When the drive to pedal to the furthest corners of the globe takes over, nothing else can stand in the way. Himanshu Goel from Delhi, a 22 year old who decided to skip his Charted Accountancy exams, appropriately elucidates this. No mean feat, he cycled from Ranchi to Singapore in 55 days. Such a journey is not possible without a great bike and Kross manufactures world class bicycles and the best MTB bikes in India.

Born in a small village close to Panipat, Himanshu has been staying in Delhi for the last 14 years with his family. An outdoorsy person, he has Basic Mountaineering certification from Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, and Advance Mountaineering Certification from the National Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, and first-aid certification. He has done his Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce from Delhi University, is a semi-qualified CA and has a 3 year articleship under his belt. Despite all this, it was the desire to do something larger than life and inspirational that egged him on to undertake this journey to Singapore. What better way to do it than to pedal all the way to Singapore!

The preparation and planning was a big part of the journey and took about nine months. He set off for Singapore on 20 August 2019 after getting in place all the permits, charting the course, getting visas and requisite funds. Based on recommendations, he decided to take the West to East corridor via Myanmar, and set Singapore as his destination as that was what fit his budget. Despite last minute backtracking of his two companions, he decided to move ahead with the plan. To test if he could indeed accomplish this, he cycled with his luggage from Manali to Leh as a test ride. Also, he introduced 5-10 km of running everyday into his routine.

He wasn’t a fussy eater and would gladly devour anything that brought him energy to go on and packed light. His saddle bags included some medicines, 3 pairs each of cycling shorts and shirts, t-shirts, pants, socks, padded jacket, a notebook, a puncture kit, extra tubes, tent, sleeping bag, inflatable mattress and camping gear.

He modelled his route around staying safe, having food and accommodation. This is an overview of the path he followed:

Ranchi—Jamshedpur—Kharagpur—Kolkata—Bangladesh (Jessore, Dhaka)—Tripura—Assam—Manipur—Myanmar (Mandalay, Bagan, Nappyitdaw, Yangoon)—Thailand (Bangkok, Hua Hin, Surat Thani, Koh Samui, Hat Yai)—Malaysia (Kedah, Penang, Ipoh, Kualalumpur, Melacca, Johor Bahru)— Singapore

Across forests, mountains, seaside roads, highways and cities, he enjoyed excellent views and covered a lot many landmarks. At the end of the journey, he has grown as a person and firmly believes that limits are what you define them to be. This journey also reaffirmed his belief in the goodness of people, if you approach them in the right way, they will be helpful.

At present, he is an outdoor leader with an adventure company and while this is enough to survive, he is looking for sponsors for his next trip from India to Europe.

Despite his extraordinary achievements, he would like to be known as an ordinary person who followed his heart. He urges everyone to at least try what they love, despite people telling them otherwise. The dream to cycle to another country isn’t unattainable, especially with Kross bikes readily available in India. Best value for money bicycles by Kross are one of the best ways to achieve such a dream. Sturdy, cutting-edge construction and reliable, these bikes are loved the world over for their performance. Your dream journey beckons!