Mt Ventoux, France May 2009

My first cycling adventure in the European mountains could not have gotten any tougher by having to ride up Mont Ventoux in France. A photographic work assignment brought me to the region of provence in May. I spent close to 2 weeks studying the mountain and reading about everything I could find. Most things I read did not provide too much comfort. I packed my touring Bianchi Volpe for this trip as I also expected some gravel rides through the country side. Even before I set my foot on the ground I was looking out for the giant of provence through my plane window. Once I reached closer to Malaucene by car it was easy to locate it with its lunar top towering over the entire landscape. It seemed difficult to think that it was even possible to ride up on it. I spent the first few days staring in admiration at it. The initial days kept me off the bike as I had to get some work done but I did manage once to go out for 30 mins to explore the area. Finally when I had a day off,  I decided to ride 120km around the circumference of the mountain without going on top. So I set off with the Bianchi and a backpack with my photographic gear and spare trekking shoes. The rain was in the forecast and as soon as I got out of Malaucene, it poured. I rode up the first climb called Col di Madeliene en-route to Bedoin. Luckily the rain stayed too local and as I approached Bedoin, it was dry but cold. it was just great riding among vineyards and fruit orchards. All the while the top of Ventoux was in my view on the left. It played on my mind whether to go for it or wait for a better day. The temptation was too strong for my weak mind and at the entrance of the town I took a detour that went straight towards Ventoux. 

Now I was frantically planning on how to do this. 

I knew it was 21km to the top and I also knew that it got very tough after the first 5 kms. I decided to note the grade on my Garmin and every time it was lower than 8% I rode on the 26 and I would bail myself out to the 28 when it got tougher than 8%. The average grade over the last 15 kms was 9%! Note the grade on the swtich backs!

here is some info from Wikipedia - South from Bédoin: 21,8 km over 1617 m. This is the most famous and difficult ascent. The road to the summit has an average gradient of 7.43%. Until Saint-Estève, the climb is easy: 3.9% over 5,8 km, but the 16 remaining kilometres have an average gradient of 8.9%. The last kilometres may have strong, violent winds. The ride takes 1h30m-2h30m hours for trained amateur riders. Professional riders take 1h-1h15 min. The fastest time so far recorded has been that of Iban Mayo in the individual climbing time trial of the 2004 Dauphiné Libéré: 55' 51". The time was measured from Bédoin for the first time in the 1958 Tour de France, in which Charly Gaul was the fastest at 1h 2' 9". 

The last 5 odd kms was over the tree line and it was easy to spot the tower. It also got very windy. The sight of the tower provided enough motivation to charge the batteries for the final push. Each pedal stroke brought me closer to it and I was very excited. The last switch back provided the perfect opportunity to stand up and sprint towards the tower! My first climb on the touring Bianchi to the summit took 1 hour 57 min. The few times I descended to snap a few pictures I had to turn around to descend a few meters in order to clip back to my pedals such was the grade on the final kms! It was a real pleasure to be on top of it.  

At the summit of Mt Ventoux at 1912m! Rode up thrice!

It was very cold on top and within minutes I started to freeze. I quickly wore the wind vest and decided to descend. Though satisfied with the ride I knew I could do better without the back

without the back pack and so I climbed again from Malaucene and clocked 1 hr 45mins on the Bianchi!. What I like about the numbers are that they are in beginning of the 1hr 30- 2 hr 30 range for trained amatuers and plus it was on a touring bike!

I came down to Malaucene and climbed again on a rented Cervelo carbon bike but I really did not have anything left in me for the final climb. I just rode to survive to the summit. The descend was furious and I averaged 60km/hr to the base with few coasting at 85/hr. The biggest gain out of this experience for me is that I feel I have learnt to descend fast with fear! 

By the end of it all I look like someone who went for a nordic expedition. My lips and nose are totally ripped to pieces and i did not sleep for 2 days due to fatigue.

Got a tag of Club des Cingles du Mont Ventoux. That was more than 4500m of climbing!

