Prashant Kochhar
Founder, Cobbled Climbs · Road Cyclist · Mumbai & Dubai
Building India's premium cycling store after five years of riding — and five years of looking for quality gear that was almost impossible to get in India without paying grey-market prices or waiting months for international shipping.
The Story Behind Cobbled Climbs
I started road cycling five years ago. Like most Indian cyclists getting into the sport seriously, I quickly ran into a problem — the gear I wanted was almost impossible to buy in India. Rapha jerseys, MAAP bib shorts, KASK helmets, DT Swiss wheels. Either they did not ship to India, or the import was so expensive it made no sense, or the "authorised" Indian retailer turned out to have no stock, no warranty support, or both.
So I founded Cobbled Climbs in 2021, based in Mumbai. The idea was simple — Indian cyclists deserve access to the same premium cycling gear that cyclists in London, Sydney, or New York take for granted, at fair prices, with real warranty support, and honest guidance about what actually works in Indian conditions.
Today I split my time between Mumbai and Dubai, ride about 8,000–12,000 km a year, and run a store that stocks 250+ international cycling brands and 15,000+ products. We are India's exclusive authorised partner for Rapha, MAAP, Pas Normal Studios, and nine other premium brands that were previously hard or impossible to buy in India through legitimate channels. We publish 177+ cycling guides written specifically for Indian riders and the conditions we face — heat that hits 45°C, humidity above 85%, four months of monsoon, and road surfaces that test gear in ways European reviews never capture. We also built CC-360, India's first AI cycling shopping assistant, to help cyclists figure out the right kit for their body, budget, and riding style.
Everything we sell is authentic. Everything ships with full manufacturer warranty and a GST invoice. And every guide we publish is based on cycling brand research and customer feedback from Indian cyclists, not translated European reviews.
What I Write About
My writing on cycling focuses on three areas where I have spent the most time and where Indian cyclists most need practical, India-specific guidance:
Premium Cycling Apparel
Rapha, MAAP, Pas Normal Studios, Castelli, Santini, Attaquer, and the rest of the premium road cycling apparel landscape. I write about fit for Indian body proportions, chamois construction that handles 70%+ humidity, fabric technology that dries quickly in Indian heat, and the real differences between a ₹6,000 Rapha Core jersey and a ₹18,000 Pro Team piece. I also cover apparel care for Indian conditions — how to make a ₹20,000 pair of bib shorts last 200+ rides instead of 80.
Indian Cycling Conditions
India is a completely different cycling environment from Europe or North America, yet most cycling advice online is written for European conditions. I focus on what actually matters here — gear that works in 40°C heat, storage that survives Indian humidity, chamois that does not become a bacterial colony within hours, helmet ventilation for 15 km/h climbing speeds in summer, and bike components that handle potholes, construction zones, and monsoon flooding. Most of our guides include city-specific recommendations for Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Chennai, Delhi, and beyond because cycling in Mumbai humidity is different from Jaipur dust which is different from Ladakh altitude.
Road Bike Selection and Sizing
Picking a first road bike in India is harder than it should be. Most European sizing charts do not account for Indian body proportions (shorter torso, different leg-to-torso ratio on average). I write about frame material trade-offs in Indian conditions, how to size correctly when you cannot do an in-person bike fit, how to choose between disc and rim brakes, and what to upgrade first when you are ready to spend more. My goal with every bike article is to help Indian cyclists avoid the ₹1,50,000 mistake of buying the wrong bike for their body or riding style.
Featured Articles
A selection of the most-referenced pieces I have written for Cobbled Climbs:
Product Reviews
- Cycling Bib Shorts Review — Rapha, MAAP, Pas Normal Studios, Castelli, Santini, Monton
- Cycling Jerseys Review — Six Premium Brands Compared for Indian Heat
- Cycling Helmets Review — Sweet Protection, KASK, Giro, MET, POC, HJC
- Cycling Sunglasses Review — Alba Optics, 100%, Oakley, KOO, Magicshine
- Bike Computers Review — Wahoo, Magene, Garmin, Coros
- Home Trainers Review — Wahoo, Magene, Elite, Garmin Tacx
Buying Guides & Comparisons
- Complete Bike Sizing Guide for Indian Cyclists
- Carbon vs Aluminium Road Bikes — Which Frame Material Is Right for You
- Trek vs Specialized vs Cannondale — Best Road Bike for Indian Cyclists
- How to Choose Your First Road Bike in India
Indian Cycling Guides
- Best Chamois Pads for Humid Indian Rides
- How to Care for Premium Cycling Apparel in India
- Indian Heat Bike Damage Prevention Guide
- Women's Performance Cycling Apparel in India
Authority & Brand Directory
- Complete Premium Cycling Brand Directory India (250+ brands)
- Authorised vs Grey Market Cycling Gear in India
Browse all 177 cycling guides on Cobbled Climbs.
Connect
Happy to hear from fellow cyclists, brands, and anyone interested in the Indian cycling scene.
- Personal Instagram: @prashantkochhar
- Cobbled Climbs Instagram: @cobbledclimbs
- Personal Strava: Follow my rides
- Cobbled Climbs Strava Club: Join the CC Club
- LinkedIn: Prashant Kochhar on LinkedIn