Satisfaction Guaranteed - Bliss in Hills

A few FAQ's to understand this blog better. 

What is a Brevet?
A brevet is a non-competitive cycle ride on a fixed route to be completed within a specified time. It is not a race.

Why 'Bliss in the hills' ? 'Inner Peace' .. 'Inner Peace'
I hope you can spot more reasons to the 'why' below:

Bliss at Kalpeta Control

River crossing Bliss just before Iritty

The Chikki Bliss

Training Plan:

Preparation for this Brevet started many months ago and I strongly relied on commute miles to work as a key training. Each day riding about 56kms rain/shine. One specific training was an over nighter at nandi with 4 repeats between 11pm to 4AM. But just a little over two weeks to the start, I caught pneumonia and in a pretty bad state. It was none other than Major Srinivas who put me on the expressway to recovery. So all my training plans down the drain and with some mild cough persistent a couplet of days before the start I wasn't so sure if I should even make it to the start point. This ride was supposed to have been attempted last year but had to cancel for an emergency. So not riding it this time would linger for many months until I attempted the same. So I managed to prep the bike a day in advance and it was almost ready for the road trip. A long brevet checklist was followed and I managed to pack most of the necessary stuff and the rest went into the backpack that was to be dropped with the support car and we'd get to see the same only at the halfway point at Kalpeta. Here's the Rubie all set to roll for over 1200kms. 

The start was delayed by 20 mins. Dodged crazy city traffic which is the norm. Once we hit Nelamangala we turned onto the Hassan highway. Menacing cloud cover as we head towards Hassan. But luckily no heavy rains and we did away with some super fine drizzle. A comfortable reach to Belur. Relished the packed/parceled fried rice from the earlier dinner stop to propel us to the next leg, Belur to Balupet. It was midnight when we were crossing the section Attempted to rest at a temple early hours of the morning but sleep wasn't a choice due to mosquitoes and tiny tree frogs. The roads were road bikeable with surprise patches appearing all of a sudden. Soon we reached the turnoff at sakhleshpur highway and we stopped for Tea and masala bun. The rest of the bunch feasted on boiled eggs either to recuperate for the climbs or prepare for the ones that lay ahead :). 

A rolling terrain via shanivarsanthe, sowmvarpet. Targets/milestones were set for every next town as per cue sheet so reaching the same was a priority made easier rather than look at the entire route or the distance. Breaking things down to smaller goals felt way better. We didn't spot any wildlife but many curious people as they see lycra clad, colorful riders wondering 'motorbikes struggle at places and these guys are on cycle'. The silence, low traffic, good tarmac turned out to be a very good combo for that 'Inner Peace' that I mentioned earlier and this was the start of project "Transformation Bliss". 

Sowmvarpet/shanivarsanthe road

Towards Madikeri beautiful Twisty roads

Opendro checking to see that the group is intact

We reached Virajpet by late afternoon and the idea was to head to Iritty and clear the downhill section and the next target was to clear the panamaram mananthavady and Kalpeta to rest. The night was dark with orchestra by crickets and it looked like it had just rained a short while ago as we were still riding on wet roads. Periya climb was a long and steady one. All the while we could hear what sounded like rapids beside the valley and the clouds had cleared so a view of stars boosted confidence that we could expect a rain free climb. Post the climb we stopped for the pics at the control. The Hotel Highway served meals and i was content with the same. However, the next section was to be the worst when we expected a fast descent. We struggled hard to figure a path to ride and utilize the downhill but my vision was distorted by intermittent fogging and the headlight from oncoming traffic only amplified the effect. Putta and I rode much slower compared to Opendro who just rode way faster and was more like on a second recce mission on bike. After this dreaded descent, we started riding towards Kalpeta. By Panamaram Putta started struggling due to some issue with food served at Periya. Opendro too seemed to have issues with bowel movement once at Kalpeta. I felt fine as my engine seemed to have just burnt any food ingested. The pace got way slower and Opendro and I had to take a quick call whether to slow down for Putta or ride like mad men to make it to control. We decided on latter as he could rest at Kalpeta. It sure felt bad to drop Putta at that time in that condition but reaching control was just too tight. The speeds at which Opendro pulled we made it to the control 2 mins to closing time. The sight of familiar faces was truly welcoming and they soon took our bikes so we could then get refreshed and catch up with some sleep. After a refreshing shower and change of clothes i just hit the bed for a 3hr sleep. Precious time and precious little sleep. By the time I woke up I got to know that  Putta had been rescued by organizers as they had to find him about 8kms away from Kalpeta in the dark. I managed to get more packs of Enerzal from Putta's stock and stuffed in the Decathlon's handlebar bag. Batteries replaced, we were now ready for the second half of the journey. We bid adieu to organizers and Putta. He was now to just get rest and take a bus back to Bangalore. 

