Brevet 300 - "Test" ride on Mars -- FREE!!!

To pen down the experience, mind had to be stable for thoughts to pour in. However the body and mind were in not happy to co-ordinate for the job. So here goes my experience the Brevet 300 eight days later.


The pre-tour excitement - This always looms hours or even days before the start. So much so that I was just back from a trip to Goa the day before (1400kms drive and 164kms of cycling). There was hardly any participation from Team Cleated Warriors. Kiran (tusker) was probably the only one who would have represented. Since I had returned to bangalore only a day in advance I gave it a shot and tried to contact the organizer to fancy my chances of riding, though the registrations had closed by 14th Dec 2011. I did the next best thing, put it up on Facebook. Kiran had registered but not confirmed his ride. Once my participation was confirmed, we then decided the spares to carry for the 20hour ride.

The Judgement Day - The start/control point was MG road Metro station. Opens at 6 and closes by 7am. I delayed my start as I was to wait for Kiran who was supposed to have been there by 6:30. Sometimes I'd be the late lateef delaying by 5-10 mins however Kiran beat me to that part by reaching the start point just 10 minutes before the close of the first control. Opendro was there to give us company till KR puram and from then on it was just Kiran and I the last two to leave the start point. I had read the draft and cuesheet once and didn't remember the  "road status update". It was almost a race against time to reach the next control which was at Malur. Since we started only by about 7 we had just 1 hr 50 minutes to reach the first control at Malur and get the receipt from the ATM. As soon as we turned off the NH-4 right towards Malur we entered an unknown territory and the mystery would only unfold after the first control. Road conditions were just like an SH should be. Headwinds soon proved to test our patience but braving the winds soon enough we were at the control where we overshot the target by about 100 mts. Traced back and got the receipt a good 20 mins ahead. What happened next could be quoted as "terrible surprise". We knew from the cue sheet handed to us at the start that some stretches were 'bad'. Soon we were in an MTB terrain.

Flashback >> Reminded me of the NH-7 (former number NH7 but now known as NH44 due to the new naming convention) 2 years ago when the stretch between dharmapuri all the way to trichy was battered. One had to be on this toes to take the smoothest line. I loved it in a way as my passion towards driving was at its peak. But it took its toll on the body and mind as one didn't have much of a relaxed drive. With the NH 44 now in place it reminded me of the movie CARS (route 66) where the NH bypasses towns and it becomes just another highway. Drive through the towns/villages, amongst the backdrop of paddy fields and mango plantations, all of these would be missed. As it is said "Kuch paane ke liye kuch khona padta hai". (Translated >> To gain something, something else has to be lost).

Fast forward >> Anyway back to the roadie world there aint' much of greenery to look around but an almost barren landscape and a constant struggle in the mind to find just that 2 Square cms of rubber to stay flat and not run over gravel also giving way to the speeding maniacal local 'private bus' drivers. Glad that there aren't any volvos plying this route else a cyclist would get a chance to draft even if he didn't intend to do so and get severely 'dust tanned' ;-). Kiran and I maintained a steady pace of just over 20kph. Expectations were high as the eye kept a lookout for a smooth patch but the never ending battered roads continued for about 70kms. Usually I capture pics without informing or requesting for a pose, so it looks natural. However,with this trip the photograpic section of my brain was reserved to cater to the getting the bike through the bad roads. About 20 kms before venkatagiri kota, here on mentioned as v.kota there were almost a 7in layer of hay/some dried crop for vehicles to run over which was ok for us cyclists as there was just enough space to squeeze by. However looked like some KSRTC Sarige buses  6 of them, didn't show any signs of slowing down and just sped past at ~80 and the tiny particles were stirred up looking like a mini tornado. Thanks to Decathlon's Btwin goggles eyes  stayed safe bu the rest of the body was covered in the hay dust. A few kilometers before V.kota, a few local school boys joined us and mentioned that the roads from v.kota are good. They had the usual set of questions,

Raceaa ??
Yellinda ?? (Where from??)
Yellige?? (Where to??)

These boys kept us company till a km before v.kota and then took the interior roads via the paddy/millet fields. I was skeptical about the 'good' roads from v.kota as the boys talked about earlier. Soon we cross the town and the roads got a lot more smoother and definitely roadbikeable. All that 70km sufferfest paid off as we took the uphills and soon enough the ghats. Complete downhill and whattay fun!! Got some time to cover miles on the makhkhan road without pedaling. As the greadient got sharper we hit the hairpin bends and found someone with a fomas who was busy fixing a flat.

 

 

Spent a good 20 minutes by lending the topeak pump and we parted ways. Kiran's idea to finish by 12 looked doable. We reached pernampattu and took receipts again and started for Vaniyambadi. This turned out to be the best stretch on the route so far. Both sides lined with coconut trees. There was no speeding as I wanted this to be a relaxed ride. We reached vaniyambadi and soon joined the Blr-Chennai NH48. Next stop Tollbooth which was 6 kms from the turnoff.

Mufasa's diner at vaniyambadi tollbooth >> Thought of ordering a parota but then settled for curd rice which was very good. Then a butter milk that served like a coolant. More cyclists poured in as we were prepared to start for Krishnagiri. I for one, like to set short term milestones which keeps me motivated rather than drooling over the total kms to cover. There's a small party that kicks off in my head with every milestone reached. Met Chidu who was in top gear and raced ahead to reach by about 10. Speed wasn't my concern and soon for the trip to bangalore we had Rajanikanth puttabudhdhi for company who was on his TREK with a fascinating color. Here's his bike. 

