We’d decided to ride in pairs and every 70-80 km alternate between the pair who’d drive, this way between us 4, we’d cover 120-150 km/day
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Prelude:
Recently after much agony, I completed Yuval Harari’s “Sapiens”, it put me to sleep on many occasions, that said the one quote applied aptly to us was “Consistency is the playground of dull minds”, so when few non-dull minds came together to celebrate my 48th birthday it was decided to cycle from Himachal to the place it all started, to pay obeisance at the Tanot Mata Mandir in Longewala, Rajasthan as we collectively were products of Almighty’s benevolence, this travelogue is about our 1000kms cycling journey and some poignant moments we shared along the way.
Partners in crime and their machines:
- Me – Road cycle
- Ajith – Gravel Road cycle
- Tiny – Road cycle
- Blob – Road cycle
Once the destination was finalized it came to choosing the route.
Harari says “Like all other mental states, our subjective well-being is not determined by external parameters but by a complex system of nerves, neurons, synapses and various biochemicals as serotonin, dopamine & oxytocin, Biologists hold that our mental and emotional world is governed by such biochemical mechanisms shaped by millions of years of evolutions” to prove evolution had caught up we decided to take my age-old Xylo on her last long run before curtains fell, we’d cycle one way and return by road, it wasn’t comfortable but doable. We’d decided to ride in pairs and every 70-80 km alternate between the pair who’d drive, this way between us 4, we’d cover 120-150 km/day and reach the destination in 7-8 odd days. This decision ensured the complex system of nerves of our respective families remained in a positive mental state and thereby ours!
Day 1 – Solan – Patiala (123Kms) [Solan – Panchkula – Zirakpur – Rajpura – Patiala]
After a bit of kabuki dance on “pehle aap” I and Tiny planned to do the first 60kms stretch cycling whilst Ajit and Blob would drive, we started early about 5:30ish, my wife and daughter saw us off with curd. The roads were well known to us, we’d planned to halt at Timber Trail Resort in Parwanoo for breakfast
Now if you are a cyclist with a tailwind the generic question to mind is it better to cycle in an upright position & use your body as a “sail” or be in an aerodynamic position? If you’ve got a tailwind of, say, 12mph and you’re able to ride at a ground speed of 24, you’re still going to experience a relative headwind by virtue of going faster than the wind. In this scenario, the net effect of that tailwind is to subtract from the drag you’d feel in dead-calm air. Aero-ish posture in this scenario will either reduce the amount of work you’re doing or allow you to exploit that reduced drag and go faster than you’d normally be able to sustain.
Braking to get your speed down to a level you feel comfortable with is fine but take a good look around first, if the road surface is good, clear of obstructions and relatively straight there is no reason to slow down so let the bike roll and enjoy some free speed. The next place to improve confidence is during cornering. Braking later will help you hold your speed for longer. Remember to always brake in a straight line so you are at a comfortable cornering speed before you start to turn.
If you are riding a drop-handled bar sports bike how often do you use the drops? Chances are not that much but getting down lower improves your bike handling, reduces your aerodynamic drag, and will help you corner and descend with confidence. Riding on the drops lowers wind resistance by 20 per cent compared with riding on the tops.
This was a routine part of our journey, we’d covered this patch singularly a zillion times, we reached Patiala by late noon sans any drama, superstitious as we were this meant a good start!! We’d stay at another old bud’s place who was a doctor, he checked my vitals, and the report went to Mr’s and got her blessings. Not that case with the other 3 was any different, their agonies with their Mr’s varied in nature but agonies remained!!
Interesting anecdote for the day – At breakfast halt, we came across an Israeli couple who’d come to India to cycle across the Himalayas covering major ranges, husband had served in their elite forces and the wife had retired as head nurse at their naval hospital, so this venture was totally understandable, I made a quick video with them and sent to my wife, bottom-line “Yes I am crazy, but look here what I found”
Day 2 – Patiala – Bhatinda (156kms) [Patiala – Sangrur – Bhatinda]
Throughout the journey we’d maintain the pairing, it was the comfort level we’d have with each other. This day we’d alternate at Sangrur which was midway to Bhatinda and decided to stop for breakfast whenever the hunger pangs would overpower us, which in the case of Tiny was every 20 mins, I read some primates can eat between 45-50 species of fruits every day, Tiny was giving them a run for their dollar!!
Patiala-Sangrur is a regular flatbed highway it’s not a challenging road per se but in the early morning we encountered strong crosswinds, dry bushes were thrown at our face, and we’d have a tough time spitting and cursing for a large part of the ride, here I stress the use of cycling goggles it’s a saviour. We stopped intermittently to brush ourselves and by the time we reached Sangrur we’d become a total mess, exhausted we rested on a chaarpai of a roadside dhaba till Ajith and Blob caught up. Seeing our exhaustion, the dhaba owner got talking, he had served three decades with the BSF before starting this venture, every day he’d feed the homeless and less privileged for free, this practice he’d been doing for the last 6 years and during the covid wave, he’d converted the dhaba into a shelter for homeless. I have always maintained people from my nation are large-hearted and kind, this was a case in point.