First 40K Time Trial Race

Disappointing is the first word that comes to mind. Anger is the second! It is only a few weeks ago that the words Time Trial got fixated in my mind due to the discussions on the forum. Sumitpal being the kind culprit :) The real focus of training in 2009 was mostly on building strength on climbs and rollers and the last thing on my mind was TT until a few weeks ago. I had done two 10k efforts prior to the race today. Past 2 months I had some awesome rides in which I was climbing better than ever and consistently finishing with the pelotons in group rides. I was hoping to put up a respectable performance. My wife is the one who got me enrolled for the race without my knowledge. I learnt about it when I received a message from the race organizers on my blackberry while at work. With 2 weeks to the race, I tried to do incorporate some elements of TT training. I also attempted riding the TT bike only to realize that it was a little too late for it. So I rolled out my Pinarello to the first TT race in my life.

The biggest surprise was when I realized last night that the race was 170kms from my home!! My wife, son and I packed up 3 bikes in the car and set out for the race venue early. Second bad news was that I was scheduled to race at 12.30 in the afternoon in the bay area where the temperature soars in the nineties this time of the year! A long ride brought us to the small town of Church Creek and the registration area was loacted at the local high school while the race start line was 8kms away. The organisers wanted everyone to park at the school and ride to the start line which also served as a warm up for the race. The arrival at the school parking lot immediately made me feel like a fish out of water. Every single participant had a TT bike, disc or aero wheels, skin suits and aero helmets. Most riders were out with their team jerseys warming up in their sponsored tents like we see on the pro tours.I felt like I had turned up at the wrong event with my road bike! Honestly it did take a hit on my morale. After digesting the look of my competition and their gear, I headed to the registration desk where I had to buy a day license from US cycling and collect my tag number 232! First time in life I was racing. It took me 35 years to reach this day.  

After finishing the formalities, my family and myself set out with our 

bikes to the start line. They decided to keep a easy leisurely pace and I used the 8kms to warm up. I quickly got my speed to the 40's and I was feeling good. Next instance I heard this loud grinding sound approaching behind me and I moved to the side of the road thinking a truck was going to pass me only to realize it was 2 cyclists coming at me at 50km/hr with their disk wheels screaming! My morale was taking severe beating and I still had an hour to go!

The start line tent was set up next to the road and cyclists were in line waiting for their turn. I still had a good 45 mins to go so I found the only shade in a nearby private building and sat outside with my family for 30 mins looking around in total awe. With 15 mins to go, I went for a 10 min warm ride and then headed straight to the start up line. My HR was beating at 90 and every step I took toward the tent, I saw it steadily increasing. Rider 231 was set to go now. One of the organizer held the saddle while rider 231 got on and cleated, he was a little out of balance and he almost fell. Immediately I thought I am not doing that. My turn was next up and i told the organizers I would just head out on my own, I was told I could lose up to 10 seconds, it did not really matter to me. I just did not fancy falling and any way I was not even the favorite by hundred miles! The image on above is an example of how other riders looked and their rides.

5 4 3 2 1 and I was off sprinting the first race of my life. Who would have ever thought I would race for the first time at 35? My HR went from 100 to 170 in 20 seconds and the speed shot to 42km/hr. I tried to settle down into a groove but the adrenalin was flowing like a river coming down the Himalayas! I was emotional, I was overwhelmed by the occasion. At the 10k mark I was averaging 40km/hr and my HR was stuck at 170. I don't think that has ever happened before. I was not even sure I could sustain it. I lost control of the occasion. My mind and my body were working independently. I was not feeling fatigued by the high HR and I continued with the effort. At that point I was passed by a rider who had left 30secs after me. He was cruising at 50km/hr. I did not know what to do, should I go after him? I decided against it and kept my pace. At the 20km mark I was averaging 38.9km/hr. I was happy. I could hear my heart screaming. I have never ever sustained my heart rate at 90% for 30 mins. 

I was feeling the heat in the swamp! The sun was right on top of my head and the shadow just beneath as narrow as my bike. The road suddenly turned a corner and almost instantly my legs went numb! My cadence and pace dropped and I was not sure what was going on. This was not a bonk. I was clueless. My speed dropped from the 38 to 26km/hr. I just could not gather myself as my mind frantically tried to find an answer. The next 10kms was painful, not on my legs but on my mind. I was angry. I saw helplessly 2 other riders pass me with their aerodynamic bikes. I even contemplated stopping!! But I had to keep going to finish this. At that instance the road turned again and with that I felt a new beginning. I found some courage to give it a last try. By now I had hurt my numbers, I was averaging 34km/hr. That was a significant drop. I recollected myself and started to push again and limit the damage. I kept it around 34 for the rest of the 10kms. I found the legs and here is where I made the mistake. I was so scared that I was content keeping it around 34 instead of digging in further. 