The superb team of organizers. Kudos to you guys to make the stopover a luxury

We proceeded towards Peravoor and then turned towards Gudalur section. Here's where the scenery changed yet again. Beautiful misty mornings and winding roads through many plantations. We stopped to have tea and finish the cream buns purchased last night at Virajpet. The lady at the stall offered sweet appam. We gladly loaded our tummies for the long and arduous (so we thought) climb to ooty.The ride was beautiful and the roads were very good. Once we reached Gudalur we stopped for lunch at a hotel specializing in Parota. Hot and delicious, we also managed to pack a couple of them so we didn't have to stop enroute for another break till mettupalayam. Soon we were joined by Chidu, Deepak and Major. We bid adieu and started the climb at our own pace. My intention was to listen to music during the climb and mp3 player was sitting snug in the bag and remained there for good. Opendro and I had a chat for the entirety of the climb and before we knew it the climb was over. It passed through some beautiful eucalyptus forest. 

Gudalur to Ooty section

The Eucalyptus forest

Enroute Gudalur - Major and Opendro enjoying the twisty roads

Deepak and Chiddu mashing it to Gudalur

My tourer

Putta's Sidewinder

Deepak Mhasavade's fully equipped Tourer

We reached Ooty comfortably and now had the task of reaching Kotagiri. Many reviews from cyclists was that it was very steep. Nah. Not even close to what i had on mind. So that took another short while to clear and then it was mostly downhill to Kotagiri. Not as crowded as Ooty and lot of beautiful views all over. If you've been following my earlier blogs then you must be missing the climax. Yeah.. where is a flat  Mr.Flat Pandian :D. 10kms to Kotagiri the front tube decided it didn't like air anymore.  Time to remove the liners from the front one too. Inspected the tyre, put the new tube and pumped it up to bout 60PSI. then coasted all the way to the town where Opendro was waiting on me. Our next target was to finish the downhill stretch to Mettupalayam in daylight. So we quickly took snaps and headed to clear the stretch. The speed was way too good and the cornering was superb with 60PSI. More traction. We were only held up by other slower cars/bus. It was a fast downhill to the base of the clim and we stopped to finish the packed parota to propel us to the next control towards Avinashi. We took it at a brisk pace till Annur and stopped to have a lime soda. Suddenly, Opendro asked about control closing time and it was 8.36. and the watch revealed 8:02. So we had 20 kms to cover in 34mins. So we quickly gulped down the soda and it was back to time trial mode. Heads down and mash at a high cadence. The average would've certainly been >35kph on this flat highway with hardly any winds to disturb our momentum which sure was a saving grace. We did make it about 2 mins to control close. Only after we passed this point did we realize ther still was 20 mins added as a buffer. This was due to the roads switching to a non existent stte at Periya when compared to the recce that was done just weeks ago. We had Tea and continued our journey to Salem. We tried to rest at a couple of bus stops but due to mosquitoes we simply couldn't get any. So we decided to continue riding. The pace was increased and we tried to reach Yercaud base as early as possible so we get to climb in the pleasant morning weather. After having a couple of bananas we started the climb where we noticed a lot of people walking the initial 5-8kms . A steady pace was set and we continued riding. We managed to make it to the Yercaud control well within time. We stopped for breakfast at Hotel Shevaroy. I didn't fill up my tummy even though we'd been informed that it was all down hill till Kuppanur. But there was a nasty nasty surprise. There were some steep walls to climb before the actual downhill starts to Attur. Opendro mentioned that in a car one fails to realize the gradient and we were laughing at the thought of other rides who must have topped up their tanks to the brim considering the "downhill only" sections. Yet another fast and speedy downhill only to be slowed down by a 'Small bus' that wasn't really small. I had to stop to top up air in the front tyre as i felt them very low. While cornering i felt the tyre almost give way. Opendro did agree that it was less so we continued to the base where we had to change the tube due to a flat due to a stone hitting the tube due to super low pressure. Swapped the tube yet again and we continued. It was noon and I didn't want to ride anymore after looking at the road condition from Attur to Uthangarai. It was a sufferfest for the sore back, neck and wrists. After riding for about 5-6kms I had to stop for some cold drink and found Citra. Didn't know that this  was still in production. Refreshed and tired, we continued till uthangarai for lunch. We stooped once more for a power nap for 10 mins which worked wonders. We continued to Uthangarai where we stopped for lunch. Great meals at a small hotel was just needed to replenish and prepare us for the climb to Yelagiri. We started climbing late evening and soon we had drizzle and short bouts of rain as we headed to the summit that was 11kms ahead. The last climb of this journey and we were very excited. An undramatically slow climb but we managed to reach the top and while searching for ATM, we ended up running into Slush. This clogged up the brake pads, soiled the rims and the braking only worsened the situation. So Opendro ot a 20 ltr can to help clean the bike and also top up on supplies before we head down and continue riding to Vaniyambadi where we turn towards Krishnagiri. Enroute we stopped for a power nap of 15 mins  that turned out to be a powerful nap of 1.5hrs :). I simply followed Opendro until we could clear the nasty pothole ridden section. Oh, and did i mentioned that I veered off the road into the gravel due to hallucination? :) I regained control and we soon connected to the highway. We had T and i was now refreshed and took the lead for the next 50kms. This was by far the fastest leg of the journey as we were riding it like a time trial. High cadence workout and It worked perfect for both. 50kms covered in 1hr 40 mins that included 2 breaks of 15 mins. When i gestured Opendro to take over I thought he'd set a relaxed pace but that ws never to happen. He too mashed at nearly the same pace and i only just held on to his wheel and managed to rest on flyovers sections. Once at Krishnagiri we stopped for another dose of Tea and Opendro suggested that we take it slow so we reach just in time when there are volunteers and friends and family waiting at the end control. The only other stop was at coffee day for some Cafe Americano where Opendro had a powernap while i was chatting with some mobikers.

