Jog (1000 Kilometer Brevet)

Date: 4 April 2019 - 7 April 2019

Total distance: 1,017 Kilometers

Start Time: 4:00 pm 4 April 2019

Return Time:  7:45 am 7 April 2019

With: Various riders

Altitude Profile:

Jog 1000 is another signature ride from Bangalore Randonneurs. It was positioned as a practice ride for the Paris - Brest - Paris (PBP) ride later in the year. The thought process behind the ride being to give the riders a feel of rolling terrain and also for us to be able to assess our preparation for the PBP ride.

I don't know if this is just for me, however, the days in 2019 seem to be flying very fast. Not too long ago the registrations were opened for the ride and we had a month in hand between the registration and the ride. It was sufficient time to prepare for the ride. However, the days went past in a jiffy and the preparation was minimal. I did not understand what I had done with the time in hand and how the ride had come up so fast.

The ride was scheduled for 4 April at 4:00 pm. Just saying that it's a 1,000 kilometer ride with an elevation of approximately 10,000 meters would be simplifying the ride since this does not consider the vagaries of nature which we would be experiencing during the ride. We would be riding on interior roads and would be passing through the Kudremukh forest range and the Mookambika Forest range (which would be at night). Being April, the heat was going to be 35^oC and above during the day. Further the humidity was going to play a big role as we were heading towards the Arabian Sea before climbing back to Bangalore. The coast line was going to be traced in the day which meant having to slog it out in the heat in the day and having to face strong cross winds as well as the day progressed.

50 riders registered for the ride with the outstation riders outnumbering the local riders. We were having an international rider in our midst for the first time. Ksennia Druzhinina had come all the way from Russia exclusively for the ride. There was a 15 rider contingent from Chennai, riders from Delhi, Ahmedabad, Pune, Hyderabad and Kerala.

Bangalore Randonneurs (BR) had recce'd the route and had pretty much given the blue print for the ride. BR fed a wealth of information to the riders which included pictures and videos of the route and then a detailed document of the route, the food options and the stretches which would take time.

The following is just to put the document given by Bangalore Randonneurs in number format with an alignment to my riding speed and break times:

Day	From	To	Start	End	Ride Time (hrs)	Total Time (hrs)	Distance	Avg Speed
1	Kanteerava Stadium	Solur	16:00	18:00	2.00	2.00	50	25.00
1	Solur	Bellur Cross	18:00	20:30	2.00	2.50	55	27.50
1	Bellur Cross	Udayapura	20:30	22:30	2.00	2.00	50	25.00
1	Udayapura	Belur	22:30	1:30	3.00	3.00	64	21.33
2	Belur	Kottigehara	1:30	4:00	2.00	2.50	51	25.50
2	Kottigehara	Kudremukha	4:00	7:30	3.00	3.50	51	17.00
2	Kudremukha	Karkala	7:30	11:30	3.50	4.00	59	16.86
2	Karkala	Udupi	11:30	14:30	2.50	3.00	52	20.80
2	Udupi	Maravanthe	14:30	18:00	2.50	3.50	48	19.20
2	Maravanthe	Kollur	18:00	20:30	2.50	2.50	39	15.60
2	Kollur	Muppane	20:30	1:30	4.50	5.00	61	13.56
3	Muppane	Jog Falls	1:30	4:00	1.50	2.50	26	17.33
3	Jog Falls	Jog Falls	4:00	6:00	-	2.00	-	-
3	Jog Falls	Anandapura	6:00	10:00	3.00	4.00	54	18.00
3	Anandapura	Shivamogga	10:00	13:30	2.50	3.50	40	16.00
3	Shivamogga	Tarikere	13:30	16:30	3.00	3.00	50	16.67
3	Tarikere	Arsikere	16:30	21:00	3.50	4.50	60	17.14
3	Arsikere	Channarayapatna	21:00	1:00	3.50	4.00	60	17.14
4	Channarayapatna	Yadiyur	1:00	4:00	2.50	2.50	50	20.00
4	Yadiyur	Kanteerava Stadium	4:00	10:00	5.00	6.50	92	18.40
	Total				54.00	66.00	1,012	18.74

With the plan in place, it was now time to get down to execution and hoping that things would hold in place and that I could ride according to the plan. We had been informed that getting to Jog (600 kilometers) would be difficult and if we made it here in time then we could complete the ride comfortably. So the emphasis was going to be on getting to Jog within time, which meant minimal breaks till I got to Jog.

Start Point:

I reached the start point an hour in advance. It was time to catch up with the other riders by which time the start formalities were organised efficiently as BR always does. We were given BIB numbers made specifically for the event. The energy at the place was palpable as we were all raring to get going. The ride briefing was done and in a short while we were lining up outside Kanteerava Stadium and waiting for the clock to tick to 4:00 pm to start the ride.

