Bicycle Chronicles

  This was my second Brevet, just a little longer by about 100 kms. than my first Brevet (200 kms.), but a totally different experience. Here we (80+) are at the start at Kantheerva Stadium on a chilly morning at 6:00 am.  The first few hours of the ride are the most pleasant of the ride. There is little traffic on the road and the kilometers keep ticking along on the odometer. After about 4.5 hours, I reached the first control point outside a Coffee Day. Trek also takes a short break before we head south to Melukote. After a few scenic sights of green sugar cane crops and lakes, disaster strikes at about 135 kms. It began softly with the sound of the rear tyre on the road and before long the tyre was flat. As I wheeled the bike to a good location to change tubes, a bunch of pesky kids found a trapped rider and began pestering me with questions. Wisely I took the bicycle to a tea shop and began the process of removing the tyre and replac...

 Nandi Hills, one of the popular scenic locations outside Bangalore was transformed into a peaceful oasis for a brief period thanks to the initiative of Chikkaballapur MLA Dr. Sudhakar and the cooperation of the local police. For a few early morning hours, about 10 Kms. of road near Nandi hills was closed to all traffic except human powered vehicles and runners. The change was noticeable - the thud-thud of the motor bikes and noisy buses was absent. The whirr of bicycle wheels was a pleasant change and the air was fresh and clear. With a tail wind and cool weather, the first 50 kilometers of the ride from Mekhri Circle was a breeze. The number of cyclists on the highway was definitely higher than the average number on a normal weekend. At the base, policemen welcomed cyclists / runners onto the road to Nandi hills and blocked all other traffic. This was my third ride to Nandi Hills and the changes were apparent - new hotels and a few residential development...

  "Do you really want to get up at 4am? You could be comfortably sleeping till 7:00am". After a little persuasion, I decided against sleeping in and went with by better instincts.  After a quick sandwich breakfast and some last minute checks, I stepped out of the house into the silence of the street. In the quiet of the morning, the bike was noiseless and even the stray dogs had decided to call it a night. After a short ride to Lavelle road, here are the early birds at 5:30 am ready to ride. Starting at Airlines Hotel on Lavelle Road All 30+ riders started and with an adrenaline rush, riders were cruising down MG roads at motorbike speeds. Before long, we reached the ring road and headed north on the busy airport road. A colony just beyond the airport The first two hours were uneventful and the ride on the highway was smooth sailing. This was a prelude to the following two hours that were in sharp contrast to the initial two hours...

  This is a little embarassing to relate, but did happen.   On Sunday morning, I was riding on my Merida MTB to the airport and was nearing Vidyanagar on an open stretch of the road. It was a little sunny and dusty: so, I had my head my down and was distracted, since  there was little to no traffic on the side of the road.  Keeping in mind aerodynamics and intent on maintaining speed, I did not look up to see a stopped truck on the shoulder of the road. I slammed into the back of the truck at about 25 kmph. Fortunately, the  sturdy front wheel took most of the impact, but my chest hit the handle bar hard and I got a few bruises.  It took me a minute or two to recover my breadth. Of course, the truck guys and a few others came out to see what happened and I am sure they were wondering why did this nutcase slam into the truck when  the road was relatively empty. I made a small dent in the ...