The Fancy Trek 3700

It looked like bike straight out of a paintbook from a 5 yr old which begged to differ. A salute to the guys who attempt the Brevet on an MTB. We had a nice chatty ride till krishnagiri (50kms). Having company certainly helps as most of the miles just vanishes with the pep talk. Stopped at Vasavi bhavan at krishnagiri and had a mango drink. Kiran initially had trouble with the dealextreme lights which got fixed and we maintained 15kph at the ascent by Shoolagiri. Overtaking trucks at that speed was fun. All three of us stopped at the Bangalore toll plaza for a coffee/tea break and it did prove to be a refresher. Buns n Tea provided the energy required to propel us to the finish line. It was a sleazy and uneventful ride all the way to silkboard from there. Every Brevet that I've participated, at some point in the journey, this question surfaces Why am I doing this ?? Riding a motorbike within a city for about 60 km in itself was a big deal and now on a bicycle I cover hundreds. The most simplest answer  ....

I'm free when I'm on my roadbike...!!!

 

Vasavi Bhavan @ Krishnagiri...

Brevet.200.Bike.vs.Rider.vs.clock...!!!

The Saturn-V rocket that launched me into the cycling scene was the Brevet 600km in April 2011 and there has been no turning back since. I yearned to complete the rest of the Brevet series 300 and 400 to obtain the bragging rights of a "Super Randonneur' but I was only able to complete the Brevet 200. Time has come with the new season of Brevets 2011-2012. 

25th Nov 2011 --  Status update, Rainy evening and chilly night in Bangalore. I for one was busy taking headcount of the representation from Cleated Warriors. I'm not a consistent cyclist who churns out a huge mileage everyday. Though there was hardly any preparation for this ride, the spirits were high for finishing under 8 hours. Helios, Zeus and Aeolus had planned otherwise. 

26th Nov 2011 -- I get a message from Mitsunaga (Which I got to know later as I hadn't saved his number earlier) asking if I'll be riding as it was raining. Was I going to miss this opportunity? Certainly not !! Informed Mitsunaga of my departure to the rendezvous at Gymkhana grounds near IISc. Put on the rain jacket and all the necessary equipment for one of the epic rides yet. The brevet cards were already filled in and were put in a plastic cover to keep it safe from the rains. Kudos to the efforts of the Brevet organizing team.The morning drizzle forming a superfine spray ever so gentle was so soothing that I felt teleported to the start point. There were already a few riders who got the Brevet card stamped as this was the first control and the first batch started by about 6:15 and about 20 minutes later I left with the second batch and assumed the role of navigator. I held Mitsunaga's Brevet card and mine in a pouch and kept the cue sheet it in the other.


This certainly was an exploratory ride as the only direction that I haven't used as an exit from Bangalore is the Magadi stretch. The roads certainly were good for most of the trip except for some stretches (~15kms) where the roads didn't exist. Met the CAM buddy Kishan who was on MTB. Hats off to all those riders who attempted the brevet on an MTB. Certainly is a tough one I did find the route a challenging one on a road-bike. The near-empty roads, far from the bustling city traffic the roads became quieter and more enjoyable. First target was the control at Magadi fort where we had Alex waiting to mark our Brevet cards. Next stop Tiffany's Maddur. We kept overtaking folks on our roadbikes and not slowing down as we were confident that they will beat us on the trails which is their home turf and the Road bike begging for mercy!! I must admit the Kenda's plus the Mr.Tuffy liners did make a difference in rolling (slower) but they certainly were victorious over the bad roads.

The challenging terrain was worth every bit and soon enough we crossed Huliyurdurga and proceeded towards Koppa and passing by NSL sugar factory quite a nice aroma to some extents and a km later the stench of rotting sugarcane waste hits you right on your face to return to reality :-P .


Roads got road-bikeable and we soon reached the Chandrappa circle after the small climb at manchinabele. Got the brevet cards stamped. Some bananas and a cup of tea later we left for the 3rd control which was Maddur Tiffany's. We maintained good speeds till we reached Tiffany's as it was the point where we stopped for lunch. Downed a couple of plate of idlies. Just as we were about to start for Bangalore, Tiffany's started filling up as riders slowly trickled in and settled down for a luncheon. Surya stayed till Mahalakshmi layout and then lost him amidst the heavy traffic. It was pretty much Mitsunaga , the cue sheet and I to figure out the best route to the finish point. With the help of Mitsunaga soon we reached the yeshwantpur metro and then it was a smooth ride till the finish at IISc gate. Second rider to reach the point at 6:10pm. First rider to finish was Vishal who reached at 5pm. 


Randonneuring isn't for all. Its for the brave hearted and a die hard attitude to not give up until the last of the efforts to finish have been exhausted. Three more rides keep me from the Super-Randonneur for the year 2012. Hope all goes well... Until then. Adios..!!! 

 Surya Prakash and I against the backdrop of Manchinabele dam.

Surya Prakash with his Orbea, Mitsunaga by his Bianchi and my Rubie KHS Flite stands 'unsupported'.

MTB ride - Harohalli Anchetti - Mixed emotions

The saga of adventures continue with this trip. With yet another major overhaul of a weekender to Kodaikanal we finally managed to settle for an MTB ride to Harohalli and Anchetty. Probably a very good time to visit Kodai but very little time to spare and no room for 'unforeseen circumstances' as we were running a very tight schedule. As per the Kodai plan Chidu had the car I had the rack and the tusker-Kiran was ready. All this ain't enough as the approval has to come from the home ministry and more often substantial bribing might be come a necessity for green signal. Chidu's wife nor my mother weren't happy with the decision of an overnight drive then climb Kodai and returning the late night the next day. Another plan kicked to the bushes..!!!