PC: Bangalore Randonneurs

PC: Bangalore Randonneurs

Bangalore to Bellur Cross (105 kilometers)

Bangalore being an elevated plateau, the start of the ride is always quick. The early morning starts has the added advantage of empty roads, however an evening start meant that it was going to be a ride through traffic till we exited Bangalore. 48 riders exiting Bangalore at least gave us the numbers to work our way past traffic without being denied our space. A little waiting at the traffic signals before getting past Yeshwanthpur/Peenya and onto relatively less traffic roads heading to Nelamangala.

The Sun was not a problem as it was on it's way down and it was only about getting onto the Hassan highway safely and then increasing the pace from there. The traffic was less and the wind was also low which made riding easy and quick. Reaching Nelamangala was easier than I had expected. However, when I reached the turn Rajkumar Khot had fallen behind and was not visible behind. I was confident that he would catch up when we got onto the Hassan highway.

Got onto the Hassan highway and then it was about riding within limits and not pushing too hard as to come down with a cramp. The speed had to be sufficient to get to Bellur Cross by 8:00 pm, at the same time I did not want to push to reach 15 minutes early and come down with a cramp. So it was about riding steady and keeping an eye on the watch. It gave the opportunity to enjoy the Sun set. At the same time I kept looking back for Rajkumar, I was done with 60 kilometers and still Raj had not caught up. I got to know that he was roughly a kilometer behind and waited for him to come by. Spent a few kilometers riding together before the gap opened again.

I was close to Bellur Cross control point and opted to wait at the control point rather than stopping again. I caught up with Venky Sir and Kaleeswaran just before entering the Coffee Day complex at Bellur Cross. It was 7:50 pm, 105 kilometers covered in 3 hours 50 minutes. Mohan Sir and Joy were present, although it was not a manned control. I took the pic and was waiting for Raj to come by when I was advised to stop ahead rather than wait at Coffee Day. I requested Mohan Sir to inform Raj that I would wait at Mayura restaurant which was approximately a kilometer ahead and rode ahead with Venky Sir.

In a few minutes we were at Mayura restaurant where there was a congregation of riders. Few riders had ridden ahead, however, a lot of riders had opted to stop here. Raj came by in 5 minutes and in a few more minutes, Swamy, Prasad, Arvind, Raghu and Santosh were at the restaurant as well. I had a meal to fill myself up, refilled water and then headed out to resume the ride.

Bellur Cross to Belur (115 kilometers)

By the time we started from Mayura restaurant it was 8:45 pm. I was 15 minutes behind the plan. The easy part of the ride was done and there was no scope for taking it easy any further, given that the rolling terrain picks up after Channarayapatna and the pace would come down. We passed by Prasad who was heading back to the restaurant since he had forgotten his water bottles at the restaurant. I was riding with Mahesh and Rajesh since Raj and Venky Sir had fallen behind and was waiting for them to catch up.

The catch up did not happen and instead Raghu flew past increasing the pace, Mahesh and Rajesh followed Raghu and went past him. I managed to close the gap onto Raghu and the two of us rode together. We reached the Channarayapatna bypass and in a short while went past Chetan and Phaneesh who had stopped for a break. We were scheduled for a water refill break as well and opted to stop ahead. Just as we reached the end of the bypass there were a few bakeries which were open and we stopped to refill water along with Rakesh, Chandrakant and Viraj.

The water refill break doubled up as a rest break as I was waiting for Raj to come by. The anxiety levels were increasing as the clock ticked by and Raj was not coming by. I was now 30 minutes behind time and making up the time was not going to be easy as the terrain was going to get difficult. Rakesh, Chandrakant and Viraj had started about 10 minutes ago, then Raghu went ahead as well. I called Raj and got to know that he is still 5 kilometers behind, I conveyed that we were slow and that we had to increase the pace to be able to make it to Jog comfortably. Raj said that he would ride at his pace and told me to ride ahead.

I resumed riding and thought that I would wait at the control point instead of waiting mid-way. In a short while I had caught up with Raghu and just as the climbs towards Hassan started we were with Chandrakant and group. We reached the entry to Hassan at 12:15 pm, 180 kilometers done, took the turn from the highway to enter town.

It was easy riding inside town, however, Raghu had stopped and the four of us rode out of town onto the Belur road. I had expected the road to be flat, however there was a steady gradient most of the time on this route. Chandrakant and group stopped for a break, I opted to continue riding. I passed by a tea shop where there were a host of riders gathered. Again opted against stopping. Although I was behind time and had to increase the pace, I was labouring through this section and it was a struggle to keep riding. In a short while I was being passed by riders who had stopped at the tea shop. Galin came by and gave the news that there had been an accident and Yogasundaram from Chennai was injured and had been taken to the hospital to tend to his wounds.

