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55-year-old Harpreet Singh is a testament to the quote 'Age is just a number'. The 7th edition of the Hero MTB Shimla also marks Singh’s 5th consecutive presence at the race in the Masters category. ‘The Cruiser’, as he is called by many, began cycling in 1973 when his father gifted him a BSA SLR for achieving first position in class and there has been no looking back ever since.
Young at heart, Singh is an inspiration for young aspiring riders looking to make a career in mountain biking.
By no means should Singh be taken lightly, his prior experience in the mountain biking circuit all across the country makes him a force to be reckoned with. For him, the most exciting thing about the race is its unpredictability and that involves riding in different situations: easy, tough, very tough and extremely tough.
In an interview, Singh revealed that Hero MTB Shimla and Himalaya are two races that he looks forward to the most. In Singh’s words, what separates these races from other races is the top-notch organisation of the race; he also added that the variety of riders that take part in the race is something that is unique to these two races.
The mountain biking circuit in India might be new, but Singh’s passion for cycling began way back. He recalls that it was his father and his elder brother who eventually got him interested in cycling: “Cycling is in my blood. My father in his 70s used to undertake long cycling tour's like Ludhiana to Haridwar. My elder brother cycled from Pathankot to Dehradun. Long-time back, during my visit to Manali and Rohtang pass, I always dreamt of riding in the hills.”
Singh further added that his love for mountain biking began when he saw a clip uploaded on YouTube by HASTPA.
When asked about the future of mountain biking in India, Singh was fairly optimistic. In his opinion, the popularity of adventure sports, in general, is on the up and with MTB races attracting more people every year, mountain biking is slowly but surely becoming a mainstream sport in India. Adding to that, there has been a gradual change in the lifestyle of the average person.
With more and more people adopting a healthier lifestyle, the popularity of cycling has gone up. Cycling is not just a recreational activity, but is also becoming a common sight in the day to day hustle of life.
Over the years, Singh has been an inspiration for all the younger riders that he meets. With over 35 years of experience in cycling, Singh’s primary advice to any budding rider is to ensure his safety and not get carried away in the adrenaline rush of the race.
Lastly, when asked about his most cherished memory as an MTB rider, Singh was happy to tell us that there have been numerous such memories over the years and it is fairly difficult for him to pin a particular one down as the best.
He added that the best thing about mountain biking for him is the respect and admiration that he receives from fellow riders and event organisers. In his own words, mountain biking has been god’s gift to him and he cherishes every opportunity presented to him.
Recalling his experiences from Hero MTB Shimla 2017, Singh told us that as a token of respect he was given the opportunity to present awards to winners of the master’s solo category. It is gestures like these that bring him back to the race every year.
