When you think of cycling, you probably picture a leisure ride on a holiday. HatkeStory is excited to introduce you to a passionate cyclist who wants to create 10 lakh cyclists in Hyderabad and eventually have one cyclist from every Indian household. Ravinder Nandanoori from Hyderabad comes from a sports family. His father Rajender is his inspiration. He was a hockey player in the ’70s. 

Ravinder with his father Rajender

Ravinder’s father was trained under Dhyan Chand, the father of Indian Hockey, who is regarded as the greatest field Hockey player in world history and won three Olympic Gold medals for India in 1928, 1932, and 1936. Rajender worked for India’s airport authority and is now retired. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Ravinder was born into the sport. He was introduced to hockey at the age of three when his father took him to matches on a cycle. The cycle, also, entered his life quite early and became a lifelong companion.

Ravinder Nandanoori – The Young Hockey Player

Ravinder went to Kendriya Vidyalaya, which is known for its discipline and sports encouragement. Mother Bharati reinforced this discipline and it soon became a part of his personality. Although he changed schools, the learning never left him. During these years, Ravinder represented schools in badminton as well. From 1993 to 1996 he went to LB Stadium to train under Mohammad Arif who also coached popular players like Gopichand. Ravinder mostly commuted on cycle and it played an important role. Ravinder underwent rigorous training to become the sportsman he is today. His training began at 3 am which helped him master the art of time management. Even today, Ravinder values others’ time while putting his time to the best use. He began earning at the age of 26 years in the year 1996. At that time, the scope for government jobs was less as the people competing for these jobs were far more than the posts available. He worked in various companies, including ICICI and HSBC from 1996-2004.

Ravinder playing Hockey

A Grand Re-entry Into Sports

Ravinder was employed with HSBC for 11 years. Work at HSBC took him away from cycling but one can’t stay away from what’s meant to be. Ravinder saw his sister cycling, he was inspired to return to it again. He wanted to use sports as a medium to give back to society. After tirelessly working at HSBC and offering appropriate solutions to everyone in every department in the office he left for the greater good in 2015 leaving behind 21 years of corporate experience. It was difficult to leave HSBC as Ravinder had spent a long time there and work always felt like play even though he took up many responsibilities. Looking at his sister, however, he began cycling again in the year 2010 after a gap of 10 years. So cycling 46 km every day became an enjoyable routine for him. 

During this period Ravinder realised that the purpose of his life was much more than serving in the corporate world. When this thought crossed his mind, he didn’t worry about the risks or uncertainties. 

In his 40s Ravinder discovered Decathlon in Kompally. Coincidentally, at the same time, a friend suggested that he should work in Decathlon. Ravinder was puzzled and excited. While he knew what to expect in terms of work culture, he was aware of the contrast he had to experience compared to the corporate. As destiny would have it, after competing with youngsters, Ravinder was the first one to get a job.   Even here, Ravinder left his mark as a Department Manager for three years. Aligning with Decathlon’s belief, he did not just sell the goods but he educated the people about them along with valuable information about sports as well. He had such an impact on people that they asked for him as soon as they entered the store. Eventually, he became famous throughout the Decathlon chain of stores in Hyderabad. During his Decathlon years, he was so busy that he didn’t have the time to interact with other departments or know their joining or relieving dates.

The birth of HCG

On March 6, 2017, Ravinder created a WhatsApp group. Two months after this, he was on a hunt for a unique name for a group with a unique purpose. His only condition was that Hyderabad had to be a part of the name. 50 suggestions and two hours later came the name `. Ravinder wanted to take the group to great heights and create a greater impact. He wanted HCG (as it is famously called) to be different from other cycle rider groups. Then came the unique logo and an unforgettable brand. Today, in less than four years there are more than 3000 people in this group. Ravinder used the group to make cycling popular and enjoyable at a time when it was not seen as a fun activity.

HCG Logo

Creating the group was just the beginning. One month later, Ravinder met another sports enthusiast Mr. Marri Laxman Reddy. With his encouragement and support, HCG has been going places with Ravinder as the founder and Marri Laxman Reddy as the president.

HCG aims to encourage and promote cycling and bike riders across India. With the kind of enthusiasm Ravinder has for cycling and what he passed on to his group members, it is not hard to believe that 11 people in his team earned the title of Super Randonneur. For those who don’t know what this means, it is a title given to enthusiasts who complete a series of four rides within a year. The distance covered to achieve this title ranges between 200 – 600 kilometers.

