Club Chennai to do this adventurous trip from Kutch, Gujarat to Kamrup, Assam. This 3200 km ride, over a span of 20 days was truly a remarkable way to experience India in terms of its geography, culture, and diversity.

Cycling has been a wonderful way for Vidya to stay fit, to explore cities, make new friends & engage with the wider community of people. She also started an all women cycling community based out of Bangalore called Spokes Women. It is a wonderful community of similar minded women, all bound by their common passion for cycling. Click below to know more about Spokes Women.