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