1200 kms in 90 hrs... did I just complete it? I had goose bumps we rolled into the end control. And the best part was that it was a comfortable finish and I relived my first Brevet memories with my brevet buddy Oepndro. I dedicate my finish to this Superhuman Samurai with a never say never attitude. 

My brevet buddy. What a superb ride it turned out to be !!

The finishers from Cleated warriors

End credits:

Major Srinivas -- This ride wouldn't even have seen the light of the day had it not been for your help in getting me recovered from pneumonia 2 weeks prior. 
Putta Narasimhaiah -- Thank you for the timely assistance and the training for BITH with hill repeats. One of the good times where I thoroughly enjoyed the training sessions despite breaking a lot of sweat.
Opendro -- You truly are an inspiration to many and to me this 1200 was more than double the fun and a great learning similar to our first Brevet 600 back in Apr 2011. 
Rajesh (My team manager) -- For approving leaves. Hadn't mentioned the reason behind the same but it sure will be a surprise one when he gets to read this blog :). Thank you Rajesh.
Shivraj (Wheelsports) -- Who toiled long hours on my bike to get it back to glory, the Flite 300 with 2300 groupset. Compact crank with a 11-32 casette. Pretty much the perfect one for this ride. 
Kiran (aka Tusker) -- There's a whole lot more to just this ride as the assistance I've been getting doesn't pertain to this ride or just this bike. 

Organizers --  Saying you've done a great job is an understatement. You were simply superb and the efforts taken to ensure riders are at ease and comfort I suppose is partly the reason for the renewed motivation and energy levels to ride the remaining miles. Kudos folks !! 


Elevation         13887 mts 

Event	Brevet of 1200km
Start	Bangalore, BTM Layout Pizza Hut
End	Bangalore, HDFC ATM, BTM layout
Location	Bangalore
Start Time	30 September 2015, 03:20PM
Time Limit	90 hours
Organizers	Bangalore Bikers Club (601002)

Fuel:                Fried rice, Parota, More fried rice, Bananas, Enerzal/Gatorade in
                       generous quantities, superb meals at Uthangarai and most of                            all, the motivation from fellow rider Opendro. 

The entire route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/10555502 

Here is a one line synposis of the route

Bangalore — Ring road — Tumkur road – Nelamangala – Chennarayapatna bypass – Hassan – Belur – Belagodu – Balupet – Shanivarsanthe – Somwarpet – Madikeri – Murnad – Virajpet – Iritty – Peravoor – Periya – Thalapuzha – Mananthavadi – Panamaram – Kambalakkad – Kalpetta – Meppadi – Gudalur – Naduvattam – Pykara – Ooty – Doddabetta – Kotagiri – Metupalayam – Annur – Avinashi – Salem – Yercaud – Kuppanur – Harur – Uttangarai – tirupattur – Jolarpet – Yelagiri – Jolarpet – Tirupattur – Barghur – Krishnagiri – Hosur – Electronics city – Bangalore

Brevet 600 a third attempt Eureka !!

After a sabbatical from endurance rides I decided to re-open the Brevet account. The previous two attempts were a failure as i gave up at 400km on the same route. So this certainly was one of the rides where a failure was simply not an option. Another factor in deciding on this ride was to identify my strengths and weaknesses and manage the resources well. There were about 6 registrations in total and only two riders in the end. Putta and I were the only riders at the start point so this felt like a CW special (Cleated warriors Edition). Reached the start point at 2.30 and waited for Chiddu (Organizer) and Putta to arrive. It turns out that Chiddu got delayed as he was assisting an accident victim near Jayangar. We managed to then start by 3.45AM. A nice chatty ride on the outer ring road till we connected to NH4 past yeshwantpur. From here it was an all highway ride and Chiddu sped ahead as he had to attend a cycle rally at Tumkur. Stopped for breakfast at Kamat Upachar and i must mention the awesome pongal that was served. This propelled us for another 100kms and our first control was at Hiriyur. Cloudy skies and nearly empty highways turns out to be a great recipe for such an endurance ride.  

