Absent minded brevet…

On the saddle the whole day, what a way to spend the (Hindu, Lunar) new year’s eve? This was my first ride after the bike fail at Yercaud. A broken bike and a few lame excuses kept me away from hopping back on the saddle for a while. This was my second 300K for the season, for some lame reason I have not been able to sit down to write out my ride experience of the beautiful Horsley hills. I didn’t want to miss out writing this one down though…

Breakfast: Forgotten!!!

After the usual bike packing and checks, I started my ride from home about 5 AM in the morning. On the way to the flag off point, I realised that I left home on an empty stomach. No milk, no eggs. I forgot my routine. Need to add these stuff onto my pre-ride checklist. I reached at around 5:35, 5 mins late at Konark Kanteerava for the flag off.

A few kilometers into the ride, the bike was feeling a bit sluggish. I thought it might be the lack of nutrition/food. I reached out to my sipper for some water. I then realised that I had also forgotten to fill my sipper with water. Fortunately I did not forget to fill the other sipper with some Enerzal. *face palm moments*

I set a target to reach Yediyur for breakfast, but I stopped a little after Kunigal for some bananas…

All the brevets and rides before this, were planned usually in the winter or the rainy seasons. But, this one was bang in the middle of a summer. The pre-yugadi showers kept the temperatures a bit low, but it also kept the humidity high.

Duh!!!

On my way to Yediyur I saw a lot of riders overtaking me. Many of them on MTBs. It wasn’t really an encouraging sight. But, I kept telling myself, just a few more kilometers and then, breakfast!! Along came Sunil, (the one I befriended during my return from the twin hill). I told him I was targeting Yediyur for breakfast, I also asked him to carry on if I was slowing him down. He politely turned down the offer and stayed with me. I then came to notice that he was coasting and I couldn’t keep up with him even after pushing hard on the cranks. Mind you, he was on an MTB and I on my Cheetah, the roadie. This, now was a little too embarrassing. I asked him to go on. I got down from the saddle and spun the wheels. And Duh!!! The brake pads were jammed against the rim. God knows how long I had been riding this way. May be all the way from home. This was almost a 90km effort. In the hot sun. My stupidest 5 hours on the saddle.

Already tired from the wasted effort, and the fact that I was riding like that punctured my might a little. I rode to my breakfast point. Met a few of the riders after a long time riding alone. They just finished their lunch and were setting off again. I just went in, ate and set out to my next stop…

Downed a kesaribath in a flash and onto the plate of Pongal!

Scared glances at the Melukote.

After the turn at Yediyur, the weather seemed to ease out a little. The roads were no more the menacingly trafficky. It was more laid back and scenic. I enjoy these moments of solitude on my bike reflecting on many things, philosophical and funny.

Although the fields look beautiful and green, I always think of the amount of forests cleared to make way for some of these

As I was approaching the half way mark, I started giving glances at the temple fort perched on top of the hill. I was getting prepared to climb the hill while a part of me kept hoping that I didn’t have to climb that.

I took small breaks whenever I saw a chance to wash my face with some fresh water. There were a lot of ROs installed by the government that I really couldn’t take advantage of.

I reloaded for the climb ahead. I saw a few riders whizz past back from the half way mark. I knew I was close to the mid way mark myself, but so was the hill climb. Finally after a short climb, when I was about to enter the arch leading to the temple, I was greeted by Pawan and Mohan the organizers, along with some Khaara Pongal.

PC: Mohan Subramanyam

Riders on the storm part 2

Post lunch, as I continued towards the second half of the ride, I kept getting down the bike to inspect the free movement of the wheels. The jammed brakes had got into my psyche. The remainder of the road was scenic as before. I reached the Bangalore highway well in time before it got dark. I couldn’t find the ATM that was to be the unmanned control. Called the organizers, updated my position, and moved on.

Couldn’t find an ATM!

It must have been some time after I passed Maddur, it started to drizzle. (One thing I didn’t forget was my rain wear.) I slipped into my rainwear. When I started riding, it was ballooning behind me. Rain, headwinds, uphill, one helluva ride. I was planning to stop at Kamat Lokaruchi for dinner, but the full parking lot wasn’t too inviting. Besides, I was chasing the clock. Didn’t want to “wait” for the food to arrive. I wandered off looking for a less popular eatery. I ended up regretting my decision of not stopping at Kamat or not going ahead a few more kilometers to find a better option.

All is well that ends well.

The rains stopped as I entered Bidadi. I put the rainwear back in the bag, buoyed by the reduction of drag and the thought of reaching home put some extra soup in my legs. Reached the end point at around midnight. Ate some puliyogare that Mohan had in his car.

When I come to think of the things that I did wrong or that went bad for me. I do realize I was actually lucky.

One of the rider rammed into a door that was suddenly opened by a person in the car. He was suspecting a hairline fracture.

Another one of the rider’s bike failed when both it’s tubes burst when it got wedged in the grooves in the road near a toll booth. Lucky, I was indeed. But can’t keep riding on luck all the time!!

Wait, on the other hand, I can rename my bike “Luck” so that I can keep riding my luck all the time! 😀

PC: Mohan Subramanyam

Here is the events page.