Belur town was visible on account of the lights in town and it was like a magnet which was sucking me in. The lights kept me going and few more kilometers, I was at the Bharat Petroleum Petrol Bunk at Belur. It was 2:00 am when I reached the Control Point. Mohan Sir, Harish, Satish and Joy were there attending to the riders. A refreshement stall was set up, sandwich, lassi and banana was given to every rider and water was refilled.

220 kilometers had been ridden in 10 hours, 30 minutes behind plan and I was going to be falling further behind as I had stopped at Belur for the refreshements. I was tired and was wondering how I was going to be able to get past the next section with the pressure of having to catch up on the time. I spent 40 minutes at the control, which was in part a wait for Raj to come by, however, he was rather far behind by this time and I had to resume riding.

Belur to Kudremukh Forest Checkpost (102 kilometers)

2:40 am almost when I resumed the ride. Almost an hour behind where I wanted to be. The road eased up as we started from Belur, however I was riding alone and I was feeling sleepy. I tried to keep going knowing that time was crucial at this juncture, however, it was just not working out. I spent the next few kilometers searching for a place to sleep, since every place I came by I was being given a send off by dogs. Finally, managed to find a place where I had the constant company of a dog barking at me, however as it was inside the compound of the house, I did not worry too much as riding further was costing me time. In a couple of minutes, Elango & group went past and couple of minutes later Raghu & group went ahead. I took a further 5 minutes to get going.

The break was good enough to get me going and I was happy to be back on the road. In a short while I could see a flashing tail light and that gave the needed push to increase the pace. I did manage to catch up with the tail light and saw that Elango & group had stopped for a break. I continued riding and in a short while another tail light to catch up to. When I caught up it was Raghu riding alone since he had stopped to wear his jacket. Rolling terrain had commenced and along with it came mist as well. Visibility was poor and to make things difficult there were rumble humps as well. I went past Raghu during a short climb and was making the most of the downhill section when I was jolted as I went in heavy into a pot hole at a bridge, lucky to get away without any damage so continued to keep the pace up in the downhill's. Few more kilometers and just as I exited a curve I was again jolted as there were rumble humps which were not visible on account of the curve and the mist and I went onto them fast. Once again, I was lucky to get away, only the water bottles had fallen off the holders and I had to search for the them with the cycle light. While I searched for the bottles, 3 vehicles went past the rumble hump and all of them went onto it fast. Found the bottles, washed them and resumed the ride.

The fragrance of the coffee flowers was a welcome relief as I got closer to Mudigere. Road was downhill and after the twin jolt's my concentration levels were up and I slowed down a little to have a little additional time to spot the rumble humps. Made it safely to Mudigere town and exited it towards Kottigehara. The road which was good till then, was now in the patchy category. There was road work in progress which automatically slowed me down. Further, the traffic increased in this section as well as there were a lot of heavy vehicles plying on this road which made me get off the road on a couple of occasions to allow them to pass.

Kottigehara was not far off, just 10 more kilometers, after which the road conditions would improve, so I took it easy as I would not be able to make up too much time in 10 kilometers. I reached Kottigehara at 5:15 am. I was still an hour behind schedule which meant that I would be at Maravanthe at 7:00 pm which would put me in a difficult situation as far as dinner is concerned and I knew that I had to make up for the lost time.

With the road beginning to wind upwards there was very little that I could do on the time front immediately. For now it was about getting through the next 45 minutes and hoping that with daylight I would be able to make up some time. Single lane roads which were in good condition were on offer along with the early risers going for a walk which woke me up to an extent. The road climbed up for about 10 kilometers, the gradient was gradual so not too much effort to keep going except that I was grinding in the big chain ring, in a short while there was a descent and just as the road climbed again there was daylight. Estates with huge tree's were visible and the sight of the mist covered road with coffee plants/tea plants was the energiser. The hills in the back drop added to the charm of the place, it was beautiful to be riding in this section in daylight. I caught up with Galin and in a few more kilometers with Raju. In between I had gone past Neeraj, Sundar and Vishweshwaran (Vish). Kalasa was approaching and it looked like the ideal place to stop for breakfast.

PC: Bangalore Randonneurs

I counted down the kilometers to Kalasa and found the place recommended by BR for breakfast and stopped. It was 7:15 am when Galin, Raju and I stopped for breakfast. Only vegetable pulav was available, so that was ordered for all of us. Neeraj, Sundar and Vish went past without stopping. Half an hour was taken to eat breakfast and get going.

