tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85744234642257027462024-02-21T01:39:35.659+05:30Southern Riderscycling, trekking, running and anything interesting..!Southern Ridershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10310769773151840302noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8574423464225702746.post-2459912598604661512015-09-04T19:34:00.000+05:302015-09-04T19:56:51.326+05:30I Ride With India - Southern Riders<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style=" font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.7600002288818px;">Southern Riders invites you to ride with India on September 6th 2015, 06:30AM. </span><br />
<span style=" font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.7600002288818px;">Southern Riders is an official organizer from both Chennai (Medavakkam Jn. venue) and Coimbatore (R.S Puram venue)</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18.7600002288818px;"><b><span style=" font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chennai Chapter's Invite:</span></b></span></h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspiD9KJehTLpO83s42CEVni2L3HX0NC2vE05MJ4EPIZ_6452LhFe7p9V4mEigSr_vlKtdbdFq9uaJdfiIry8zOrjGi7UdoxNpAhIHrpHISc1yjO-XFmBZg3LsvkAd4tieJdFRkKOQgpXC/s1600/1_Event+Cover+photo+template.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style=" color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspiD9KJehTLpO83s42CEVni2L3HX0NC2vE05MJ4EPIZ_6452LhFe7p9V4mEigSr_vlKtdbdFq9uaJdfiIry8zOrjGi7UdoxNpAhIHrpHISc1yjO-XFmBZg3LsvkAd4tieJdFRkKOQgpXC/s640/1_Event+Cover+photo+template.png" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<b style="line-height: 18.7600002288818px;"><span style=" font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Coimbatore Chapter's Invite:</span></b></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYpvc1xIoS8wUfBcEUKShxav2eqW0vfJoI-mbmSQXEhARLsarsRKIVgCzjB9r7QeDo7c-6vZdolDFUoEdVaBrqsw_Hdh64XCAAC1FZWnXvfLYZgYsf4pLPUo8F-gCXEf_PnrxVWudtGAdr/s1600/2_Event+Cover+photo+template+copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style=" color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYpvc1xIoS8wUfBcEUKShxav2eqW0vfJoI-mbmSQXEhARLsarsRKIVgCzjB9r7QeDo7c-6vZdolDFUoEdVaBrqsw_Hdh64XCAAC1FZWnXvfLYZgYsf4pLPUo8F-gCXEf_PnrxVWudtGAdr/s640/2_Event+Cover+photo+template+copy.png" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRsTkTqh7_ERhUlrAyrwyJKGeLN3Fh8O_xW-zMv2Y6XsITvooRKVk8XF4Sq3lpd-JpvL44MZ36iOaUt7l8sszBiot0sdoNKL_do1m6T8mQPHF3cAoYRgJ0AtiryjJzZoSw8WIu02IBJZFJ/s1600/11891357_1521750394781978_763592029_n.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style=" color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRsTkTqh7_ERhUlrAyrwyJKGeLN3Fh8O_xW-zMv2Y6XsITvooRKVk8XF4Sq3lpd-JpvL44MZ36iOaUt7l8sszBiot0sdoNKL_do1m6T8mQPHF3cAoYRgJ0AtiryjJzZoSw8WIu02IBJZFJ/s200/11891357_1521750394781978_763592029_n.png" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<b style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.7600002288818px;">About ‘I Ride With India’:</b></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style=" display: inline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.7600002288818px;">I Ride With India is a nationwide cycling event in which more than 100 organizers are participating to create the biggest cycling event of India. This event is a symbol of unity of cycling community of India. The aim of this event to is motivate more and more people to start cycling. All registered participants will receive an e-certificate of participation.<br /><br />To register for this free event, please visit : <a href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cyclingindia.in%2Fi-ride-with-india&h=LAQGh2hiZ&enc=AZPAWxSW6qC3nf176Ih0kFo0ldweJKMTmZHBz11IQLCj9VuDUNOUdeUyEshCIlPZcPs&s=1" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">www.cyclingindia.in/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>i-ride-with-india</a><br /><br />Also, do RSVP on the main Facebook event on: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1451274611845382/" rel="nofollow" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">https://www.facebook.com/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>events/1451274611845382/</a><br /><br />I Ride With India is an initiative by Cycling India.</span><br />
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Southern Ridershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10310769773151840302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8574423464225702746.post-80181334169521194142015-08-06T11:14:00.003+05:302015-09-04T20:04:10.860+05:30Annual Ride on Coromandel Coast (2015)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is believed that fishing
is one of man’s oldest professions. So, one can observe human settlements along
entire coastlines. And with it, traditions and practices from centuries past.