With tusker bailing out the last minute as he had to stay back at office it was finally Chidu and I for the ride. I hadn't got a confirmation about the start time and the meeting place. Luckily, he replied at 5:30 in the morning and I got ready in about 15 mins and left home. Saw Sushant Chandra waiting for his friends at merida junction. I continued as I had to meet Chidu in about 5 minutes just beyond Metro on the Kanakpura road. Considering the weather conditions, I decided to wear sandals. Chidu was on time and we continued to ride on the lovely stretch till we reached Harohalli where we turned left towards Hunsanahalli and Balakrisha, Susanth Chandra planned to head back to Bangalore from that point. Little did I know that I'd be reliving moments of the CAM ride @ Bhagamandala. Superb roads with lush green mulberry farms, groundnut fields and various other crops that failed to recognize. Just beyond a km from the Kanakapura turnoff the roads got better and it looked like they were newly laid and there was a lovely rainbow that had formed. What next ?? Time for the Carl Zeiss to work its magic on my Nokia. To be honest this beats the picture quality of my Nikon Digicam.  As we continued we found village huts/colonies and that took me back 20 years when I remember my grandparents home which had a huge sitout area/ verandah and as you open the door its a tunnel. One just has to turn left or right to enter which ever the room he wanted else head straight for the backyard. Stopped at a Somanahalli kere where Chidu found a Silkwork coccoon. Took some pics and set it on the roadside.  In a few weeks after the morph cycle a beautiful moth probably would emerge. As he is fondly known in the cycling scene in Bangalore as Chidambaram 'Anchetty' Subramanian due to his frequency of visit on this trail, this time around the climate was fantastic and there was never a feeling of dehydration or exhaustion. The longest ever MTB ride for me 194.6kms. 12 hours on the saddle is gruelling for the Gluteus Maximus but the astounding beauty of the landscape, fields and the villages with kids waving by simply kept the mind busy.

Soon we crossed Hunsanahalli and as Chidu Quipped " You'll soon forget the count of how many hills you've climbed" and that did happen. Not being a fan of cosmetics, Chidu got a few sachets of coconut oil to use as a sunscreen lotion - "The Naatu Vaidyam" The rest of it was used to lube the chain. Riding through Anchetty, there are two hairpin bends and about 100 mts after the hairpin bends, there  a rock with black and white stripes and just before the rock on the right there is a clearing or a ledge, "A secret passage" which can be used by the bikers to trek down to the falls. I relaxed on the rocks as Chidu had fun dives into the falls. This was a refreshing stop after a 120kms of ride. The next stop was Denkanikota where we topped up supplies. Just a few kilometers before entering Denkanikotai there was a heavy downpour I put on my rainjacket and we continued. After a half hour stop for lunch we left for Hosur. It was about 6pm and I was thoroughly exhausted as I survived only on Glucose, Mazaa and a pack of good day for the entire trip. From Hosur till electronics city I purely gained energy by following Chidu as close as possible. It was such a relief to see silkboard junction. Just a few more kms and I'll be HOME..!!! 

Back home at 7:45, I did take a look at the odometer and it was 194 and just 6 more kms I'd have done a double century. But all I wanted was to get home to be ready for office the next day. More miles to ride before the end of this year...!!!

Route >> http://g.co/maps/z2rsr
Photolog.

The draft kings and Mullayanagiri -- a Mystique !!!

About the Bikes 

Sometimes sanity takes over and this turned out to be one of the days where I managed to get back to the stock Kenda's and handed the 'famed' Vittoria Rubino back to the owner. The other repaired rubino [ due to a 3mm tear, only clocked 150 kms :-( ] was kept purely as a spare. Major also had fixed his torn front tyre and it held good throughout the trip. My flat fixing ordeal always was a concern throughout the trip. None of the spares were used this time. All 4 had a wonderful time with this trip. What? 4 riders? Who were the other two? My American rubie and the GIANT TCR3 from Taiwan. The fear of flat had made a dent in my confidence levels. So the puncture free ride was probably a dream ride. Looks like my Rubie didn't like the new shoes (Rubino) and was happy to chug along with the Kenda.

The goof-up.
I had agreed to meet major at "The Capitol" on Raj Bhavan Road. This I completely forgot and was waiting at Mekhri Circle which originally was the rendezvous point.

The Trip

With my earlier failed solo attempt ( can be considered as a recce) to tame the mullayanagiri, my calves were yearning to take on the challenge. But this time, I with me a superb companion Major srinivas. A strong rider with a great attitude. My last ride proved to be a recce as I knew the route, conditions and the points for a 'pitstop'. The restlessness took its toll on me as I had quite a lot of unfinished business to take care of so I can have an uninterrupted peaceful trip. Managed to do the last minute shopping for spare tubes and also got the regular patch kit with the omnipatches. I got delayed due to work at office and reached home only by about 9pm. When I called Major, he was skeptical whether it was the right time to start because ::

1. He was expecting a call before 9pm so we could "Start" at 9. But we managed a start with about a 40 minute delay.

2. The front tyre had a tear which had been fixed by Major. ( which I wasn't worried too much as i was better equipped this time. A spare Rubino + 2 spare tubes + the rugged omnipatches.)

