Coorg 1000 - Hot, Hotter and Hottest

Introduction The ride that wasnt to be. As if all the climbs that Mohan Sir had planned wasn't enough, the season warmed up quite a bit for this first week of April. Just a couple of weeks ago, people were literally fried and roasted on the Pune Highway. With that ride providing the Vit D supply for year, many of them decided to stay away for the next roasting. When I brought about the topic of Coorg ride, there was a strong disapproval from him citing the weather. Me being me, I had already made up my mind. The conversation only helped me look seriously into the ride, and I did it last minute as usual.

The Course The Coorg 1000 course exited Bangalore through Hosur, and entered into TN countryside another twenty kilometers further. It was all country roads from this point, until we reach back Mangalore Highway around 800kms. Country roads packed a good bit of rolling hills, and we had three significant climbs. Mahadeshwara Hills (nearly 1200m), Suntikoppa to Madikeri (700m) and Charmadi Ghat (750m). The course packed a whopping 12000m elevation gain for a 1000km distace at an average gradient of 1.2%. What made this difficult was the April weather, and there was an ample amount of sun exposure over three days. A week before the event, Mohan released the weather and wind estimates, and the mysterious package of winds got added. You can call it whatever, the winds were either head-on or facing crosswinds for nearly 80% of the course. And that defied all logic.

Preparation After having completed and recovered from the BGB1200, I was putting in regular practice. In addition, I had put in a few rides with good amount of climbing. One of the rides had five back to back climbs of Nandi. Though my bike had a 11-30 gearing, I was confident of going through the climbs. I was only concerned about the Charmadi climb. The Mahadeshwara Hill climb was too early into the ride (at 240km) and will be done before the sun goes up. Madikeri climb was in the middle of the night, and night temperature will be helpful. As for the Charmadi climb, it came in the middle of the day (mostly at noon time), and the starting altitude was 100m. Temperature will not be favorable for this one. The last 250kms from Chikkamagalur through Hassan was familiar territory. The start was planned at 2000 hrs to be in line to enter the MM Hills forest section just after dawn. I had prepped up my bike in the morning, but the planned afternoon nap never occurred. My plan to pick up some backup food for the night never materialized. It was an ordeal through traffic to reach FKCCI and I barely had sufficient time to get a quick meal at Vishnu Upachara just opposite FKCCI. The 'hot' Tamil Nadu section> Forty-five riders made it to the start line. The toughness of the challenge weighed in so much, that I went in with a 50% chance of a DNF. Never have I started on such a note. We made our way through the traffic to Electronic City, and it eased up a bit afterwards. It was nearing 9:30pm and I wanted to call my family. A quick attempt to put on the headset backfired with it slipping out of my hands and falling on the road. I had to wait a few minutes for the traffic to subside down. My hopes were dashed as the headset was crushed under the wheels of either a car or a truck. Having lost about five minutes in the process, Raghu caught up to me here, and would be my companion for the rest of the ride. The ride through Bangalore City and Hosur were hot as hell. We caught some relief as we passed through Sanamavu reserve forest. However, it soon warmed up even in the country side. The winding roads from Shoolagiri to Palacode were pleasure to ride on. One thing we noticed was that some farms were lit up with LED lights, and this appeared to be a recent phenomenon. As we reached the Palacode control, volunteers were waiting for us with food. My plan was to skip food at this control. However, I ended up picking up a food container and took time to finish it off. The unanimous agreement here was the weather was too humid for midnight. And that's the Tamil Nadu side for us. The ninety odd kilometres to the next control was covered under the full-moon sky. Our complete focus was on to get the foothills of MM Hills as early as possible. The climb, that is MM Hills The rural country didn't wake up early as the highway country. Dawn in the Cauvery delta was sublime with the Sun coming up over the Cauvery river. The Western side was covered with endless hills thick of vegetation. As the day dawned, our efforts to find a good breakfast place went in vain. Soon we entered through the forest section and all hopes for a tummy fill were dashed. The initial part of the climb was an easy 3-4% and I was riding chattily with the the identical twins Prasad and Swamy. Abhishek's volunteer car provided us with some much needed tummy supplies. This provided much needed relief for the oncoming climb, that firmed up to 7-8% in the offing. Prasad and Swamy sir, soon vanished into the climbs leaving me to struggle. Raghu, being a better climber was also ahead. After a laborious couple of hours, I reached the Mahadeshwara temple. Took a few clicks and continued with the rest of the climb, only to find Raghu resting at a road-side shop, filling his water bottles. I did fill mine too. Cold-water never tasted better and we were craving for it. The climb lasted another five kilometres before we could see some kind of a descent. Cauvery Delta Territory The descent was sweet, and we quickly made ground of whatever time lost in the climb. What we didn't expect was the rolling nature of the roads to Kollegala. The rolling climbs were long enough and packed enough punch with 10-11% el at times. To add to our miseries, the mid-day sun and lack of tree cover drained us and were pushing us to dehydration. We had set our eyes on Hanur, where the organizers had identified Brahmaramba hotel for lunch. Just about 3km to Hanur, we found a push-cart selling butter-milk and Ragi ganji (Millet porridge). I had a full serving to keep myself hydrated. Lunch was curd rice topped with pickle. Already into dehydration, I slowed down my intake not to rekindly any repulses from the digestive system. I also used the opportunity to change into the spare bib-shorts I had kept. We stopped at a lakeside park and slept for an hour, to escape the hot sun. Having spent enough time in sleeping, Raghu and me decided that the next stop will be only at the CP or to fill water. The Kollegal countryside was in stark contrast to the previous night. Weather at 3pm was more pleasant than last night. Raghu kept pushing the pace a notch higher and I was slowly losing him. Having run out of water completely, I stopped at T Narsipura, to get a refil. As I continued past the toll booth, I got a call from Raghu about by whereabous. He waited for about ten minutes before I could catch up with him, and we decided to get a break for a tummy fill. We found another place within the next ten kilometres and had a fresh filling of what else (!) but curd rice. The ride became easier as the weather cooled down. Mysore Ring Road presented rolling terrain, that soon turned to downhill, before we hit the next stop at Aashirvad Grand for another tummy refill. This came sooner, but we wanted to keep our tanks full. We shared a Dal kichadi and replenished our salts with a glass of Fresh lime soda each. Road to Periyapatna With much of the hot day behind us, the ride got easier. The Mysore-Madikeri road is a busy stretch and there was a constant flow of vehicles. Ratheesh would join us here, and the three of us trudged on. It was Ratheesh who made the first move. He was feeling drowsy and need a quick tea break to keep him awake. A chatty conversation followed that made the caffeine a bit more effective. The next turn was mine, as I was wavering on the road. Another tea break and the routine followed. We hit the Periyapatna CP with three hours to the closing control time. I took the opportunity to lie down on the wet grass (not minding the dew). Half-an-hour later, Raghu would wake me up. Refreshed with the sleep, we started turning our pedals. Unplanned sleep break The plan was to get to Madikeri control. With sleep catching up, I was wavering on the roads. And this being an undivided roads, there was oncoming traffic as well. Raghu confirmed that I was wavering, and we quickly decided that it was unsafe. Night in the Coorg terrain being cold, we decided to find a hotel room. To our luck, there was a lodge caretaker sitting on the road, mostly expecting customers like us. He considered our plight and offered single occupancy rate for two people. Six hundred rupees it was. We parked our bicycles safely and got a room. Raghu went to use the loo, and I hit the bed, setting the alarm for an hour. It was one-and-a-half hours, and our randonneurs' conscience woke us up. We went to bed at 2:30am, and rolled the wheels again at 4:20am. At two hours, the sleep was good enough for us keep rolling through the day, and we dropped the plan to sleep at the Puttur (our scheduled drop-bag point) The comfy sleep provided such great relief that we covered the next 39kms to Madikeri within an hour and a half. Though the Madikeri climb had some steep ascents, there was ample relief in the form of rolling terrain. The pre-dawn temperature was near 10-12 degrees celsius. We continued the same momentum and descended down towards Sampaje. Coasting dowhill with the sun coming behind us was a great experience. I kept an eye for any breakfast joints that could be open. This being Kerala territory, the roads dotted with ocassional toddy shops, we had to wait for breakfast until Sullia. I had skipped eating anything at Periyapatna with the idea of giving rest to stomach. We went into the first hotel that we could see. I had Malnad breakfast comprised of Buns, Vada and topped it off with coffee. Coastal Weather The temperature rose as we descended down. Altitude was down to 100-150 metres. However, there was no respite from the rolling terrain. Breakfast powered this stretch, and we reached the drop-bag point Hotel Rama at 9:15am, a two-and-a-half hours before control closing. While I wanted to start immediately after the showers, Raghu wanted some rest. We split up and took different rooms, so that we dont have to end up waiting. After refreshing quickly, I came back downstairs to get the bike ready. Helped myself to a second breakfast at the same hotel. The sun was in full force, and thanks to the low altitude, temperature was atleast four to five degrees warmer. We just kept staring from the indoor comforts, and we dared step outisde. As time began to run out, we made a call to move slowly and rest as required. We still had sixty kilometers to Charmadi base, and that's a four hour ride given the hot weather. We passed through Ujire. Due to some confusion Raghu missed the turn at Uppinangadi. I waited for him for a few minutes and even went back to the turn to check on him. Having given up, I started on my own. I found a small joint serving Fish curry meals, and topped it off with chicken. With still no signs of Raghu, I started to Charmadi village. With the heat still ruling roost, I took another break to catch up on much required sleep at a bus stand. The short power naps supercharge the body and helps keep going when we can't afford long breaks. Charmadi Climb I effectively started the climb at 4:30pm, with the temps still being warm. The gradient ran steady at 7-8% and an occasional 10-11%. I got onto my lowest gear and spun comfortably. After 13kms, there was a small temple. I got a hydration refill and filled up my water bottles again. Slowly and steadily, I would pass a few guys who were ahead of me. Once, the climb is done, there was a long stretch of gentle downhill till Kottigehara. Dhananjaya Sir and Abhishek was waiting for us. Having reached by 7:15am, the restaurant was still open and I got a good helping of masala dosa and coffee. Upon returning, I found that it was edgy for the next control. As I remembered through my drives, the next stretch has filled with steep hills, and I still had good distance to cover. My mind went blank and I kept pondering if I had spent quite a bit of time before and during the climbs. I spent a few minutes with both the volunteers to get the feeling to sink in. Others who had caught up had already moved on. The few minutes of mindspace was important for me to recharge and execute for the next phase. As I started from there, I had an hour and forty five minutes to cover thirty kilometres. I got a call from Raghu here. Apparently, he had lost his way at Belthangadi, and spent another two hours on the route. He was going to ride and catch up. Nick of time As the climbs came, quickly got on to my spinning mode. It turned out to be more rolling terrain and this being late in the night in remote country roads, the roads were empty. I enjoyed the chill breeze flowing on my face, as I crossed through villages and forest stretches. The lights on the opposite hill playing a dancing with the star-lit sky. Distance passed quickly and I reached the Balehonnur turn ten minutes before control close. I spent a few minutes trying to locate the mystical coffee shop. As I took a precautionary selfie and moved, Aravind came along and directed me to the control. I clicked the mandatory selfie just one minute before the control closed. While Aravind stopped for some snacks, I continued not wanting to spend more time there. The territory was familiar as I had done it a few times in car, traveling from Chikkamagaluru to Sringeri. Chikkamagaluru, the next control was forty kilometres away. With the temperature dropping it was only the time on the saddle to be spent. What I didn't realize was the climb that came along as we reached Aldur. It must have been three hundred metres. Not a long one, but it caught us off-guard. Soon, I reached the control along with Siveej from Mysore. As we reached, Swamy and Prasad were trying to start having already reached an hour ahead. I politely declined the food on offer, wanting to rest my stomach. Siveej grabbed a quick fill, while I enjoyed the serene surroundings of the temple.