Every passing km was a relief and I even saw the speed go up during the last km. My wife and son was there waving at me and I felt a bitter disappointment with my performance. I could have done better. I should have averaged atleast 35!  

Many questions will pop up in the next few days but for now I know TT is a different beast. I have it in me to do better. It needs specific training. Most riders had a different physique. They were big and muscular unlike me who is built more for climbs. They were built for such races. I know this because I routinely drop a lot of these riders on climbs almost every weekend during club rides. I can also easily conclude that aerodynamic gear could have given me another 10% if not more. But hey for my first TT race 34km/hr over 40k is not all that bad and that too on a road bike? No excuses offered and I promise to do much better next time. Mark my words.

Ooty to Mysore - Finally we get into 'Pace' formations over the next 2 days

The rest day in Ooty gave plenty of time to everyone to recuperate including me. We had cycled 500kms in 4 days and climbed over several hills and mountains. Many took the rest day to just stay in to heal their wounds, clean their bikes and chill while few ventured out into the town for the look out for chais and coffees with other riders. I heard that a few also went running to highest point in Ooty. I decided to spend my time with my family. There was already a sense of sadness among many riders that TFN was coming to a close. One of the highlights for me has been the opportunity know other cyclists from India. I think it is fair to say that I have made many friends. The day began late to give time for the fog to disappear from the notorious Kalghatti ghats. The descend is a fast 1200 dive in 14 kms through 36 hair pin bends. It is definitely not for the faint-hearted. Even my driver warned me against the dangers of the ghat and I was getting a little too worried about it, not so much for myself but other inexperienced cyclists in the group. During the briefing it was made very clear to all that if not sure take the TFN vehicle and then continue with the ride after the descent. Everyone was reminded to check their brakes and given tips to negotiate the fast descend. 

At around 8.30 am we left the hostel guided by a pilot vehicle to the beginning of the ghat. We grouped again before the descent and the MTB riders were asked to go first in small groups followed by the road bikers. Quite a few took the advice to travel by car. I chose to ride cautiously often stopping to make sure everyone was safe. I could not resist the temptation to look at the peaks we were leaving behind. I was in no mood to get out of the mountains so soon and at every scenic bend I stopped with a few others to take pictures and crack jokes.

 There were several statistics posted to remind travelers of the casualties over the years. It did not take long for the riders to finish the descent and we all regrouped once again. More reminders were given out to the cyclists that Bandipur national park laid ahead and stopping or loitering in the park was prohibited. Last time I visited the park I was in my early teens and my memory of it was very faint. I decided not to rush thru it. After riding about 20kms in the company of Samim and Dipanker, I slowed down to ride with Nachiket, Shantanu and George. Shantanu apparently was struggling on Day 5 with some ligaments problems and I started to wonder if the 4 days of cranking on those big ratios finally had taken a toll. Shantanu could not keep the pace; we stopped a support car to stay with him and the rest of us regrouped to ride through the park together. The park was beautiful with lush green rolling terrain, a few short but heart busting climbs followed by long descends. We spotted several wild boars, monkeys and an elephant with her calf. We continued to ride slow but at a constant pace. It was very hot after 2 days spent on the top of Ooty where the temperature frequently dipped into the single digits. I was feeling on top of my game, the worst was behind me and I was happy. Soon we crossed into Karnataka. 

Stats –  Distance - 58 kms

Time – 2 hr 20 mins 

Avg Speed – 25km/hr 

Avg HR – 121 bpm

We have been briefed earlier in the day that the roads were just not rideable between Bandipur and Gundalpet. We knew we were close to the bad roads, so we decided to pull over under a massive banyan tree to enjoy some coconuts. More cyclists started to follow with support cars. Jokes followed with several taking their cameras out. It was truly relaxing. Several cyclists were still in the car as they had decided to ride from Gundalpet to Mysore. 