3. Not much rest/sleep that day so even I had only a 4 hours sleep the night before. 

Left the choice to Major. After contemplating our options for stay, places of visit for about 2 mins, Major let out the golden words "Lets do it". So this probably was the quickest I ever got ready. 15 mins flat from a weary IT guy to an fully recharged roadie in the complete roadie attire. This time I had companion to trouble, to make fun of, to be made fun of, someone - I could have a conversation with to kill the solitude on the highway in utter darkness. Now that we started late, we maintained a steady average till Hassan turnoff at Nelamangala. The road is bad for about 3-4 kms from IISC till the Jalahalli turnoff. I thought he woudl get the same asklen headlights like the trip to yercaud but there was a secret weapon in his arsenal. A miners headlight. A neat design where the belts easily mounted on the helmet and you get to see where you move your head. They worked like focus lights and in the utter darkness of the NH-48 major had fun enlightening things with his "supernatural" power.The Ultrafire on my Rubie worked their magic just like the last time. Super bright and any vehicle in the opposite lane that was in high beam immediately showed respect the moment I switched to flash mode which was very bright and irritating. Heck, even the Hella's on my car didn't create this kind of effect. We drafted for a about 10 kms at 46kph+. The first stop was about 20 kms into the Hassan highway from Nelamangala. We had Banaca. What is that? You probably must've googled that by now.  Simply put it is ( Banana + Limca). After the energizer a little beyond Kunigal, we then caught up a loaded truck KA-19 22xx. He was going at an easy pace and we eased up to 40km+ to reach bellur cross. The roads till here are 4-laned. Beyond this it is a roadie's nighmare. A surprise awaited Major as we neared the Bellur cross for a break at CCD. We settled in quick and placed an order for a capuchino, a hot chocolate and a spinach corn sandwich. There, a boy who works as waiter recoganized and pipped " Saar neevu hoda vaara bandrallva ?" translates to  >> You came here the last weekend ... right? Major was sipping on capuchino and immediately stopped. He was dumbstruck as he slowly turned towards me and said "You rode to chikmagalur the last weekend? There was another lighning bolt when he heard that it was a solo trip. It was no more a secret. The failed attempt proved a recce so I was better equipped for this trip. The major concern, I was the lonely rider on the Blr-Mlr highway. Probably I reset the levels of 'madness' in adventure cycling. Read about my earlier attempt here :: Recce -Chikamagalur.

Our tummies topped up and happy we moved slowly and caught up with another truck for about 3-4 kms and soon I saw the distressing sign. "Toll Road Ends !! "  A roadie's nightmare. We continued to draft the truck and my first 18650 battery which was used during the last trip was almost depleted and I couldn't see clearly. Just at that thought I went over a pothole. What a shudder it was!!. I didn't want to take any risk and we let the truck go ahead and I changed the battery. What a mighty difference it made. Yet again we caught up with another truck and I stuck to the leftmost lane. If you've ever travelled to tiruvannamalai then you could probably fathom the condition of the roads.The patches were in a constant progression. So I decided to look at the truck's headlight which illuminated and follow it from the extreme left. There was smooth tarmac only in the centre of the road or between the patchwork and the edge of the road (I'd say about 15-20cms). Major held on to the right wheel of the truck and I gingerly stuck to the left.  It was about 4AM when we reached CR patna. ( Channarayapatna ) and we were on the lookout for Tea or coffee stalls. I didn't have any hopes of finding it this early. But there was a jaggery market where just outside the compound like the yeshwantpur yard we found a stall and many people had queued. Some questions were evident to follow. Where from.. where to.. why ... !! Anything feels divine to the tastebuds after an exhausting ride. Staying alert on a night ride is taxing on the brain and for the eyes.

The stop replenished our senses and we soon set off for Hassan. We were on a rolling terrain.. just like hosur krishnagiri but a little more greener and the road cuts thru small hills.  Tarmac conditions were very good and the Sun peeked ever so gently atop every hill we climbed. It was almost like the sun was saying " I see you!!" 

Turned right towards Belur road at Hassan. There is a Nandini parlour where I had a forced stop to have my craving for buttermilk satisfied. 

Major probably was wondering this guy must be nuts. Early morning and butter milk? What will he sip in the hot afternoon? Hot cuppa coffee or T ? But that was not enough. As major had his share of Badam Milk I returned the second pack of buttermilk and replaced it with badam milk. So 2 bottles of Badam milk and a butter milk to put a smile on my face like the picture of the happy cow on the bottle.

I kept pointing out to the places like they were the burial grounds Tutankhamun of some great prince places where I ended up having flat. We soon reached the Belur road. To describe it... It was a perfect place to hold a Team Time Trial. 40 kms of Bliss with just a few speedbreakers. All the right ingredients on that stretch of 38 kms. Lovely green fields on either sides. And towards the finish err.. i mean near belur you also get to see a mountain with windmills and a beautiful lake. right opposite to that a huge layout that looks setup for terraced farming. From Belur to chikmagalur the roads worsened and some places they were non-existent. My kenda's have come this far so another torture track I don't mind. Chances of a flat I really didn't bother. Soon we entered the town of Chikamagalur. A small lively place and we headed straight for the town canteen for breakfast or call it a brunch. Only when we reached we found that it was closed on saturday. Dejected we turned back to eat at another hotel. Food palace I think. 4 Idlis for me, poori and idly vada for Major. It was necessary if we were to climb mullayanagiri. After the breakfast we left for Mullayanagiri and the climb very gentle and enjoyable. Every cyclist who fancies an uphill climb MUST make this a part of his "Bucket List". The gradient is relenting unlike the Ooty/yercaud or even the Nandi for that matter. is not heavy on legs or heart or head. The humungous tall trees lined up on one side like giant pillars and the other side is a steep hill and plenty of tracks to trek to the summit. The hill has an eerie feel if you decide to climb at night..!! We took about an hour and 20 mins to climb which is actually a lot because we climbed at a very easy pace. I was about to get back to my friend who said "be careful as there are very steep hairpins.!!" But by the time we were near the last 2 kms mark I could see why.  Omni was running out of steam. Tempo travellers had to use the momentum to propel them forward. If they stop then only first gear would help and no chance of an upshift. For us Draft kings..the poori and idlis propelled the 60-70 kg mass with vengeance. Only 2 sqare cms' of rubber to hold onto for dear life. One side there is a deep valley and hardly any chance of a recovery if you fall. I stand corrected. The last two kms are the most treacherous and have to be taken cautiously. It is better to be safe than sorry!!!! 

Time to celebrate the feat by finishing the Gatorade and some victory snaps. Two places in this world where I simply love to be... a hilltop surrounded by the green carpet or a beach. I'd prefer to come back to this place again with no second thoughts..!! Totally worth the dreary night ride from Bangalore. 

The real adventure starts now that we've completed the climb. What else do we got to see in Chikmagalur? Head back to the town canteen as that was our city centre. By the time we reached the base it was about 1:30 and to our amazement, we saw that the canteen was open. A quick chat with owner and we got a route map (Strictly not to be scaled) ... ( I'm serious don't ignore me). Had a refreshing pepsi while Major had a luncheon. 