Another night at the hotel The temple premises was very brightly lit, and the it was quite cold to sleep in the open. Siveej readily accepted my request to stay in a hotel if we dont find a good place otherwise. We moved from the control towards the Bangalore route. Siveej found a hotel after my first failed attempt. We were three hours ahead at the control, and had that much time to sleep. This being the third night, I felt the sleep was much required. We checked in and set the alarm for two hours. Siveej took a shower as I crashed onto the bed. The two hours extended to two and a half. I woke up and took a quick shower, and then woke Siveej up. After a few minutes, we were ready to go. Siveej went ahead and I tried catching up from behind. Soon, we'll cross some riders from Chennai. They were quite surprised that we were behind them. Two hours of sleep could do good wonders, and it did. We rode non-stop to Belur. Breakfast stop was made at Hagare, and we helped ourselves to idli vada and khara bath, topped off with coffee. Still fresh from the sleep, the next few kms to Hassan was a breeze, with us keeping a cautionary eye on the sun and the heat that was to come. We stopped at Hassan for a quick helping of the watermelon and papaya to beat the heat. Highway Heat The next stretch from Hassan to Nelamangala had headwinds to be tackled along with the heat. The breeze on the face provided some relief from the heat, and the next stretch included several stops for hydration. Buttermilk was most sought after at every stop. I wanted to ensure that I dont slip into the dehydration territory. Lunch stop was made just outside CR patna, at a familiar place. Curd rice, being the flavor of the season, topped off with omelette. The next stretch of almost sixty kilometres were covered carefully with several hydration stops. As I reached the next control CCD, I was getting ready to order ice-cream. I got a call from Raghu. Surprise, he already crossed the control and was at Paakashala, another 500m ahead. Ratheesh and Raghu had finished their lunch and were resting. Both of them were sleep deprived. The crowd added up to the service time, and it was a longish break for me. Raghu and I started together, and I thought I didn't need another rest break. For some reason, I lost a bit of motivation. I slowed down as Raghu sped up. The highway was filled with long weekend travelers returning to Bangalore. I made a stop another hour later to get a sip of coffee. As I found some place to sleep here, I stretched my legs. When I woke up, I had the feeling "where am I"? This is exactly the kind of rest I need and what was slowing me down. Traffic woes Refreshed from the sleep, the remaining stretch was covered with ease. While there was a heavy traffic build up at Nelamangala, I wasn't bothered even a little bit. The familiar terrain of Nelamangal, Tumkur Highway, Yeshwantpur flyover, Sankey Road all the way to FKCCI. Siveej would catch up to me on the penultimate signal on Palace Road. We both rode together and finished it together. I wish I was as fresh as the BGB ride. But this time, I had picked up a few sore spots on the wrists. (This was a result of using the same gloves on all three days). I spent another hour with the volunteers, took the customary pictures and then caught a porter van back home. In the end, the porter ride took longer than a bike ride. May be next time.

BumbleBee does a BeeGeeBee

Prologue

I had been looking forward to a longish ride after finishing Kittur 1000. Bangalore-Goa-Bangalore (BGB or BeeGeeBee)  served a great opportunity. Set in the third week of February, the weather was both hot and cold. Hot days and cold nights are the norm for this season. Extraordinary rains over the last year, ensured that the cold nights got even colder this year. 

As for the bike, I was beginning to like Bumblebee a great lot. It takes a while for anyone to start on a new bike and get accustomed. Once the initial break-in period is over, the partnership last forever. Built for my daughter, I have been avoiding using it. As my regular bike (Miyata aka Japanese Zen) was fulfilling other duties, I had to fall back on BumbleBee. The fit is perfect for me (as it's a size 52), and the bike responds when you ask. Only a few things are so perfect in life. 

Work is a bit lean on the office front, and that means, more time to put thoughts into action. I could spend a bit of time planning for the BGB cycling route. The most crucial point in planning is to tackle the coastal temperature during day time. Headwinds on the return route was the next one. 

I have been putting my ride gear together, one by one, and this time, I got a compact handlebar bag, that gave good clearance from the tire and fits snug. After so many years, I gave up the resistance and added a Garmin 1030 to keep track of the ride and help with the navigation. A 2L saddle bag and a toptube bag, both from Decathlon complete the package. 

The Route

The ride route went through Nelamangala, and to Shimoga through Mathigatta, Birur and Kadur. From Shimoga to Goa, the route covered Sagara, Gerusoppa, Honnavara, Ankola and then to Madgaon, that served as the first dropbag point at 608 kms. The route to second dropbag point at Haveri (871 km) covered Chandor, Collem, Anmod Ghat, and a beautiful stretch in Kali Tiger Reserve covering Ganeshgudi, Haliyal and onto Dharwad. From Dharwad to Bangalore, it was the highway, covering Davanagere, Chitradurga, Hiriyur, Sira, Tumkur and Nelamangala. 

The route had a total elevation gain of 10500 metres. Most terrain was rolling, including the highways. The roads inside of Goa and interior Karnataka had steep ascents, most times reaching 12% and in a few instances well in excess of 15%. 

Weather was equally challenging that we had to cover Day 3 and Day 4 under the hot sun, along with stiff headwinds.

Supa Reservoir in Kali Tiger Reserve

One of the punchy climbs inside of Kali Tiger Reserve

An ongoing procession near CastleRock

The Ride

The ride was promptly flagged off at 3:55pm. This allowed to squeeze through the evening traffic and get onto the Nelamangala flyover double quick. Once we got here, tailwinds ensured that we kept moving. My plan was to skip the dinner at Paakashala, and Natesh joined me here. We had to stop to refill our water bottles and it did take more time than expected. I quickly grabbed up the snacks, and I was all set. But the snacks didn't go well for Natesh. We ended up stopping at the next junction for food. Enroute near Tiptur cross, I found some pushcarts serving idli, and that ensured that stomach engines were topped up. The terrain was rolling and we did more than feel the inclines. We reached CP2 at Yogesh farms, Mathighatta just as planned. I settled for an hour's nap after loading up my tummy. BR team did a fantastic job and there was a great deal of food available here.

Sunset on the Mangalore Highway

Mathigatta Control. That's Mariya in the background

I restarted the ride, promptly getting off the alarm (Kudos to me), and got back on the road. For this stretch alone. Quickly passed, the quad of Mr and Mrs Swamy, Dhananjaya and Prasad. Got a quick cup of tea at Birur junction and moved along. I missed the turn towards Bhadra reservoir. As my Garmin beeped that I was off-course, I hit a pothole and had a pinch flat on the rear tire. Cornered in a dusty section of the highway, it took me sometime to find a good spot and attend to the puncture. (I should have got this attended to at home. Note for future). I turned back and took the correct turn towards Bhadra, only to realize the puncture episode could have been avoided completely (facepalm). Roads were butter smooth.

