Nandi Repeat

Date: 7 October 2017

Total distance: 156 Kilometers

Start Time: 5:30 am

Return Time:  14:15 pm

With: -

Altitude Profile:
Koramangala - Nandi Hills - Koramangala

The rains were again playing spoilsport. I was getting frustrated that I was unable to step out due to the rains and was spending my time sitting at home and watching the water level rise when it rains and hoped that it would not enter the house. I had a couple of close shaves when the water entered the compound but not into the sump and the house during the past week. My fitness levels have definitely taken a hit and I was pretty desperate to get back on the saddle. Further I had not climbed a hill in a long time. I had ridden to Nandi Hills in May and it has been almost 5 months since I did any climbing. Further I had not tested my climbing skills on the Trek.

After noting the weather pattern and knowing well that I could not venture out for a multi day tour and I had to make do with day rides, I decided to ride to Nandi Hills. As it is a simple climb it would serve as a reality check and if I managed to climb the hill it would get the confidence level up a bit.

I set the alarm for 3:00 am with a plan to start at 4:00 am. However, I was unable to get up at 3:00 am and by the time I got out of bed and got ready it was 5:30 am. Although I was late I did not cancel the ride. I got going at 5:30 am

I barely used the lights and by the time I got to the Yelahanka flyover it was day break. It was cloudy and visibility was low but it did not require lights. The ride was predictable as I had done the route on several occasions. I was on the slower side initially, however on getting past the Yelahanka flyover, I began to increase the speed a little. When I reached the Nandi turn I had taken 2 hours which showed that I was riding at my usual speed.

The ride from the highway to the Nandi Base was slow. I was feeling the effect of the ride and was struggling a little and was showing signs of tiring. The plan was to climb the hill as many times as I could. Although I would have loved to climb the hill thrice at a go I set a modest target of being able to make it to the top once for the day. Going by the drop in performance to get to the base I thought that making it to the top would be a problem.

I reached the base at 8:00 am and started the climb. I made it past the initial steep phase and tried to up the pace a bit. Surprisingly I was not feeling too tired and there were no aches which were showing up, the climb had got the adrenaline going and the lethargy which had set in a few kilometers ago was gone. I was riding at a steady pace and knew that it was the fastest that I had ridden on this hill. It began to kindle hopes of a personal best for the climb.

I was riding up with a steady effort, every time I had the urge to accelerate I held myself back and saved up for the steep section later. I increased the speed with only a little increase in effort as I did not want to lose steam and struggle later. The first 5 kilometers of the climb were done in about 23 minutes, I felt I could have gone quicker but was happy with the effort. Had 2 more kilometers to go and was thinking that I could do a sub 35 minute climb. However the next kilometer is where the gradient kicks in and I struggled to get past this kilometer. In other words it brought me back down to earth and I settled into the pace even after the gradient eased out in the last kilometer. I made it to the top in 38 minutes, an improvement of 2 minutes over my previous best, not much but still something to write about.

Now that the confidence was boosted as I had made it to the top, I started the downhill and made intermittent stops to click pictures. By the time I made it to the foot of the climb I had decided to climb again, but after having breakfast. I stopped for breakfast and had a plate of poori before starting the second climb.

The second climb as expected was more difficult than the first and I was slow of the blocks. The first 5 kilometers took 30 minutes, 7 minutes slower than the previous attempt but was still quicker than most of my other attempts at this climb. The next kilometer was difficult and I did feel like I was on the verge of cramping. With cramps beginning to set in I knew that I was done for the day after I make it to the top. The next two kilometers were very laborious and it took me 20 minutes to get to the top. I was back at my old speed when I used to take 10 minutes for each kilometer on a climb.

Now that I was done with the climbing, it was time to test my downhill skills. I did not plan to stop for any pics as I had already done it on the previous downhill and this one was going to be about riding down as quickly as I could. I rode the 7 kilometer downhill in 9 minutes and stopped at the foothill for one last pic.

Now that the climbing was done the excitement was over and now it was about getting back home. I rode slowly towards the highway, made a stop in between to buy a kg of grapes and loaded my back with it. I did not take the weight too well although it was just a kilogram of additional weight. I rode slowly and after getting to the highway the speed did not improve, rather I was laboring a little and was making a meal of the ride.

When I reached the airport toll I realised that I was hungry and a reason for the struggles was since I was low on food. I decided to stop for an early lunch ahead and pushed myself to ride quickly as there was a rest/food stop coming up. I rode a few kilometers before stopping at Biriyani Mall and having a chicken biriyani.

As the stomach had been taken care of, I was back up to speed and was riding well till I got to the Hebbal flyover. From here till I got past the Palace road, I was stuck in traffic and the ride was painfully slow and frustrating. Made a quick stop at my sister's house and then rode back home.