I simply didn't have the appetite for any more intake. Looking at the map we saw that Hirekolale lake was about 4 kms from the canteen. ( Again 4 kms as per the map). I had read about this lake and the picture looked good in Team BHP. Soon we left canteen and on our way to the lake. I must say one of the worst and horrible roads for 2 kms and the roadbikes did fantabulously fantastic. Then it was a patchy ride for about 6 kms to the lake. There was a pier and a water control tower which was more like a romantic spot because if you looked at the roof top all the names of the Lailas n their Majnus were scribbled. Major was so tired that he immediately went to sleep. I just gazed upon the lake and absorbed some beautiful sounds from a bird that was perched right atop the shelter where we rested. Spent a good 3 hours and about 5:30pm we started for chikmagalur. One of the best pics from my mobile camera ever captured is the town bus on the periphery of the lake with the dense tree cover behind the bus and mountains on the top. The amazing cover was the reflection of all of these on the lake. Thanks to Major for pointing it out in time. Sometimes beauty of simple things in life is missed by the busy and inquisitive mind hence can be relived only through pictures.

Soon it was time to return to Chikmagalur and the trouble was we still had 6 hours to go before we could board the bus back to bangalore. We booked a Mercedes Benz coach which was the only one at night. There were Rajahamsa's and Sarige's but we didn't want to take chances of causing damage on our bikes. Not knowing what to do we headed back to the town canteen and had coffee. Every time Major pulled out the map I went Not again. Not willing to take a room/lodge as it might turn out to be expensive affair for just 4 hours. Troubled my CKM friends I made during my earlier trip and spoke to Junaid who came up with an ingenious idea. Stay at CCD and sip a cold coffee till 10pm @ CCD. So off we went I quickly changed to my bermuda and t-shirt and settled in the couch. We were the only ones in the CCD and then came the next shocker. The outlet was to be open only till 8pm. But looking at the crowd that poured in after 7 we were happy to spend time till about 9:30. We left for the bus stand and saw our bus parked in the corner and the conductor looked like a shrewd character. He managed to take a test ride on Major's bike as we tried hard to convince him it was dangerous. He then agreed that the seat was higher and he can't. He was hardly 5'6".  That bugger managed to take 200 for the luggage.

Once our bikes were loaded in the spacious compartments and secured with the colorful tags from a nearby textile store, the wait began for the conductor to open the door and let us in. At about 11:30 we finally sat in the bus and I was surprised as to the legroom when compared to a volvo. Mercedes Benz is a lot more spacious than a Volvo but the fact remains the comfort of a Volvo is unparalleled.Reached Bangalore in 4 hours.  All I remember is closing my eyes and when I opened I see "Rajajinagar" in the sign boards.

Bikes off the bus and we soon reached cubbon park where we parted ways. As it is said an empty brain is a devil's workshop and Major already had ignited a spark with the next trip one. All is well that ends well... but here there are miles to ride before the end of this year..!!

Life-cycle at the Bus-stand

When was the last time you looked at the bustling people traffic and the various activities that go on. Major decided to explore something new. He saw a "topi wala" or the "seat catcher" just because he was wearing a cap and mostly swinging it around his index finger. With every bus that had a crowd waiting, he drops the cap on the window seat and offers it for willing passengers for a meagre fee. Major requested him for a seat to Mangalore and he gladly agreed and when he asked for how much he gave a gingerly smile as if it was social service. !! And then there was a couple (looked like farmers) where initially the farmer had the situation under control. The luggage ( sacks of something) were being loaded on the top of the bus. Half the luggage was loaded when the bus started and was about to reverse. A shriek from the lady got her husband back to senses and he quickly loaded the rest of the luggage in a jiffy. Major and I burst out laughing. This is called empowerment ...!!!

24 hrs 325kms
Total time on saddle -17hrs.

Photolog

Flat-Flat-Flat -- Bangalore - Chikmagalur 227kms

The first person bailed out a few days before the trip so an alternative was arranged who bailed out at the last hour. Such disheartening is the plight of my plan to Ride to Chikmagalur and conquer Mullayanagiri. I probably should have listened to either of the guys to postpone the trip. But in the end was it worth the risk?

Absolutely. Some things to cherish in this trip were  ::

1. First Solo trip.
2. The first ever Night ride with the Dealextreme Ultrafire lights..and they certainly proved their worth.
3. First trip towards hassan/chikmagalur.

This trip saw a tussle of bike and biker similar to what was experienced during the trip to yercaud. Looked like history repeated itself but with more experience in fixing flats..!!! So here goes. Night of 7th Oct is the day I'd probably never forget. Undeterred decision making in progress as I left home by about 9:30. Took it slow till the roads got better after the Yeshwantpur junction. Then maintained an average of 40 as it was mostly downhill till the  turnoff to Hassan at Nelamangala. From this point it was a foray into the unknown as I'd never travelled towards any destination on this route. The original plan was to ride the route Jayanagar >> Yeshwantpur >> Tumkur >> Tiptur >>Banavara>> Halebeedu >> Belur >> Chikmagalur >> Mullayanagiri. But got to know that the roads till Hassan are in good shape. Took a left at Nelamangala and maintained an .average of 32kph till I found a truck to draft. Stuck to this till I ended up with a flat just a few kms beyond kunigal. This was bound to happen so I was prepared. Heck, this was childs play after the experience at yercaud. Fixed the 'flat' in 5 mins flat :-). But I was disappointed about losing the truck which maintained a steady pace of 50 I could keep up easily. Some pre-requisites before I decide to draft a truck  ::

1. Preferably a trailer or a goods carrier. 
2. Most important the brake lights should work. Even if one works I'm happy.
3. Should be maintaining a steady pace ~ 40-50kph.
4. Roads should be 4 lane (NH) so visibility is good and confidence levels are higher.

