Browsing Category Cycling

Observations, musings, experiences while cycling 

Belgaum 1000, oops Dharwad 868

A wonderful 868km brevet to Dharwad and back, the bonding exercise between me and the new Merida Ride 500 road bike went off well. Bad food at a Dhaba before Hubli at 320km and plate meals dinner with poori at Hubli curtailed our ride. We were an hour ahead of the control time at Hubli and 30kms after (near Dharwad), when the after-effects of bad food showed up, causing extreme sleep in Somaskanda and a…

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Remembering Challakere 400

Remembering my first 400 ride two years after, my debut DNF.. The road to the future, discovered via cycling three years ago. Well, the future is always interesting and meanders all the way. And when we reminisce the past as FB did for me today, they are wonderful memories. This was my second brevet (400km), my first night ride, where I enjoyed gazing up the stars lying down on a bench outside a closed tea…

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Tristate 200 – Fast & Furious

I have a new bike now! Merida 500 – Endurance geometry road bike with Ultegra components. After testing this on Old Madras Road (104kms) and Nandi (126 kms) over the last two weekends, I was eagerly looking forward to this brevet this Saturday. The route – BLR(BTM)- Krishnagiri-Kuppam-Berigai-Bagalur-Sarjapur-BLR(HSR). A perfect weather made the Sat glorious.  The first half (100km) was zippy done in 3h:11min thanks to downhill & tail winds, my century PB. The second…

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“Hot hallucinations” – Chennai 1000

When Road Beast 1000km brevet debuted last year, I was keen to ride, but had to miss due to travel. 2015 being a PBP year, I thought it would be nice to do a 1000km training ride.Knew that this is going to one hot ride, literally, as the route is Chennai-Vijayawada-Chennai. On the saddle on at 6AM, it was zippy non-stop ride to the first control point 107km away. Two cream filled buns eaten while…

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Mr Piriformis

Mr Piriformis, sorry to have upset you and tied you up in knots. I understand the mistake of not stretching after pacy runs over the weekend. You have shown what pain in the lower back means. After unable to walk properly on Tue, thank you for loosening up on Thu. I promise that you will get really warmed up and have a good workout starting Friday as we cycle to Vijayawada from Chennai, 1000km brevet….

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“Sleepy Shimoga” 600km brevet

After the MR400 (Jawadhu Hills) brevet last weekend, it was Shimoga 600 at BLR this weekend. An evening start on Fri 4PM, it was two nights, one-day brevet. BLR had been chilly lately and I was curious how the two nights were going to be. Well it turned to be more than I bargained for!  Squiggled through the BLR traffic jam near IISc, then it was much quicker as we hit the Mangalore highway.120 kms…

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Hesarghatta ride

Greedy for a long run meant Saturday was used up in running the (training) FM. And a cricket match at my son’s training academy on Sun meant an extended time duration for cycling on Sunday. And so it was, a relaxed 73km ride to Hessarghatta in 3.5 hours. A nice active recovery from yesterday’s 42.25km run.   The weather on Sunday was wonderful, no semblance of heat all the way until 1:45pm. About fifteen kms…

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Caterpillar, Parrot, Calf – The Kottai 200

Nov 1, the start of a cycling year commenced with a lovely 200km brevet organised by the Bangalore Brevets, the maiden Indian Randonnneurs ride in Bangalore. This was a new route titled Kottai 200, a highway ride until Krishnagiri (81km) turning right to Rayakottai, Denkanikottai a scenic route with a few lovely climbs reaching Attibele and back on the highway.  The route to Krishnagiri is a fast ride via the highway, the ride after Hosur…

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Beyond Jangamakote

A nice 100km ride on Sat AM. A brilliant Saturday morning just ideal for a ride. Onto Kolar highway, turned left at Hoskote towards Jangamakote. It is beautiful countryside with fields on both side of the road with Tomatoes, Spinach, Grapes, Cauliflower. Men and women in the field planting new seedlings whilst some are harvesting And property developers messing up the area attempting to create gated communities. Govt schools function on Sat and it is…

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