With the day dawning, traveling through the sleepy villages, gave good opportunity for some twilight photos. Caught up to Santosh here, who was having a recovery ride, and his purpose was to gain back confidence to be on the saddle for a long ride. Knowing his pace wont match mine, I sped up to reach Meenakshi Bhavan in Shimoga. Finished breakfast here (quickly, cant be the term, when you stop into a formal setting), and the staff were very courteous and appreciative. Santosh arrived as I was leaving.

Twilight inside of Bhadra Tiger Sanctuary

 

Twilight inside of Bhadra sanctuary

Twilight inside of Bhadra Tiger Sanctuary

Breakfast at Shimoga

Chow chow bath is an evergreen randonneur favorite

Still at the altitude, the next stretch was just fine. And I managed to stop at a roadside vendor a full serving of pineapple. Food tastes really awesome, when you're craving for it. The road to Sagara was a highway filled with fun. Though I wanted a good countryside meal, I stopped at a AC veg restaurant as I needed space to lubricate my chain. Later realized that it was the town bus stop. Food was more than average, and I did a fair bit to keep me powered up for the ride. 

Next stop was Mavinagundi. My stomach was bloating up as I arrived here. I ended up stopping here for more than what is required. This being country terrain, and no easy access to bathrooms, I had to attend to my stomach troubles. Discovered a great nimbu soda experience at one of the shops here.

And I started what was supposed to be a descent into the plains. The next thirty kilometres was filled with heavy rolling terrain, and the inclines on the descent flattened not just me, but everyone. Caught up to Ajay sir, and had a quick chat with him. Knowing that he will be slower, I parted good bye. He always rides solo. 

Me with Ajay Sir at the start line

And the next stretch, I will partner with the duo Agnivesh and Dattarai. And this duo, for sure, added a lot of positive vibes to my ride. First, they gave me a good moving target to keep track of. And second, Dattarai, being from Goa, gave very useful tips on handling the terrain towards Goa. This being the second night, all of us were drowsy, and Agnivesh started an artifical conversation to keep us engaged. Me focussed on the ride, tried my best to keep the company moving. We kept good pace, tackling the rolling terrain and covered the steep climbs inside of Goa too. The CP at Ankola would pass too, and I dont remember what we went through there. Must have been a joyous experience.

Through the night, we were looking for coffee and couldnt find a single joint. The first one we found was 25kms into Goa, and just 10kms from the CP. As we stopped (we need not have), me and Agnivesh used the opportunity to grab some Mix Bhaji, fresh from the stove, getting ready for customers in the morning. Poor Dattarai, was in a rush, for a school event at his daughters'. Excused himself and went. We felt bad for holding him up. It was our chance to catch some fresh hot food, and we didnt want it pass it along. Dattarai's family and friends were in car patrolling the route (and ensuring his safety). 

Buns and Bhaji at Goa. Couldn't wait to get some hot food

With me holding the keys to navigation, I guided both of us to the hotel, only to realize that "the" hotel for the 600K folks was a different one. Agnivesh bid goodbye here and I got my room, with Mariya showing us the way. As I walked into the room, Raghu was getting ready to take a shower. Suresh Subbiah, right behind us, got allotted the same room. I explained to Suresh about the bathroom rush, and he managed to find a different room to shower and refresh.  Going into bed, I set the alarm for one and a half hours, and boy, I did really sleep deep. 

Refreshed from the sleep, the day was fresh. The start was late at 845am, and this meant all the tough terrain needs to be done under the hot sun. I let Raghu go, as he was starting at the same time. Further, I had  to make two stops. One for Patisserie Victoria, to get an awesome cheesecake, and the second, to add myself a baselayer to keep the sweat trapped and not cause any saddle sores. (And it did work). The two stops must have set me back by half-hour. I eventually would catch up to Raghu. Raghu being from Belgaum, had good insight into the Anmod climb, and this helped tackle the climb easier. The terrain was beautiful, but you have to watch out for those punchy climbs, with the ascent hitting excess of 15% even for a very short duration. I didnt want to miss the opportunity to grab a quick beer on the ride. It did help with the hot weather, and Mohan caught me red-handed here.

Butterscotch Cheesecake at Patisserie Victoria, Madgaon

Chandor Church

Chandor is a historic city from the 11th century AD

Me getting a cold one to beat the heat

Fish meals at Anmod

The fish meals that I was longing for could be had in Anmod. With Raghu for company, we indulged in solkadi and surmai, along with Jowar rotis. During the next section, we will encounter some of the steepest climbs of the whole ride. With one near Castlerock hitting at high at 18%. I had to get off my bike and push. (I have the same terrain, on a MTB with better gearing, but decided to push this time). Natesh and Suresh will catch up with us (me and Raghu) and soon we will speed along. We did stop for Nimbu soda at one point, but otherwise, this was a non-stop ride, all the way to the CP at Ganeshgudi. (Thanks Suresh for leading the way). The terrain inside Kali National Park is for sure one of the most rugged you'll see on a bicycle.

Thanks to Suresh, he kept the group moving, and we kept good pace (more importantly non-stop) until we reached Haliyal. With the CP more than two hours away, we wanted to grab a quick bite, and stopped at the first opportunity. To our lock, he had an amazing vada pav, served pipping hot. The entire group (Suresh, Natesh, Ratheesh, Pankaj, Raghu and myself), feasted on the vada pavs and had hot yummy chai. The oncoming stretch to the next CP (RevanaSiddeshwara Mata), was broken and it was a cautious ride. Suresh took the correct turn, and an arch under construction, confused us. But soon we found the right way. 

With the long night ahead, I caught an hour of sleep. Raghu would try to wake me, but I took my natural course, having not slept enough over the last night. We soon hit the highway near Dharwad, and needless to say, this is one with good rolling hills and an all too familiar terrain. With Garmin for company, we crossed over the hills one by one. One we hit Hubli, I filled up the water bottles to the brim in anticipation of the lonely stretch between Hubli and Bankapur. 

With the temperature dropping, I invoked my secret weapon of fat-fueled vehicle and was powering up to 25-30kph. Literally I was on my top-gear in a fully fuel-efficient mode. At this time, Raghu was feeling drowsy, and we stopped at the Shell Petrol Pump that's open for 24 hours. To our surprise, we found the Battalion gang. We only saw the bikes but not the riders. As I grabbed a bite, Raghu was sleeping on the chair. We enquired and got the secret chambers opened up. Four of the riders were sleeping. We joined them for an hour till Raghu could feel a little better. Refreshed after an hour of sleep, we hit the road to Haveri. There was some confusion regarding the road to be taken to the drop-bag point. We wasted nearly half-hour before we could get to our rooms. 

Delayed by almost an hour, showered and got to bed, with the alarm set at one hour this time. (In hindsight, I wish I could have set it for more). We got hot breakfast as soon as we arrived. I had two separate food refills. One before the bed and one after. I was fueled up well literally to reach Chitradurga. What we were supposed to encounter would be one of the most brutal days. Headwinds worsened what came in the form of heat. Sun God wielded the greatest power during the day on the open highway, and with the Wind God playing along, we were only left to their mercies. Raghu was slightly ahead of me, and I didnt want to push myself to his pace.

To my luck, I found a small bench, outside a closed a hotel. I slept for half an hour, undisturbed. I managed to keep moving. My riding pace got down to 10kph. Yet I kept moving. There were small stretches, when the a downward slope will cheer you along, but it was literally the heat that was ruling it now. Mohan caught up to me in this stretch and offered buttermilk. I picked up three of them just to keep them for store. I hit my favorite food joint (a family place) at Anagodu, and was servied the yummiest lunch on the whole trip. 

North Karnataka meals at Anagodu

Energized by the lunch, I reached the toll booth at Bhramasagara. With the temperature being still hot, I wanted to catch up on some sleep. I took shelter inside a small store, and without even knowing, got a full hour of sleep. Here I run into Natesh who had passed me while I was asleep. He is fully out of energy, and I reveal him the secret. "It is downhill all the way to Chitradurga with some gentle rolling terrain". 

We both start together, and enjoy descending the gentle slopes. Enroute, we stop for a quick chai, and resume our journey. We reach the next control at Chitradurga just in time (ten minutes ahead of closing). We fill up our tummy tanks and resume the journey. That draws a close to what is one of the toughest days in all of my randonneuring.

The next secret is that, "there is 40kms of downhil from Chitradurga to Hiriyur". We break down the 72km to the next CP in three segments of 24km each. A two to five minute stop after each 24km distance, and we find ourselves at the next CP (CCD Sira) with more than an hour to spare. 

The plan to tackle the last 120km stretch is very important. We started the day at 845am and here we are at midnight having ridden the whole day. I wanted to treat the next 120kms as a fresh ride (like the one I start in the morning after I wake up), rather than the last stretch of a brevet. For this effect, I treat myself to a good one hour sleep within the cozy confines of Coffee Day. I make a bed joining two chairs. It is 2am by the time I start. I have spent close to an hour an a half. I get mild jitters if I had wasted more time than required. 

