PEDALING DREAMS | Shakir’s Journey from School Desks to Srinagar-Gurez Cycling Adventure

Bandipora: In the tranquil village of Shahpora, nestled deep within the remote and picturesque Gurez Valley, a young boy’s unwavering love for education ignited a spark that would set him on an extraordinary journey.

Shakir Bashir Shah, a determined 17-year-old, yearned to attend school, which lay two challenging kilometres away from his home. It was this burning desire for learning that compelled him to turn to his father with a heartfelt request: a bicycle that would bridge the gap between his village and his dreams.

Little did Shakir know that this humble daily commute would evolve into a remarkable passion for cycling, propelling him towards an incredible adventure that would captivate hearts and inspire many.

The 17-year-old had no notion that his daily routine would make him a cycling aficionado or that one day he would pedal all the way from Srinagar to Gurez and back since pedalling had become his passion. Although many adventure tourists have been visiting the Gurez Valley lately to enjoy its scenic beauty and colourful landscape, Shakir is arguably the ‘youngest’ cyclist to have accomplished this feat at his age.

 “It was not an easy decision,” said Shakir, who is now studying for a diploma in civil engineering at Srinagar College. He added, “I had to do trial runs before finally cycling all the way to my native village.”

 Being familiar with the landscape and the rough terrain of Gurez, Shakir honed his cycling skills and after passing his 10th-grade exam from Wampora government school, he joined the 11th grade at a nearby higher secondary school.

However, in the meantime, he was selected for a diploma at Kashmir Polytechnic College Srinagar. “I left home for the first time,” Shakir said.

In Srinagar, where he lives in a rented room to complete his studies, he makes sure his cycling hobby does not fade away. “I don’t take a break from cycling,” Shakir said.

“Even during my college days, I make sure I cycle every day either in the morning or in the evening.” Shakir, who was gifted a professional bicycle by his father, Bashir Ahmad Shah, a physical education teacher in the government’s education department, said his father “has been a great support to encourage me to pursue my dreams.”

After getting his hands on the bicycle, Shakir’s dreams soared and he thought of making his cycling rides more adventurous. On 27 July of this year, he made his first bicycle trip to Gurez.

Besides Gurez, Shakir has cycled to several other places in the valley and is often seen on his bicycle in professional gear.

“I can say I am the youngest cyclist who has cycled from Srinagar to Bandipora and then Gurez,” Shakir said.

He recalled that he completed his ride from Bandipora to Gurez, the toughest stretch of around 85 kilometres, in seven hours and 30 minutes, all alone as the weather remained overcast. Shakir made sure to capture the breathtaking scenes along the way from his helmet camera. Besides studies, Shakir, still a teenager, aims to build his career in cycling and has participated in several competitions locally.

However, with dreams in his eyes, Shakir said, “I practice hard to make sure I earn a spot in professional cycling clubs.”

Shakir, who takes inspiration from the valley’s renowned cyclist Adil Teli and Belgian professional cyclist Remco Evenepoel, has set out on his journey as the “youngest cyclist,” he says.