Hmm.. where was I... Oh yes.. Flat fixed in 5 mins and soon I was near the Bellur cross. ( Not to be confused with Belur cross which comes only when you reach Hassan). Saw a CCD and my bike handle bar leant a towards the left and I gladly obliged. Only one table was occupied with 3 men travelling in a Scorpio. Looked at me in awe and wondered what the ... !!!

I was focussed on re-charging my batteries and head to Hassan. So I sat by my Rubie outside and it started drizzling. Hot cappuchino did open my mind up and I started fixing the 'flat' spare. I must say the Glueless patch kit didn't work their magic this time. More about it later. Next ordered a veg sandwich and got myself a nice spinach corn which I must say was very good. I almost was about to say out loud "I'm popeye the Cycle-man", when I met some folks who were native of Chikmagalur. Lovely, now I know someone at the destination. Two of them race motorbikes. One rides an RX 135 and the other a ZMA. They had a few questions and we exchanged the specs of the boys toys. Exchanged numbers and they offered to help, as they saw that I was the lone rider on the highway. I thanked them and started off. Soon in about 4-5 kms Front went flat again. Looked like a pinch flat. Soon I took the wheel off and my new friends from CCD stopped by checking if everything was ok. Told them I've fixed the flat and now I've to just pump it up. So that task was handed over to Asad who was quite fascinated by the foldable gizmo pump from Merida. 100PSI check and we parted ways. After a few kms I stopped yet again as the drizzle started and I took out my rain jacket and continued on my journey. Stopped enroute for a Gatorade top-up. As soon as I re-joined highway, much to my glory A container truck with registration HR 1216 was treading the gentle uphill. This was just what I needed. But wearing spectacles and drafting don't mix well. I ended up drafting this guy for about 50kms at avg 50kph and at times touching 70kph for short bursts. I felt this guy was trying to shake me off the draft. Many cars started waving and even a few trucks. My hands were constantly on the brake and I feathered them constantly as the truck seemed to pull me faster even when I didn't pedal. My glasses were completely wet with moisture and I didn't want to stop with the fear of losing this truck. The Ultrafire lights worked wonders in the highway where there isn't a sigh of a streetlight. Finally after 50 kms he slowed down and stopped. He was surprised to see me overtake him, but not a friendly guy.

30kph avg and I now was nearing Channarayapatna and I think this is where the 4 laned roads merged into 2 lanes. Not my favorite but did I have a choice? About 5 kms before the merger, there was a tollbooth and 1 km before the tollbooth is where I ended up losing concentration and went over a sharp stone or a pebble. 

Wait wait.. Don't beat me to the best part yet !!  But yes.. front had a flat again and I pushed the bike for a km so I could relax a little while at the tollbooth and fix the flat. Fixed the flat and swapped the tube after about half hour I gained momentum. As soon as I was on the 2 laned road in about 10 kms I ended-up with yet another flat. This was turning out to be my regular day with road-bike luck. I again pushed the bike for half a km as I found a tea stall.  Stopped by and removed the tyre only to find a 2mm tear on the sidewall on the front. Disheartening, however I had a one of those business cards that is hard to tear so used that and the insulation tape to patch it from the inside. Swapped the tube again. 4th patch in place but this time there was a 1mm hole and in the tube and not a tear so this was going to be a hard one to patch. Anyway I patched it just to have a spare. It still was 4 AM and a few KSRTC Sarige Express buses stopped and curious onlookers had the same questions. How heavy? How quick? How much? Something new was a request for Test ride. After all it is a cycle and Everybody thought the torch/flashlight was a Battery. I asked them "Bari Battery fit maadi yen maadli?" What will I do with just a battery fitted to the handle bar. It literally had a glass shield in front so a battery wasn't even the closest guess. I packed up after half hour and started yet again towards Hassan.  It was 6and I was in Belur road now after navigating my way within Hassan. A few kms away another flat. Definitely not my day. Soon found an LBS and I thought he could fix the flat using the Comet rubber glue but the patch simply won't stick. 

What next he gets a Fevikwik as that was the only option and soon stuck the patch and glued it all over. Paid him a 20 and left the place as I already had wasted ~ 2hrs in fixing flats. At about 8:00 ... Guess what happened ? 

No, No, Nope. I had breakfast at a canteen. Lemon rice and bonda. You expected I had a flat didn't you. You nasty buggers. With the tummy happy and mind in a sound state I left the canteen which is located on Belur road at a place called Ibdane. 15 kms later Guess what was in store? Yes. I hate to admit it but another flat. So I removed the "fevikwiked" tube and put the normally patched tube in 10 mins and off I went for 20 more kms listening to some beautiful songs with hills on one side with windmills perched on them. and a lake at the base. 

Yippee !!! Another surprise yet another flat. I did carry fevikwik just in case and it did help to some extent. I patched it slowly and carefully this time and off I went for a few more kms. About 4 kms before Belur I had to bail out. Called out for help from the Chikmanglur boys but they had to attend a wedding and a drive down wouldn't be a good idea. Stopped a passing empty Tata magic and sat in it and reached Belur. Stopped at a bakery and sipped Mirinda. Long time since I had an orange drink. What about the bike.. Pls pls lets not talk about it till I'm in Chikmagalur. Owner was a kind person allowing me to quickly chang clothes in the bakery. I enquired about how to transport the bike to chikmagalur and the owner said it would be best to take it in a truck as auto guys would charge exorbitantly.  But I was tired and in no condition to take the beating on a truck So Hired an auto for Rs. 200 to drop me at Chikmagalur bus stand.