The coromandel coast along India’s south-east is one such location that has
witnessed lives of simple fisher-folks to powerful Tamil kings setting forth in
their conquest of the far east to the European colonial powers like the
English, French and Danish setting up castles to gain foothold in India.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, the coromandel coast
hosts the popular ‘ECR’ or ‘East Coast Road’ that runs along the coastline
traversing through small fishing communities, forts built by Europeans, busy
commercial ports and massive places of worship like Chidambaram Nataraja
Temple, Thirukkadaiyur Abirami Temple, Veilankanni Basilica, Nagore Dargah and
Rameswaram Ramanathaswamy temple. This is an ideal route for a cycle trip to
enjoy the views, immerse in local culture and experience pedaling in the smooth
tarmac highway whose altitude remains same throughout. 2 of us from <b><i><a href="http://www.southernriders.in/"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Southern Riders</span></a></i></b> experienced the joy of
doing a 5 day cycle trip in the route in 2011 and wanted to share this with our
fellow riders who have accompanied us during <i><a href="http://www.southernriders.in/2013/09/chennai-to-ooty-by-bicycle.html"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Chennai – Ooty</span></a>
(2012)</i>, <i><a href="http://www.southernriders.in/2014/02/cycling-to-kanyakumari.html"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Coimbatore – Kanyakumari</span></a>
(2013)</i> via Kerala and <i><a href="http://www.southernriders.in/2015/07/2014-southernriders-annual-ride.html"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Bangalore – Goa</span></a></i>
<i>(2014)</i> rides. What better way to share this than by organizing another
ride of 600+ Kms between Chennai and Rameswaram during the December holidays of
2015?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have 12 confirmed riders and
have started making plans for this trip. We are considering having a support
car and camping equipment, so that we can stay even closer to nature and test
our endurance. We will set-off from Chennai during early hours of 26-Dec and
will hope to get to Mahabalipuram for breakfast. We would then be crossing
Pondicherry, Cuddalore and reaching Chidambaram. Beyond that, we will be riding
through sparsely populated ancient cities of Poompuhar, Tarangambadi and into
Nagore. The last stretch from Nagore to Rameswaram will cover Veilankanni
Basilica, the Paamban Bridge, Chettinad Palace (Kaanaadukaathaan) by taking a
small diversion from ECR and finally into the Paamban Bride! Hopefully we will
be celebrating the upcoming new year at the imaginary Raamar Bridge into Sri
Lanka (Danushkodi). <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nqhPhXkm8Xb3nThnjxs38MFVveeCxRlzfVFIfQsGBfXz3EncKZn5yJl9Yvy7_78Eu3_67UMYDchDraNvQl8hMu1J1-pJHFVdIT79Yzc8g6wFy6bKJ9wYz7mwQ71lBsHbpCDY00IcTtRU/s1600/pamban-bridge.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nqhPhXkm8Xb3nThnjxs38MFVveeCxRlzfVFIfQsGBfXz3EncKZn5yJl9Yvy7_78Eu3_67UMYDchDraNvQl8hMu1J1-pJHFVdIT79Yzc8g6wFy6bKJ9wYz7mwQ71lBsHbpCDY00IcTtRU/s640/pamban-bridge.png" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This time, we have
experienced riders who can easily do 200 KMs per day, but we will take it easy
and restrict ourselves to a maximum of 125 KMs per day to soak in the
experience from the places we visit, enjoy sea-food, take pictures, write
interesting blogs along the way and make this a memory to cherish for a
lifetime. We will give constant updates on Facebook as well as our Southern
Riders blog – so, do join and be part of this experience!</span></div>
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Southern Ridershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10310769773151840302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8574423464225702746.post-86719104934827168292015-07-19T20:59:00.002+05:302015-07-31T12:44:34.117+05:302014 Southernriders Annual ride: Pedaling from Garden City to the Party Capital of India...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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What started as an exploratory