After gulping down some refreshing coconut 

water we rode a few kms when the ride came to sudden halt with the road transforming into a sea of potholes. There was only one support car but several cyclists. So the TFN volunteers halted a passing empty truck and several of us jumped on the back with our bicycles. The roads were totally absent and even standing on the back of the truck was impossible, many including me chose to sit down holding on to our bikes for a 30 min rollercoaster into Gundulpet. The dusty town of Gundalpet arrived as a respite and we quickly gathered at a Udipi restaurant for lunch. It was half past one in the afternoon, the sun was soaring and I was in no mood to ride. I suggested that we rode out of town, pick up a shady spot and rest. We knew Mysore was only another 60 odd kms, a 2 hour ride. We took some time to just lie in the shade by the side of the road under some trees. Not many were in the mood to rest and one by one they are stared to leave. Samim, Dipanker and Nachi were left with me and even we decided to leave eventually. Much of the tour there was not much group riding involved and pace formations were totally absent. Samim suggested that we try to ride in a pace line and I was more than happy to hear that keeping in mind that we were riding into a strong head wind!

After a few kms warming up the pace kicked within the group even if quite moderate between 30 and 50km/hr. each one of us took our turn at the front and it all felt pretty easy and comfortable. We quickly passed everyone who had left earlier and we were all set to reach Mysore before 6 pm. One funny incident I recollect during that ride is that one tractor carrying a ton of hay passed us on the right. The width of the vehicle pushed us off the road and by the time I recollected myself my helmet and jersey was filled with straws of hay! It was an absolutely smooth ride with the sun low in the west. As we got close to Mysore the traffic picked up, the pace dropped and we decided to regroup with all the riders at a tea joint. The realization that the tour was pretty much coming to an end was immense on the mind of the riders and everyone took time to chat and bond with others riders. We later rode together into Mysore.

Stats Distance- 57km 

Time – 1 hr 50 mins 

Avg Speed - 30 km/hr 

Avg HR - 131 bpm

Sultanbatteri to Ooty - the highlight stage!!

The day began early for me with my wife reporting at 2 in the morning that I had fever! I went back to sleep almost convinced that my tour was over. At 5.30am my alarm rang and I felt absolutely miserable and I returned to sleep. At 6 15 am I woke up again as I just could not believe that I had traveled all the way from the US to lie in bed and that too on the only day of the tour that mattered. The fear of regret took the better of me. I woke up and jumped into the shower and tried to dress up. My wife who understood me well told me to give the day a shot and she promised to support me from the car. When I came down with my bike I realized that I was the only one ready to go while everyone else had decided to take it easy after the gruesome stage the day before. Breakfast was not available and the TFN organizers were trying to arrange for it at the Windflower hotel. It was well past 7.30am and I was more than happy to buy time. After a really good breakfast it was time for the usual briefing and it was made clear that if you struggled on the first climb then just wait downhill at Gudular to get sweeped to Ooty. I pretended to listen to it  During the briefing I gave a few tips to other riders on climbing and soon I was all set. Dr Renu who had been fantastic all through out the tour made sure that I had ‘electrol’ in my bottles. It was time to go. A large crowd had gathered to look at the departure of TFN cyclists. I had a made a simply strategy for the day. SURVIVAL was the key, no halts, good rhythm and to preserve the energy for the Ooty climb. We all started as a group and the rolling terrain within the first 5 kms already broke the group and soon it looked like everybody was on their own. You could make out that you were in Kerala as the vehicles drove ruthlessly. After passing through a small strip of forestland soon we reached the TN border and with it started small climbs through beautiful Tea estates. The terrain was still rolling. The three wheelers turned from black to yellow. The roads improved along with the scenery and it had all prospects of a fantastic ride.

Within 40 mins into the ride I knew that only

 2 riders were in front of me and those were the usual suspects Samim and Dipanker. The temptation to catch them was high but my condition was playing on my mind and I kept telling myself to control any adrenalin rush. I intentionally started to look around and bask in the beauty of the landscape. I even stopped to take a photograph or two! I usually never think much when I ride but the beauty of the landscape was so immense that I was actually getting fearful of the day getting over sooner than later. The greens of the tea plantations and the blues of the sky almost seemed exaggerated! I looked at my Garmin and I was still riding at a modest 25km/hr. My HR was well settled in my zone 1-2 and the climbs did not seem as hard as it was made out to look during the briefing. One thing that was constantly bothering me was the bitter taste in my mouth, I just could not figure what it was and later I discovered from the doctor that it was the reaction of the antibiotics. I kept gulping down the electrol and at times even gargling my mouth with it. 

