Cycling in Nagpur: Routes, Groups, the Metro and Riding Through the Heat

Cycling spots in Nagpur, from a family loop to a 200 km day

Nagpur is a good city for a bicycle in one important way: it's flat. Most of the city lies on level ground at about 310 m, so a beginner can ride for an hour without meeting a serious climb. The catches are the heat, which shuts down daytime riding for a third of the year, and the heavy vehicles on the highways around the city. Here's where Nagpur's riders actually go, sorted by the kind of ride you want.

The cycling track in Nagpur: Ambazari Biodiversity Park

If you searched for a cycling track in Nagpur, the best answer is inside the Ambazari Biodiversity Park, next to Ambazari Lake. The Forest Department opened this 758-hectare stretch of grassland and wetland to the public in 2019 and laid a 15 km cycle track through it, offering cycle safaris alongside birdwatching (The Hitavada, 2020). In 2020 it was open from 6 AM to 6 PM, Tuesday to Sunday, and closed on Mondays.

For a new rider, a child learning to ride on longer distances or anyone nervous of traffic, this is the place to start. The surface is unpaved in parts, so a hybrid or mountain bike with wider tyres suits it better than a road bike. The timings and hire arrangements above come from news reports, not a current official notice, so check at the gate before you plan a morning around it.

Road routes from Nagpur: Khindsi, Ramtek and the brevet roads

Once you can ride comfortably for an hour, Nagpur's road riders head north-east towards Ramtek. Maharashtra Tourism places Ramtek about 50 km from Nagpur, with its fort temple on a hilltop and Khindsi Lake nearby, which India's official tourism site puts about 40 km from the city. That makes two classic rides: Khindsi and back, about 80 km, and Ramtek and back, about 100 km. Maharashtra Tourism recommends visiting between October and March, which happens to be Nagpur's cycling season too.

For longer rides, Nagpur Randonneurs, the city's club under Audax India Randonneurs, runs brevets (BRMs): timed, self-supported rides of 200 km and more. Its Ambhora 200 on 5 January 2025 started at 5:30 AM in Nagpur, used the Outer Ring Road and turned at the Samruddhi Mahamarg roundabout on its way to Ambhora and back; 12 riders finished. Brevets are listed with registration deadlines on the Audax India website, so check there for the club's next date.

Cycling groups and events in Nagpur

You don't need to ride alone in Nagpur. The city has a Bicycle Mayor, Amit Samarth, appointed through the international BYCS network, who founded the citizens' group India Pedals in June 2020. It organises weekend rides and traffic-free rides with the Nagpur Police and local cycling groups, and works with Nagpur Smart City and the municipal corporation on cycle lanes, parking and signage, according to his BYCS profile. Samarth also directs the Miles N Milers endurance sports academy and has completed Race Across America.

• World Bicycle Day rally: on 2 June 2025, more than 1,000 cyclists joined a rally from the St Ursula School ground organised by Viveka Hospitals and Tigerman Sports, part of the NaMo Fit India Cycling Sundays campaign (The Hitavada).
• Nagpur Randonneurs: 200 km brevets from the city, listed on the Audax India Randonneurs website with start times, routes and results.
• Weekend group rides: India Pedals and smaller clubs ride on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Ask at a local cycle shop which group suits your pace; many run slower, shorter loops for beginners.

Taking a cycle on the Nagpur Metro

Yes, you can take a bicycle on the Nagpur Metro. MahaMetro's January 2021 newsletter listed “a novel measure to allow cyclists to travel in metro train with their cycles” among the steps it took to raise ridership, along with feeder buses, e-rickshaws and parking for e-cycles at stations. That makes the Metro a useful way to reach a ride's start, or to get home if the heat or a puncture ends a ride early. The newsletter doesn't set out rules on peak hours or which coach to use, so ask station staff before you travel with a bike.

When to ride: Nagpur's cycling calendar

Nagpur's weather sets the cycling season more firmly than any route. The city's 1991–2020 averages give highs of 28.9°C in January and 29.3°C in December, but 40.6°C in April and 43.1°C in May. On a bicycle you're exposed to the sun the whole way, and the road surface radiates heat back at you by mid-morning.

1. 1

   Start in the dark, finish by mid-morning

   In March and October, aim to be home by 8:30 or 9 AM. In the hot months, dawn rides of an hour are the limit for most riders.

2. 2

   Carry more water than you think

   Two bottles for any ride over an hour from March onwards, and plan a refill stop on longer rides like Ramtek.

3. 3

   Lights and visibility

   Dawn starts mean riding in low light. A front light, a flashing rear light and a bright top keep you visible to trucks on highway stretches.

4. 4

   Monsoon care

   Wet roads, hidden potholes and longer braking distances. Ride slower, keep tyres at the right pressure and avoid deep standing water.

From the Ambazari track to Ramtek: an eight-week build

Most new riders in Nagpur can go from the park track to a Ramtek round trip in one winter. Start the build in November, when dawns cool down, and you'll be ready for the 100 km day by January, while the weather still helps.

Strength and mobility for Nagpur cyclists

Cycling builds the heart and lungs but leaves gaps. Riders tend to have tight hips and hamstrings, a rounded upper back and weaker glutes, and many pick up knee or lower-back niggles as their distances grow. Two short strength sessions a week fix most of that: squats or leg presses, Romanian deadlifts, single-leg work, rows and planks, plus hip and upper-back mobility. Our guide to cycling for weight loss covers how much riding burns, how to structure the week and the strength exercises in more detail.

Nagpur's hot season is the perfect time for that strength block. When rides shrink to an hour at dawn from April to June, put the saved time into the gym or your living room, and you'll start the next winter's long rides stronger than you ended the last. To see how many calories your riding adds to your day, try the TDEE calculator.

Training with an online coach in Nagpur

MakeMyFitness doesn't run rides, sell bikes or have a studio in Nagpur. Our coaches train you on live video, at home or in your own gym, and plan the strength work around your cycling calendar: heavier through the summer, lighter in the weeks before a brevet. If you have access to a gym, Personal Gym Training in Nagpur lets your coach load squats and deadlifts properly. Prices and session times for every program are on our online personal training in Nagpur page.

Many Nagpur riders also run or trek in the cooler months. See our guides to running tracks in Nagpur and treks near Nagpur, and if you're weighing a gym membership for your off-season strength work, gym fees in Nagpur. For fuelling long rides with local food, see healthy food in Nagpur.