Pedalling – If you want to last long on a ride, you can’t go all out right from the start. That includes pedalling in an efficient gear—one that isn’t too hard and won’t fry your legs. Opt for a slightly easier gear with a higher cadence versus one that’s lower because the pedals are harder to turn over. By maintaining a cadence of at least 90 RPM, you give your aerobic and muscular systems a break. Cycling is a relatively low-impact sport … on your legs. But over the course of 50, 60 or 100 Kms, you’re going to feel every bump on that road through your hands, shoulders, neck and butt. Invest in a good pair of padded shorts, and change your position and posture as needed to relieve pressure on certain areas of your body
Ajit and Blob came across a group of local cyclists also en route to Bhatinda, they all cycled together and we followed them some clicks behind in the Xylo, its always refreshing to cycle in a group, having like-minded people around makes the journey less taxing and more enjoyable. We reached Bhatinda by early evening.
Interesting anecdote for the day – Unknown to us our wives had spoken to friends and ex-colleagues about our venture and the estimated time we’d reach Bhatinda, so a large group awaited us at the city entry point, this was utmost bemusing, lots of bonhomie was shared & much of the night went talking with old buds.
Day 3 – Bhatinda – Suratgarh (152Kms) [Bhatinda – Hanumangarh – Suratgarh]
The day started with an event, a group of NCC cadets would cycle with us from the guest house to the city border and from there we’d start our journey. The road condition was acceptable, as road bikes generically come with double-walled rims, they are sturdy enough to weather Indian road conditions, albeit one should do regular highway runs before venturing on a long run, and it’s mainly to do with getting accustomed to its aggressive riding posture. Yes, an MTB would be much more comfortable but Mountain bikes aren’t really designed to go fast. They’re built mainly to handle rough terrain, single track, and take a lot of abuse.
Rajasthan, the land of royals has always been an excellent point for those people who’re travelling to India. It has landscapes varying from green rolling hills to barren deserts. The whole state is dotted with dramatic fortresses and the countryside is a patchwork of villages and towns where one see the timelessness of rural India, this was our home away from home. Rajasthan has the advantage of better roads and disciplined drivers, but it gets dusty and windy and there’s the odd insect jetting right down the oesophagus, albeit that’s all-pure proteins!!
Interesting Food Anecdote – Blob’s a Mizo, he looks Chinese, his colloquial Hindi dialect sounds nothing like Hindi, at the place we stopped for Lunch the hotel fellas thought they’d caught an oriental tourist in their web so went out of the way to cook authentic Chinese food, the result was atrocious, the icing on the cake was hotel owner asking Blob when he thought the COVID situation would finally end!!
More On Food – The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour of exercise. The average person can process, or oxidize, only about one gram of carbohydrate per minute, no matter how much is consumed. The bottleneck isn’t your muscles; it’s your intestines, which can transport glucose from the food you eat into your bloodstream only so fast. Dumping more carbohydrates into your gut doesn’t necessarily increase the absorption rate, but it can increase your chances of an upset stomach. One of the easiest ways to optimize your carbohydrate intake during rides is to drink electrolyte hydrating drinks while you’re eating light, digestible snacks, like bananas. Simply separating these two categories—hydration and solid food—typically brings people back into the range of 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour, while also ensuring they get adequate sodium and fluids.
Interesting anecdote for the day – we bumped into a guy say in their late 30’s on a solo cycling trip from his home down south to Leh, his zeal and determination was worth a thousand praises, we questioned the reasoning behind his venture, and he said, “well just like that”!!! Ridiculous as it were the same logic applied to us for moving from olives to maroon!
Day 4 – Suratgarh – Bikaner (174 Kms) [Suratgarh – Lunkaransar – Bikaner]
This was the longest stretch of our journey, we’d decided to alternate twice to control fatigue.
Tire Pressure – In the case of a long run the single biggest performance improvement you can make on your bike isn’t a lighter set of wheels or fancy electronic shifting. In fact, it isn’t an upgrade at all, it’s bike tire pressure. If you don’t pay attention to inflation, the amount of air in your tires is probably not only not ideal but wrong enough to cause excess flats and serious drop-offs in performance and comfort.
Proper tire pressure lets your bike roll quickly, ride smoothly, and avoid flats. Narrow tires need more air pressure than wide ones. Never go above or below the manufacturer’s recommended tire pressures, which are listed on the sidewall. Tires leak air over time, from as little as a few psi a week to drastic drops overnight. And the rate of loss increases with pressure and in reaction to outside factors like lower temperatures, The important thing is to develop and stick to a habit of regular checkups and top-offs that works for you—if you don’t, your pressure is probably wrong most of the time you ride.
Tire pressure isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it thing. Traditional wisdom says that higher tire pressure equals lower rolling resistance because, on a smooth surface, hard tires flex less and create a smaller contact patch. But no road is perfectly smooth. Properly inflated bike tires conform to bumps and absorb shocks. Overinflated bike tires transmit impacts to the rider, which sacrifices speed and riding comfort.