long ride by our group in 2011 from Chennai to Rameshwaram has become an annual
ritual for Southernriders. After conquering Tamilnadu and Kerala in our
previous rides, it was time to look west in 2014. And what better way to accomplish
that by cycling all the way to Party Capital of India, Goa in time to bask in
the New Year revelries and ushering in 2015!!</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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The planning for every year’s
ride starts around the months of Sep-Oct and 2014 was no different. A few
discussions and mail chains later we zeroed in on Bangalore- Goa route! It was going to be bigger and better this
time since we had to cover 640 kms in 5 days! Most of us had gone back to our
sedentary lifestyle and were not in a shape to cover such long distance unless
we had to buckle up and start practicing hard. We somehow managed to fit in a
few weekend rides of 70 – 100 kms and tried to accustom ourselves to the
routine of riding 120+ kms in a day. The days rolled by and soon we were into
the last week of December, ready and excited to begin the 2014 Annual ride. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Day 1 (Bangalore – Sira, Distance: 119 kms)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqnPtV_zxW_7StngvTbZJa-In80riDzEQD4bHU6AaG5dmmTIMDtnkxj9rG539wVtN1vIxYl-jDItwHAruYyVpnlWP7vrOEOLFw18v0BX8XdVJzpS8jBJ5LVqUs0XZtPwHk0ajJrFcnGo/s1600/20141225_113731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqnPtV_zxW_7StngvTbZJa-In80riDzEQD4bHU6AaG5dmmTIMDtnkxj9rG539wVtN1vIxYl-jDItwHAruYyVpnlWP7vrOEOLFw18v0BX8XdVJzpS8jBJ5LVqUs0XZtPwHk0ajJrFcnGo/s320/20141225_113731.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 1, Getting ready to flag off from Bangalore City Railway Station</td></tr>
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Our plan was to assemble on the
morning of 25<sup>th</sup> December 2014 at Bangalore City Railway station. The
guys from Chennai had arrived by train well in time. However, the start was
delayed since my bus from Trivandrum trundled into Bangalore only by 9:30 am.
After a quick shower and bite, we checked all our cycles for the grueling ride
ahead. It was unusually warm and by the time we had started, it was 11.45 am
with the sun well and truly shining over our heads, not an ideal time to start
your first day of the ride. Negotiating the Bangalore traffic was a tad
difficult and by 1:00 pm we were out on NH4 pedaling towards Tumkur. Though the
average speed of the group was good, the lack of tree cover on a 4 lane
National Highway was proving to be tough with the 20 kg pannier bags. With
adequate stops for hydrating ourselves we made it to Tumkur by 4 pm and had a
late lunch. After an hour’s break, we had to cover the remaining 50 kms in 3
hrs before it got dark. The temperatures quickly plummeted after sunset and
riding in the dark with the cold wind whistling past our ears was a different
challenge in itself. By 8 pm, the group made it to Sira and checked into a
hotel. Being a holiday and a small town, it was difficult finding a place to
eat. Luckily, we bumped into a roadside makeshift hotel for some delicious Idly’s
and Dosa and quickly retired for the day.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Day 2 (Sira – Davangere, Distance: 143 kms)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The second day’s target of Davangere was quite a
stiff one and we had to pedal the next 143 kms on NH4 to Davangere. We realized
the hard way that traveling in cars on a highway at triple digit speeds might
be fun, but pedaling under the hot sun without any cover made us loathe these
highways in spite of the smooth surface. We started pedaling by 8 am and plan
was to have breakfast after covering at least 40 kms to Hiriyur. The steep
bills at a roadside Dhaba did not deter us and we ate to our heart’s content.