Soon I was on top the first climb for the day and a long descend lied ahead to Gudular. The view from top was out of this world and I kept telling myself that this was easily the best rides I had even done in my life. The mountains of Ooty stood right in front like a massive wall with the peaks covered with clouds. Are we really supposed to climb that, seemed unreal? The descend to Gudular was fast, very fast. The few hairpin bends almost caressed my knees on the turns. The few passages thru small intersections was furiosly fast. My blue Italian jersey caught the attention of the bystanders and I was breezing thru them giving the locals a few secs to glimpse

At Gudular I started to look around for Samim and Dipanker but they were not to be seen. I turned my attention to find TFN vehicles and even they were absent. The town was buzzing with Ayyappa pilgrims. The loud speakers played sacred songs and there was a festive mood in that little town. I refueled myself at a local shop, took a gel or 2. The glimpse of the peaks of Ooty almost sent a shiver down the spine. Within a few hundred meters I was already climbing to Ooty. The climb was 6-7 %. Not much but you had 40km of it! I decided to ignore the distance and focus on the altitude I was climbing. The altitude on my Garmin noted 980m.The first few kms through settlements did not give an idea of the altitude but as soon as the landscape opened up you were treated with the best views of the valley. A car appeared from behind and it was my wife and son. My son just kept shouting 'go dad go'! I gave a quick update to my wife on how I was feeling, the excitement and adrenalin was pumping in my body and feeling pretty good. My heart rate was still well settled at 70%. I ate some food on the bike and I was going to stick to my plan of not stopping till I reached Ooty. My wife told me that she would be around in the car if I faced any difficulty. The altitude was slowly but consistently getting higher and I was already up 1300m. After every few kms I would find my wife snapping away with the camera and my son still shouting at me!

Soon I reached one of the most beautiful locations thru the Eucalyptus plantations. It was just bizzare! I will post a photograph as I am not the best with words. I started to hear sounds of heavy breathing and I looked behind to find Saurabh had caught me. He was climbing well. One thing that pushes my adrenalin to extreme levels is to see a cyclist pass me. I had to eat my ego and let him go. This was not a race. There was still around 30kms of climbs left and I was going to stick to my strategy. After a few kms I saw my wife coming downhill with the car worried that something had happened to me. She was surprised to see a cyclist had passed me and thought I had either stopped or something bad had happened. I calmed her and continued with my task of climbing.

 

The scene only got better and the vast manicured tea plantations were a sight to relish. My garmin indicated that I was well above 1600m. The support vehicles started to appear. I got a briefing of who was climbing and who was not. There was Venky and iggy who had just reached the foothills and many had decided not to climb including my brother. Venky had sent the support car to get a gel from me. I passed one and instead took some almonds and other nuts in return. Pradeep told me that there was only 10kms to go and a text message from my wife confirmed it. With 10 kms to go I decided to step on the gas. Venky's car soon appeared behind me and that gave me extra confidence to have a crack at the last 10-15 kms. The last 15-20 kms was climbed at an avg of 20km/hr. The support vehicle stayed with me right till the end and at the end of the ride Giri who was driving the car was so mesmerized by staying behind my wheels that he just could not stop talking about it!! They had been entertained ☺. I thought it was so funny and I was still able to hold a laugh. I had accomplished what I came for. I was standing on top of Ooty at 2200m! 

Inside me it was not about climbing Ooty, I knew I could climb Ooty, I also wanted to do it within decent time frame. I had a set a target of under 4 hours before TFN so under the circumstances 4hr15 was not all that bad. Later Shantanu joined in and we rode together to find the hostel. I was happy, very happy. One of the best rides of my life under the circumstances! The scenes from Sultanbatteri to Ooty was unparalleled to anywhere I have ridden before. 