"This is a fresh day". I keep telling myself. It takes time for the engine to warm up. And as I put the fat-based engine to work, it runs only on water, and yields better fuel efficiency than any fossil fueled vehicle. The temperature is chilling, and that helps the engine. I got into the same mode as it was when I hit the Shell Petrol Pump. 

The kms were flowing free, but not fast enough. I was still feeling jitters, and soon I get into Kyathasandra toll booth. Pankaj and the others join. I take a 5-minute nap on the chair as I feel drowsy. And I put the next secret weapon to use. A Red Bull. Not one to be used frequently. This is my third Red Bull in as many 1000km+ rides. It keeps me awake and alert for the rest of the ride. 

The next 40kms till Nelamangala toll both just flies past. Pankaj was closely following me and both of us kept good pace. A quick bathroom break at Nelamangala, and we both discuss. "The ride is pretty much done. Now, arrive in one piece at the finish line". I wanted to reach the finish before 8am. Being an hour late, we had every chance that we'll hit the peak rush hour traffic. And we did starting from Yelahanka. However, that had very little effect, as we could make it to the end control two minutes before 9am.

Being One with The Bike

Bicycling is a process of self-discovery, where you try out many things and finally settle on a combination that works for you. Simple things like adding a collapsible backpack to carry an food packet temporarily can solve quite a lot of things. In the Kittur 1000, my handlebar bag gave away, and I ended up carrying the contents for nearly 700kms on a backpack. I was mentally prepared and fully accepted the outcome. 

The bike preparation for this ride started very long ago. Decathlon 2L saddle bag and top-tube bag both serve the best for me. Whether it is a 200km ride or a 1200 km ride, the equipment remains the same. Difference is in what I chose to carry, or what I feel is sufficient. For the 1200km ride, I chose to add a Rhinowalk 5L handlebar bag (procured from Aliexpress). It fit snugly into the handlebar, and good enough clearance from the tire. It carried two powerbanks, for powering my lights and Garmin, and had an extra 4L compartment to carry arm sleeves, jackets and other miscellaneous stuff. Though space on the handlebar was a little confined, I didn't feel wanting for space anytime.

Equipment:
Two 10000mah Powerbanks
Decathlon top tube bag 2L
Decathlon saddle bag 2L
Rhinowalk 5L handlebar bag
CycleTorch Shark 300 front light
Niterider Mako 250 front light
Niterider Cherrybomb tail light
Generic tail light with 50hr runtime

The bicycle should simply become an extension of your body. You think and the bike responds. Whether you get off the saddle and want a push or simply coasting or navigating through a treacherous descent. All that needs to be done should come naturally: uncleating subconsciously when coming to a stop, or navigating through stop-gap traffic while being cleated, or  navigating through a pothole filled road. 

When I was at CCD Sira (the third night), I felt a minor niggle on my left shoulder. That's the only discomfort I felt during the entire ride. There wasnt any body stiffness or saddle soreness. I am pretty much amazed how the entire ride turned out to be. In other words, I could have started another 1200km ride, given a few hours of sleep.

Bumblebee - The Bike

After having such a wonderful ride, I will now have to chose between the Bumblebee and another bike for PBP. I had pretty much settled on not taking Bumblebee. But with the level of comfort and responsiveness, this bike offers, it will be a big decision to take. I will carry out further experiments and decide.

Bumblebee is a circa-2000 Daccordi Furioso frame, built with Columbus Thron tubing. It is setup with Campagnolo Chorus 11-speed groupset. The group is about seven years old and still responds like a new groupset. The multishift feature on the Chorus groupset offers extreme flexibility allowing you to shift five/four gears upward/downward at once. You can move from the smallest cog to the largest cog in two swings. Simply two swings, A Fulcrum Racing 3 wheelset completes the drivetrain. At 1690 grams, it is not the lightest, but is very responsive. Gearing is a 50/34 crankset with a 11/28 cassette. Selle San Marco racing saddle (circa-2000) ensures extreme comfort in all riding positions. A Cinelli 40cm drop bar with a Cinelli bubble bar tape completes the package. The bubble bar helps absorb the shocks from the road. 

Bumblebee - the bike

The cockpit - Garmin 1030, Cycletorch 300 and Niterider Mako 250

Rhinowalk handlebar bag

Summary

No doubt, BGB is a challenging ride. While I was fully focussed on the Anmod Ghat and the TOD (time of day) I will be climbing, what caught me unawares was the descent from Mavinagundi to Honnawara. While there was significant elevation drop, the route was peppered with many different climbs, often steep, going from 8% to 12% that required you to get onto to your smallest cog, and still struggle. It is no surprise that many of the riders quit before reaching Ankola. Heat and headwinds nearly killed us on the fourth day, and this is something that I will have to learn how to cope with. Obviously there is no escaping.

The rolling terrain in Goa and Malnad region is one of the most challenging to ride on. Getting good practice on this terrain is very important to tackle hard courses like BGB and LEL.

BGB also marks a special milestone in my randonneur journey. Ten thousand kilometres completed in terms of BRM & LRM rides. 

Thanks to the BR team, Mohan, Mariya, Binod, Sagar, and Dr.Nethra Shiroor for hosting us for the last four days and helping us complete this challenging ride. The route and logistics was extremely well planned and never did we find that you could have gone an extra mile during this ride. And to Abhishek Kumar Singh, the champ who completed the ride in 67 hours, you are at a wholly different level. 

And finally, thanks for my wonderful family, for putting up with my extended training sessions and nutrition demands. I am getting wonderful recovery meals.

Me at the finish line

Stamped Brevet card

Kolli Hills 300km BRM - 2022

The Background
The picturesque Kolli Hills is a short range of hills in the Eastern Ghats in Namakkal District, Tamil Nadu.
Kolli Hills has been an addition to many of the cyclists' bucket list, after this picture of the Kolli switchbacks (hairpin bends) went viral a few years ago. My tryst with Kolli started when I had been on a tour along with friends to Kolli more than twenty years ago. Trichy Randonneurs had been organizing the Kolli Hills ride for a few years now. This is a 300km BRM with a total elevation gain of 2600m. Unlike the rolling terrain that we face in and around Bangalore, most of the elevation gain is bundled into major climbs, with nearly half of that coming from the 21km ghat section, with 70 hairpin bends. For cycling fanatics, this is categorized as a HC (Hors Category) climb. 

Kolli had been on my bucket list for a while, and I missed it during the Twin Hills 600K BRM due to an unfortunate incident. I needed to complete a complete a 300km ride towards qualification for PBP. Few friends had been inviting me to Trichy for quite sometime now. Kolli 300 seemed to check many boxes. While I was still contemplating on the ride, a picture of the beautiful medal sealed it for me. 

Registration and support from Trichy Randonneurs
As soon as I registered, Prashant, the organizer confirmed my participation and gave me a few suggestions for the the hotel and transport. The friendly call made me feel welcome at the event. With my car fitting two full bikes, I just needed on more person to share the 7-hour drive to Trichy, which Sai readily agreed. I managed to get a shared room with JP. 

This being an outstation ride, I had to get everything set a day ahead. From charging lights and power banks, to getting all the randonneuring gear, I got everything done the previous evening. Still, anxiety ruled over me and there were some last minute items that I had included.

Preparation for ride and the choice of bike
I made an attempt on the Bangalore SR5 on November 1st. However, work commitments forced me to skip the 400 and 300 in between. Nevertheless, riding in wet socks (and rainy weather) had made my feet tender, and I doubt if I would have finished, had I started. During the 600BRM that included the Nandi and Avalabetta climbs, I figured that my 1984 Miyata NineTwelve (Japanese Zen) loaded heavily with 11-28 gearing was inadequate for the Avalabetta climb. The next natural choice is Canyon EnduraceAL (Black Swan) with a 11-32 gearing. I decided to take this bike though I prefer using the Black Swan only for shorter rides. 

Drive to Trichy and the previous evening
We had an early start to the day, I left my home at 6 am and picked up Sai in Electronic City by 7 am sharp. This helped us avoid much of the morning peak hour traffic. We quickly got through Hosur, and after a brief stop at Murugan Idly Kadai, we reached Salem by 10 am. The terrain from Namakkal to Thottiyam was dry and the temperature was shooting up. We could feel a stark difference as we entered the Kaveri delta, and the scenery changed to tree-lined paddy fields from barren land. This brought a welcome change to our sore eyes. Just around this place, we came across a roadside vendor selling Padhaneer (palm sap). We finished one litre of padhaneer bottle between both of us, and I packed one for the evening. This filled our famished bellies so much that we decided to do the lunch post brevet card pickup. 

The reception by Trichy Randonneurs was super awesome with a party-like atmosphere. Sai was famished after skipping lunch, and we caught an auto to Kannapa Hotel at 530pm. As it turned out, they weren't ready for evening service. The friendly auto driver took us to Parthasarathy Vilas, one of the oldest hotels in Trichy. We loaded up on most of the carbs required for the next day. As we exited the hotel, I observed a tall wall across the street, and figured that it was Jambukeswarar temple in Thiruvanaikkaval. We had a great darshan amidst peaceful ambience. While I had heard about the temple since my childhood days, never got a chance to visit. I wasnt even planning to visit this temple.

