Bicycle Diaries : Race2Nandi

Cycling

Bicycle Diaries : Race2Nandi

By Hemant Soreng on July 2, 2009

Biker’s log Earthdate 28.06.2009. I am new to Bangalore Bikers Club (BBC) and this is my first race. And am cycling after more than 15 years.

4:30 am: CSNY croons “Helplessly Hoping” in full volume. That’s my phone alarm. Well it metaphorically enacts my act of waking up. This time I did wake up and why not it was the bicycle race day.

5:15 am : Packed my bike into the car, helmet and other stuff. Double checked my iPod and my Nikon D60. As I drive towards Hebbal saw lot of cyclists clearly riding towards the starting point of the race and this is wee hours of the morning.

6:00 – 7:00 am : Reach Cafe Coffee Day (CCD), the starting point and come to know that it around 44 km ONE WAY. Dude, I misread the race details and route. However, seeing so many serious bikers together was a great delight. Where were these guys all this time when I was looking out? Last count unofficially around 70 plus. Bikers and volunteers gather together across the road from CCD. It was a great sight – with so many good looking bikes.

7:12 am : Finally the race starts. And in a symmetrical straight line the bikers take the left of the highway and race toward Nandi hills. I turn on to my iPod and straight to “Bicycle Race” song by Queen. *seriously*

An irrelevant sign for the bikers

7:32 am : I lose sight of the bikers ahead of me. Not sure if there were any behind me. Ok so this is my first race and I stop regularly taking snaps and bikers pass me by. Thats a relief, I am not the last one.

9:00 – 10:00 am : at the foot hill of Nandi hills. 8 km more to go and yes all uphill. Amazing view across. My Nikon D60 gets into action as I trudge towards the peak. (4851 feet above sea level). Last 4 Km were killer as I finally reached top with the bikers cheering me on.

10:30 am – 1:00 pm : Take my bike and head back to the CCD where my car was parked. The downhill of 8 km took only 14 min and it was some ride. And as I reached the plains it evened out. two and half hours later finally reached the destination with photo and coconut water breaks in between.
Checked my bike’s speedometer and I had covered 88.4 km.