Mercari – Sultanbatteri

The day to forget!! The day started with 6 visits to the toilet in a span of 30 minutes and by the time I was done with it, Dr Renu had put me on antibiotics. I was advised to take rest and stay off the bike. I took the advice and went back to my room. Though after viewing cyclists gearing outside my window the temptation to ride had the better of me and within minutes I was down in my jersey. I decided to take it easy after 2 intense days and just ride my way to Sultan Batteri. I knew it was a tough day. The initial plan was to ride the first 45kms to Gonikoppal. The 40kms stretch after that to the border was bad and that would give me a chance to rest by hitching a drive. I was one of the last to leave the guesthouse in the company of my brother and luckily the ride started with a downhill. Once the uphill started we began to pass most riders. It seemed to me that the fatigue was catching with most riders and everybody had decided to take it slow. I decided to give my odometer a break for the day!

The roads were extremely scenic and the slower pace was just right to indulge in it. The rolling terrain with rice fields on the both sides surrounded with palm trees was the perfect backdrop for someone on antibiotics! We passed over a few bridges with rivers streaming past below and we stopped on one to oblige the TFN photographers and bloggers to get a snap or two. Small trails branched out to smaller villages, my mind followed those trails while the rest of me was still very much on the tarmac road. Several long fast descends added to the excitement only to realize that at the end of the turn you were hanging on to your brakes and life to avoid crashing into the biggest potholes you could find. After the first 2 days of big highways and bigger roads the smaller rural roads were an absolute delight. We were greeted to the village of Gonikopal with chalk marks on the roads to guide us thru the town. Most cyclists arrived together. I helped myself to the gas station toilet for the 7th time and I was left without fluids in my body. Both my bike bottles were filled with Electrol and by the time I reached the 45km mark I had consumed quite a few bottles. I decided to put my bike in the car and give the bad roads a pass. As more riders arrived the discussion to ride the bad patch or not started with a few willing to brave it out. 

Riders who were ahead on those patches had reported that roads were not all that bad. It was not the condition of the road that bothered me, it was width of the road. Two vehicles could not pass at the same time and if you were riding at that time, where do you go? As I passed those roads in my car I felt it was dangerous for the riders. The road for the most part was not more than 8 feet in width and the sides of the road had a deep gradient of atleast a feet or more leading into very rough patches of stones. The vehicles were passing at their best speeds and I was happy to stay in my car.

We crossed the border into Kerala and soon dense forest and an elephant immediately greeted us. I was starting to feet drowsy due to the antibiotics and soon I feel asleep. I was later awakened by sounds of numerous vehicles in the border town where TFN cyclists had stopped to have lunch. As soon as I got out of the car I could not practically stay on my feet and the severity of my condition set in. I felt I was totally dehydrated to my bones with severe headache. I quickly had lunch with other cyclists and decided to call it off for the day and head to Sultanbatteri in my car. I shared the table with my brother, Ulhas and another cyclist. Ulhas was really indulging in the kerala cuisine served on a banana leaf and asking for all kinds of translations. It was a pleasure to have lunch with him. I left the restaurant very worried for the rest of my tour as the Ooty climb was waiting the next day.  After lunch I slept in the back of the car and headed straight to Sultanbatteri hoping to find a good room and take some rest. My sleep was interrupted by a phone call from my brother who reported that Ulhas had crashed his bike and had hurt himself. I was very upset to hear it and it really sent me shivering. I quickly got on the phone and frantically called Dr Renu to get more updates and was a little relieved to hear that they had brought him to the hospital. I reached Sultanbatteri exhausted mentally and physically. I got myself the first room and stayed in the bathroom for the rest of the evening!! A quick visit later to the TFN hotel to meet Ulhas and others in the evening and a dinner at the restaurant brought an end to a dismal day with a big question mark lingering for the next day to Ooty.

The first day of ride took a small toll on some of the riders and at breakfast it was written over few faces! There were many riders who for the first time had ridden more than 100kms and they were still basking in their accomplishment. Just awesome! Much of the talk in the morning was about the good roads till Kushal Nagar and the climb to Madikari through bad roads. It was a question of who you spoke to, for few the bad roads were just a few kms into Kushal Nagar and for others it was much more. I decided before the ride that I would ride to K.Nagar and then use the support vehicle to get across the bad roads. I discussed with my brother that we would sweep ourselves. The briefing’s Pradeep held in the mornings were excellent and full of useful information.