With my plans shattered badly, of taming Mullayanagiri was lost and the only thoughts were to return home and i just hoped 1 seat was available in the 1:30pm Volvo to Bangalore. Had my brother check and he said the bus status showed full. Spoke to Driver and the conductor and loaded the bike in a compartment. I fastened the bike to the huge spare wheel using jute ropes that were available in the compartment. Bike secured, time to secure a seat. Half hour later I got seat number 6 and price for transport ( 350 for me and 40 as per ticket, for luggage but he took 200 which was agreed by us both even before loading the bike in the bus) I didn't mind as he was kind enough to get me a seat for my weary back. 8pm at Majestic bus stand and another auto ride for 300 to Jayanagar. Phew.. what a trip. Didn't have the nerve to blog about it that night as I had to work the next day.  

Trip Stats ::

Total distance rode :: 227kms

Time taken (without break) :: 8 hours 30 mins

Fuel :: 1 Cappuchino, 1 Spinach Corn sandwich, 2 Limca's, Tille laddus and 4 packs of Gatorade.

What next ? I have no clue and that's the freedom of a bachelor's life !!

Some meagre pics I managed to capture or have em captured ::

Asked a passerby to capture

The Canteen at IBDANE

On Belur Road

Winding Beautiful Roads between Belur-Hassan

Probably the best pic

The FeviKwiked Tubes

24hrs-485kms.Drive'n'Ride......!!!!

I reiterate, I hate Hills and the climbing involved (from a bikers perspective). But some force keeps the strings attached. I end up head on with the arch rival.. "The Highlands" !! So you probably are wondering where did he end up this time? The title sure didn't give away the location. 

Ooty...!!!

There's almost always an overhaul of plans with every trip planned. The Saturday's agenda was to ride a new route just before Hoskote. Major Srinivas was the ride buddy this time along and destination changed to (kalatti) Ooty. We decided to start on friday night and drive to Bandipur, park the car and ride to Ooty. I had work on Friday which finsihed by 3 and then got busy with preparations for the trip. The 'preparation aspect' skipped the most important check - the condition of the car. Major reached house just by 9pm and the luggage was all packed and ready to be loaded. Just before installing the bike rack, I turned the key but no crank. Damn.. the battery had died. Not this at the last minute. But then, whats an adventure without something exciting happening and this was just the start. So Major, my brother and I started racking our brains for alternatives. 

Major :: We have an option to jump-start the car using his friend's logan. Worst case scenario was to take the Logan on this trip. Very kind of Vijay who agreed to loan us his vehicle in case we weren't able to start the car.

My brother :: Being a just dial freak, like the google for the techies he has just dial (a local search engine) :-). I hate to say this but it WAS Just dial which helped. Called in a breakdown  service (Damn..500 bucks for starting) and those guys arrived in just over half hour.Managed to jump start it with a spare battery. Once started, left the engine running while we installed the bike rack and then mounted the bikes with the wheels off. Loaded the rest of the luggage and started to Ooty finally at 2am. 

I :: We can either do a night ride with a place yet to be decided. Or make it a two day trip which includes riding all the way to ooty. Return journey was to be flexible. Ride or by bus.  

Ride was a little as usual, smooth all the way to Mysore and then I relied on GPS for a while within mysore  then followed the sign boards to Nanjangud. Nice night drive on the State highway to Ooty. Good road conditions except for the stupid multi-hump speedbreakers..!!!! Some without even a signboard or a marker. Managed to reach the Bandipur checkpost by 5:30 and tried to get a powernap. Vehicles lined up waiting for the clock to strike 6. After that it was quite a rush hour and every body wants to be the first, not us. Once the traffic cleared we started towards the Bandipur lodges. But after 3-4 kms from the checkpost we saw the roads were good, there was a climb, and elephants were seen grazing. Major quickly snipped, lets ride right from checkpost so we turned back and parked the car at a shop near the checkpost and switched to "ride mode". A quick Dose of Tea for Major and we left for Bandipur. A welcome drizzle ever so fine welcomed us as we climded the first 'mini ghat' to reach the Bandipur lodges where there is an office for the tourists willing to go on a Safari. Soon we were riding through Bandipur and it looked like it had rained a last few days. The lush greenery and pure oxygen kept our minds alert as we scanned the surroundings for any wildlife. Soon I ended up losing all air in the rear tyre and that was a bummer. I could clearly see the expression on Major's face " Dude, Tell me this is not happening again". To know why, here's a chance to review the trip report to Yercaud the first week of September 2011.  This time I was carrying a new spare foldable tyre taken from Kiran(The tusker). Thanks to that as it saved the day. Discarded the old Kenda continental ( 2500kms) and put on the new Rubino. This one sure blends well with the bike. After a 25 minute ordeal and a quick warning from the forest guard to watchout for "WILD" animals, we left for Kalatti. At Masinagudi stopped for a quick refill and I had to discard an electrolyte solution that I had bought in bangalore called "Electrobion". You have the right to wonder why...The first sip and my mind goes, did you just put the outlet hose from a washing down your throat? It tasted like soap water. So empited the rest and filled up Gatorade. I took an oath right there, No more electrolytes of new brand. I'm happy with Gatorade, so I'll stick to it no matter what, for any rides in future.  Had chappatis and aloo curry prepared by mother. Then it was a non-stop ride to the summit. The elevation wasn't that bad I thought as soon as the climb started  but about half a km later we started maintaining single digit speeds. A km later I see the marking Hairpin bend 36/36. Lovely a countdown in reverse.. !! I kept watching out for rest of the the boards. A steady pace ensured that we didn't get tired too early. Astonishing gradient, not an easy one compared to Yercaud which is twice the distance of the climb but the same height. The worst slope is about 200 mts and the going gets tough. I was searching for a lower gear not knowing that I already had hit the lowest. Stand up and pound till reaaching the top of this slope then more of the steep gradient followed. About 6-8 hairpin bends to go. Phew..!! I thought about the sipping chilled soft drinks once I reached the summit. Humming songs and weaving about I was excited when I saw the last hairpin bend and took it with quite a bit of pounding on the pedals. Then looked back if Major was closeby and he was a few metres away. You demand more excitement... here it is.. Another cleated fall where I managed to uncleat when my palm was 2cm from ground :-). No injury and I asked Major to continue as I quickly mounted and cleating in such a gradient was a pain. Soon Major was ahead and I had trouble cleating my left foot. After a lot of tries once I heard the blissful click didn't look back or stop till reaching the summit, where the gudalur and the kalatti roads meet. Time taken :: 1:38:40.

