Tour de Malnad 2026

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 hills with beautiful scenery all around. I held back knowing that the day would be long. As the others coasted ahead, I overheard a lady walking on the road comment to her colleagues in Kannada - "Look, they have left Thatha behind and gone ahead".

 After about 8 kilometers disaster struck and a rider took a fall with serious bruises on his knee and hand. Thanks to the care of other riders and the organizers, he was taken to Kalasa government hospital where his injuries were treated. It took a lot of courage, but he insisted on continuing the ride from the location where he fell (stuborness maybe a trait of cyclists).

 The elevation profile of the ride was deceptive. It appeared as a short climb followed by a long descent from the ghats towards the coast. Riding in the hills has a humbling effect on the confidence of a cyclist. Uphills quickly wore me down and every downhill gave some respite. 

 Eventually the 105 kilometer ride on day 1 ended in Udupi at a nice hotel called Ocean Pearl.

Day 2 

The flag off by the youngest 15 year old began bright and early in the morning before the heat set in later in the day.

The route went through Malpe where I accidentally ended up at the fish market before re-tracing my route.  

 

 After a relaxed time on the beach, we headed further south.

After about 20 kilometers, we headed east inland. We crossed small towns - Shirva, Belman, and Mundkur before reaching the lunch destination, Moodabidri. 

 

The heat and humidity had taken a toll. Following a nice thali meal and a Gadbad ice cream, I reluctantly got back on the bicycle for the remaining 60 kilometers of the ride to Dharmasthala. 

 

Eventually I made it to Ananda Wellness Resorts before sundown which also filled me with anand. 

Day 3

This was the day that was promised to be the hardest of the 4 days. The elevation profile with about a 1 kilometer climb was going to be an "interesting" challenge.

The day started slightly earlier and in the cool of the morning we retraced about 30 kilometers back to the start of Charmadi Ghats.

 

I knew that it was going to be impossible for me to ride all the way to top. With age comes knowledge of one's limitations and ways to work around them.

 

A good climb is a very humbling experience and I knew the only way up was to alternate between walking and riding. After 10-15 repetitions of the walk-ride pattern, the peak came into view.

After lunch at a restaurant following a short downhill ride from the peak, the remaining 40 kilometers did not appear as daunting. However, several more mini-climbs followed before reaching Chikamagalur at an elevation of 1.1 kilometers. The day mercifully ended around 5pm at another wonderful hotel called Aadrika. 

Day 4

The last day was a relatively easy 75 kilometer ride from Chikamagalur to Hassan. I was given the job of flagging off the ride.

We took a short stop at the historic Halebid temple before proceeding further to Hassan.

A medal ceremony followed lunch at a nice club in Hassan. 

The full route went though good roads, medium roads, bad roads, and a few mud roads. 

The answer to the question, What is the purpose of a long bicycle ride, is that you get to experience sounds, sights, and the air without any obstruction besides a slow pace of travel, but fast enough to cover long distances.