However, the restart was delayed as Ragavendra had puncture and we had to fix
it and start from Hiriyur only by 11:30 am. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAWeYECJp0fCQAJUPQgAa688DAk3vet319ippnj-7fQvvilFt8Hel37JV-fRsr89S0Fl-pdjNtWPZbLO9kTuJIK3KQCVtFQ9jxJH5KfhsJXBQRIzK0vLEG1eBrAEtdVYjxJ7UZEqItOzE/s1600/20141226_111239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAWeYECJp0fCQAJUPQgAa688DAk3vet319ippnj-7fQvvilFt8Hel37JV-fRsr89S0Fl-pdjNtWPZbLO9kTuJIK3KQCVtFQ9jxJH5KfhsJXBQRIzK0vLEG1eBrAEtdVYjxJ7UZEqItOzE/s200/20141226_111239.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Day 2: Fixing Ragavendra's Flat Tyre near Hiriyur</span></td></tr>
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The hot sun and the rolling
gradient between Hiriyur and Chitradurga split our group into 3 different
batches. I kept pedaling and little did I realize that I had left my friends
far behind. By 2 pm, I made it into Chitradurga and waited for the riders to
regroup. Since I had a little bit of time, I decided to check out the famous
Chitradurga castle. Chitradurga gets its name from Chitrakaldurga (or Picturesque
castle), an umbrella-shaped lofty hill found here. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4KscOKn7r-u8SIIsXz6WlOEQ930CU1wyVkmb1wRg5T84JptiXZvzy6_JQa9B0AX2RDa3jpEOnFC11BbDSNnret4tnVuD6EYMvHi7uPHTaXVsK_EQyspSfqNC5YgZ-GSkzjJXfMX2E4wU/s1600/20141226_150414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4KscOKn7r-u8SIIsXz6WlOEQ930CU1wyVkmb1wRg5T84JptiXZvzy6_JQa9B0AX2RDa3jpEOnFC11BbDSNnret4tnVuD6EYMvHi7uPHTaXVsK_EQyspSfqNC5YgZ-GSkzjJXfMX2E4wU/s200/20141226_150414.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Day 2: Chitradurga Fort enroute to Davangere</span></td></tr>
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The fort has quite a bit of
history from Mahabharata days to the colonial rule. It was a good visit to the
historic fort and by the time I finished checking out the fort, it was 4 pm and
the other riders caught up as well. Since most of us had skipped lunch, we had
a longish supper and were ready to start only by 5:30 pm. We had another 60 kms
to cover for the day and the light was quickly fading. Few of us were unsure
about riding in the dark and we quickly decided to split into 2 groups with one
group pedaling quickly to Davangere to find accommodation and the others to
catch up later. Riding in the dark on a highway with high speed traffic
fighting with us for road space was a nerve wracking experience, but luckily
the cool breeze made things a bit easier and the group reached Davangere safely
by 9 pm. Finding a hotel was difficult as Davangere was a bigger town and the
holiday season meant that hotels were full. After an hour of searching, we
found a hotel, albeit a bit pricey. By the time we finished dinner it was past
11 pm, and we were recounting our experiences for the day and decided that we
need to start early the next day to tackle the highways and hot sun.</span></span></div>
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<b>Day 3 (Davangere – Hubli, Distance: 150 kms)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHImUgFF8LVGbgcbHmHqLSsAFejkYEhPTJLV1qkTWLPVUGzr-A4VZSGLBhphkuaXKR_0WwG5ziLUExt2FX4dFE_ArBvyaOFNu3BpAKblAixDtnehjAR0D7J1j8Sd8nasw5TweEa0WW2Q/s1600/10683537_10152640169791911_7476094507826738225_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHImUgFF8LVGbgcbHmHqLSsAFejkYEhPTJLV1qkTWLPVUGzr-A4VZSGLBhphkuaXKR_0WwG5ziLUExt2FX4dFE_ArBvyaOFNu3BpAKblAixDtnehjAR0D7J1j8Sd8nasw5TweEa0WW2Q/s200/10683537_10152640169791911_7476094507826738225_o.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 3: Fixing Viswas Flat tyre before Hubli</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The plan as usual was to start
early but again we missed our target and started only by 7:30 am. (Missed our
captain Palani here, who ensured that we were awake early during our previous
annual rides). It was a slightly pleasant day and the country roads from
Davangere to Harihar were a welcome respite to the monotonous highways. After
