Chenani mariner heads into new waters

Manickaraj Muthu, who completed the golden quadrilateral ride of 5830 kms solo, covering 13 states in 20 days, is the latest cycling star from Chennai. On November 24, members of cycling group Vibrant Velachery gave him a rousing reception at Just Buy Cycles in Velachery where he started his expedition on November 2.

The ride will remain special for this marine engineer who switches between life in the sea and at land, and this expedition was a test of his endurance.

“It was during the second wave of COVID-19 when I was sitting at home that the thought of taking up a cycle expedition occured to me, but it was a tall task given that I am three months on land and three months in sea,” says 43-year-old Manickaraj, a resident of Adyar.

A fitness enthusiast who has been associated with Vibrant Velachery, Manickaraj started preparing mentally and physically to achieve this feat.

“In the ship, I made it a point to hit our small in-house gym every evening after work,” says the mariner. Each day was assigned for one routine that included cardio, weight training and strength training. He also found time to take part in some organised events such as the 1200 km Paris-Brest-Paris ride from Paris to Brest.

The Golden Quadrilateral that connects all major highways in cities was challenging as the mariner did not seek any support vehicle or crew to accompany him.

His paraphernalia consisted of a tool kit, cycling jerseys, spare parts and protein powder. Manickaraj pedalled on his Cannondale CADD 12 with regular cheers he received from the online community (he would update his ride on the WhatsApp group) that kept him going.

“I had also contacted friends, seniors from college in every state as an emergency contact,” he says.

Cycling on the national highways had its own challenges including bad stretches and heavy vehicles coming close to his shoulders. Manickaraj made sure he ended the day by 10 p.m.

Cycle maintenance hacks and a quick service at a roadside shop in Ahmedabad helped him complete the expedition in the said time.

Manickaraj says this expedition had complemented his life as a mariner. “In fact, both ways. My life as a mariner complements my cycling too,” he adds before leaving for another three months out there in the sea.”