The pilot car guided all the riders thru a misty morning to the outskirts of Mysore . A few chats about the past day’s ride still lingered on the bike. Riders were starting to get an idea of others and their riding abilities. As soon as the pilot car stepped aside the pace set in and after a few kms I found myself on the wheels of Samim and Dipankar. Dipankar the strongest rider of TFN in my view was in a hurry and soon I was feeling it in my tired legs! The average speed was well into the mid thirties and after an hour into the ride I decided to let the 2 go and ride at a moderate pace. I had to save my legs for Ooty. I rode on my own for 20kms on flawless roads, the best I had seen on the tour. The terrain was rolling, the roads as smooth as silk. Soon I was craving for some company and I decided to stop and wait for other riders. Soon the usual 3 riders that is Venky, Iggy and Shantanu appeared and I joined them. The pace was nice and comfortable and there seemed more time to take in the surroundings. We passed thru small villages and children would scream in delight and ask if it was a race. I had several motorbikes that stayed on my wheels to ask and inquire or just stare in curiosity. One such motorcyclist stayed on my wheel for nearly 3 - 4 kms and all he did was stare. At point I pointed my finger to my odometer, which read 35km/hr and a brief smile leaked on his face! After the 50km mark we finally had support cars and it was time to refurbish the fluids. Soon we passed a Tibetan settlement and suddenly the place transformed into little Tibet. Monks, Flags and Tibetan writings were all over the place and the place was filled with serenity! We slowed to ride graciously through it.

The arrival of Kushal Nagar was pretty obvious as the roads suddenly disintegrated. The conditions of the roads seemed exaggerated due to flawless roads on which we spent a few hours earlier. 

The legs by now were in it’s own zone and a conscious effort was needed to slow down and negotiate the rough conditions. The group fell apart and each was riding cautiously apart from Shantanu who was on the MTB. The bad roads did not end after exiting the town and the climbs had already started. I knew it was a long 25km climb to the top of Madikeri. In my mind I decided to ride easy and save the bike for rest of the tour.The climb seemed more difficult due to the holes and plenty of gravel at turns on which the tires were just spinning without any traction. Soon I passed Shantanu and I just kept the pace up. The climb combined with bad roads and incoming traffic zooming past kept me very alert and on my toes. I was wondering what my brother was up to as earlier in the morning I had told him that I would take the support vehicle but I was doing the contrary. I was somehow enjoying the climb and was hoping somehow I could pass the message back that it was not so bad to do it. Soon I met 2 touring westerners on their bikes and I slowed for a sec to let them know there was support vehicles behind from which they could access fluids or food if needed. The climb seemed longer than I had anticipated and doubts started to linger whether I was on the right roads. I decided to pull over the support car and soon Shantanu also appeared. We decided to ride together rest of the ride and soon we were in Madikeri where obviously we found Samim and Dipankar already stretching!

Rather than stopping for everyone whom we anticipated to come after a while, we waited for a few riders such as Venky, Iggy etc and decided to head down to the hostel, which was a fast 7km descent down to the valley. We chilled in the afternoon lazing around the premises of the hostel getting much needed massages from fellow volunteers.

Distance - 117kms
Time - 4 hours 39 mins
Avg Speed – 25.1 km/hr
Total Elevation gain – 1843m
Avg HR - 132 bpm ( Zone 1.5)

Tour of Nilgiris 2008

In the early months of 2008 when I posted a note on Bikeszone looking for partners in crime to tour the Nilgiris, little did I realize then that I was sowing the seeds for something that probably had the potential to shape Indian cycling. Yes I do feel like that! TFN will get bigger and better. What started as an inner desire to cycle thru the blue mountains soon caught flame and erupted due to similar interests from individuals like Ravi, Pradeep,Venkatesh, Sharath, Sriram, Abhi etc to name a few. The guys worked extremely hard over the months of November and December to realize the potential of TFN. After the registrations started to pour in, the sponsors followed suit and TFN eventually became a reality.

Much of it is history now and I will just add some notes about my ride here instead. To begin with deep inside me I was skeptical of riding TFN due to a lower back injury that had plagued over the past 2 months. Due to some determined hard work put in by a bunch of excellent chiropractors in the US combined with Yoga and a lots of swimming behind me minus time on the bike, I landed in India on the 10th Dec to make my ride thru the nilgiris a reality. My immediate goal was to get in some sort of form on the bike and I trained over 2 weeks in Bombay not the best of locations for it. The back was still hurting and my goal soon switched to surviving TFN. I focused on hill training on the only km of climb I could find around my home in Bombay as long distance rides were out of question.

