Gurugram, 9th October 2018: With the advent of bike boom in India, the charm of cycling withered away. So did the local cycle mechanics; leaving the interested few groping for cycling solutions in the expanding urban landscapes. It is in this helplessness the idea of an online cycle portal was rooted. And it is to the credit of two passionate cyclists - Himanshu Sharma and Yogesh Chauhan – that this idea materialised.
The two happened to land on the idea, quite by chance. Every time Himanshu narrated a cycling adventure or described a great ride, there would be someone who would pop the question, ‘Where do you think I can get my bike/ or my child’s bike serviced? It’s gathering dust man!’ When he light-heartedly told this to Yogesh, there was instant empathy - an ‘I know exactly what you’re saying!’ moment. Being bike aficionados, the need for bicycle servicing wasn’t obvious to them, as they self-serviced their bikes, changed gears and did a lot more on their own. But soon they spotted the gap and realized there were many adult cycle owners and parents, who were neither comfortable servicing the bike on their own nor had the bandwidth (time and effort) to find and cart the cycle to a service shop.
In January 2018, the duo came together to offer door-to-door convenience of cycle service to cyclists in Gurugram with Dr. Cycle (www.drcycle.in). There were many takers for the service like Jyotsna Kaushik, whose 12-year-old’s bike had become unusable after it had a puncture and she was finding it difficult to get it repaired. The prompt service offered by Dr. Cycle felt almost too good to be true. There were many more like Jyotsna and soon Faridabad and South Delhi were added as service areas. Also the site started offering door-step cycle delivery on rent and and cycling events booking facility.
Nine months into this journey, the brand now boasts to be India’s first cycling platform that offers a complete cycling ecosystem and acts as a one-stop solution for all biking needs. The Dr. Cycle website offers cycles, accessories, apparel, service, rentals, events, insurance and even a seconds bazaar. While rentals and service are currently restricted to its geography (NCR), everything else is available pan-India.
Dr. Cycle has many firsts to its credit. It is the first of its kind portal offering the convenience of online booking of cycle maintenance & cycle rentals; and is also the first to offer a custom insurance product for used cycles in the country.
Commenting on the new avatar of Dr. Cycle, Yogesh Chauhan, CEO and Founder Dr. Cycle, said, ‘Being cyclists, our aim at Dr. Cycle’s is simply to minimize the time a cyclist, young or old, spends away from riding and maximize the riding experience. We wanted the cycling eco-system to be easily accessible to all cyclists, so that they could simply ride more.’
The cycling industry – cycles, spares, maintenance, and accessories - is more than a USD 1bn industry and the premium segment is expected to grow at more than 30% annually. On the back of growing health consciousness and the rising urban phenomenon of turning hobbies into passions, the cycling scene in India is evolving fast. This is also reflected in the recent direct entry of brands like Shimano and Trek and launch of e-bikes like Hero Lectro Ezypher. While the space is buzzing with activity, Himanshu Sharma, COO and Founder Dr. Cycle feels, ‘We will solve the hassle that a cyclist goes through of going to 5 different touch-points for 5 different needs. Our differentiation lies in the comprehensive-ness of what we offer- access to 130plus brands, over 2500 products, insurance, events, rentals, service, a dedicated section for kids – and also how we bring our own unique cyclists perspective to these services. For instance, we are the only ones offering insurance on old cycles.’
A sport that is equal parts stamina as it is style, the space is likely to see a lot of action in the coming days. As put by Chiro Mitra, runner and cyclist, ‘Unlike running, where all one really invests into the sport is a great pair of shoes and a wearable tracking device, in cycling the scope and the range is unimaginable. So for a typical cyclist the Y frame may be the only constant – rest there is scope to improve and upgrade one’s wheels, brakes, jerseys, helmets, computers, brakes, lights, shoes, bottle holders, locks...really it’s a long list. And hence a Dr. Cycle is entering the market at the right time, by not only offering great range and convenience of these products, but going beyond - by also having a thoughtful insurance product, a seconds platform and event listings.’


For further information please contact: Yogesh Chauhan on [email protected]