Tuesday Morning Ridin'

Sleeping late, getting up 30 mins after the alarm rings, Getting dressed without any urgency, texting the gang to wait for me at the starting point, leaving home even late... Its becoming a habit. Damn cellphone...
So I slept at 3 AM, got up at 5.50 AM and left home at 6.10 AM, I messaged Ankur that I'll be late, but coming for sure. I cycled at my own pace today. From law college road – Senapati Bapat road – Pashan – Bavdhan (crossed my former workplace) – Chandni Chowk – Home. It was a nice ride. Mostly uphill… and now finally, at the wrong time, I feel sleepy… time to get some sleep…

Bored of handlebar shots, but not cycling.

I always like to cycle. That's not the point. The point is, that I always take my camera with me and click pictures while I ride. All handlebar shots. So I'm tired of those.
What I would really like to do is to take bike videos. I tried to make a handlebar attachment for a little camera, but failed miserably.
I still get the kick out of beating un-geared cycles on uphill climbs. It is a bit hedonistic... but since I can't roll a joint right hear, right now, I'd persist with this...
Before I start getting carried away, I better go get my kicks for the day...

Thursday ridin'

So till 9.30 PM on Wednesday, I still didn't know if we were going cycling the next day. With hopes of finding the starting point and route for the next day's ride, I read Ankur's message that night, only to be disappointed. He had messaged to look out for Bappa in the ongoing T20 WC warm up India - Pak match... Who wants to watch a warm up match that late at night?!?!
So I messaged him asking if we had any plans. Apparently we did not... because, I got no reply. Apparently, he fell asleep. So I decided to wake up early and motivate myself for a ride alone.
So I set up my alarm for 5.30 AM, but woke up at 5.15 AM.
And I got dressed, filled my partially crushed water bottle, and started off alone at 6.15AM.
Initially I planned to ride from Home - Senapati Bapat road - Pashan circle - Bavdhan - (Pune's own)Chandni Chowk - home.
But by the time I reached the University circle, I had already made massive changes in the route I was going to take. Instead of turning left towards Bavdhan, I went straight towards the Baner-Pashan Link road, and went all the way to Baner, and on the gradual uphill climb back to University circle...
Then it was downhill. but then - 'Fun suddenly came' when I started speeding on 3-7 downhill. I must be going at around 50 KM PH, and the momentum, along with the sudden burst of adrenalin allowed me to climb the flyover without changing the gear, and maintaining my speed over about 30 KM PH. I admit, it wasn't difficult, but I really had a great time doing it...
So off I was towards Fergusson college road, and stopped for a few sips of cool water at the end of the gradual climb there. I turned right towards BMCC, and went all the way from Law college road towards home pretty fast... And I remembered ... I have a camera...
Have Camera, will click...

So with the camera now slung around me, I was trying out all sorts of different angles while riding... 7.30 AM traffic... yeverything is passible...
So I was already home... an hour and fifteen minutes... that was what it took for approximately 25 kilometres... not bad, but not too good either.
Well, at least the photos weren't that bad... ;0)

Tuesday Ridin'

On an unusually sultry June Monday evening, we sat discussing over a few glasses of sugarcane juice where to go cycling Tuesday morning.

That’s what we started off with, but then ended up discussing the ongoing French open and Rafa’s historic loss to Soderling. And the topic moved on to trips, and cycling, but not once did it revert to the original topic of discussion – Tuesday morning’s ride route.

Just as we were about to disperse to our respective homes, we decided to meet at Satara road, Citypride multiplex at 6 AM the next day. That meant, that I would have to get up at 5, get dressed, and reach Panse’s place at 5.45 AM max. I did, and was waiting for Panse to come out, when I saw some Gulmohar flowers on the ground, Picked up one, and jammed a few petals on the handlebar so as to add a little colour to my silver bike…

6.10 AM we all gathered at Satara Road, and then started off on our early morning city expedition. Salisbury park – MG road – KP – Boat club road – engineering college – goodluck, where we had breakfast – home…

My poor silver bottle got partially crushed when it got dislodged from the holder on the cycle frame and rolled down the road, and a tempo ran over it… But it took the shock well, and although it’s a little bent from one side, it still holds water well...

Words of wisdom and inspiration...

At 6 AM, when we started on the fine summer Sunday morning, little did I know what I was in for... As we reached the Chandni Chowk climb, I was exhausted... I was drained out of energy, but somehow managed to reach up where others waited... I thought I'll turn back and take a longer route home. But as the others joined us there, I shed all inhibitions and decided to continue further.

Then tragedy struck. At slopes where I could normally climb at 3-6, I was at a gear lower, yet could not achieve the optimum speed I wished for. I could feel a lot of drag... and had a look at my tyres. Not enough air. But outside the main city, and on a sunday morning, hoping for some puncture shop to be open would be hoping for too much. And I thought of turning back quite a few times, but something made me go. Feeling the drag even downhill, I was not so sure how long the cycle tyres will hold without getting severly damaged... apparently, not at all, as I found later!

We reached the start of the Pirangut ghat and took a left turn downhill towards Mutha ghat. about two kilometers from there, we stopped at a small hill, where we dragged our cycles up, and cycled down the steep slope.
Have ATB - will offroad...

So almost 9AM, and time to head back. The hard sun beating down upon us as we cycle back. I had to stop twice on the way to Pirangut, but once I was there, I rode non stop till chandani chowk with the near flat tires... well, not non stop... there was a little incident of my water bottle falling off the frame. but that being recovered soon, I was at CC, and finally filling air in my tires. because this was Pune, and it was 9.30!
Finally with air in my tires, we headed to our favourite local restaurant for a scrumptious breakfast, and dispersed home. I have a habit of texting a small message of thanks to those I meet once I reach back home. As I did so, I got a reply with these golden words of inspiration and wisdom -
'A lot of biking is mental, a bit of physical and a minor part is about the bike itself...' -Ankur Kothari, Pune
31st May 2009