27/06/15  12:06hrs - Reached Hiriyur control with about 4hrs to spare and took an ATM slip as well as a photo by the ATM as a backup. Next stop for control was Ranibennur however our short term goal was to reach Chitradurga for lunch. Soon the headwinds and cross winds started and Putta could relate to the video i had shared a day earlier of a few riders struggling to ride in some nasty crosswinds. I was mentally prepared to take this route without any complaints. Lookup to ensure the road is clear, heads down and just keep pedaling and let the miles roll by. There are so many things to notice during any such ride. Fertile black soil on either side of the highway as we headed towards Chitradurga at many places and look like the new batch of crops have been planted and the seedlings sprouting.  The stuff of geology that i could recall and relate what learnt in high school :D. We stopped at a dhaba but he mentioned lunch will be delayed and only Dosas could be made and we just opted for a single dosa each and headed out to Chitradurga toll. However, a few more kms, we found another dhaba and stopped yet again and this time We stopped before the Chitradurga toll and had some fried rice and buttermilk. A half hour break and putta rested on the chairs to rest his back while i relished fried rice. This is one food that can't be messed up and the only issue is when half cooked rice is served. Else just gulp it down with butter milk or Chaas known in hindi. We reached davangere with some continued bout of headwinds and crosswinds. I was riding strong and Putta even stronger. Enroute we met The 1k gang, Ashok, Anup and Somaskanda. They looked pretty fresh and were on a good speed to make it a speedy return to Bangalore. We stopped 

27/06/15 21:48hrs - The road from turn off from high way till the control was a ride on a bad stretch of road filled with potholes. I rode ahead while Putta followed close. Every single vehicle was using high beam and none to use the dipper. We made it quick at the Ranibennur control and were out of the town in 5 mins. Felt great to be back on the highway. We now were glad that we were out on the highway and had a gleeful smile as we noticed the wind direction and voila Tailwinds. After the two failed attempts i get to ride and experience what it is like to ride in the tailwinds. We were hitting an average of 35 with ease. As we neared Davanagere, Putta was leading and hit a pothole pretty hard and before he could stabilize he hit another. As i followed closely i too ran over the same set. Pinch flat on the front wheel so i got ready to do an F1 style pitstop and it sure was one. Once the front was fixed only then we realized the rear too was flat. So out comes the second spare tube and while Putta manages to get the spare, i've already unmounted the tyre off the rim and taken the tube out. Inspected the liner for any debris, installed the new spare. Both managed to share the pump as we had to take it to atleast 90PSI. This took about 20 mins and we continued with an avg of about 30. The weird part was that my cyclocomp was acting funny as it continued to mention that i was rolling when i certainly wasn't. However this one was perfectly calibrated with the readings on cue sheet. The earlier Sigma 906 despite having it configured as per the manual, the reading was off by 3-4kms for every 100kms. I managed to reset the cyclocomp at Ranibennur so we could guage the distance atleast for the duration of the return or until Hiriyur after which the next control was at Hessaraghatta. I tried a power nap for 10 mins at Guilalu toll booth but a dog ensured that it didn't need guests and simply kept barking and soon mosquitoes joined the bandwagon. To our surprise, there were no shops opened considering it a busy toll booth. Then as we started to leave we found one stall open so we had a few cups of coffee and then continued riding. I thought i felt better but after maybe about 10-15kms the hallucination mode got enabled and the bike lane marker looked more like a pit rather than a line and i then relayed to Putta that i need to get some sleep and he obliged. Found the next Dhaba and i slept for an hour shamelessly as he guarded the bikes. I believe he managed to rest his back but probably ended up with intermittent sleep. I have to ensure that my buddy riders get to rest as much as i do from any future rides. After a refreshing sleep Putta woke me up and it took us a while to get warmed up again. But Putta then blazed right past the slow trucks during the uphills and i was trying hard to keep up. The average till the exit to Chitradurga would've been more than 35kph. Tailwinds continued to keep us company and just as we exited the town, we saw two riders who were doing the 400 Brevet (Chitradurga and Back). Exchanged pleantries and we continued as we wanted to be at Hiriyur as early as possible so we have enough time at hand to take it nice and easy till tumkur and Nelamangala. The pace setting continued and we rode at a very good average till about 5kms to the Hiriyur control when Putta had another flat. So out comes the third spare tube and we swap it out and get going in less than 10 mins. 