Start time for the ride was fixed at 0400, and it meant hitting the bed early. I did at 2200hrs. With the new surroundings at the hotel, I couldn't sleep easily. After tossing and turning in the bed for nearly three hours, I woke up at 0100 and showered and got back onto the bed. Lady Luck wasn't favoring me yet. I must have slept half an hour when JP woke me up at 0320. Quickly got ready and was at the start by 0345.

Pre-dawn ride
The flag-off was prompt at 0400 hrs. The organizers gave clear instructions on the route. As I started, the topmost thing on my mind was that the Kolli climb was starting at 110 kms, and breakfast will be served at around 50 kms. I maintained a good pace for the first 50 kms .The only hiccup being covering an additional 4 kms because of detours mentioned on the course. The first control point was a pre-Covid era hotel, that ceased to exist. There was some confusion regarding the location, I quickly took a selfie and  moved on to the supposedly next designated breakfast point. Breakfast was idly, vada and chai. 

The next stretch of ~60kms
As I moved from the breakfast point, I observed that it took three hours to cover 60kms. I was a bit disappointed. Gomathi Shankar, an earlier friend from Chalukya 1200 and Kittur 1000, came along and mentioned that there is a 2% gradient and constant heavy winds. While this brought some solace. I wanted to conserve energy for the next 50 kms. It was a super chatty ride, with many folks from TN (Parthiban, Murugan, Kavi, Balaji and Senthil). 
As I reached Karavalli (Kolli Base), Sai had already reached there. Two yelakki bananas and two chikki (peanut cakes) were topped off with a tea, and later with Sting energy drink. Luckily for me the bananas helped the stomach maintain its composure. I packed another couple of bananas for the climb, just in case.

Climbing Kolli
As I entered the Kolli reserve forest, waved my hand to the forest guard and moved ahead. I kept wondering what could be in store for the next 21kms climb with ~1000m of elevation gain and 70 switchbacks. 

With the abundance of rains this year, the cloud cover kept the temperatures strictly in check. As I started the climb, my HR was in excess of 175, almost near its peak. The switchbacks went passing by: 1/70, 2/70, 3/70, 4/70  ... As I turned onto the next switchback, I felt a gentle tailwind pushing me. And very soon I came across 14/70. I put all math skills to use and exclaimed 20% is complete. 
Gopi (from the organizer team), was waiting just past the half-way mark with some snacks and juice. I mentioned that today is going to be a non-stop climb for me and moved ahead. I was pleasantly surprised to see that my HR had dropped down to 160s.
A few more switchbacks later, a group of riders had stopped to take pictures. Danny, a friend from Kittur 1000 was one of them. Once again, I repeated 'non-stop-climb' and moved ahead. Temperature got cooler as we climbed higher. And the switchbacks completed one after the another. Soon, I came to the final signboard. I took the customary picture and moved ahead. My heart rate was hovering just above 150s. So, 170s at the start, 160s midway and 150s at the top. I can for sure say, Lady Kolli spared us today. It makes me think, that HR is a function of ambient temperature than the effort today.

Lady Kolli, Lord Varuna and Lord Vaayu
On any given day, the Kolli climb can be a killer. However, there were many factors at play today.
This has been a year of rains. And today was the perfect day for an all-day ride. Lord Varuna (Rain God) kept Lord Surya (Sun God) at bay for all of us. 
To understand how Lord Vaayu (Wind God) came into play, a bit of geography lessons are in order. During the SouthWest monsoons, the winds flow from West to the East, and these are quite strong. Strong winds can be deadly if you dont know how to handle them. Once you know how to harness them, tail winds can be your greatest friend. As for today, Lord Vaayu assisted in more than a quarter of the climbs. 
Lady Kolli (aka Kolli Paavai, the guardian deity of Kolli Hills) blessed us and granted passage with a little help from Lord Vaayu and Lord Varuna. 
"It's not the moutains we conquer, but ourselves" - Edmund Hillary

Further climbs...
And they did warn us at the start. That the switchbacks are only a teaser, and there are two other climbs, one of 8kms and another at 5kms. As we arrived at the lunch point, the food hadn't arrived yet. We filled up our tanks with Paddu (dumplings) from a local vendor and moved ahead, with the next climbs in anticipation. 
The second climb of 8kms was never ending. And as we finished this one, we came across one hotel. An immediate enquiry revealed lunch is available. We made an elaborate stop here, to recharge both ourselves and all our devices. I also tried to lie down and take a quick nap.
The third climb of 5kms sucked every last bit of energy we had. The saving grace was the long downhill that followed. The picturesque view of the valleys brought back all that lost energy.
Midway through descent, Kavi's freehub broke and it was holding the wheel. Having known that this problem cant be fixed on the road, I had to bid goodbye to him sadly and continue the ride. From this point onwards, it was mostly solo ride for me. 

Finishing in style
With all the excitement and elevations behind us, what was left, was a long 100km ride towards Dhammampatti, Thuraiyur, Musiri and finally to Trichy. And this ride was punctuated with a cool breeze on the face, tail winds on the back, a gentle downward gradient and butter smooth roads. I couldn't ask for more.
As I finished the penultimate control, there was still about 80kms to go. I was feeling very tired. Food and hydrating didn't work. It occured to me that this must be the lack of sleep. I had two choices: continue with a slower pace and feel miserable for the rest of the ride, or sleep for half-hour and resume fresh. I found a small temple with sufficient space to stretch my legs and take rest. To my luck, I had good sleep and woke up after half-hour. 
And when I resumed, the first hour covered 25 kms, and the next almost 24 kms. The power nap was paying rich dividends for the time lost. A short dinner stop, before I covered the final kms kept hunger at bay and kept me energized. 

Final word
The foremost thing that comes across is the friendliness of the Tamil people. Needless to say, the organizers played a larger role in helping us cover mostly desolate terrain. The decision to start the ride at 0400, two hours earlier than the regular start, was brilliant. It allowed us to start the initial climb when it wasn't warm, and at the same time, get through the descent much before dusk. 

Many Thanks to the organizers for the wonderful route, on-course support and all the coordination before we even arrived at the event.

Picture courtesy: Danny 
Video courtesy: Organizers

Chalukya - 1200 (The Herculean 1200)

As I sit down to pen my memories of the Chalukya 1200 almost two weeks later, my memories are still as fresh as the day I returned back.

Background

The 1200K LRM event has been on my wish list for atleast the last 10 years, and I am glad that I finally made it to the finish line. Thanks to the extra hours because of the pandemic, I had been able to ratchet up 2-hour bike rides during the fall of 2020, and could maintain my cycling. My flexibility and running had taken a back seat as I was developing Achilles pain for very short runs. 

I enrolled yoga classes in March 2020, only to be interrupted by the second wave of the pandemic. I was maintaining reasonable fitness when the randonneuring season kick started in April. Flexibility had improved, thanks to being a regular at yoga. Biking took a back seat and was limited to weekend rides. I managed to put in 3-hour rides and atleast a century every month.

I signed up for the 300K (CR Patna) and 400K (Hiriyur) rides with the base training I had. Both of them were highway routes and were fairly easy. While I had decent finish times, I was still struggling to finish strong. Having already completed Avalabetta200K earlier in the year, it boiled down to the Ranebennur 600K. This again being a highway route, and the challenge was to survive 40 hours.

Preparation

With this goal, I enrolled at a nearby gym, with the goal to improve cadence, and pedal at ease with high cadence. Time, always being a priority, I would finish my yoga session by 7 am, and hop in to the gym for a quick spin session of 30 mins. With a week of cadence training, I was getting comfortable at a cadence of 80-85.

I had a few goof ups in the early stage of the 600K BRM. Lost an hour and a half because of missed directions. This would cost me dearly with the first night's sleep break curtailed to 40 minutes (from a planned two hours). Kms 300-400 were a bit of struggle as expected. Riding around mid-day was still a struggle. Once the 400km point at Chitradurga was reached, tail winds carried me all the way to Bangalore. It was a very enjoyable ride to the end-CP, and the finish was quite strong. 

1200K was a totally different ball-game. While 600K had one mid-day, we had to ride during the day for all 4 days in 1200. Thanks to the organizers, there were a good amount of zoom calls to apprise us of the chalenges for the mega ride. Both my yoga sessions and spinning sessions continued, and I was getting comfortable with high Cadence. I also managed to pull in four or five strength training sessions target core and lower body. 

Plan

Me and my supposed to be riding companion, Manas (Sahu) made detailed plans as to what needs to be done. With my focus partially on work, not a lot stuck to my head. I remembered very few things about the route: just the drop bag points and few important turns. As the event neared, I was getting the feeling that I shouldn't push hard during the initial phase, and ride at my own pace, to ensure that I last the distance.

My overall plan was to minimize the stops. I packed some food for the first day, with the sole purpose of saving time. Have a buffer of 5-6 hours before heading into the CPx drop-bag location at Gokak. With the weather looking good, I borrowed a few essentials from Rajaneesh (PBP finisher) and got set, with the bike.