After this achievement, cyclists experienced a sense of self-satisfaction. It created a chain of endless motivation, and Ravinder realized that he was beginning to witness what he had set out to achieve. However, all these achievements did not come without sacrifice.  He was missing family time, a safe and secure income, and many other luxuries that a corporate job would have given him. Ravinder credits his family, especially his wife Surekha, for unconditional support in the face of uncertainty. Whether it was moving from the corporate to Decathlon or establishing HCG, none of it would have been possible without the faith and encouragement offered by Surekha and the rest of the family.

The Inevitable Challenges

Every endeavor brings with it a set of challenges. Success lies in developing strategies to overcome them. As the group got bigger, challenges did too. Like-mindedness was difficult to achieve with so many people bringing in many perspectives. Despite this, Ravinder was able to succeed in whatever he started. He believes that consistent success is the result of a positive attitude and clarity towards the goal. As Ravinder progressed in his cycling journey, many people discouraged him, deceived him, and even doubted the intention behind his endeavor. Fortunately, his positive attitude helped him use all this as fuel to reach his goal sooner.

Ravinder recollects that the first two years were the toughest. The group was just beginning to find a place for itself in the cycling world and there was no support at all. There came a point when Ravinder felt alone as a result of differences in ideologies. A lot of people gave up because they didn’t see the goal as an achievable one. With time, HCG created champions who represented Telangana in national-level championships. Interestingly these are not just one or two people but 10 cyclists representing the state. All this was achieved through Ravinder’s consistent motivation and mindful advice. Ravinder does not coach cyclists. His ability to motivate them does the job for him. HCG certainly made a lasting impression in the minds of people about cycling. HCG has brought many women, youngsters, and even people aged above 60 to the world of cycling. Women riders were hard to find. Fortunately for them, a few women joined and the rest was history.

Defining The Purpose

Ravinder explains that cycling isn’t just about knowing how to peddle. Some technical details need attention. How to develop stamina for long rides? What is the nutritional requirement for cyclists? HCG answered all crucial questions and created much-needed awareness.

HCG’s Unstoppable Growth

From 2017 to 2019 HCG was helping people find the cyclist in them. When the pandemic came, innovation kicked in. When people were unable to step out of their homes, Ravinder gave them home challenges. These challenges included running, walking and even playing other sports within a given time. In this way, HCG introduced interesting challenges making the pandemic a memorable time for its members. 

2018-19 HCG group pic

HCG at Sharmirpet Lake -2022

HCG at Charminar – 2024

Then came the 21 km challenge. This is an interesting one. Ravinder was moved by the pain of construction labor suffering from COVID. He decided to walk for 12 hours and raise money. He did his bit and encouraged others to do the same. Ravinder had little hope of participation and enthusiasm for the cause but to his surprise, 16 people walked 21 km in the safety of their homes to generate money. This money was then collected and distributed among the laborers.

The chain of challenges didn’t stop once it began. This time it was the hatrick 100 kms challenge in which there were 60-70 enthusiastic participants. It started at the Narasapur forest, followed by Kondapur, and ended at the Bhongir fort. 

Every year was a new adventure for HCG and its members. In 2020, the group organized India’s first cycling league called HCG League in which 20 teams participated covering a distance of 69,876 kms. Interestingly, each group consisted of three people and each person exceeded expectations by completing 2000 km. 18 teams completed the challenge and received awards for it. 2021 brought with it the Republic Day challenge in which cyclists go a 100 km journey carrying the national flag with them. HCG is taking everyone by surprise with endless innovations each year. All these challenges help participants understand cycling better and grow as cyclists.

Motivation, Not Money

Money was never the motive behind the endeavors of the team. They mostly pool in to cover all expenses and an occasional entry fee helps further. HCG has always returned more than it received from its participants. It could be in the form of awards, medals, or a passion for life, people always get more than what they invest with HCG – be it time, money, or passion. Ravinder’s ultimate goal is to create one lakh cyclists in every area. He wants to ensure that everything we do should have a purpose and that purpose should lead to the greater good of the group, community, society, state, and country. 

Ravinder’s belief in the cycle sport and its benefits is so strong that even financial limitations could not pull him away from his goal. Despite having a family that depended on him for survival, he quit his job and followed his passion. Not just that! All the money he got from sponsors went back as investments in promoting cycling. Ravinder invested seven lakhs in building a cycle station just to promote the sport. His risk paid off and many people who used to rent cycles with him have bought their new bikes.

Did Ravinder succeed in reaching his goal? What are his plans for HCG? Find answers to all this and more in the second part of this story.

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