28/06/15 08:14 hrs -- ATM slip for confirmation taken and we head out back onto the highway.  Yet another flat for Puttabut this time I suspect it was a badly patched spare that i had brought along. So we again changed tube and while putta was busy refilling air, i got busy with using the pre-glued patch and keep one spare ready. I believe we still had about 30-40kms to tumkur when this happened but post this we saw some sunlight but mostly an overcast sky which made the ride so much more comfortable. The next stop was Kamat upachar right past the Tumkur tollbooth for a sumptuous meals.We loaded up and continued to head to Bangalore. For the first 3-5kms the pace was slow then putta slowly increased it and maintained visual as we drifted apart slowly. On the flyovers i managed to reduce and with downhills he sped away. 

28/06/15 16:35 hrs -- We arrived at Hessaraghatta and continued to ride at a steady pace towards hessaraghatta but there was no party waiting for us. Informed the organizer and we took photos alongside the ATM as the printer wasn't working. So we had finished this ride with 5hrs to spare which is my personal best. I think there is some special connection to the 600 Brevet as my Brevet ID is B600 and my start to randonneuring was with a Brevet 600 and i must've done about 4 of them till now. The other brevets not so much. Nevertheless, i had a great companion for this ride and I'm thankful to Putta for this ride. It was not difficult but it wasn't easy either. So the body is able to keep up with a ride of such magnitude and since i've managed the resources well i think i'm ready for the next installment. Until the next one, it is adios for now. Here are some pics captured during this ride. 

At the start point CCD MG Road

 At the Sira Toll booth

Headwinds continue and we top up on electrolytes

Mostly desolate highway but a couple of close calls with Speeding Volvo's 

Putta selfie or is it !!

The essentials kit for this trip

Lunch at a dhaba right alongside a farm and winds aplenty

Some rest for the machines as we top up on fuel

Overcast skies keeping us company 

The 1k gang (who were on the return leg to blr, Putta and i still had 35kms to u turn point

2014 - Midsummer night Brevet - Mandya

The work schedule gets more hectic, very few hours in a day to pursue interests. I managed to register on the last day of the close of registrations to this brevet and the idea was to ride with one of the great Brevet riders, Sohan. One great rider with many jewels to his crown but this will be documented in another blog. Surprises to be saved for a later, greater blog. The thought of riding an all nighter during summer was exciting. Usually i'd keep my eyes off any brevet during summer as i don't want look like a penguin post such rides. This was one of the first of its kind where the start was at 8pm and ends at 9.30 the next morning. One of the goals for me on this ride was eat well hydrate in a timely m and ride easy.13.5hrs as the target didn't seem to be a far cry for a rider who's not new to randonneuring.  
Whats a ride without a sudden dose of adrenalin. 3-4hrs before the ride i get a message that there are mechanical issues with sohan's bike so i'm a little disappointed and ready to drop the plan. As he got busy trying to figure out a solution to the problem, i suggested that he try riding the MTB. A crazy idea nevertheless. Whats crazy about riding an MTB you wonder ..  Well, the secret is, it isn't the right frame size. (21.5" and the fit for me was 19.5"). Keen on not wasting anymore valuable time we quickly prepped the bikes and headed for the start point. The beauty of a brevet is that it is never cancelled due to 'bad' weather. Rain or shine you waterproof yourself as much as possible and set off. We reached the start point and finished formalities by 8.50pm. Many had already started and we saw a few on their way. It had drizzled some parts of the city. Looked like weather gods were happy with the turnout for this event. Sohan and I started about 50 mins late and rode with a steady pace till we hit mysore road and then the chatty ride with intermittent breaks ensured mind and tummy both were happy. We reached the control at u-turn point at 2am. Pulpy orange really did refresh my senses and i soon was ready for the return leg. Being a Saturday night, there was hardly any traffic and for some stretches, it was empty with only a moonlit night and the flashlights working their magic illuminating the highway. The weather stayed cool and i settled into a rhythm and was humming different numbers that i would've otherwise listened on my mp3 player had i brought it along. We managed to finish the ride by 8.36AM.

The list of finishers >> https://brevetmgr.appspot.com/brevet/may2014-mandya/results 
  

Post ride an idly vada treat awaited at udupi garden. So the tummy that was tucking in slowly popped right out :D

Roast-Freeze-Roast - Spirited 600 Brevet

Why o Why did I have to do it again? I distinctly remember deciding against this route/ride. A writeup on the experience with "Gnarls Barkley - Crazy" playing in the background... apt atmosphere I say. So here goes the rest of the sweet sufferfest with the meager photos i managed to capture with the 2MP phone cam.

The original plan was to make it a non-stop or a least stop ride and carrying enough food for the entire trip with the 2011 Apr Brevet ride buddy. However, last minute changes were inevitable and that soon changed my goal to a different kind. Finish the brevet about just over an hour to spare was the target. With the bike tune up pending, respite from work at office seemed a far cry. Managed to get the bike ready in about a couple of hours. Lights .. check, reflective vest .. check, Gatorade.. check, pump n puncture kit .. check. Managed to get about 4hrs sleep. Not really a good idea especially when a sleepless 40hrs lay ahead. This event seems to have the highest number of registrations for a 600Brevet in India with riders from Chennai Coimbatore. Met Sundar sir and his Pinarello Dogma which certainly is a beauty. 

