My biking adventures started in March 2010 when I bought a Trek 4300 from BOTS for what seemed then an unbelievable profligate amount of Rs 24k. I was planning to ride the Tour of Niligiris later that year, and a bike was essential to participate. I cannot say I trained very much on the bike, with a misplaced confidence that my regular running and general fitness will carry me through the 8 days on the Tour. Yeah, I did the once a week 30k 0r so ride, mainly doing a loop from Indiranagar to Koramangala to Sarjapur Road to ORR to Marathahalli, and then back home thru the Old Airport Road. I even tried to do a century ride but gave up at about 90km or so, not because I was tired, but because it was so damn boring. I didnt even do the obligatory Nandi climb (come to think of it, in my 20 years in Bangalore, I have probably been up there only once, and that too in a car). So anyway I did the Tour that year in December, at my own pace without getting flustered by all those shining road bikes whizzing past, or the hyper-competitive athletes on their mountain bikes competing with the roadies, or even some folks who came with different bikes to suit different tarmacs/trails of the Tour!
I enjoyed the experience, made some really good friends (more on that later) and vowed to bike to office at least once a week on my return. The climb to Ooty was tortuous but I did it without being swept by the broom wagon, and that was indeed a sense of achievement rivalled only by when I managed to complete a race between two connecting flights 20 minutes apart at probably the worst airport in the world. For those who know me well, you know the airport I am talking about, for others..well, oui c'est une.
So I returned home after 8 days less 3 kgs, with impressive tan lines, and a phone filled with new numbers of people I hoped I would meet again.