As they say, man proposes, and God disposes. As I woke up on the Day 0, I heard thunders. Repacking and packaging what was already packed meant that I spent nearly 30 minutes juggling around. I headed to the start point (Kanteerava stadium), riding with nearly 8kg on my shoulders, heavier drop bag on the back, and cycling shoes with food on the front. Riding in the rain with both the bags was a fine balance. 

Day 0 - Warming up

Rain played spoilsport at the start. With most riders arriving within the final hour, organizers managed it quite well with only a ten-minute delay in the flag-off. Dropbags were tagged and collected. Brevet cards were deferred to the next control point. As for me, I switched over to aqua shoes, with the cycling shoes in the backpack. I didn't want to get my cycling shoes wet and ride in soggy socks for four days. 
Note: The aqua shoes (from Decathlon: https://www.decathlon.in/p/8330684/sports-shoes/adult-aquashoes100-dark-grey?id=8330684&type=p) came in quite handy on the wet day. I ride in these on wet days, and when it is not comfortable to ride with cycling shoes.

We quickly pedaled off to Nelamangala Highway in the rain. I was carrying a moderately heavy backpack, with the cleats poking on my back. As we neared Tumkur, sky was getting cleared and I could see the roads getting dry. I quickly stopped and changed over to cycling shoes, and got a quick bite of the PBJ sandwich. As I would get on my bike, I had the feeling. "Oh, here I am on my Ferrari". The fit and comfort were very different from that with the sandals. I reached the control point 1 (CP2 - 87km: VRL Refreshments) in no time. 

While this wasn't in my original plan, I stopped here in anticipation of the brevet card. Having stopped, tried to get a quick breakfast. The quick stop became a longish stop. I asked Manas to not wait for me. When I started from here, the plan was to stop for a late lunch. 

With pleasant weather and easy terrain, I managed to cover good distance in the next few hours. Lunch@Greenland Hotel, Hiriyur (161km) was the next stop. Had good sumptuous lunch here. The bananas I had packed for the road were completely mashed up. It was nice of Raghu to share the bananas and not waste them. 

While starting, I forgot my set of cables. Thankfully to the hotel attender, I got this back immediately. I would have been a nightmare to continue without phone and Garmin. I had a small freakish accident while starting from here. Slipped down on steps with road shoes. 

The pains went away as I started riding. The next 40kms was going be tough: upward gradient, head winds and mid-day sun. With the temperature soaring, I took a small break for a cool drink and to polish off the rest of the first PBJ sandwich. I didn't feel much of the terrain until the Chitradurga climb. The last 2km climb was really tough, and there wasn't any respite for another km after the climb. I wanted to do this climb, though we had a go-ahead to use the bypass route, having missed this in the 600. 

After the Hospet turn, stopped for a quick orange juice break at a road-side cart. It came straight from the heavens for those of us toiling under the sun. Expectedly, the talk of the town was heat at that time. Some of the riders opted to stop a the dhaba a km ahead. I exhorted myself to push ahead, finishing rest of the first PBJ I had. As it was getting hard to digest, I gave away the second to a villager who was herding sheep. He happily accepted it and I hope he relished it. Moderate rolling terrain here was challenging because of the sun. 

CP3 was at 255km, and I was hoping to collect the brevet cards. As it was very tiring, I decided to stop at a road-side stall. With hunger kicking my stomach, I had some biscuits and Jeera Fizz, and top-off with a chocolate. As I would finish, I got sight of the bunch of yelakki bananas. Quickly packed four bananas for the road and moved ahead. We were greeted by Mohan and the other BR volunteers (Kalpesh and Suresh). It was a big relief to get our brevet cards. We were doing very good on time with a buffer of nearly 3.5 hours.

On arrival, we were served wood apple juice. I was vying for buttermilk at this time, which wasn't readily available. I took my time to settle in, and when I started having veg pulao, there was a strange feeling in my stomach. Before I knew it, I threw up whatever I had in the last hour, including the chocolate. Manas has issues with cramping at Chitradurga and was slowed down. He soon arrived, along with Binoy. I took sometime to rest, and had a couple of glasses of buttermilk before I started. 

As I wasn't feeling very strong, I decided to hang on with the next outgoing group. This was a fairly large group with Tasneem, Nakul, Dhananjaya, Nitin and Srinivas. I started feeling better as we started riding, and we could step up a steady pace under the cool night sky. As we rode, Night sky was looking gorgeous with the hills at a distance. We wanted to keep the group together.

Attending to the puncture before the tunnel

Srinivas in the tunnel

The next stop was a toll-booth with the odometer reading at 300km. We reached here at 11pm. With some of the riders feeling drowsy, the short break extended to a longer one. As for my stomach, I was surviving on one banana after the other at a rate of 25km per banana. I managed to grab a couple at the toll-booth. The next planned stop was at 350km at Athithi Sarkar Dhaba.

As we were heading into Hospet, we got a quick glance of the Tungabhadra Dam. This was a magnificent sight under the star-lit sky. We were about to enter the brightly-lit tunnel and I sensed a puncture on my rear wheel. This was attended to double quick time, with Nakul and Srinivas helping me. It took us a while to find the source, but we finally found the small pin. As we were attending to the puncture, others in the group caught up, and we asked them to move ahead in the interest of time.

We crossed Hospet, hoping to catch up with the rest of the folks. They had stopped at the next toll booth. We also did for a refreshing tea (and a banana for me). As we exited the toll both, there was a deviation for Hunagund. I quickly signalled to the Nakul and Srinivas who were following at that time. Armed with directions from the toll booth, Operation Search Athithi Sarkar Dhaba began. As we were riding on a divided highway, turning back is quite dangerous, and we didnt want to miss it. Finally, we managed to locate the place.

I was starving to death by this time. We quickly settled in and ordered some food. I didnt want risk and settled for curd rice. Soon, Tasneem and Dhananjaya arrived. I took my time to settle in before the food arrived. As I started eating the curd rice, that strange feeling started in my stomach again, and I threw up for a second time. 

There were lot of theories. I was completely thrown aback, first, by sleep deprivation, and then by lack of food. I hung around for sometime not knowing what to do. Other fellow riders started to take a nap one by one. Luckily by time, I had put my lights and Garmin to charge. After sometime, I decided to go to sleep. It was quite chilly, and I was lucky to get hold of a blanket half an hour later. 

Dont know how much longer, I got some good sleep. When I woke up, there were only three of us, Pavan, Chandra and myself. All the others had left, probably hours earlier. I alerted Pavan and Chandra waking them up. Time was 4:30, which meant that I got three hours of sleep. The dhaba had run out of curd, and had some rice. I couldn't imagine to palate anything else. I tested the waters with with some plain rice mixed with pickle and it didn't cause any trouble. Slowly got ready and finished ablutions. Having a clear stomach is a great blessing to start the day with. 

Day 1: A Fresh Start

I took my time to get ready and thanked the dhaba attender. It was 5:20 when I started from here. Most of the four hour buffer that I had coming had evaporated. There were two clear instructions from Manas before I went to sleep. CP4 at 386km to be met  by 7:45am, and CP5 at 524 to be met by 4:55pm. Luckily, all my possesions were in tact. Garmin and lights were fully charged, and so was I.

36km to CP4, and two and half-hours to cover the same. Legs were fresh and the morning chill was good. As I warmed up, found a good spinning rhythm. Enjoyed the beautiful sunshine as it rose across the crimson sky to my right. 36kms went by real quick in an hour-and-a-half, and I had caught up to Manju Warrier, by this time. Mohan greeted with yogurt and some refreshments. I was unwilling to touch anything by this time. Hotel Nanda Gokula wasn't open yet. Good for me, as I pushed off after a quick chat with Mohan. 

As there was some road construction, we had to get down into the town at the next intersection. To my luck, there was a small breakfast joint serving fresh khara bath. It passed my stomach test. Two khara baths and a kesari bath later, decided to keep it safe. Packed one kesari bath for the road and started. Manju would pass me this time, and all my efforts to alert her about the breakfast werent helpful. I caught up with her later only to realize that she was surviving only on fluids. A quick call to Manas indicated that they were about three hours ahead.

Knowing that I might be the last among the group, kept up a constant pace without wasting any time. I passed by Ilkal and resisted any urge to stop. There was some confusion with the directions as we passed by Hunagund. There was a deviation towards Amingad and Aihole from here. Rajiv Bhide caught up here confirming the directions. In the ensuing confusion, I missed stopping for a tummy-fill. 

It was really refreshing to get-off the highway onto country roads. It was picturesque early in the morning with fields as far as we can see. The next 15 kms to Amingad was going tough as the tummy tank started complaining. I caught up to a policeman on bike and quickly got directions to a local restaurant in Amingad. Didn't waste any time here, adding four idlis and coffee to the starving tank. The hotel owners were very glad to host us and was making special Mandakki. In the interest of time, I moved along. There was another quick stop for a fresh lime soda at a road-side stall, before the trek to Aihole. 

The road to Aihole was done partially, and was already designed bad roads in the introductory sessions by BR. As I reached Aihole, I saw the complete group of Nakul, Dhananjaya, Nitin, Tasneem and Srinivas. They had taken a break at an hotel enroute to take bath and refresh themselves. The three-hour sleep was good enough for me. Aihole was the first of the mandatory landmark CPs designated by the organizers, and a selfie-shot here was mandatory. I took time to relish the surroundings, took some photographs and also hydrated with lemon soda. This provided much needed salts that were losing in the heat.