At the start control on Kanakpura road What a complementing billboard !!

 

Chidu with his "Gatoride" Sport1. Yeah this is not a new brand from Decathlon but Chidu's bike  frame all wrapped in Gatorade sachets. Met DeepSan with his tourer (Bianchi Volpe). The start point last year was Gymkhana gate near IISc, Yeshwantpur. This was shifted to kanakpura road so one doesn't have to dodge the city traffic the morning. Instead the route was extended by 6 miles so out and back it was 12 miles to cover up the distance between the old and the new start point. 

Here's the route map of the ride.

Met Sohan and agreed to finish the ride together as this ride that would get him the SR (Super Randonneur) title. A super randonneur is awarded to the one who completes 200, 300, 400 and 600 all in the same calendar year. Riding a constant pace, eating/hydrating regularly became my priorities on this repeat ride. There's a big difference when I rode this route back in July 2012. With two of the toughest climbs at Harohalli-Jigani and Pallikonda-Palamaner and total elevation gain of about 3600 m, this is one tough route !! The bikes just loved the newly laid tarmac on kanakpura road. Vasu was waiting about 10 kms ahead of Sathnur as a manned control. Once all the riders made it through, he would be able to continue to wait at the next secret control before the Jigani climb. As Sohan, Kalpesh and I got our cards stamped it was time to gear up for a tough climb. The searing heat drained the batteries real quick. Sohan managed to capture the riders attention by giving us a lead on ice-cream parlor immediately after the climb. This worked its charm and riders were ready for the treat but had to travel a few more kms after the summit. We soon reached a small canteen and a bakery adjacent to it. I downed a couple of scoops of vanilla. 

Instant energy source but not so healthy to cool down so quick which i learned in another 15kms. Parched throat, an unsound body and I was thinking of dropping off at attibele and head home. However, the superlicious curd rice with the masala butter milk at Attibele sponsored by Sohan were just what was needed to cool the engines and immediately felt better. It was Karthikeyan, Sohan and I who continued from this point on till krishnagiri. Enroute we met Chidu whose rear derailleur broke and that ended up damaging a spoke. While Rafi tried to get it converted to a single speed, it still wasn't such a good idea to continue with a broken spoke as the chances of breaking more spokes is likely in the bad stretches at palamaner. So he planned to take the bus to Bangalore from Shoolagiri while the rest of the riders prepared for the night ride. After a quick shot of cappuccino with Sohan and Karthikeyan, it was a fast downhill all the way to Krishnagiri. We agreed on planned stops after every hour to stretch and nibble on dry fruits. This worked really well and we kept going at a good speed and about 10kms before vaniyambadi tollbooth, we stopped for dinner. Had couple of plain dosas nearly twice the size that is normally served in Bangalore. Washed it down with a soda. This worked its magic till about early morning. About a km before pallikonda toll we stopped to eat. This time it was a truckers dhaba which served fried rice and turned out to be surprisingly tasty. From this point it was 25 kms to the next control and we reached in just over an hour. As we were descending on a flyover, I heard noise similar to running over a metal plate and on looking back, Karthikeyan wasn't to be seen on the highway. As I hurriedly stopped and looked back he was instead lying on the bridging gap between the highway and the service road. Just one of the flavors of riding Brevet caught him unaware. Dozing while riding the bike is life threatening. I did experience the loss of concentration on a couple of occasions but chatting with Sohan time and again kept me going. Listening to music might be a personal choice to stay awake but trying to chat with fellow riders should help to some extent as it proves to be a welcome change from the long monotonous highway rides. There were a few scratches on the rear brake disc and  Karthikeyan seemed unhurt as he quickly regained himself. I remember reading about the memory loss of few seconds when cyclists crash. This did turn out to be scary as the last thing he remembered was seeing a board which indicated 'katpadi 10 kms' and we already had travelled more than 5 since then. A quick bike inspection and we were off to Katpadi. Sriram was just entered Katpadi as we were ready to leave. We waited for Kalpesh and the group size increased to 4. Then we conveyed to Sriram that we would wait at CCD near Pallikonda. The coffee break and a power nap was just what was needed to rejuvenate the weary eyes and the saddle sore. Managed to get a power nap of 25 mins which seemed like 25secs then we were off to see Vasu at Pallikonda tollbooth. We now turned to State highway and entered Gudiyattam. The group got bigger as we were joined by SriRam from chennai. A double bonanza as it turned out to be for Sriram as he encountered two climbs in the same brevet :-D. We rode at a steady pace till we stopped at Gudiyattam for breakfast. Each of us ended up feasting on fresh hot idlis and vada with the typical andhra style 'peanut' chutney. 

