From Kashmir to Kanyakumari - on a push cycle - in 94 days

Thane: With 21 kg luggage on his back, 50-year-old Rajesh Khandekar, a shopkeeper from Thane, finished a nationwide bike ride in 94 days covering a distance of 3,980 km to spread the message on environment conservation.

For Khandekar, an avid cyclist since 1990, this ride was a special one. For the first time, he rode a pedal-less cycle (push cycle), that too, built by him in 45 days at his workshop. Notwithstanding extreme weather conditions like snow, rain, heat and dust, Khandekar started his journey on August 9 from Umling La Pass road in Ladakh which is 19,024 feet high.

“When I was building the cycle at my workshop, I thought of travelling the world in it to spread the message on the importance of saving our planet,” said Khandekar, a resident of Vartak Nagar, Thane, who returned home from his journey last week.

Khandekar travelled to several places all these years on his regular bicycle, however, last year he decided to develop his own cycle for a change and thus he created a pedal-less cycle.

“This is the first time I travelled in a cycle built by me and I am glad I could finish the ride. There are many more such rides to come in the future. I am also planning to enter this achievement in record books,” he added.

Khandekar pushed the pedal-less cycle that weighs 23 kg along with his luggage and travelled across these places. He returned to Thane last weekend.

“The cycling journey began from Umling la Pass road in Ladakh which is 19,024 feet high. When I started my journey, it was snowing there. I experienced rain, snow and heat throughout my journey which is the best experience to have when it is all about the environment. I met so many people and could talk to them about the importance of saving our environment,” he added.

Earlier, he had covered Bangladesh to New Zealand in 8 months covering a distance of 18,700 km in regular cycle.