Pursuits of setting world records often drive people to the limits of their creativity and human capabilities, and who is better to know than 35-year old Ataullah Baloch, determined to circle the country on a fixed-wheel bicycle with no handlebars or front brakes.
The father of four, has so far covered some 2,200 kilometres, going from Quetta to Lahore. He aims to add another 1,300 kilometres to his journey and set a new international record by travelling a total distance of 3,500 kilometres on his peculiar ride.
Baloch, who is an employee of the Water & Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and part of a local cycling group, began his journey on 14 August 2020 from the city of Lahore. Since then, the cyclist has crossed Sindh and Balochistan and is now set on crossing Gujranwala, Jhelum, Rawalpindi and Peshawar, before culminating his journey in Islamabad.
“Covering such a great distance on a variety of terrains is not an easy feat at all, let alone on a bike that is missing front brakes and handlebars. I had the most difficult time going through Shorkot and Kabirwala, where the roads were the bumpiest and fell off many times and almost met, what could have been a fetal accident,” shared Baloch talking about his experience.
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As an ambassador of the WAPDA Hydro Union, Baloch camps at the local WAPDA office of each city that he visits. “My friends arrange food and essential supplies for me. I carry all the bicycle repairing tools I need, so mending my bike whenever need be, is never a hassle. However, this is still too risky a journey to undertake by one’s lonesome, so I have a partner who is travelling with me just in case something goes south.”
The cyclist’s decision set course on a bicycle without brakes and handlebars, although perilous, came after years of experience and practice. As a long-time cyclist, Baloch believes he’s trained himself to maintain full control of his bike by shifting his body-weight even when he has no handlebars to steer, while the part of front brakes is played by his legs. “The purpose of my journey is to send out a message of peace and unity and I see it reflected in the people that I meet. So far, everyone has been quite excited to see me wherever I go and I have received nothing but love and appreciation by the people I have crossed paths with.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 12th, 2020.
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