I landed in Bangalore on the 24th and was very excited to meet other cyclists participating in TFN. Many of them I already knew from BZ but this was a chance to connect faces to their nicknames! My brother Rakesh was one of the last riders to get into Bangalore. I was well awake into the night waiting for his arrival. He arrived at midnight, we had a few hours of sleep and early morning we got his bike assembled and we were on our way to the event. My adrenalin was already pumping once I got into my jersey at 5 am! The hotel staff were a little confused to see us in our attire getting into the lift. We rode from our hotel in darkness, my driver acting as a pilot to guide us thru the city. We bumped into other riders and soon it felt that everybody on the street was heading to the grounds either on bike or foot!

Bangalore - Mysore.
The ride started with a police escort to guide us safely out of the city. Within the city itself the line of cyclists started to stretch over a km. Once we reached the outskirts the ride was all set to kick in. The faster riders set a pace right at the start and I was thinking this was not exactly what I had in mind. I knew the adrenalin was pumping in everyone but there was still 140kms to go! After the initial 30 mins spend in trying to find the dynamics of everyone, I decided to settle into my groove and ride, though at times I did regroup or waited for other cyclists. This was the first time I was riding on a Indian national highway and my mind was well aware of it. At one point I decided to wait for my brother and rode some 20kms with him. At the half way mark I was well settled and the lunch stop appeared sooner than later. I was averaging 33km//hr over the first 75km of the ride. I had just found my pace and I was in no mood to stop and have lunch. We decided to skip lunch and just keep riding. We told ourselves that we could take a small break at Mandya at the 100km mark. At Mandya we were surrounded my many onlookers who had 100 questions about the ride and the bike. We patiently answered many of their queries. After the break the heat started to get to me, the conditions were hard for me and I decided to ride thru to Mysore without any more halts. Two weeks before TFN I was in minus temperatures in the US. During the break many cyclists passed us each at their own pace and rhythm. Once back on the bike I left my brother as he was having cramps and wanted to ride slower.
I regrouped with Venkatesh, Iggy and Shantanu ( who had passed me earlier during the stop in Madhya) right at the outskirts of Mysore and we rode together for a while into Mysore. The group would ride together for every few kms and then fall apart. Every little climb towards Mysore was testing the legs of every rider after the 125km mark.

My legs were showing signs of fatigue, the ride thru Mysore had disrupted my rhythm and by the time I got to Chamundi severe cramps had settled in and I was low on fluids. Luckily my wife located me on the foothills of Chamundi, I struggled to even get off the bike. My close friend suggested the climb to Chamundi was brutal and I was left to ponder whether my lower back would cave in? After 10 minutes spent with massages and refurbishing fluids I decided to give the 6km climb a crack. I knew I could not stop, as the cramp would come back so I settled into a rhythm and started climbing. Within the first km I passed most of the riders who had passed me and I knew there was only Shantanu ahead. Shantanu who hails from Pune was riding a mountain bike and he was the only rider who kept that kind of a pace on a MTB. He would grind those big gears and was awesome to watch. Samim and Dipankar the fastest of the bunch had already reached by then most likely. At the last 2 kms I started to finally get a glimpse of Shantanu whenever the roads straightened after the numerous turns. The view to Mysore became more of a birds eye view and I knew not much was left.

My legs were crying loud for pain and started to work with an incentive to catch him. The cramps started to creep in, the heat was just too much, and I was running on adrenalin more than anything and at point I emptied a bottle of gatorade on my head thinking it was water!

A support car that had stayed with me over the entire climb kept close to me, maybe they found it amusing or maybe they were also into it totally! I managed to finish 10 metres behind Shantanu just before the apparent finish line where my family and friends were waiting for me. I was relieved and happy that the 150km ride was over but this is why I came to ride TFN and the pain was irrelevant!

Stats -
Distance - 151kms
Time – 4 hours 59mins
Average speed – 30.5 km/hr
Max Speed – 60.2 km/hr
Avg HR – 135bpm ( My Zone 1.9)
Calories burned - 5380cal
Elevation Gain - 1716 metres