The next stop was Pattadakkal. There was a lady serving buttermilk in water bottles. Buttermilk serves as a good refresher, providing hydration, protein and also salts. It also balances any acidity build up in the stomach. Filled myself up with buttermilk to the brim and continued. In my interest to take pictures, I got dropped from the group. 

The third mandatory heritage CP was Badami. It was bit tricky to go through a steep incline of cobblestone pathways with people all around. Took the time to walk up under the noon-sky and diligently completed the selfie-shot. It must have taken a good half-hour walking in and walking out. 

Hunger pangs were kicking up. 

By this time, there was a big mess in my top-tube bag. There was a big competition between the hydration salts and hand sanitizer on who would dominate the proceedings. Sighted an expensive Hotel Clarke, and decided to stop here. As it was early for the lunch buffet, it was quite empty. Placed an order for curd rice, and by the time it arrived, refreshed myself and cleaned out and washed my top-tube bag. 

As I settled down to have the curd rice, that same feeling started in my stomach again. Quickly brought it and control and apologized to the hotel manager for wasting food. Left him a good tip and started along. While I was in a good position to reach CP5, heat and a hungry stomach stood in the way. I was still in the tail pack, but a few riders behind always gives good confidence.

The journey to CP5 continued on buttermilk. Along this way, I caught up to Faraz and Siddarth, and was jokingly telling them all my miseries with food. Luckily, Faraz had a pill to suppress nausea. My feeling was that nothing could do downhill from here and I readily took it. I decided to play it safe for the next couple of hours, sticking only to buttermilk. The road condition before Bagalkote slowly deteriorated, and much attention was needed on the road to carefully negotiate the potholes.  

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The last km to Bagalkote was never ending, and I reached CP 5 with 45 mins to spare. With CP6 (620km; Target 23:47 Day1) still eons away, I managed to get a good meal. I decided to play safe with Dal khichdi and lime soda, not knowing if the nausea pill had worked. Caught up with quite a few riders here. Many people had decided on quitting. Tried to plead with Shyam and Bharat who had decided to quit, but to no avail. I moved from here as time was running out. 

As I was exiting Bagalkote, I rode too close to a lady walking on the road which resulted in a small mishap. I stopped to apologize and they took it in a good stride. I felt that courtesy was required so that they will appreciate other cyclist. I stopped at two places, once for a small group of kids, and next to quickly gobble up on some  chickoo (sapodilla). Next major point was Lokapur that was 28kms away. I stopped here at the designated hotel to have a quick snack. Relished a butter dosa, lime juice and an ice cream, and walked out in 13 minutes. I realized the power of solo randonneuring with the ultra-short break.

Two kms later, we would enter what can be described in a very mild tone as hell. To start with, there was a head of rubble to block the road. Our maps directed us the correct way, and the road was filling with tennis ball sized gravel. There was a two-feet patch of paved road on the far right that could be used when there is no oncoming traffic. As we entered this road  by dusk, most of this patch needs to be covered under the dark. 

Treacherous would be an understatement to the describe the terrain we encountered for the next twenty-five kilometers, and we didn't have the luxury to ride slow. With all the focus that I could put on the roads, I negotiated the roads, one pothole by one. I was only hoping that the tires and tubes would hold good and would not result in a puncture. A couple of hours later, barely making time for the distance covered, I stopped at a sweet shop. Filled my water bottles and relished myself with Dharwad Peda and Gulab Jamun. I was hoping that this would be good before I get to CP6. 

Reaching CP6 meant two things: a bed to crash on and rest for a couple of hours, and second, with 600kms completed, the mandatory hourly speed requirement will drop down to 12kmph. When the bad roads ended, there was something else waiting for us. A long time of tractors stuffed with sugarcane occupying the roads. I didn't mind the loud music from the tractors. However, riding on one side of the road with oncoming traffic was a big challenge. Curses were flying around for the inventor of high-beam lights. All this, courtesy to a sugar factory. When all this was done, the road was much quieter. So quite that I was finding it lonely. There were a few others who were coming along. Dayalan, Karthik and Rajiv Bhide.

After a lonely couple of hours, we rode into Gokak. The sight of flashing lights from the riders ahead showing the way. I managed to reach the control with an hour to spare. After parking the bike safely, carefully relished the buffet spread. Didn't want to encounter nausea anymore. The instructions were very clear. Collected the drop bags, put lights, watch to charge, took a shower, dressed up and packed up for the next day, and crashed into bed. 

Dhananjaya sir was sleeping as I entered the room. For me, this was a replay from the Brief History of Time. He would leave by the time I wake up. We were both in diferent time zones, so to speak. It gave me some comfort that I am only an hour or two behind. As I crashed into bed, set it exactly to wake me up two hours later, at 2:20am. 

There is never a dearth of good sleep sleep after a hard day of riding. You doze off as soon as you crash. As the alarm rang, I snoozed it once just as normal. When it rang again at 2:25, I knew there wasn't any time to waste. Luckily for me, bowel movements happened as I woke up. Its a bliss for me. Exited the room at 2:45 and went downstairs. I had to come back to the room because of some confusion regarding room keys. 

Day 2 was about to start. I was ready, refreshed and replenished by supplies from the drop bag. I also got a change over of shorts and jersey. As I picked up my bike from the parking, I realized that there was a puncture. I was quite relieved that this happened at the control, and not in the middle of the road elsewhere. Quickly changed the tubes, and also got to pump up the tire with the floor pump. Energy conserved for the ride ahead. Once again, last rider to leave the control. 

As I started riding, I observed some rider have stopped for tea, and along the way, some others were resting trying to catch up on sleep. Thanks to the flashing tail lights, it is easy to recognize the riders. Knowing that I am not the last rider, gives me a little boost. 

The road climbed steadily. Lights were strong enough to guide us through the pitch dark. Road conditions still remained worse. We were riding along some remote villages. Pity that we couldn't enjoy the surroundings. The next twentyfive kilometres were through some remote villages with no food options. A quick call to Manas: He was an hour and a half ahead, and informed that there is a mandatory selfie point when we join the Pune Highway.

I was eagerly looking for riders along the route, and crossed one bunch. Someone gave a shout, and I slowed down. It was Chandra, telugu lecturer from Chittur. He is a strong rider slowed down by lack of good lights and wanted to join along. We rode together for the next 25 kms, and at one point, I asked him to go ahead, not wanting to push myself.

Day 2 - Back on the Highway

The day broke and we were treated to misty air rising from the Hidkal reservoir. With birds chiping around, dawn was mesmerizing. Hunger pangs started as the ride was nearing three hours. Soon, I reached the highway. The mandatory selfie at the junction was completed in double quick time. Stopped at the next toll booth for some tea. Enquired about directions for the next breakfast stop, and moved along. 

As we crossed the Hidkal reservoir (that I wouldn't know at the time of riding), sun came up beautifully.

I kept looking for a breakfast stop, and couldn't find any open shops. There was one open on the opposite side of the road, but didn't want to waste time. Searching for restaurants, I caught up with Anand from Chennai, who was riding a fat bike. Truly hats off for this guy. 

Reaching the highway was a big morale booster, and more importantly, we were counting down kilometers instead of up. And when I saw this mile post, I felt. "Oh yes, I am going home".

With pleasant weather, I was maintaining a good speed, despite being on empty stomach. 600-720km was expected to the toughest segment in the overall ride. There was steady climbing all the way to Belgaum. On the way, I spotted a group of riders below the highway, most likely from Belgaum on a group ride. I gave a shout, and they recognized that I was part of the 1200. These riders gave good company on the rolling terrain, and I was happy to cover ground quickly.  

With lack of breakfast options, it was pushed till Belgaum, and finally, we stopped at a local breakfast restaurant. Some of the other riders were also having breakfast and some used the opportunity to catch a quick nap. Chandra also joined for breakfast, who was riding with Vipin at this time. 

Santosh was struggling here with knee pain, and was thinking of quitting. I asked him to get to Belgaum and decide. Exiting Belgaum, there wasn't any chance one would. There was rolling terrain with long down slopes.

Talking about targets, CP7 was Sugar and Spice, Hubli @797kms with a cut-off of 3:15. All around Belgaum was rolling terrain and full of climbs.With the initial part of the day in pitch dark, ride average was just normal, and I just sufficient time to reach the next CP. I was getting as temperature soared. I was looking for a good place to rest. With the highway looking like a desert, there wasnt any around. After some time, I found a small tree and a grassy path on the edge of the highway. Though the slope was upwards of 45 degrees, a ten-minute nap much needed respite from the seat. Quickly back on the saddle, a km ahead, I found a small restaurant and noticed another rider had stopped. 

