Cycling in Indore: The AB Road Cycle Track, Public Bikes, Brevets and Rides to Mandu

Is there a cycling track in Indore? The AB Road corridor

Yes, one stretch built for it. In 2021 Indore Smart City chose a 5 km pilot corridor on AB Road, from LIG Square to Niranjanpur, under the India Cycles4Change Challenge, a Smart Cities Mission initiative of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Barricades were fitted along the footpath so that only pedestrians and cyclists can use it, and the Free Press Journal reported at the time that a 10 km corridor was being developed in total.

What that means in practice: it is a shared path, not a racing lane. It suits commuting along AB Road, a child learning to ride with a parent, or an easy spin before work. Ride it at walking-friendly speeds, ring early, and expect people on foot. For hard efforts, you need open road outside the city at first light.

Cycle on rent in Indore: the public bicycle system and MYBYK

Indore has had app-based public bicycles since 2022. When the city's public bicycle system opened in March 2022, it was set up as a public-private partnership with about 3,000 bicycles to be added in phases at city bus stops and other public places, a first phase costing about ₹10 crore, GPS on every bicycle, and app unlocking. The launch prices were ₹10 for 10 hours, or ₹349 a month. The operator MYBYK, which works with Atal Indore City Transport Service Limited, started with 1,000 cycles in Indore, with an increase of 3,000 approved.

Prices and station numbers change, so check the app before you plan around it. For a fitness rider the shared bikes are best for short trips and getting to a group ride; they're built for short trips, not training.

Cycling groups and events in Indore: Indore Randonneurs

For serious distance, Indore's riders ride brevets. Indore Randonneurs is the city's club under Audax India Randonneurs, and it lists rides of 200, 300 and 600 km a few times a year. A brevet is not a race: you ride a set route through checkpoints within a time limit, and you're expected to look after yourself. These are recent Indore listings on the Audax India site:

If 200 km sounds a long way off, it is, and that's fine. Ride with a local group on weekend mornings first, work up to 60–80 km, and then read the brevet rules on the Audax India site. Indore's municipal corporation has also run Raahgiri, a morning event for cyclists, joggers and walkers with activities like Zumba, according to a 2022 report; check the corporation's channels for current dates.

Weekend rides out of Indore: Patalpani, Janapav and Mandu

The best riding near Indore heads south and south-west, toward Mhow and Dhar, where the flat Malwa plateau gives way to hills and gorges. Three destinations make natural targets, each covered in more detail in our guide to treks near Indore:

When to cycle in Indore: heat, rain and cool Malwa mornings

Indore's weather is kind to cyclists for about five months. India Meteorological Department normals for 1991–2020 put average highs at 26–30 °C from November to February, with lows of 10–15 °C, so a 6 AM start in January can feel properly cold at speed. April and May are the problem: highs average 38.7 °C and 40.4 °C, and evening humidity falls to about 15–20%, which dries you out faster than you notice. July brings about 310 mm of rain over 13 rainy days.

• October to February: the riding season. Long rides on weekends, with arm warmers for December and January dawns.
• March to May: be off the road by 9 AM. Carry two bottles even on an hour's ride, and add electrolytes on long ones.
• June to September: wet roads, potholes hidden under puddles, and poor visibility. Ride shorter, wear bright colours, and use lights in the day.

Riding safely in Indore traffic

Indore's roads are busy with two-wheelers and autos, and much of the riding that matters to fitness cyclists happens on Ring Road and the highways toward Mhow and Dewas. Indore Randonneurs' own route notes for their Sehore brevets tell riders to pass through Dewas city and avoid the Dewas bypass. A few habits help on any Indore ride:

• Helmet, front and rear lights, every ride. The 6 AM starts that beat the heat are also the darkest part of a winter morning.
• Ride predictably. Hold a straight line, signal with your arm, and look back before you move out.
• Leave the city early. Getting through Bhawarkuan or Rau before the morning rush matters more than your speed.
• Group rides are safer than solo ones for long distances out toward Mhow and Dhar.

Four weeks from AB Road spins to a Patalpani ride

Most new riders in Indore stall at the same point: comfortable for 30 minutes on the AB Road corridor, unsure about leaving the city. This plan bridges the gap in a month, using the destinations above. Start it in October or November so the long rides fall in cool mornings, and swap any ride for a rest day if your legs are still heavy from the last one.

Strength and mobility for Indore cyclists

Cycling builds the heart and lungs, but it puts little load through your bones and works the hips through only part of their range. That's why riders who only ride often end up with tight hips and a sore lower back on long days. Two short strength sessions a week fix most of it. Our national guide to cycling for weight loss covers how riding fits a fat-loss plan; here are the four movements that matter most on the bike:

1. 1

   Romanian deadlifts, 3 × 8

   Strengthens the hamstrings and back that hold you in position on the drops.

2. 2

   Bulgarian split squats, 3 × 8 each leg

   Evens out the left-right differences that pedalling hides.

3. 3

   Dead bugs, 3 × 10 each side

   Trains the core to stay still while the legs move, exactly what a long ride needs.

4. 4

   Hip flexor stretch, 2 × 45 seconds each side

   Undoes hours in the saddle; do it after every long ride.

If you're riding to lose weight, the calorie deficit calculator gives you a daily target, and our guide to healthy food in Indore shows how to fit poha and an evening at 56 Dukan around it.

More from the city: running tracks in Indore for the parks and lakes, and gym fees in Indore if you want a gym for winter strength work. Training at home? Personal Home Training in Indore brings a coach to any room on video, and Personal Gym Training in Indore works in the gym you already use. Start at online personal training in Indore for how sessions run.