Another surprise awaited us at the Palamaner climbs. With the uncertainy of the ride or the rider's performance on the climbs looming about, there was mostly silence as the huffing and puffing started. As we neared the last few kms of the climb, we were covered in mist. 

                     (Photo Courtesy - Pradeep naidu)

Making it a great time for recovery as we then entered Palamaner and headed towards Mulbagal after a short watermelon break. Sohan set the pace as I tried to pull for sometime. We kept switching as much as we could. This stretch has to be one of the worst in terms of traffic density and discipline as there is no respect for a cyclist. At the checkpost, there already was a long queue of vehicles and a bus overtakes everyone and blocks the path. Some cyclists even resorted to yelling at the cars as they tried overtaking hardly leaving any shoulder for the cyclist. A huge sigh of relief once we reached Mulbagal. We stopped at the ATM and wanted to leave the town real quick as we sure would pull a big crowd asking the same old set of questions... What .. when .. where from .. where to.. and why.

We couldn't find a good hotel so ended up feasting on coke n cakes n flavoured milk. From here it was 80 kms to the next control. It was about 12.30 at noon and we decided to get some rest. Found a house with a sitout area outside the gate where the bikes got parked under the shade. Sriram managed a 'sound' :-) sleep and karthikeyan slept leaning against a tree. Sohan tried to get some but he couldn't. 

We started after half hour and kept going at 20kph. The next target was Srinivaspur and it was pretty much an uneventful ride till chikballapur. The good part was we had tailwinds to assist all the way to chikballapur which was exactly the opposite when i rode this route last year. Strong headwinds but we managed it because of Deepak. The sight of the NH certainly was so pleasing to the eyes. We took the atm slips and soon checked into Hotel Mayura for dinner. Thulped a curd rice and I was ready for the last leg of the journey. Met kalpesh and karthikeyan who soon joined us and we started at 7.45pm. Just over 3 hours and 50kms to go. The saddle sore finally were getting worse for Sohan and we managed to slow down the pace and take it easy till the finish. Devanahalli, Yelahanka then jakkur and finally Hebbal. Managed to finish at 39hrs 10mins (45 mins to spare). Target achieved. Handed over the brevet card. 

At the finish control IISc gate near MS Ramaiah college.

Bid adieu to the rest of the riders and rode back home at a fast pace till lalbagh then settled into a cruise mode of 25. Never have i rode in bangalore at midnight especially from one corner to another with nearly the entire Bangalore asleep. What a bliss !!!  More action and adventure to follow the rest of 2013 so stay tuned for updates :-)..

Vanakkam-Chennai-Velo-400 !!!

 

A brevet isn’t a child’s play. But it’s not unachievable either. Every Brevet ride demands care and attention to great detail if one doesn’t  want to quit due to the inherent Brevet feature known as ‘bonk’!! With quite a few chapters of experience from earlier rides and precious feedback from my team members CW (Cleated Warriors), it was time to put at-least some of that into action. There comes a time when the mind’s fuse just blows out and gives way for excuses. Suddenly the bar gets raised on one’s innovation levels. The excuses become abundant and one gets spoilt for choices. Sounds like mind over matter? With 14^th of July looming around the corner I had to decide if I should travel to Chennai and ride it out in the ‘HOT’ city. After a failed attempt at 1k ride earlier in June, mentally I had decided not to quit at any point. As per the original plan Kiran and I were to attempt this 400. As he was suffering from IBTS, (Hamstring stiffness) it would take longer to recover and if this recurred during this ride then it would spell disaster as we have aimed at completing the Brevet series. Since I had a busy following two weekends, doing the 400 on 14 would give me time to recover as soon as possible and aim at finishing the 600 strong on the 28^th. On Friday I decided to start by afternoon as my colleague was a native of Chennai and planned to stay overnight at his residence and start early morning. After a sumptuous dinner, Bhaskaran and I went for a stroll by the Marina Beach which was just a 2 minute walk from his house. This explains why he works from Chennai often. :-)

Bhaskar and his josh machine with a hint of the bike in rear seat !!

4:00 AM :: The usual siren on my X6 is good enough to wake up an entire dorm. Surprisingly, I managed to wake up just before the alarm rang and then managed to snooze it twice only to wake up Bhaskar. Time for morning chores and was ready in about 15 mins. Truly glad that Bhaskar agreed to drop me till the start point in his car else it would have been a 13 kms ride to the start which is no big deal but gives me the precious extra minutes of sleep. 

5:00 AM :: We overshot the target and take a u turn head back about 3-4 kms to take yet another u turn to come back to the BSA showroom which was the start point. With the bike assembled, it was then time to complete the formalities and get the bike inspected by an independent adjudicator or the RTO officer as I would like to call it. There seemed to be a generous number of participants. ~15. 