We were roughly 10 kilometers from the forest checkpost and it was 10 kilometers of short climbs with a few of them being steep. Just before getting to the check post the climb is rather steep and getting caught out on the wrong gear made it rather difficult to get to the checkpost. Seeing Harish and Satish waiting for us brought a smile on my face. 8:15 am when we reached the checkpost, 320 kilometers done in 16 hours 15 minutes. I was beginning to claw my way back on the time front as I was now 45 minutes behind my schedule.

Harish and Satish gave us our refreshment pack which comprised of an energy bar, cake, chikki and coke. I stuffed all this into my jersey pockets and was ready to take on the rolling terrain in Kudremukh forest.

PC: Bangalore Randonneurs

Kudremukh Forest Checkpost to Udupi (111 kilometers)

We were welcomed into the forest by a steep climb which lasted about a kilometer I guess before the gradient let up. It was a dense forest as the tree cover was thick and was forming a canopy on the road and provided ample shade. In the parts where the tree's did not cover the road, the Sun belting down gave a feeler of what was in store for us further up the road, however for now there was a light chill going around and I was happy to be riding this section under favorable weather conditions.

There was a small descent before the gradient of the road began to climb again. Passed through Kudremukh in a flash and did not realise that I had exited the place. It was rolling terrain with a gain in the gradient being the norm for the next 15 kilometers. Eventhough we were passing through the forest in summer and the hills were largely showing the effects of the dry weather, the landscape was mesmerising and was soothing to dreary eyes. It was too tempting not to stop for a few pics in this beautiful place.

Just as I was getting to the end of the climb, I caught up and went past Rajaneesh, Galin had fallen behind and Raju, Rajaneesh and I made it past the climbs and started the descent. The roads were patchy and add road humps to this made this a difficult descent. The roads were patchy till we crossed over from Chikkamagalur district to Udupi district. The crossing over brought about freshly laid tarmac. The road going downhill on fresh tarmac was what the doctor had ordered and it was time to fly.

I hurtled downhill and enjoyed that there were no road humps as well in this section. It was roughly a 10-12 kilometer downhill on good roads. The sight of the chekpost to exit the forest was slightly disappointing as the forest stretch was over, we had crossed the western ghat and were now on the other side of the mountain and would have to face the dry air of the coast along with the heat. It was 10:30 am when I stopped just after the checkpost to have fresh pineapple slices. Raju and Rajaneesh came by and Rajaneesh wanted to stop for breakfast. Raju stopped along with him, as I resumed the ride.

Just as I restarted noticed that Neeraj, Sundar and Vish had also stopped just after the checkpost. In a short while Vish caught up with me as we went further downhill. We were introduced to rumble humps again and this time it was painful as the thought of losing momemtum in the scorching Sun was not appealing and having to regenerate the speed was very irritating. We reached Karkala and got a fleeting glimpse of the Baahubali statue. The time was 11:30 am which indicated that I was now back on plan which was comforting to an extent, however, it did not mean that I could take it easy.

We stopped just after Karkala to refill water. Just as we were exiting Neeraj came by and said that he would take a few more minutes before resuming. Vish and I continued the ride. The ride was laced with intermittent breaks from here on. In addition to the rumble humps breaking the rhythm, there were breaks for eating cake, then coconut water, refilling water which was breaking the rhythm. Along with the stops, the distance was not coming down and slowly Udupi was beginning to look further away than it actually was. First target was to get to Padubidri, which took a while due to the breaks and the rumble humps. The rumble humps were literally spoiling the ride and was taking a lot of space in the thought process and clogging the mind. I was relieved to have made it to Padubidri and get onto the Mangalore - Goa highway.

Vish wanted to stop at Coffee Day, however, I did not want to break the rhythm and opted to ride slowly while Vish made a quick stop at Coffee Day for ice. I increased the pace a little when Vish rejoined. I could only increase the pace by a little as I was tiring as I was hungry and needed to get to Udupi quickly. Stopping earlier would make it an unnecessary stop and a loss of time as well.

Kept hunger at bay by drinking water which I ran out of with 10 kilometers remaining to Udupi. As the kilometer count was below 10, kept riding without stopping for water. Made it past the last few painful kilometers to enter Udupi and followed ride with gps map to get to the Indian Medical Association (IMA) building where Mangalore Randonneurs had set up the control point. It was good to see Hari Vijay, Dr Tilak and Dr Rajesh Bhakta at the control. We were ushered into the cool environs of the IMA building where lunch had been set up along with refreshments.

