Cycling For All

In living a healthy lifestyle, it is important to be physically active. Being fit and healthy can certainly help avoid serious diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

Riding a bicycle regularly is one of the ways to reduce risks of health problems associated with an inactive lifestyle. And with the cost of petrol rising, bicycles provide a cheaper and healthier option to get around.

spoke to members of Windhoek-based cycling clubs and professional cyclists who have taken part in the Namibian Cycle Classic about the challenges of navigating the city on two wheels and how the sports hobby presents a fun, exciting and healthy lifestyle option for those looking to reduce their waistlines and their carbon footprint.

Fifty-nine-year-old Silvia Mwaninga from Windhoek on Bike, who works as a domestic worker, told The Weekender that after joining Windhoek on Bike and acquiring a bicycle, she sometimes uses her bicycle to go to work. Mwaninga shared that she uses a bicycle because she does not have enough money to take a taxi to work every day and that she saves the money she is supposed to spend on transport to buy bread for the children she supports at home.

“Because of the financial challenges, I decided to let my children take a taxi to school so that I can use a bicycle to and from work,” said Mwaninga.

She admitted that using a bicycle is not easy and that she is forced to wake up very early so that by the time she goes to work, traffic is not as bustling, which makes it easier for her.

“By the time the roads get busy and the traffic is really hectic, I am already at work,” she said. She added that it is quite difficult on the road as a cyclist because drivers have very little respect for people on bicycles. She pointed out crossing at traffic lights as one of the challenges she encounters on the road.

“There is a lack of communication between drivers and cyclists on the road. They disregard us and treat us bad, they even shout at us,” revealed Mwaninga.

For Anna Amoomo (29), life before joining Windhoek on Bike was boring because she did not have a set exercise routine. She was also not as fit as she thought she was.

“I was not aware how much fitness positively contributes to the livelihood of a person. At first it was just a matter of staying in shape, I did not fully comprehend why I was doing it, but it all makes sense now as it has made me better person,” said Amoomo.

After she joined Windhoek on Bike, she was able to participate in the Windhoek Cycle Classic which she said opened many doors for her as it allowed her to also participate in other cycling competitions including the Nedbank Cycle Challenge and the Desert Dash.

“It also opened the doors for me to work as a volunteer and work with other like-minded people in the cycling community,” she said. She pointed out a lack of awareness and not having enough money to purchase proper cycling gear as some of the challenges cyclists endure in Katutura.

“People see a woman on a bicycle and they mock them and our bicycles get stolen often. Another challenge is that the roads are not clean as they are filled with broken bottles and potholes so every now and then these things cause punctures,” said Amoomo.

However, despite these challenges, Amoomo says she enjoys cycling and she is looking forward to this year’s Cycle Classic.

“I have started training and I’m looking forward to it. I am confident that I will do well,” she said.

Another Windhoek on Bike member, Renatte Seibeb (50), mother of the late Namibian professional racing cyclist Costa Seibeb, told that cycling has benefited her physical health immensely. Seibeb said that she used to ride a bicycle when she was young but took a long hiatus from cycling. However, she recently started again and attributes her good physical health to cycling.

“Ever since I started cycling again, the pain I used to feel in my bones is not as intense any more and it has made me a happier person,” Seibeb said.

She advised people who would like to start cycling either for recreational or professional reasons to take time to study traffic rules and adhere to them.

For the first time in the Cycle Classic competition, disabled cyclists will take part and Roodly Gowaseb from Wheel-Ability-Disability Cycling Club told The Weekender that he is very excited to be taking part.

“There are a lot of competitions but most of the time there are no categories for disabled cyclists so we are happy to be finally included and we are looking forward to having fun,” said Gowaseb.

The Weekender also chatted to professional cyclists Laban Naftal and Beata Uugwanga from Physically Active Youth (PAY). Naftal, who is the founder of the cycling club at PAY, says he uses a bicycle every day and it keeps him young, but complained about how drivers mistreat cyclists on the road.

“The biggest challenge is that drivers have no respect for people with bicycles,” he said.

Uugwanga summed up the conversation by sharing how being a cyclist has helped her stay fit over the years.

“I am 48 years old but people do not believe me when I say that. They think I am 32 and that is purely because of cycling,” she concluded.