Sodhi completes 51,000 km cycling, becomes first Super Randonneur
HARISH MONGA
Ferozepur, April 7, 2022: A border town resident Sohan Singh by virtue of his passion for cycling has completed 51,000 km cycling and became the first Super Randonneur - long-distance cyclist.
It was the month of August 2015, when Sohan Singh Sodhi, commonly referred to as ‘Triple-S’ that his motivation has been an individual from Ferozepur (Punjab) – a retiree - who once posted a picture of his cycling on social media to ask if anyone can join him and the very next he bought a new cycle and joined him. It became his unexplainable passion in the words of T.S.Elliot - “It is obvious that we can no more explain a passion to a person who has never experienced it than we can explain light to the blind."
A dream nurtured at a very young age, but matured in August 2015Sohan Singh, 58-year-old has not looked back from his passion during the last 7 years and so far, he has completed 51,000 km of cycling.
Sohan Singh started his daily cycling from 25 to 30 km and now he can cycle 300 to 500 km all alone and is credited with participating in different brevet - a long-distance ride of 100 km, 200, 300, 400, 500, and 600 km on the routes of Hoshiarpur to Talwara, New Delhi to Ambala, Hoshiarpur to Jammu and Delhi to Doraha.
Proudly sharing his achievements, Sohan Singh during interaction said, I had visited all the district headquarters in the State on cycle. Now a day, our group of 9 riders, under the banner of Hussainiwala Riders Ferozepur (HRF), established on March 23, 2018, is covering 50 km plus daily which we start at 4.30 am.
He has become a rambler and the first Super Randonneur of the town by finishing a ride from New Delhi-Doraha-New Delhi in just 33 hours. He has traveled on cycle two times each to Delhi and Jammu which include 33 fly-overs passing in Delhi, three times from Hussainiwala border to Khat Kar Kalan, and back to the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala. He also joined the Punjab Harwayal for giving the message to save the environment with two co-riders for 1000 plus km from 25-31 Dec. 2021.
Giving a message to the youngsters, Sodhi said, Daily cycling will keep you physically and mentally healthy with no regrets in old age. So start now.