5 riders had reached before us, of which only Kseenia had started from IMA, the remaining riders were still at IMA. Pranay, Shun, Dhanraj, Chintan were resting at IMA when we reached. We completed the brevet card formalities, freshened up and sat for lunch. The heat had taken its toll and I could not eat and preferred liquids and fruits. Although I had curd rice and kesari bath, it was a struggle to send them down the throat, the pulpy grape juice on the contrary was being gulped down of which I had two. Rested for a while and then made my way out to resume the ride.

Pranay, Shun and Vish started the ride just as I realised that I had to lube my chain. Took 5 minutes to lube the chain and get started. Dhanraj was getting ready to start, Chintan was still resting.

Udupi to Kollur (89 kilometers)

3:00 pm almost when I started the ride from IMA. Having spent close to an hour in cool surroundings, getting back into the heat was a wake up call and a welcome back to the reality that there was a ride to be completed and that I was once again behind on the time front albiet by just 30 minutes to my schedule. Riding on the highway was easier as there were no rumble humps to worry about, however, this was about to change in a short while.

It was around 4:00 pm when the heat reduced, however the wind speed picked up and it was a strong cross wind. The challenges on the ride don't cease, they only get replaced by a new one. The next few kilometers were being done with an eye on the water consumption since it is rather high during windy conditions. I was running through it quickly and had to ration it a little. The gradient was rolling even though I was next to the sea. Every time I passed by a bridge on one of the many back water locations on this route, the wind speed would pick up a lot and getting past the bridge would ease the wind a little. The humidity resulted in me sweating profusely and I spent a lot of time wiping the sweat off my brow's, a small lapse in this would result in the sweat trickling into the eyes and the eyes would be burning for the next few minutes. It took a couple of hours to get through the heat, sweaty and windy conditions to make it to Maravanthe. Mohan Sir and Joy were waiting and gave Lassi and banana's. Spoke a little and then headed towards the Kollur river to take a snap before resuming.

The turn from the highway towards Kollur was 10 kilometers away, I was running low on water and had to make a stop. I tried in vain to find a shop on the left side of the road, when I did not find it, I had to cross the road and fill water. Resumed the ride and just as I reached the turn Mohan Sir was there along with Dhanraj, Pranay, Shun and Vish. He enquired if I wanted to eat lemon rice or boiled eggs, I took a couple of boiled eggs just in case I will require it to get to Kollur. Opted against eating as I was not hungry and the plan was to eat at Kollur before the climb.

Kseenia came by in a couple of minutes just as we were about to resume the ride. Pranay, Shun and Vish started first, I followed in a couple of minutes, Dhanraj and Kseenia started later. In a few kilometers saw that Shun had a puncture and Pranay was busy fixing the puncture for him. Just as Pranay was done with fixing the puncture, Dhanraj and Kseenia arrived as well. 6 riders riding within a few meters of each other.

The terrain was steep descents and ascents and I was happy that I was at an advantage since I still had daylight and visibilty was good. The riders who would be doing this in the dark would definitely have a difficult time here. All the riders disappeared except for Shun who was slightly behind. We made it past this stretch and joined the Bhatkal-Kollur highway. The road is downhill here and Shun went past and disappeared.

PC: Bangalore Randonneurs

PC: Bangalore Randonneurs

The clock had ticked to 7:00 pm and along with it the light faded and it was time to use the headlights. The road going downhill gave a little respite to the aching legs and a sore butt. I caught up with Kseenia who had stopped to change the batteries of her rear lights. When we restarted she sped ahead and I caught up with her and Vish as they had stopped at the Kollur entrance. Rolling terrain again where we were hurtling down hill and labouring on the climbs before getting into Kollur town and reaching the control point. 7:40 pm when we reached, the remaining riders were having cool drinks at a nearby restaurant. Kseenia started immediately, I headed into the restaurant and had a plate of parotta as I was hungry. The other riders started about 10 minutes before me.

A stop in a small town like this leads to the inevitable questions from the crowd about the cycle, the trip and their disbelief when we tell them about the distances that we cover during a day on the cycle. Some have shocked expressions, while others think that we are trying to pull a fast one on them. The amount of questioning in a way accelerates the break since I did not want to spend too much time there answering the questions. Refilled water and I was on my way.

Kollur to Jog (88 kilometers)

8:00 pm when I exited Kollur town and got on route to start the climb. The climb starts immediately as we exit Kollur town. Being dark, it is hard to know if we are in a forest or in estate area. There were still people around at frequent intervals till I got past the checkpost. After this there was a rare vehicle which would pass by, other than this it was just me and the cycle light. The senses are on high alert in these situations and every rustling noise is perceived to be an animal even though it was just a leaf or nuts falling from the trees. The road surface changed from tar to concrete and along with it the gradient also increased. After riding for about 30 minutes I saw the flashing tail light ahead and in a short while I was going past Shun and Vish. Few more minutes and I caught up with Pranay who was waiting for Shun and Vish to come by. I told him that they are a few meters behind as we resumed riding.

