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

Velo Kerala - Day2 - Ernakulam to Munnar !!!

It has been over a week that the blog has been dormant and I hardly got the time to finish the first one. So here goes the next chapter in the Kerala chronicles. Our plan to start early was delayed as we woke up late set about truing the rear wheel on Ajith's bike. 

The tablet put to dry

Truing the wheels using the spoke wrench a part of ICE toolz kit.

Once the wheels were back in good shape, I was ready in no time and we headed out for breakfast. After a sumptuous dose of idlies, appam and peanut chutney we were ready for the arduous 120 km of riding. Since it was going to be hot day and we started only at about 10am we rode till the highway and then found a truck carrying gate grille's for painting and the owner was glad to drop us till (Muvattupuzha)a point that was 30kms away. He refused to accept any money but he obliged to take pictures. 

Shah Jahan (Driver/owner) and Faisal

The happy campers on the back of the mini-truck

After over a day's frantic search for tender coconuts in the "land of coconuts" we found one about 10kms into riding and we immediately stopped to utilize the golden opportunity. Next point on the way was Kothamangalam and from this point Munnar was still a 90kms ahead with a 60km climb. With the tummies topped up with the 'tender' recharge we then kept a nice pace through the rolling terrain with a smooth tarmac. Crossed kothamangalam and then we hit this Neriyamangalam bridge under which the great Periyar river flows. 

The Neriyamangalam Bridge

Periyar River as seen from the bridge.

About a km ahead is where the a climb starts and there a 60km of the lovely ghat stretch. The gradient is gentle unlike the kalhatti climb with 36 hairpin bends nor the yercaud climb. Came across yet another tender coconut stall and without having the need to apply brakes our bikes gradually stopped near the shop and we feasted on a couple of tender coconuts. There was a sudden increase in the density of the forest cover and this was evident. Somehow the bridge seem to be the bridging gap between the flat-lands and the ghats. After about 10mins we were to start riding so we reach munnar before dusk however the prying eyes of ajith then fell upon the fruit juice. Needless to say, a shot of mosambi(sweet lime) juice went in and it is worth a mention that the juice was way better than the tender coconut. Tender coconut tasted like it was injected with electral :-P.
I welcomed my old nemesis (the hills) as this time it was an MTB to face the 60km route. The high humidity was certainly felt but the soothing breeze from the trees ensured the engine stayed cool. About 10 kms before adimali we stopped for a break. In went a couple of bottles of mango juice. That is when we met another cyclist. Mr.Ravi from Cherai. He has been riding for a couple of days and his destination was Adimali. So he wasn't far. We exchanged plesantries and he had some queries about our bikes. Something to notice was the DIY chain guard and an extra handlebar prop to aid in climbing. Simple and neat.

He took leave and we soon had to start and thats when we found the rear tyre of Ajith's bike flat. Removed the tyre and tube in no time and then realized that the tube was filled with slime and had we give it more time to heal it would have sealed itself. However the nail might have done more damage. So removed the metal piece and replaced the tube with the normal one. We also discarded the slime tube as it had a lot of patches. Another problem surfaced, the wheel was out of true again and Ajith set about setting that right. Half hour later we got started again and in about a couple of kms we hit a waterfall that resembled the silver cascades of Kodaikanal.

The traffic now getting thinner and thinner and the surroundings greener!! Just what we expected. Humidity levels then dropped and we felt the winds of change. Next stop Adimali for lunch. Just in time to catch up with folks protesting against the price hike. Looked like we were indirectly giving them a hint - Ride a bike..!!! We stopped at the newly opened restaurant called "The Cardamom". A pep chat with the manager and we got to know that the owner was from Taj group. The price and the taste was justified as the food disappeared into the hungry tummies. Simply put, a well deserved sumptuous lunch. 

That mustard sauce...!!!

5.30pm - We start from this hotel and back on saddle for just about half hour and we encounter the board "Welcome to Munnar". The moment Ajith gets to know there is still 30kms of it left here's what happened. (you might have to zoom in to see it).