Camels intrigue me, not only for their utility but it’s their inherent discipline that amazes me, Camels walk in a single file line when travelling for water, oftentimes led by a female, the young congregating in one section, and the oldest camels in the rear. This they do inherently, it’s in their nature, and we saw many a herd doing the disciplined walk this day. An interesting fact – Camel milk has a similar nutritional composition to whole cow’s milk but provides less saturated fat, more unsaturated fat, and higher amounts of several vitamins and minerals.
We alternated at Lunkaransar, over 100kms were cycled and it was time to rest, so we found a large shade tree and we slept under it with cycles lying next to us, for any onlooker this must have been a confusing picture but we were extremely tired. The alternating duo joined us in some time and in the true spirit of camaraderie they slept along, wonder what made them tired but now imagine 4 men sleeping under a tree on a national highway in the middle of a desert!!
Interesting anecdote for the day – Gulabjamun curry for lunch, I can’t explain enough how amazing this dish is, but we hogged till the eatery told us they had run out of ingredients to cook more!!
Day 5 – Bikaner – Bap (132 Kms)
The desert is a wonderful place to ride, but it can be dangerous if you are not prepared. Every year, people get in trouble. The desert is not a forgiving environment.
Some tips:
- On a typical desert bike pack – particularly where water points are unknown – reckon on carrying a maximum of 5-7 litres of water at any one time.
- Drinking water isn’t always enough on its own. Electrolytes help your body absorb H2O more efficiently, replacing valuable salts and minerals that are lost through sweat and exertion. They’ll also be a great way to replenish your energy levels at the end of the day, setting you up for the next round of riding
- Long sleeve, synthetic tops often work best for riding in. Don’t forget your sunglasses, and be sure not to skimp on sun cream.
- We carried yoga mats, better than sleeping on desert sand.
We halted at Asavari Barasingha Villa, owing to COVID scare the hotel was thin on tourists, and we had the pool to ourselves, there’s nothing like dipping in a pool after a long cycle ride immaterial to the chilly weather around
Interesting anecdote for the day – In Rajasthan say you ask for chicken or mutton and the dish that’s served takes a long time to chew, be assured that’s neither chicken/mutton but something rather different! My friends Tiny and Blob got it around the hard way!!
Day 6 – Bap – Mohangarh (137Kms)
With the final destination very much insight we ditched the reserve day, a rejuvenating massage night earlier had set our bearings good enough to continue. It was biting cold so we started a bit late than normal, the day would have us cycling in midst of harsh Rajasthan dry land so we expected the worst, not in terms of distance but fatigue.
Tanks intrigue me too, their superiority of dominance is reassuring, we came across a convoy of 50 tonners transporting tanks mid-way, the convoy had stopped at the same place for refreshments as us so we got talking with the boys, nothing beats that bonhomie, the convoy commander requested us to share a few encouraging words and thoughts of wisdom so that we did, but one should be pardoned for not being attentive as we belonged to extremes and our wisdom sounded more whimsical than practical.
This day we alternated when we knew the going ahead was probably unbearable, there’s nothing more relaxing and pleasing than sitting behind the comfort and close quarters of a vehicle seeing your buddies toil hard with no respite.
My wife had recommended a clinic I should stopover to get my vitals checked, the report was duly sent to her for blessings, we stopped over at ‘Welcome Heritage Shri Mohangarh Fort’, an amazing place to stay again left much to ourselves. The highlight was the hotel manager telling us we could rent cycles and go around the surrounding desert!!
Interesting anecdote for the day – One of us came from Mohangarh, he was third generation maroon, every generation prior was equally strange, crazy and quirky, we’d stopped at his village en route, his grand-uncle probably in the late ’70s was ramrod straight and welcomed us with pushups, as crazy as it sounds we managed to beat him by a whisker. There were 7 maroons from one single-family!! That’s pure pride.
Day 7 – Mohangarg – Tanot (136 Kms)
The Grand finale of our journey was now in sight, till now everything had gone sans any drama, almighty’s benevolence was shining on. But then Murphy’s Law caught up, the first leg of cycling with me and Tiny went smooth, the second leg had just commenced when an overzealous tuk-tuk whizzed close to Ajith making him lose balance and fall over the hard bushes, he got all thorny! The tuk-tuk driver instead of apologizing got all argumentative and was given a brief tour of the stars in midst of the day, that bearing the journey was smooth and sans any hurdles.
We decided to meet at a known point, clean ourselves and change into human clothing before entering the temple, it was a surreal moment, lots of water had flown under the river in the past two decades, there were so many moments to rejoice, some scars of not having a few friends around to share this moment was very much in minds. We stayed on for some time before calling it a day.
Interesting anecdote for the day – totally faux passed we saw our wives waiting for us at the temple premises, this was utmost surprising and to share almighty’s blessing in the company of one person who endured most of the burden of our profession was indeed gratifying.
Trust it was a good read, next should be cycling trip from Manali to Leh OR Tour de Mauritius. More when that happens.
Keyword: 4 friends cycle 1000 km from Himachal to Rajasthan