It was difficult to call this climb since there were no markers to know where we had reached nor did we know how much climbing remained. There was the fleeting glimpse of the valley and we could see the lights below, but no lights above to give an idea of how much more we needed to pedal to get to the top. We just had to keep churning the pedals, every now and then when a vehicle came by from the opposite direction, they were still descending towards us and their lights did not give a hint about the distance remaining.

The last kilometer is more of a descent as we sped towards the checkpost and stopped to wait for Shun and Vish. The climb was 10 kilometers and it took just over an hour to cover it. Mohan Sir, Joy, Dhanraj and Kseenia were at the checkpost and we were told that the lime soda at the shop is very good. Went in to have lime soda. Shun and Vish arrived in a few minutes, Dhanraj and Kseenia had started and I was faced with a barrage of questions from the people near the checkpost. I started from there so as to avoid any further answering.

I was 14 kilometers from the refreshment point at Sullali. Just 14 kilometers, however it was a single lane road and the road comprised of steep climbs and descents. We had been informed about the treacherous nature of this section and this made it easy since I did not shift to the big chain ring on the descents, covered the entire distance on the small chain ring as I did not want to get caught out in the high gears when the gradient turned. I was about 3 kilometers from Sullali when I noticed a little movement on the road. As I was slow, it did not take too much time to stop as I saw a small snake crossing the road. The snake stopped as well momentarily when the light shone on it before resuming it's glide past the road. I had just enough time to manage a quick click.

I was excited at having spotted the snake, did not get to see anything in the forest, however at least something in the periphery of the forest caught my eye. Managed to negotiate the remaining distance to Sullali without any more sightings and stopped at the refreshment counter set up by Mohan Sir and Joy. Dhanraj was eating up, however, Kseenia had ridden ahead. Pranay, Shun and Vish came by in 5 minutes.

I was not very hungry as I had eaten at Kollur. I was able to eat only half of the lemon rice, refilled water and slept for a while. The stop became an hour long stop almost as we tried to catch a 20 minute nap before resuming.

11:00 pm when we resumed the ride. 60 kilometers remained to Jog and we were comfortably placed on the time front. I was well ahead of my schedule and could afford to take it easy. The rolling terrain continued and along with it came the inevitable issue with being stuck in the wrong gear, trying to avoid cross chaining which seemed almost impossible in the dark as I did not know the combination that I was using. At the end of it, it was all about functionality and being able to rotate the pedal at a comfortable pace than to look at the combination and trying to avoid cross chaining.

We took intermittent breaks in this section to catch up on sleep. The cycles and we would end up sleeping beside the road. It was good to have Pranay, Shun and Vish in this section of the road since they were flying on the downhills and that gave away the gradient of the road and I was able to keep following without having to be worried about getting caught out by a pot hole. The roads were in excellent condition which also helped the cause.

The winding roads continued, along with it we were flying in the downhills and at the same time had to labour on the climbs and were managing to get closer to Jog. As the confidence on the road surface grew, I kept looking up at the star filled night sky as this is not a sight that we get to enjoy in Bangalore.

We managed to negotiate the winding roads and the rolling terrain and finally got to Jog where Harish and Satish were waiting for us. It was great to see them waiting for us even at 2:30 am. 608 kilometers covered in 34.5 hours. I had reached earlier than expected and with this I had the luxury of catching up on sleep as well. Kseenia and Dhanraj had already reached. Although we reached at 2:30 am, by the time I freshened up it was 3:30 am. Food had been kept ready for us, but I did not eat as I opted to eat after getting up. Satish had been informed to wake us up at 5:30 am so that we could start by 6:00 am. Chintan arrived just as I was getting ready to sleep. It took just a couple of minutes to go to sleep.

Jog to Shimoga (94 kilometers)

PC: Siddalinga Swamy

We were promptly woken up by Satish at 5:30 am. It was time to get going, packed the saddle bag and ate a little curd rice before starting the ride. Pranay, Shun, Vish and me started from Jog at 6:00 am. Galin and Raju were the other riders to arrive at Jog before we started. Few words of encouragement from Mohan Sir before we started from Jog.

I managed to catch a fleeting glimpse of Jog Falls as we exited the gate and we were immediately climbing. Reached the bridge and stopped for a pic while the other riders continued riding. There was a climb to get to Talaguppa and I managed to catch up with the riders on the climb. The short climb was followed by rolling terrain. In a short while it was time for Sun rise and with it the hunger pangs were biting for the other riders. We decided to stop at Talagupppa for breakfast, however, none of the shops were open when we reached Talaguppa, so we rode on to Sagar. It was 7:20 am when we reached Sagar and stopped for breakfast.

