MC's Cycling Diary

Date: 25 March 2016 Total distance: 200 Kilometers Start Time: 5:45 pm Return Time: 4:05 am With: - Altitude Profile: Lavelle Road – Mandya – Lavelle Road Bangalore Randonneurs are organizing a 200 kilometer brevet ride, Bangalore – Mandya-Bangalore on 25 March 2016. As soon as I saw the ride, I registered for it since it was a 200 kilometer ride and it was being done on a route with which I am familiar. From the past experience, the route is not a difficult one, however, the challenges that I foresee for the ride is the recovery from the Achilles Tendon Rupture, hope that it will hold, next being that I will be riding in a group in which I do not know any of the riders, and that it is going to be a night ride. I have not done a full night ride and this would be the first time that I will be riding through the night. It is exciting and at the same time there are doubts in my mind about being able to do it. I am confident that if it was a day ride, I would have been...

Date: 13 March 2016 Total distance: 142 Kilometers Start Time: 3:30 am Return Time: 1:00 pm With: - Altitude Profile: It’s time to test the fitness levels and also to know whether the leg can handle the climbs. Madhu Mandanna got his cycle ready a couple of weeks back and we have been going on night rides together. We ride approximately 30 kilometers and do at least 3 rides in a week. I have been aching to go on a long ride, however at the same time I am apprehensive about the leg holding up. Though I do not feel any discomfort when riding, after every ride the leg gets swollen and there is mild pain. The Chikka Tirupathi ride went well and also the city rides are also regular, therefore there is confidence that I can handle long distances. I dabbled with the idea of doing Yercaud and Mysore before settling on Nandi Hills. The ride will be a precursor to long rides and am hoping that I can make it back unscathed. I would have preferred riding on Saturday; however Ma...

Date: 27 February 2016 Total distance: 70 Kilometers Start Time: 7:00 am Return Time: 10:30 am With: Sushanth Altitude Profile: Finally, it was time to test my leg after the Achilles Tendon Rupture. The injury has set me back and it has been a difficult 4 months post the injury. I am able to walk with heel support and have gone on a few 20-30 kilometer rides to get back to cycling. Medical advice is that I can walk and should cycle without resistance. However, I have been aching to get back to cycling and see if the leg will hold. I am still unable to run as the leg feels very tender and without any strength. Am looking to cycling as a physio activity to help in the strengthening of the leg. Chikka Tirupathi is a small ride and wanted to break in with this ride. Had planned to ride 2 weeks earlier, the leg was still feeling sore and did not want to risk it, so postponed it by a week, then had a bad fall when cycling and hurt my left knee pretty badly and had to postp...

Date: 12 February 2016 After completing a year of cycling I wanted to ride a road bike, however the cost of the road bike kept me on the back foot since the starting price of brands like Trek, Giant, Merida were above Rs 50,000. Decathlon were the only ones offering Btwin road bikes at Rs 36,000 which was also out my budget. Was looking at a sub Rs 30,000 road bike. I was open to buying a second hand road bike if it came within budget. Had been surfing Bangalore Bikers Club and Bums on the Saddle website for about 3 months and did not come across any advertisements which fit the criteria. On 12 February 2016 I finally saw two ads for road bikes which fit the criteria. One was on Bangalore Bikers Club for a Btwin Sport 1, the model was not given but the price at Rs 6,000 was killer. I replied to the ad requesting for the contact number. The demand for this cycle increased and immediately there were other replies requesting to buy the cycle. I did not receive the contact details ...

Date: 27 September 2015 Total distance: 183 Kilometers Start Time: 3:00 am Return Time: 3:30 pm With: - Altitude Profile: I have been following the Bangalore Biker's Google Group and got to know that a 200 kilometer brevet ride to Basavana Betta was done on 29th November. Basavana Betta is known as the Nandi Hills of South Bangalore which is approximately 100 kilometers from Bangalore. I got to know that the climb up the hill is extremely difficult and is more difficult than the Nandi climb. I had planned to ride to Barachukki falls on Saturday, 26 September, however, it was raining all night and it continued to rain at 3:00 am. I cancelled the ride as I did not want to get drenched right from the start. I decided that I would ride on Sunday, however did not want to ride 260 kilometers and tire myself for Monday since it is going to be a busy 3 days for me with the tax filing last date being 30 September. Wanted to do a shorter distance and decided to do the...