breakfast from roadside eatery at Harihar consisting of some delicious hot
paniyarams (paddu in Kannada), we again caught up with NH4 to Hubli. Things
didn't go as planned as it was unusually hot during the day slowing our
progress. 3 more flat tyres and one after sunset made things more difficult and
finally we dragged ourselves and checked in around 9 pm at Hubli. Nevertheless
even amidst these hiccups it was an enjoyable day. Viswas had to return back to
Bangalore due to official commitments leaving us without a local guy in our
group.</div>
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<b>Day 4 (Hubli – Ramnagar, Distance: 84.4 kms)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLi77FTtDTZSXsiUZDp2eFptag265bI3aR1ZePYnrGe7P7gYQXwl24j65e8BDpIrkXmIhyphenhyphenatyQHG4e0EC32O4JhvxM_eJGAqv028X9OzQqKyTF7Eah8p2hgWqR74E991z5K8Gn3kYTbPQ/s1600/IMG_20141228_142511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLi77FTtDTZSXsiUZDp2eFptag265bI3aR1ZePYnrGe7P7gYQXwl24j65e8BDpIrkXmIhyphenhyphenatyQHG4e0EC32O4JhvxM_eJGAqv028X9OzQqKyTF7Eah8p2hgWqR74E991z5K8Gn3kYTbPQ/s200/IMG_20141228_142511.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 4: A Jaggery preparation site near Ramnagar, Karnataka</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Started from Hubli at 10 am due
to fatigue from doing 145+ kms on the previous 2 days. Plan was to reach
Kanapur but after discussion with some locals we changed it to Ramnagar about
85 kms from Hubli. The initial 24 kms stretch to Dharwad in the hot sun was
quite sapping, little did we know that things would change and the ghat section
from Dharwad to Ramnagar was a welcome break. The sun playing hide and seek
from tree canopies, the dense forests and the villages of rural Karnataka were
a stark contrast to the highways. Few of us were lucky enough to see jaggery
preparation from sugar and had a litre of sugarcane juice for Rs. 20. Overall a
good day and the push to cross the forest section before dark enabled us to
complete the ride by 6.30 pm</div>
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<b>Day 5 (Ramnagar – Majorda (Goa), Distance: 129 kms)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZUBnabDKyvLjaHWxj4ANCpDoUvchk0aCLHJPHLrTB2IQZU9oTWRijC37E6D0LFIlKUHBMDJam2TjxAGMfKNt3SzriwhW_mca9vOrLHdokAuGMwkMH0f_MZoF64fuR7-BVTV71P_OJgsM/s1600/IMG_20141229_113007+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZUBnabDKyvLjaHWxj4ANCpDoUvchk0aCLHJPHLrTB2IQZU9oTWRijC37E6D0LFIlKUHBMDJam2TjxAGMfKNt3SzriwhW_mca9vOrLHdokAuGMwkMH0f_MZoF64fuR7-BVTV71P_OJgsM/s200/IMG_20141229_113007+%25281%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 5: Finally entered the State of Goa after 4 days of pedaling!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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After cycling 600+ kms we finally
reached Goa. The last stretch of 100+ kms today wasn't as easy as we had
expected. The 20 km stretch from Ramnagar to Anmod was a potholed stretch which
was bone shattering. Thereafter the altitude reduced drastically from 2000ft to
400 ft. in a stretch of 10 kms where we attained speeds of 50+ kmph. All in all
it was an eventful day and we reached our resort in Majorda, South Goa by 4.30.
A satisfying feeling nevertheless! </div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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Each year the ride keeps getting
better. Interacting with people from all walks of life (farmers, day workers,
school students, businessmen etc.) helps us get a different perspective of
life. Most of them of are curious to know as to why we do this; few get
inspired as well to take up cycling. Anyways, for us it was a welcome break and
something to reflect upon and bring some variety to the routine life we all
undergo. This year’s ride was no different as well and the icing on the cake
was celebrating the New Year at Goa! Hope you enjoyed reading our cycling
escapade and keep watching this space for more ride updates<o:p></o:p></div>