I had a plate of idli/vada refilled on water and resumed the ride at 8:10 am.  The breaks were getting longer, however we were placed comfortably on the time front. The rolling terrain continued, however, there was sufficient tree cover for us to stay protected from the heat to an extent. We made it to Anandpura by 9:30 am, this was ahead of schedule for me, but I was not complaining. The small climbs were being done on the large chain ring which was an indication that there was still a lot of juice left in the legs. Riding through the dry decidous forest was enthralling, Pranay was flying in this section while the three of us were left to try and catch up with him. We did take a couple of short breaks, however we were riding for large tracts of time which helped to cover the distance. The tree cover disappeared after we crossed Chordi and then we were left to fight is out against the blazing Sun. It did not take long for the Sun to take a toll and we were looking for shops to replenish water and have juice.

We were close to Shimoga by now and were able to push a little to get to Saanvi Hotel, the checkpoint which was a little before reaching Shimoga. It was 11:10 am when we reached. Vish was hungry and we decided to stop for an early lunch. We had a plate of vegetable pulav each and lime soda as well at the restaurant and refilled water.

Shimoga to Arsikere (112 kilometers)

When we came out after lunch, the Sun was at its peak. It was 12:00 pm and it was clear that riding would not be easy given that we were on open roads with no tree cover. In a short while we were riding through Shimoga city and made it onto the Bangalore road and still continued our fight against the heat. Rode a few kilometers from Shimoga and stopped at a shop to refill water and have butter milk.

I was searching for Neem trees in this section but could never see any and was wondering if only Tamil Nadu had lined their roads with Neem trees. There was another unwelcome guest in this part of the road, rumble humps, 15 in a stretch. Every time I went over the rumble humps it reminded me of all the ache's in the body.

We got onto the Bhadravati bypass and got a little bit of a tree cover, it felt good to get a little shade at least. The clock had ticked by 1:00 pm when we were on the Bhadravati bypass. We were almost at the end of the bypass when Shun got caught out in a cross wind which sent him crashing. It was a rather bad crash as he was riding fast and going down at speed had him bruised. His elbows, knee and shoulder were rather badly bruised. The wheel was rubbing against the brakes and as soon as we set that up he was ready to go. We decided to stop at a medical store for first aid.

A few kilometers after the bypass we came across a medical store and stopped to clean the wound and applied betadine ointment on the wound before we resumed riding. Shun was on the slower side and we kept crossing each other as we would stop and wait for him or would start after Shun had gone past us and then catch up with him. We made it past Tarikere town and started the small increase in gradient towards Kadur. We passed Shun just before the railway crossing before Birur. It was the last that we saw of Shun during this ride, since the next time we got an update he was way ahead of us. We stopped to refill water, had ice cream, juice before resuming the ride.

By the time we made it past Kadur, it was 5:00 pm and the temperature was cooling off. The Sun was not a factor anymore and slowly the pace was being increased as we made our way towards the Control Point at Arsikere. It took well over an hour, but we were pulling up into Coffee Day at 6:20 pm and were welcomed by Mohan Sir and Joy as they waited for the riders. Refilled water, control point formalities completed, stocked up on lassi and then started from Coffee day at 6:50 pm.

PC: Bangalore Randonneurs

Arsikere to Yadiyur (109 kilometers)

Pranay, Vish and I were riding together. Getting to Channarayapatna bypass was the target and getting there would ease the ride. It was 50 kilometers of rolling terrain and I had to get my head down to getting past this section. Pranay was again fast on these sections and I was holding up the rear. It was slow progress as there was a cross wind to go with the elevation gain till Gandasi town. We stopped for a break when we reached Gandasi and ate banana's and rested for 5 minutes before resuming the ride.

We had made it past the difficult section and although the road ahead was rolling it was going to be a negative gradient and this made riding easier. The body had taken a beating and Vish was struggling with knee pain. We made a quick stop to change the saddle height to see if that would give any relief to his sore knees.

The ride was quick after this, although it was only setting off the slow progress that we had made in the 25 kilometers after Arsikere. It was 10:00 pm when we reached the Channarayapatna by pass and 10 minutes later we stopped at a hotel for dinner. We had taken almost 3.5 hours to ride 50 kilometers. Signs of tiring were evident. Pranay and I had dal kichdi for dinner and did not rush to start the ride after dinner. Vish managed to catch a 10 minute nap, we resumed at 11:00 pm.