Sundar sir at Registration Counter @ BSA Showroom 

 

We started riding on the OMR road towards Kelambakkam where the first control (ATM) was located. I don’t know why but I could sense something was not right and this turned out to be that the receipts weren’t working. Took photos with atm as the background and took right to ride via vandalur zoo which then connects to the trichy highway NH45. The route for some part reminded of the Siva’s road mostly good tarmac and some green cover to keep the mind busy. I initially was riding with the BSA showroom owner. Then I switched to ride with the faster group (Partha, Neville, Pradeep) for a while till the first stop or control after which I was planning to ride easy.  At Chengalpet toll all riders re-grouped for a  tender coconut break.  That’s when we realized that Aditya’s bike had a flat. Soon we got a surprise visit by Premgi Amaren who is the comedian in movie Goa. Well known for his quote “EKSI (short hand on facebook), enna koduma sir idhu”. All riders were at ease as he too had stopped for a smoke and a tender coconut break. Most of the riders had a “brown stripe” on their backs as it had been drizzling ever since we started riding the NH-45.   Soon the drizzle stopped but the climate stayed fantabulous. Partha mentioned that he hasn’t rode in such an awesome weather in Chennai in a long time. Soon we stopped for breakfast and proceeded to catch up with folks ahead. Road-bikeable tarmac and some gentle headwinds and cloud cover to ensure a smooth ride. We were able to maintain a steady average of 28kph.  About 50kms before the u-turn point is when I met Pradeep Chander who was chugging along at a slightly higher average. Somehow caught up and the rest of the route till the U-Turn point was pacelining. Surprised at Sundar sir’s fitness levels. We reached Vedantha college where we found Partha and Aditya waiting to get the card stamped. They said they were waiting for about an hour and there was no sign of vehicle. The indica with organizers arrived after the 10 riders made it to the u-turn point. There were some heated arguments they left in a hurry. 

The pitstop at Vedanta college (U-Turn point).

  

All set to ride back..!!

 

 

Never dehydrate, a key factor on such rides..!!

Bandit Gana rides the highway.. :-)

 

While we topped up water and feasted on glucose drinks, bananas chikki’s, the cards were stamped and a short photo session later we started to finish point(start point).  This is my favourite part as the ultrafire’s worked their magic through the night. I was happy to be leading the paceline sometimes speeding and sometimes slowing down. Dropped the lead and had other riders set the pace and I’d follow along. This worked for about 50kms after which we stopped for dinner. Fried rice and curd for me. The complaining factor simply vanishes as one has food for thought more than food as fuel. We reached Acharapakam ATM control by about 10pm and relaxed there for about half hour.  There were a total of 4 riders , Sachin, Pradeep, Ramesh and I. After this break we were able to maintain a higher average ~30 for most of the trip till chengalpet tollbooth and then it was a non-stop ride till the kelambakkam turnoff.  This stretch of 15kms till kelambakkam was supposed to be tricky or dangerous bit. So we rode a lot slower and stopped enroute to ‘empty the tanks’. A few cops had to do their bit with how what and why’s which were answered by Pradeep and with both satisfied we  headed to the ATM control at the kelambakkam junction. Another round of pics to confirm our presence within the control open and close timigs we now were just about 15-20kms to the BSA showroom.  Reached about 4.5 hrs before the finish time and got the much deserved rest. I had a chance of taking the 6am bus to Bangalore but then found that the bus was cancelled as there were only 2 seats booked. So the only option ws to take the 10am or 2 pm bus and no other bus in evening had free seats left. Pradeep was kind enough to invite me to his house to freshen up and get some sleep before departing to bangalore. This was such a big relief. Respite from all the muddy spray from trucks, my legs were covered in a layer of fine sand as if I had just walked out of a beach. In less than half hour I was fast asleep only to be woken up by 11 for breakfast. I had booked the bus tickets for 2pm. This time the luggage ticket was only Rs.100. But from Bangalore it was 200. A sumptuous or should I call it a mammoth lunch settled in to my tummy. Pradeep’s mother had prepared lunch exactly to a cyclist’s nutrition needs. Never felt away from home as the taste of home food still lingers fresh.  The perfect amount of carbs, proteins and fibre content in lunch was enough to keep me happy till I reached home. With the bike loaded in the bus I was all set to return to Bangalore. The Volvo had a flat near the ksrtc authorized stop and the start was delayed by another half hour. It looked like the tyre was retreaded and here’s the damage. 

 The tooshh.. moment.....

How to load a bike in a volvo

  

The Chennai -Belgavi (Belgaum) Gold class volvo

Over the years I've come across a lot of encouraging and discouraging comments about cycling which almost every cyclist is prone to get a dosage. I maintain my firm belief, its the passion that binds man and machine and cycling is no different!!