Had 7-up .. finished the gatorade and refilled the bottle with last pack of gatorade. I'd forgotten to carry the Relispray as I ended up with sharp pain in the left shoulder.Anyway it was going to be downhill now and it should be tough. I was mistaken and by a HUGE margin. I would anyday consider climbing a hill than a going downhill on a gradient like Kalatti. I was confident of the bike's braking power but not the power left in me to hold on to the levers. Most of the downhill braking was on the hood but switched to the drops as the pain in the shoulder was agonizing. I simply wanted to get to the base as soon as possible but that wasn't going to happen because I almost ended up in a small gully as a TNSTC bus going to Ooty, swerved at a curve leaving just a cm's gap and this guy wasn't considering slowing down in-spite of seeing Major and I from a distance instead he went full throttle. Damn..!! a close call..!! 

At the base in about 25-30 mins we headed to Masinagudi and there was a lot of headwinds dropping our speeds to 17-18 on flat stretches. The road wasn't in a good condition but this wouldn't last long. Hence we continued and stopped for lunch at Malabar hotel. On the back of my mind I was contemplating a sight of a cheetah/Tiger on such a "Wild" ride. Came across a board which mentioned about saving Tiger but with a picture of an Elephant on it.  5kms before the turn towards Masinagudi from Bandipur we saw a Black shiny snake about 5-6ft long. Couldn't identify the species but it crossed the road quickly and disappeared into the bushes.Major spotted the snake just in time to avoid running it over. From there it was an uneventful ride to the checkpost where we switched back to Drive mode and left by 3:30 - 4pm. Took the Kanakpura road and reached Bangalore by 9:00. The route on the return leg from Mysore to Bangalore. Just wanted a change from the monotonous Blr-Mys highway. The nature, lovely vast unending green fields on either side of the road, people from village, masala puri were some of the trip's highlights as we got lost in the inner roads which took us via Bannur then to Malavalli. If we had stuck to the NH 209 then we probably may have had an extra drive for ~50kms as per one of the villagers.

Kanakpura-Bannur detour >> http://g.co/maps/f63pr

 
So a Drive of 485kms coupled with 120kms of cycling with an elevation of 1222mts. With just an hour's sleep in the last 38 hours..!!!

The route which we rode on bikes ::
http://g.co/maps/b8f5d 
More pics here.

Quad-Nandi-10-Sept-2011

I try to figure out the pros and cons of the adrenaline rush and the excitement of hill climbs as i pen this blog. I think i've mentioned in my earlier blogs that I wanna stay away a good 6 months or maybe even a year from Nandi after a personal best timing of 28:30(mins:secs). Little did I know that the bull will get me with such fury...!!! 

As usual the rant, euphemisms of How? what ? when and where? on Facebook, 3 warriors were at Nandi on 10Sept. Another day of personal bests. Opendro clocks 40 mins on foot from the base to the arch. This came as a surprise as many cyclists struggle to make it sub-45. Kiran finished strong in an hour. As I had forgotten my running shoes, I didn't fancy a run with the cleats. First attempt to climb was in a Fiat Linea and parked the car at the summit. A relaxed downhill ride for Opendro and Kiran but I timed my descent and reached at 9:16(mins:secs). Touched 57kph at some stretches..!! Also got to experiment with aerodynamics. Opendro is faster on 23c but I got down on the drops and swooped down to reduce the wind resistance and it certainly made a HUGE difference. I no time i was ahead Opendro on the descent. But the real timing was on the way up. So puris and some bread omlettes later we started of on the first attempt. I had to clock my best and give it the beans to clock the quickest and the result 26:50. Opendro also completed the climb on cycle with 27:59. Kiran relaxed in the support car while I could see the wicked smile on Opendro (One more troops.. as he's the Vice Captain of Cleated Warriors). I was ready for more so off we go and started back again. This time it was a slow and relaxed climb or should i put it a better averaged pace throughout the climb. We made it to the summit in 35mins. Kiran was wide awake and the tender coconut was no where to be seen so we left the Nandi exploration to the monkeys. Oh yeah there was a couple on a bike and a monkey saw them holding a frooti and the girl promply handed the juice over to the guy who then with hand gesture managed to stop the monkey in its tracks. The guy almost finished the juice and as it waited patiently. Never have I seen one so obedient. Anyway time for a third climb. At the base for a snap showing the third attempt. This time again a steady average but the last 2 kms fooled me with every curve and I look up each one expecting the arch only to realize it was just a few more bends away. Saw the tender coconut being transported which was a refresher to the mind. Finished the third attempt in 33:50 and we descended yet again for lunch and the last climb for the day. Downed a fried rice and took a nice relaxed hour. Soon we saw Team shift and they were to start their 5 laps. Samim is going to attempt Nandi sub 20 and in my head ( that was way off limits and not my turf) 24-25 seems a decent target to achieve considering the fitness levels. Moreover a lot of work needs to be done to shave the couple of minutes of time). Once a threshhold is reached it takes a lot of fine tuning and consistency to beat the current personal record. The surprising fact was we started 5:30 AM and were there whole day. Reached home at 7pm.
Some snaps from today's practice. Nandi-4climbs

Green Contribution :: Some gatorade/electral for the ecosystem !!

Kiran, his first attempt to complete the Nandi, running and for me it was just relaxed drive in Opendro's car.

 Confusion as to what numbers are covered ;-). Actually Opendro and I were on the third run while Kiran was on the second run. (excluding the run).

Opendro and I sharing the personal best.