Yet another hour into riding and the darkness sets in. The ultrafire was raring to go. We got the flashlight onand the two vioo lights on fork of Ajith's trek was impressive and they looked even better when they switched places from fork to the handlebar. It looked like a jazzy UFO following me :-). Soon the winds got colder and at about 7.45pm we reached the periphery of munnar town. But we still had 8 kms to go to reach the town. After a quick stop, a few snacks and an enquiry about the buses to take us back to Ernakulam we then started to ride as quick as possible. We rode till the misty mountain resort and its sure lived up to its name. Lot of mist just went past us as we just continued our journey towards the town. Soon we found a tata mobile (207) and just held on to the rear cage on either side. Since it was a narrow path we had a few cars following this carrier and they just wanted to overtake. But if we let go of this then there was no way to catch up. So we held on for as long as it was safe and about 2km away we left the dropped off and started pedaling again. A mad rush to the bus stand  was in vain as there were a lot of confused folks around. One said the last bus to ernakulam was at 9.30. The local were glad to give us the news - All buses had left for the night and we had to wait for the first bus to Ernakulam scheduled to depart next morning at 5.30am. Holy-Moly..!!! Now we were exhausted from the tiring climb up and a sprint towards the bus stand. So we were trying hard to spot any carrier/tempo that could carry us at-least till muvattupuzha or some place enroute so we could hitchhike the rest of the route. Time to satisfy the tummy and we headed to a parota stall. The smell was so tantalizing. Parked the bikes nearby and sat down at the local roadside stall. (unfortunately no energy to take the mobile out for a pic). We enjoyed the parotas + peas gravy. Nourishingly delicious. There were a few agents who were on their night stroll to look for any new comers to munnar and offering them places to stay. So we seemed to be at their mercy. A twisted dilemma, is it better to take a room, stay for the night and then take the first bus next morning? Probably the best solution. Other plans included ::
1.  Ride back in the night (60kms of downhill) in utter darkness..!!
2. Hitchhike a truck or a carrier. 


What did we do ... How did we return? Did we return the same night? Did we book an accomodation? 


Just when we were about to give up looking for a vehicle to hitchike and book a room for about INR500, (Just 1 room and no restroom) we spotted a truck stop on the other side of the road. So quickly we scooted and enquired with teh driver as to his destination and we were darn lucky. He said Kochi and exactly the place where we were headed. He agreed to load our bikes and we were the happiest bunch as we got the bikes properly tied using the ropes. This truck was carrying the top quality premium Tea (not available to the indian market) for export from port Kochi. Also made a new friend Jomit George who is from Adimali and an engineering student. Every day for him could be a vacation @ Munnar. Lucky soul. We got a lot of topics to discuss and I ended up talking with the driver Sendhur Pandian of Tirunelveli but mainly into truck driving hauling goods from and to Kochi, Munnar and Goa. The truck is like a second home and he said he had all the basic supplies and he normally just have to buy vegetables in order to prepare food. Hmm, talk about camping and adventure on road. He did mention that it was not going to be a direct trip but he'd stop on the way probably at Kothamangalam to catch some sleep as he hadn't had sleep in about 3-4 days. PHEW.. and here I am thinking I get only 4 hours sleep every night..!!  There was a lower berth and an upper berth. As we approached adimali we stopped for black tea more discussions followed about the trucking experience and life on road. You get to meet new people and make new friends. Absolutely exciting. Had I been on a motorbike or a car none of this would've ever happened. I settled in the upper berth and slept like a baby once we stopped for the night halt. I only woke up about 10kms from Vytila junction. The upper berth was such that you could enter only in one direction and exit the same. One couldn't even turn around :-) But I didn't care as I was fast asleep and so was Ajith. He too woke up from the parota hangover. The cost of the room expense was then transferred to Sendur pandian and all three of us were happy. He got a chance to make a quick buck we got back to kochi the same morning. The expense of staying back at munnar and taking the next bus would've been a costly affair. In fact Mr.Pandian was about to return me change and my response, you've been a godsend to us when in time of need so this was the least we could do. We exchanged phone numbers and soon our bikes unloaded. 

Sendur pandian, The weary rider (me) and the trusted Ashok leyland 1612

Secretly, I always wished to hitchhike a ride on a truck and never dreamt that it would be realized in this trip. Half hour of riding got us from vytila junction to Panampily nagar. Time for morning chores and then breakfast at the usual keralite roadside dhaba. 

The world goes by at a slow pace once on a bicycle. One gets the time to understand and take in the essence of time with it.  In any motorized transport the world whizzes past and you miss quite a lot. The spectacular photo opportunities, a stop every now and then to munch on something, the looks at the rest of the world when they see you on a cycle on an expressway or a village. I sometimes do think about defining or understanding time - For humans the world is at its own normal pace but the same world for a housefly might probably be 4x times slower. And for an elephant our world might be twice as faster. This is just one of those instinctive thoughts that crop up while on the saddle. To reinstate, I am truly happy to be a cyclist. Though the public might think I have saved hundreds of litres of petrol/diesel. None of the statements above is aimed at demeaning the petro-heads or diesel-heads. Adventure can take any form its just the passion that binds man and machine. Same theory applies here that binds me with the most ingenious invention of all, "The Bicycle"....!!!