As it was nearing lunch time, and the CP still three hours away, decided to make a brief stop. I stuck to Dal Khichadi, the safe option, preceded by lime soda, and followed by an ice cream. Chandra joined along for lunch here. With the tummy fully loaded, we started for the next CP, and had a slim buffer. Immediately I noticed a puncture. With not much time around, quickly flipped the bike, and swapped the tube for the last spare I had. When we tried to inflate the tire, the nozzle wasn't coming out. I realized that this was an older tube with a short nozzle. I quickly patched the first tube, and put it back. As we were inflating the nozzle broke. With time running out (we barely had 2:45 to cover 48kms under the hot sun with heavy rolling terrain), I asked Chandra to move ahead. He went ahead very reluctantly. He had a spare tube, but needed for his emergency.

Here came along Sakthi from Chennai. From m earlier conversation with Chandra, I knew Sakthi had fixed Chandra's pedal the previous day. The conversation went:

"What, bro"?

"Puncture, and out of tubes. Do you have 700x25". He quickly checked, and said mine is 28.

"Ok, that'll do. Let's patch it"

He thought there may be an issue with pump, and used his pump to inflate. Wary of more air, I limited the pressure to 60psi.
Fifteen more minutes went in the melee.

48kms, and two-and-a-half hour to go. The upward and downward slopes were shining brightly under the hot sun. What followed was nearly superhuman. Seven of us: four riders from Chennai, Dayalan and Karthik from Hosur, and me in the very back pedaled furiously taking one hill after another. We came across some fruit shops near Hubli. Exhausted by the sun, I tried to negotiate with a fruit vendor for some apples. She was reluctant. Karthik passed on one orange that had. This tasted heaven, with all the dehydration and exhaustion. A few more kms later, we arrived at CP7 with 15 mins to spare. I havent rode this hard since the Hogenakkal-400 finish two years ago. 

Forty-eight kilometers were covered in two and a quarter hours. A big kudos to someone who set the pace at the top of the line. 

Hubli Randonneurs provided a grand welcome. They took care of our bikes, refilled water in the bottles, and provided much needed nourishment. Severely dehydrated, I must have had 7 or 8 glasses of lemon juice from the organizers. Thanks to the wonderful support here. 

Having already stopped, I decided to have lunch here. Manas and Binoy were winding up their lunch, and mentioned the service is quite slow. Santosh and Arun joined for lunch. A short nap after a plate of Dal Khichadi, we were ready to be on roads. Sun was still shining bright and we could still feel the heat.

CP8 was DVG Socials (933km; tgt: 03:08am Day 4). Having had three punctures, all in my rear tire, I was wary of  any more. Manas lent me a tube. Ahead of us was a long stretch of highway with very limited food options. It was myself, Arun and Santosh now with the Chennai and Hosur riders surfacing occasionally. While we could spin easily, winds and the cemented highway roads made rolling difficult. I was keeping an eye for any easy food options that came along. We were trying to put a paceline. Santhosh who was following me asked if I can hold a steady line. Folowing the paint made me very drowsy. It was just each one of use against the wind. 

The highway was barren, devoid of anything. Even the toll booths were very sparsely populated. Four hours in, I found a small hotel by the highway thanks to directions to local villagers. Reception was awesome, courtesy to some the earlier riders who had passed along. Service was also quick. As one of the Chennai riders passed along, I gave a shout. He wasn't interested in dinner much. Quickly wrapped up my lunch and moved from here. As the next CP also served as the drop-bag point, there wasn't a need to pack any dinner. 

Rajeev Bhide had decided to drop and was passing in a car. He quickly stopped to cheer myself and Arun. Fresh from the puncture, I queried if he was carrying a spare tire. Luckily, he had one and lent me. This must have been the loneliest part of the ride. Battling sleep deprivation and fatigue, I continued. The only respite at the end of the day was a warm and cozy bed. At one point, I decide to take a short nap, and Santosh joined along. The journey continued after a 15-min nap. My immediate goal was Ranebennur junction at 907. Having done the same stretch in the 600K brevet three weeks ago, I knew there would a boost in the morale. 

While the roads were a bit patchy in this stretch, the cool night breeze kept the energies up. Two hours later, as I located DVG socials. As the gate was shut, I was left wondering if this the correct place. Luckily for me, security opened the gates before I turned back. A few riders from Chennai joined along. We were doing comfortable on time, reaching by 12:45am. 

A long walk after parking the bike, I arrived at the hotel lobby where buffet dinner was arranged. Organizers were having a hard time allocating rooms. I was still wary of the food. Suresh, one of the organizers, quickly commented that the stomach troubles are history now. I just signaled with my crossed fingers. To be honest, I was more worried about punctures. The spare tube and tire added a margin of safety. 

The usual routine followed. Shower, dressing up and packing for the next day. It was 1:25 when I hit the bed. Alarm was set for 2 hours at 3:25. I decided to swap only the jersey and retain the shorts, as it was feeling comfortable. 

Promply woke up at the set alarm. Having already learnt from the previous day routine, got the room cleaned and handed over the keys to the volunteers. Mohan was ready to flag me off. It is quite amazing what a bundle of energy he is. "Only 270 km to go. See you at the finish". Those words were quite encourage. Both the terrain and territory was familiar. I was just hoping that there would still be tail winds to drive us home. Arun joined me along. Having reached late, he had a shorter sleep break.

Day 3: Going Home

 We started off at 4:00am. In familiar terrain, I knew of a small family-run hotel at Anagodu. Sakthi joined along the way. I gave him quick tips abou the tail winds and how to make most use of them. 

Fresh legs powered the next forty kms before I stopped for breakfast. 

Hot steaming idlis at six in the morning was refreshing. Coffee to keep us alert and awake. Arun joined ten minutes later. We both finished breakfast real quick chatting with the hotel owner.  The terrain was familiar. A short climb, and a few kms on the plateau, we reach the toll both. From here, it was rolling down all the way to Chitradurga. This was super easy. The morale kept increasing because of three factors: couting down kilometers, tail winds and familiar terrain.

I decided to take Chitradurga bypass road this time. Upadhya Ruchi, about 15kms past Chitradurga, would serve as ideal snacking point. The ride to here felt like never ending. I was happy to see Mohan and the other volunteers here, though it wasn't a scheduled stop. "Jus another 190 kms. Drive it home. Weather is good, and there are tailwinds". He left within a couple of minutes. 

I went ahead and had a good second breakfast. Kharabath, Kesari, and a couple of choco-bars. As I was winding up, Santosh joined. I couldn't find a reasonable place to rest. Both us used the dining table to rest, and used it for short 15 mins. Back on the road, the next 25kms till Hiriyur went like a breeze, as it was a gentle downslope.

CP9 (Kamat Hotel, 1085km, tgt: 15:25 Day 4) looked very acheivable. Soon, I caught up with Arun, and there was a minor incident on this stretch. A tractor driver was pestering with constant honking. He demanded money for his evening peg. Arun also had the same issue, same driver. As it was getting very hot, we stopped for a quick tender coconut break and continued along. 

As I had some confusion regarding CP9, I went past assuming it to be CCD. When I turned back, I realized how strong the tailwinds were. Service was quite slow in Kamat. After a Dal kichadi and an icecream, we lubed our chains and caught a ten-minute rest. Arun, Santosh and myself started together, after a longish break. We weren't concerned very much about time or buffer now. 115kms to go. 

With tailwinds negating the gradual inclines, we just need to hold ourselves together, to see off the heat. Though this was a familiar stretch, we were doing it for the first time during the day. Temperature cooled as the sun went down, and when I was nearing Tumkur, it started drizzling. I stopped and got into a rain jacket. While starting, I had a fall: a combination of cleating, slope and me applying the front brakes. Nothing serious, but this was enough to set me on a cautious tone.

Traffic picked up, and the ride till Kyathasandra toll, was a misery. Ajja's benne masala dosa was readily available. With three odd hours to the finish, this seemed an ideal place. Ajja was in a good mood and super chatty. Loaded myself on coffee and pocketed a RedBull as an SOS. I wanted to use it only if it was absolutely necessary.

As night fell, riding became tough with break-neck traffic. The couple of times, I stopped, cleating safely and getting back on the road was quite tough, with never-ending parade of cars and trucks. Decided to use the RedBull, just to stay alert. Tailwinds aided the long climbs till Nelamangala. "Almost there" was the feeling a Nelamangala Tol. I didn't even bother to stop and continued along. "Take the bike home...". I was praying that the bike held up without any mechanical issues. 

With the roads getting wider, bike handling was more confident, and I maintained a good pace. With the night still young, decided not to use the flyover. Roads were getting worse as we were nearing Bangalore. I was wary of puddles, or potholes hiding under the puddles. With 1170kms under the belt, I still had energy left in the tank to attack the flyovers. 

Navigation got tougher inside Bangalore, and I constantly kept checking my watch for the turns. As usual, missed both the turns on Sankey Road. With more than an hour for the cut-off, took it with a relaxed mind.  Golf course, Palace Road, Nrupathunga Road, Hudson Circle, and finally Kanteerava Stadium. Reached there by 2300hrs, with an hour to go before cut-off.

There was a good crowd built-up at Konark, and everyone cheered the arrival of one more LRM finisher. As for me, I felt like I could go on for another night. With brevet cards submitted, and clicking the mandatory finish photo, called up home and informed that I had finished. There were several other finishers who were still at Kanteerva. After exchanging lots of congratulatory notes, reality began to sink in. With all the stomach troubles, I was relieved to have finished the mammoth ride.