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Numerous groups of bicyclists have pedalled the Bangalore to Bombay route escorted by cars and caravans, but no one had so far attempted riding solo on National Highway 4, sans car back up, caravan or TV crew, writes Neville Wadia in an e-mail sent to Parsiana. The 28-year-old wanted to do something out of the ordinary to grab people’s attention and make them aware of the hardships and suffering that cancer patients and their families face every day. "That’s pretty much why I chose to do this grueling 1,000 km ride along an Indian highway with just me, my bike and a backpack,” he explains.

The Health Awareness Center in Bombay does things differently, challenging science by treating terminally ill cancer patients with diet and exercise, no drugs and no surgery, a system that has been working in the US and in India with numerous instances of the disease being reversed, Wadia notes. The Center needs both funding and publicity to achieve its aims and treat the needy. It was to this end that Wadia undertook the grueling 10-day Bangalore-Bombay ride from December 14 to 23, 2010.

All the intrepid young man carried was a small backpack weighing not more than five kilos which held toiletries, a towel, a pair of slippers, t-shirts, riding jerseys, shorts, and his most valuable accessory — padded cycling shorts which look hilarious but are a savior for those who plan to sit on a seat that is little wider than the palm for six hours a day, he recounts. He also carried two water bottles, a hand bicycle pump, extra tubes for the tires and his iPod, the last item being his sole companion along the way.

Describing his experience, Wadia recalls that the morning sessions were always full of energy and after downing a couple of bananas he would manage at least two hours of riding, covering approximately 60 kms. After this his shoulders and upper back would begin to tighten, so he would do some stretches while riding, often causing passersby to laugh at his contortions. Next would be a stop for some bread and tea and to refill water bottles. During the next 60 kms the ride would get mentally tiring, so the iPod and some good music helped uplift the mood. Finally, when he reached a town for the night he would seek a decent guest house, hopefully with a western style toilet, hot water, clean sheets and no parties going on next door. Everywhere he stopped he was stared at — a Parsi boy, quite tanned, unshaven for weeks with a backpack fastened to his bike. When they learnt that he was riding from Bangalore to Bombay, people were shocked and thought he was mad. He was often asked how much his bike cost, whether he would be reaching Bombay "today or tomorrow,” whether he felt sleepy, where he slept... 

On the last three days it became extremely cold in the mornings and with just a rain jacket for protection Wadia’s fingers became numb, his face frozen. It took him a while to warm up. Riding into the mountains challenged his physical limits "but the breathtaking views and insane descents have been worth it. Coming out of a pitch dark tunnel at 55 km/hr only to be greeted by a zigzag long bended downhill at 58 km/hr is adrenaline pumping stuff!” he enthuses.

Arriving at last in Bombay Wadia found the response at the press meet at Joss attended by friends and family overwhelming. "Why I chose to do this I really don’t know. There was no plan, but the idea was to challenge myself physically and mentally in some way. On both counts I think I won the battle because firstly I am home in one piece (although very sore) and not once did the thought of 1,000 kms make me doubt that I could complete this,” Wadia muses. He says he chose to ride solo to raise funds for the Center to understand what a cancer patient feels. "Cancer isn’t about the pain, the suffering, treatments, etc. According to me it’s about being alone even though you have a million supporters around you. No one understands you or what you are going through at this time. It’s such a lonely feeling that it overcomes the individual more than the cancer itself.”