We still had 56 kilometers to cover to get to the Yadiyur Coffee Day. While looking at the map I mistook the Bellur Cross Coffee Day for the control and informed the guys that we had only about 40 kilometers to get to the Control Point. The ride was on the easier side until I realised that I had goofed up with the distance and that we had to ride a further 15 kilometers, an additional hour to get to the control. Pranay had shot ahead and was so far ahead that his tail lights were not visible. Vish and I were making steady progress. We reached Bellur Cross and saw that Pranay was waiting for us with the inevitable question, where is the Control Point? I told him that I had made a mistake with the distance and that we still had 15 kilometers to ride.

The ride till Yadiyur is supposed to be on the easier side, however I was not feeling good and was feeling very hot. This lasted for about 10 minutes. I tried drinking water but I was not thristy and was not able to drink much as well. It was now about getting to the Control Point and I assumed that having a rest at Coffee Day would solve the issue (got to know after the ride that these are signs of dehydration).

I assumed that I was tired. Made slow progress towards Yadiyur and crossed a dark town since there was no electricity and pulled up into Coffee Day at 1:40 am. I was very uncomfortable and was feeling nauseous. The electricity was back in about 5 minutes of our arrival and we clicked the required pic at the control point. Kseenia came by in a few minutes. While the guys ordered coffee, I took a restroom break and then caught up on sleep. I was knocked out for a good 20 minutes I guess before being woken up by Vish.

Yadiyur to Bangalore (92 kilometers)

Pranay was adjusting his saddle height as he was also having knee pain issues, in the mean time Kseenia and Vish had started. Pranay was going to ride slowly which suited me. I was pretty much exhausted here and was looking at making steady progress rather than fast progress. I wanted to get to Solur as things would ease out from there.

It was a slow ride past the Kunigal by pass which is rather long. I was looking at getting through with the ride rather than pushing on the pace front. Pranay wanted to stop for a coffee, it took a while to get to a shop and when we did find one we crossed the road and went to the shop. Badam milk was available and I had a cup of badam milk while Pranay sipped on his coffee. We were back on the road in a short while.

We had ridden only a few kilometers and I was feeling very sleepy and had a shut eye moment on the bike as well. Woke up just in time to avoid getting off the road, Pranay suggested that I should sleep for a while before resuming. I tried to ride a little more to see if it was a one off, however, I was dozing off at the handle and had to stop. We found a bus stop and took a quick nap. Pranay woke me up in 10 minutes and we got going.

We were under 10 kilometers from Solur, the nap had done a world of good, although I was slow I was alert and was able to stay awake. Getting to Solur, made it easier on two counts, the road got easier and also it was closer to day break. Few more kilometers and as we closed in on Nelamangala toll it was day break and also we had the familiar sight of Mohan Sir pulling up ahead and waiting for us. We caught up with Kseenia and Vish as well at the toll.

A quick stop where we were given refreshments and we were back on the road. Relatively quick work to get to Nelamangala and then it was about counting down the kilometers to Bangalore. Traffic was not a problem and we made it to Bangalore in just over an hour. It was about 7:30 am when we reached Kanteerava stadium. Mohan Sir and Joy were at Kanteerava waiting for us. Kseenia and Vish came by few minutes after, 4 of us had finished around the same time. Dhanraj had come in around 2:00 am and Shun reached around 4:00 am.

It was another superb ride experience. The ride was beautifully organised by Bangalore Randonneurs and I would like to re-iterate that they know the pulse of the riders and are creating routes which keep the riders on their feet as well as knowing where the riders require support. The route had been recce'd and setting up a support station in the periphery of the forest and waiting for riders from 10:00 pm to 4:00 am at that place speaks volumes of the planning and commitment of the organisers. It was great work by Mohan Sir, Joy, Harish and Satish in supporting the riders, thank you for taking out time to create another marvellous experience for the riders.

PC: Bangalore Randonneurs

PC: Bangalore Randonneurs

PC: Bangalore Randonneurs

PC: Bhaskar Pandeti

It was an inspiration to watch riders like Kseenia, Dhanraj and Pranay riding with ease on this terrain. Helmets off to Kseenia for riding alone in treacherous conditions and making it through the deserted roads and forests and having a positive attitude through it all. Thanks to Pranay for waiting for us and dragging us along, he would have completed this ride way ahead if not for waiting for us. He pulled off this ride with ease even though he has barely ridden this year. Watching him ride was a learning experience for me. To Vish I would like to wish many more miles as he is a young rider and has a lot of potential to excel.

The event finished with 26 riders completing the ride out of the 48 starters. There were a few riders who met with accidents and few others who had mechanical issues and had to pull out. I was glad to hear that the riders who met with accidents were on the road to recovery and had made it back home safely, wishing you guys a fast recovery.

To the ones who completed, congratulations to all of you for completing such an ardous ride. It was great to see so many riders at the finish line and wishing you guys many more miles.