Sunrise rides and country roads: Cycling routes Kolkata’s riders swear by

Cycling in Kolkata often begins before the city fully awakes. For many riders, the joy is found in a quiet stretch at dawn, the feel of the wind in the early mornings and brief glimpses of a city that feels almost gentle before traffic takes over again. 

What unites cyclists from across the metropolis is not just how many kilometres they ride, but how meaningful those roads become to them.

For travel content creator and cycling enthusiast Debjani Lahiri, cycling began by chance before becoming an essential part of her life. 

“I learned cycling just before a trip to Vietnam because I did not want to feel embarrassed abroad,” she says. “I never imagined it would become such a big part of my routine.” 

Today, cycling is a fitness habit, a way to explore the city and a chance to find peaceful moments before the workday begins.

Maidan and Red Road

One of Kolkata’s most appealing cycling routes begins at the Maidan and flows along Red Road and the Victoria Memorial circle. This stretch is wide, relatively flat and offers cyclists a rare space in which to maintain pace, chat with fellow riders and enjoy the early light.

Cyclist and former RJ Deepanjan Ghosh has ridden regularly for years, and speaks passionately about this stretch. “When you ride here early in the morning, you see the sunrise behind the Victoria Memorial,” he says. “It is a moment many people never witness, and it makes every ride worth it.”

Lahiri returns to this route often because of its accessibility, company and natural rhythm. “This is where cyclists from all over the city converge,” she says. “People come in from north Kolkata, south Kolkata and New Town. It is social, it is smooth and it usually ends with a coffee.”

Digital marketing entrepreneur and long-distance cyclist Arunava Chowdhury also values this stretch for consistency. “You can hold a steady pace here,” he says. “In a city like Kolkata, that kind of rhythm is rare and very important.”

Basanti highway loop

When riders want a long loop that feels like it belongs more to the countryside than the city, the Basanti Highway loop is a favourite among New Town cyclists. 

Starting and ending in New Town, the route cuts through wetlands and open spaces with fewer interruptions.

“If I want a clean 50-kilometre ride that I can finish in one loop, this is my go-to,” Lahiri says. “It gives me a feel of countryside riding without having to go too far.”

The path follows road stretches that run parallel to agricultural and wetland terrain. Early mornings here often offer cool air, long straight roads and minimal traffic compared with core city routes.

Wetland routes near Matiyagacha and Khoriwadi

Not every ride needs to be long. When Lahiri wants visual reward without distance, she heads to the wetland trails near Matiyagacha and Khoriwadi, just behind New Town.

“This is where I go when I want something quiet,” she says. “You can finish within 15 to 20 kilometres and still get birds, water and sunrise views.”

Ghosh sees these pocket roads as treasure stretches. “These wetland routes remind you that Kolkata still has natural buffers,” he says. “They are fragile spaces, but they exist and they are beautiful.”

Southern and eastern city routes

Actor and cycling enthusiast Gourab Chatterjee prefers rides that stretch out in the southern direction from the city. “The Baruipur route works well for me,” he says. “It is about a 50-kilometre-long ride. The stretch from Ruby towards SRFTI is rough, but once you cross that and hit the flyover, the road opens up.”

The ride typically involves exiting the city via Ruby, navigating the stretch towards SRFTI, and then riding south to Baruipur before turning back. “It gives you an open road without constant intersections,” Chatterjee adds.

He also points to the Biswa Bangla Gate to CC2 and airport circuit as a route where road conditions are predictable and allow for steady pace. The route leads riders from Biswa Bangla Gate through CC2 and towards the airport area before looping back to start.

Outside the city routes

For riders who go beyond the city limits, advocate and endurance cyclist Sumanta Gupta points to two distinctive rides that feel like cycling reinventions because of terrain, elevation and scenery.

Gupta describes his route towards Darjeeling as a life-changing experience for any cyclist who loves climbs and views. 

The ride begins from Siliguri and ascends gradually through foothills, landscapes that transition from flat roads to sweeping mountain bends. The climb towards the Darjeeling hills, with changing light and terrain, offers riders long uphill sections that test fitness and reward them with unmatched vistas at every turn.

“The Darjeeling route is not easy, but the climb, the changing terrain and the views make it unforgettable,” he says. “It demands preparation but offers a completely different cycling experience.”

Closer to home, Gupta also recommends the Ajodhya Hills in Purulia district. 

“It gives you elevation, forest stretches and quiet roads,” he says. The ride into Ajodhya Hills involves undulating terrain, quiet forest-lined roads and smaller village towns that break up long climbs. For riders who want to test themselves physically without going too far, the Ajodhya Hills stretch becomes a kind of training ground.

“Cyclists going to Ajodhya Hills cover forest roads, climb gradients and then come back through villages and fields that feel miles away from city life,” Gupta explains. “That road feels free.”

Why they ride

Across routes and distances, motivations overlap. Lahiri cycles three to four times a week, mixing it with running and gym workouts. “Cycling helped me recover from a ligament injury and avoid surgery,” she says. “That alone keeps me going.”

For Chowdhury, cycling brings structure. “It gives me control over my mornings,” he says. Ghosh values the reflective aspect. “Cycling is when I think best,” he says. For Gupta, the reward lies in effort. “You earn every view,” he says.

In a city that often pushes back, these riders continue to pedal, seeking quiet roads, open skies and the simple joy of movement and miles under the wheel.