Bicycle Chronicles

Day 0  As I set off full of apprehension with a backpack on my bicycle to meet a group of like minded bikers in the center of Bengaluru, I wondered why I was putting myself through an upcoming ordeal. The sunshine and the usual dense traffic in the city made the ten kilometer ride seem harsher than it should have.  After meeting up in Chamrajpet, about 17 of us boarded a bus for a rattling ride to Kalasa, a town 315 kilometers away deep in the Western Ghats. By late night we reached our hotel Ashirwad and checked in for a brief night's rest before beginning the 400 kilometer ride the following day. Day 1 The nice warm breakfast of idlis and dosa was not enough to overcome the cold of the chilly morning. We all gathered to listen to advice from the tour director on the route and a physio spent 5-10 minutes getting us warmed up.   With butterflies in my stomach, I began the ride along with the rest of the group through the countryside. The road wound up and down the hi...