Arthur Gitu turned to cycling in a bid to lose weight but over the last four years, he has found the bicycle a useful companion in his life, helping him to not only lose weight but to deal with issues that were weighing him down. As the world celebrated World Cycling Day, Safaricom Newsroom spoke to the stock controller at the Safaricom shop in Malindi.
How did you take up cycling?
I began my cycling journey in 2019. I was overweight and was looking for a solution to help me lose weight and feel good about myself.
I got the inspiration from one of my colleagues who used to cycle to work. At the time, I was feeling a bit awkward about my health, and I thought that maybe the bike would help me to cut down my weight.
I used to go to the gym back then, but it was not as effective as I expected. So, I did my research online and learnt that cycling could also help me lose weight and that’s how I started cycling.
I now own two bikes: a mountain bike and a road bike.
How has cycling affected your work life?
I ride my bike to and from work. This is approximately six kilometres, and it usually boosts my mood for the day, providing me with a feel-good vibe and setting the mood right for the day.
I’ve been able to also influence others and inspire them to cycle.
What are some of the health benefits you have gotten from cycling?
My bike is my antidepressant. It has been a morale booster. There are times when I’m feeling fatigued, or I’m stressed out, suffering some kind of depression. The bike does it for me.
There was one point where I was a bit depressed, but I overcame it through cycling. That day, I rode my bike from Machakos to Tala and back, and by the time I finished my ride, all the stress was gone.
The bike, to me, is one of the solutions for good mental health. If you don’t feel good about yourself, then ride your bike.
I was also able to lose weight. Cycling is a full-body workout. The mind and the body work to coordinate your brain and your physique. For men, it helps deal with the mid-section and helps us lose the kitambi (potbelly). I was able to lose eight kilos: from 80kg, I’m now 72kg.
How has Safaricom supported you as a cyclist?
In 2020, we had the Fit For 2020 challenge. During that challenge, there were awards like airtime and cash prizes. This helped me inspire other people to join this journey and to make cycling look like an actual sport of choice.
Also, the business has supported me by helping me to inspire other people because I have been featured in various articles on different Safaricom platforms.
What is the significance of bicycles for sustainable development?
Bicycles don’t emit any kind of carbon, unlike cars, which emit fumes that negatively affect the environment.
Cycling is a zero-pollution kind of sport, and with climate change that is rapidly affecting our environment, we are being encouraged to adopt zero carbon emissions. So, the bike contributes to the zero-carbon agenda in the country right now.
How does the World Bicycle Day promote equity?
The bike is a common form of travel in the country and world. So, the bicycle brings people from all walks of life, the rich and the poor, together.
There is no discrimination in cycling. We are like a family, so that we can promote equality and fairness to all people.
Cyclists face many challenges on the road. How has your experience been?
The first one is the lack of cycling lanes on our roads, whereby you find that even during the normal commute to work, we don’t have a designated cycling lane, like the ones you see in those developed countries.
This means you have to find your way in between other motorists, which is a bit dangerous.
Number two is we usually face discrimination from motorists. You’ll hear someone say, “What is this cyclist doing on the road?” like we don’t deserve to be on the road. During such an instance, you’ll find this driver pushing you out of the road and you can get hurt, or you can inconvenience other road users.
Number three is the terrains that we ride on are not favorable for cyclists; you’ll find that some roads are unrepaired, or there is a pothole that comes out of nowhere, and it’s challenging.
Even so, we usually advocate for fairness on the road. So, when you’re overtaking a cyclist, you have to do it 1.5 meters away to give us enough space to go on with our journey.
What role can the government play in promoting World Bicycle Day?
The government can help us in our advocacy for safe cycling lanes, so, for instance, the road projects that are coming up should encompass a safe cycling lane. I think this is important since now many people have adopted cycling, especially for commute and normal day-to-day errands.
I would also like to call on the government to provide security. Currently if you’re going somewhere with your bike, you must keep an eye on it or pay someone to keep an eye on your bike so that you don’t find it missing.
The government should also come up with affordable parking spaces for bicycles. Most of the towns in Kenya don’t have bicycle parking spaces where you can lock your bike. If the government can assist us with that, we’ll be very grateful.
