Cycling in Bhubaneswar: Mo Cycle, Cycle Tracks, Club Rides and the Puri–Konark Marine Drive

Cycling in Bhubaneswar: flat roads, wide avenues, mixed results

On paper, Bhubaneswar should be one of India's easiest cities to cycle in. It lies about 45 m above sea level with almost no hills inside the city, and the planned capital was laid out with wide avenues. The city also tried harder than most to get people on bicycles: a public bike share, painted cycle tracks and campaigns during Smart City and Hockey World Cup years. The results have been mixed, and that shapes how you ride here today: mostly early, mostly with a group, and often out of town.

This guide covers what happened to Mo Cycle, where the city's cycle tracks are, the club rides and events worth joining, the best routes out of Bhubaneswar, when to ride, and the strength work that keeps riders going. For why cycling works for fat loss and how much to ride, see our national guide to cycling for weight loss.

Mo Cycle: the rise and stall of Bhubaneswar's bike share

Mo Cycle was launched in November 2018 by Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT), which also runs Mo Bus, with Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited. It began with about 2,000 cycles from Hero-Hexi, Yaana and Yulu and more than 400 stations. Riders downloaded the Mo Cycle app, unlocked a bike with a QR code and could leave it at any station, with the first 30 minutes of each ride free at launch. The aim was first- and last-mile trips to Mo Bus stops.

So if you're searching for cycles in Bhubaneswar to rent by the ride, don't count on Mo Cycle until the revival is running; check the Mo app and CRUT's announcements first. If you plan to ride regularly, buying a basic bicycle is the dependable option, and if you only ride occasionally, a weekend club ride is a better way to start than a shared bike.

Cycle tracks in Bhubaneswar, and what blocks them

Bhubaneswar has stretches of dedicated cycle track, but they're short and often occupied. In October 2020 a joint squad from the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), the Bhubaneswar Development Authority and the police cleared vendors, kiosks and building material from cycle tracks and footpaths at AG Square, Sishu Bhawan, Rajmahal Square, the roads near Indira Gandhi Park, Bapuji Nagar and the Airport–Patia stretch, and fined shopkeepers ₹5,200 for dumping material on the Bapuji Nagar track. Local riders told OrissaPOST the same year that tracks are routinely blocked by vendors and parked vehicles.

The 2026 BMC plan promises repairs, better signage and safety features, and an expanded network where feasible, but names no roads or distances yet. Until it lands, treat any track as a bonus: ride as if you're sharing the road, use lights and a bright top even at dawn, and keep off the busiest stretches, such as Airport–Patia, at peak hours.

Routes out of Bhubaneswar: Dhauli, Khandagiri, Chandaka and the coast

The best riding near Bhubaneswar is on its edges and beyond. These are the routes local riders use, from a before-work loop to a full brevet:

Dhauli, about 8 km south, is the classic short ride: out along the Daya river and up to the white peace pagoda built in 1972, at the hill widely believed to be the site of the Kalinga War. Ride it at sunrise, walk the steps at the top, and you're home before the heat. Chandaka-Dampara is an elephant reserve, so don't ride its forest roads alone; Odisha Tourism's Deras day trip includes an open-jeep safari to Godibari and a short cycle ride, listed at ₹11,700 for up to six people plus GST (checked October 2026).

The Puri–Konark marine drive is the ride Bhubaneswar cyclists talk about. The Bhubaneswar Cycling and Adventure Club describes it as about 35 km of pristine coastal road, and its Black Pagoda 200 brevet runs it out to the Konark Sun Temple and back. If 200 km is too far, start in Puri and ride the marine drive to Konark and back: about 70 km, flat, with the sea beside you most of the way.

Cycling clubs and events in Bhubaneswar

The most active long-distance group is the Bhubaneswar Cycling and Adventure Club (BCAC), which runs Brevets de Randonneurs Mondiaux (BRMs) under Audax India Randonneurs: timed, self-supported rides of 200 km and more, sanctioned by Audax Club Parisien. Its listings start from the club house at VIR-11, Unit 6, in Bhubaneswar, and are open to anyone who registers online.

Mass rides happen too. In October 2020, the Cycles4Change challenge run by BMC and Bhubaneswar Smart City drew about 1,000 cyclists to Shishu Bhavan Square. For new riders, ask at local bike shops about weekend group rides of 20–40 km; they're the gentlest way into cycling events in Bhubaneswar before you try a 200 km brevet.

• Two bottles, not one: Odisha's humidity drains you faster than the temperature suggests, especially on the exposed marine drive.
• Front and rear lights: club rides often start before sunrise, and the Jajpur 200 started at 6 PM.
• A spare tube, levers and a pump: shops are far apart on NH-16 and the coast road.
• ID and an emergency contact: brevet organisers expect riders to be self-supported.

When to cycle in Bhubaneswar: heat, monsoon and cyclones

Bhubaneswar's weather gives riders a comfortable winter, a hot spring and a long, wet monsoon. These IMD normals for 1991–2020 are from Biju Patnaik International Airport; the city's record is 46.7 °C, on 5 June 2012.

Air quality is better than in many big cities: Bhubaneswar ranked 7th in its population category (3–10 lakh) in the national Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2024 clean-air rankings. Even so, early mornings have less traffic and less heat, and that is when most club rides start.

Strength and mobility for Bhubaneswar riders

Cycling is great for your heart and legs but does little for your back, hips or upper body, and long rides on the marine drive in a fixed position show it. Two short strength sessions a week fix most of that. Focus on these:

1. 1

   Hips and glutes

   Glute bridges, step-ups and Bulgarian split squats: the power for Dhauli's climb and the headwind back from Konark.

2. 2

   Back and core

   Bird dogs, side planks and rows, so your lower back holds up in the drops for 100 km and more.

3. 3

   Hip flexors and chest

   Lunging hip-flexor stretches and doorway chest stretches undo hours in a hunched riding position.

4. 4

   Bones

   Cycling doesn't load the skeleton much. Squats, deadlifts and some brisk walking or stair climbing help keep bones strong.

If you train at home rather than in a gym, Personal Home Training in Bhubaneswar puts a coach on live video in your own room, and a group of riders can train together in group classes in Bhubaneswar. Work out how much a long ride adds to your day with the TDEE calculator. For off-bike adventures, see treks near Bhubaneswar; for fuelling long rides, see healthy food in Bhubaneswar; and for costs, our guides to gym fees in Bhubaneswar and personal trainer fees in Bhubaneswar. Everything else is on online personal training in Bhubaneswar.