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Few more clicks from our ride...</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmaNJ-slhU7vsNHha9lvmrY8UyGn0XlRmXhfNdeCfxldhyZPWBX569SRHWoF3KZ3l4eiRWJzJ0eEaiyBE6FB8vQ_xNgkUVbafHExHPDR92ZW7pmHwtpq-rMn-1iJQcJdk5p23Fsw4jfg/s1600/20141228_095110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmaNJ-slhU7vsNHha9lvmrY8UyGn0XlRmXhfNdeCfxldhyZPWBX569SRHWoF3KZ3l4eiRWJzJ0eEaiyBE6FB8vQ_xNgkUVbafHExHPDR92ZW7pmHwtpq-rMn-1iJQcJdk5p23Fsw4jfg/s200/20141228_095110.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 4. Southernriders ready to start from Hubli</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpS2ar1m4K7B3P6OcqKG-fb5-qmlE0yNp_CsAevBpTCeoVl0-cREtoIxO_0w-Rzx0Vxhrb4YA4FosllwWOw2P88KSTmBpCI_8X34EFk5C65oOXn5OfMgEkh8UhxwS40_OCtKPMK84eb6Q/s1600/20141227_093510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpS2ar1m4K7B3P6OcqKG-fb5-qmlE0yNp_CsAevBpTCeoVl0-cREtoIxO_0w-Rzx0Vxhrb4YA4FosllwWOw2P88KSTmBpCI_8X34EFk5C65oOXn5OfMgEkh8UhxwS40_OCtKPMK84eb6Q/s200/20141227_093510.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 3. On a Bridge near harihar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwP0HWEpkD8UuELeb-ch0RPKgsNg9-GrLPKuTlac1H2YokRUqOKBQfvD08xK6CrQ_sds94p7orSNuGBYFOYFJQbh4aPoI0eeLzZHgbQ6jjX13l1dlqyejqDtLC3gpiAkUi4REftgPGvp0/s200/10873437_10152636654461911_6740227269570265185_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 4. Our star rider, Siva Sir posing near Ramnagar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3aK0fv-gOcxUj_WJrgjFxbZ9cMNNxdE6ZLQyR36y9s05dSQxT1f3BhbX-cXBtF7KABnoc4ggZ8WaOXXNIqlPNgGcFB0sQUQzhBKFCNEYP6mujY2vPhgH2oMiaS7Rj_ZSeMib2Dw9vWus/s1600/20141229_151246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3aK0fv-gOcxUj_WJrgjFxbZ9cMNNxdE6ZLQyR36y9s05dSQxT1f3BhbX-cXBtF7KABnoc4ggZ8WaOXXNIqlPNgGcFB0sQUQzhBKFCNEYP6mujY2vPhgH2oMiaS7Rj_ZSeMib2Dw9vWus/s200/20141229_151246.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 5. The famous Zuari River in Goa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi84js6nhRIm4QFngWWwd-t_a3EwJJNxmg3yz_yC-Xx8sW1aDY80LhguLbFKnm7o2KQ9u2cQm-G8dq0hxhir_z8QltI1rUmnQp4e6l6fsA6wme9cm3WdOnARxiPAoyAnlsOwf-2zG2j8_Q/s1600/20141229_161502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi84js6nhRIm4QFngWWwd-t_a3EwJJNxmg3yz_yC-Xx8sW1aDY80LhguLbFKnm7o2KQ9u2cQm-G8dq0hxhir_z8QltI1rUmnQp4e6l6fsA6wme9cm3WdOnARxiPAoyAnlsOwf-2zG2j8_Q/s200/20141229_161502.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 5. Some unusual sights on the eve of Christmas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6N8avpnzqpiiA8B40Mt1OBECUd8YId_lSXVHTxJ1PkLZs9nPABAeO9zDFomrBJs4Vq83FgU5CXD42TAkhXj3v_ZaFYbV7DA6pBpc-xZD81BRONX9N7x4k6lQeLWUHJly8y8ChMsi1sY8/s1600/20141229_172953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6N8avpnzqpiiA8B40Mt1OBECUd8YId_lSXVHTxJ1PkLZs9nPABAeO9zDFomrBJs4Vq83FgU5CXD42TAkhXj3v_ZaFYbV7DA6pBpc-xZD81BRONX9N7x4k6lQeLWUHJly8y8ChMsi1sY8/s200/20141229_172953.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 5. Sunset at Majorda Beach, Goa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKAELXzQl4aUPJJdFsFGjn_dApz6ELCCn_-Q9EDAw_XNlEc0k-eR-sCzs67BHwGPGrj-PbX4tFXVxMc1obQ6c92fefYN8fI_wx7ZFVsPtTbahQ2iApludp_AyvDVfhv9rSjOQYsWn-Gk/s1600/20141230_175108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKAELXzQl4aUPJJdFsFGjn_dApz6ELCCn_-Q9EDAw_XNlEc0k-eR-sCzs67BHwGPGrj-PbX4tFXVxMc1obQ6c92fefYN8fI_wx7ZFVsPtTbahQ2iApludp_AyvDVfhv9rSjOQYsWn-Gk/s200/20141230_175108.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team relaxing with a boat ride at Palolem Beach</td></tr>
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Check it out our <a href='http://www.southernriders.in/p/2014.html'>gallery</a> for more photos!!!</div>
</div>Sriram Vasudevanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09410638070629198682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8574423464225702746.post-39378859948821469442014-10-21T16:56:00.000+05:302014-10-21T16:59:27.511+05:30Welcome to 2014 Annual ride!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QaFvWtNzhM355LW7_NyK-oDeo3ubLYREdqIAN23uSv-WCWMfKSypPReW6N6YHn6F6PH31c23qF6JWCTikPGsNk8yyj3P6bvlZSabak6PQ4zOs64UJ8Eb0LJ6oa4KyMjzIMCZhw2QL3xd/s1600/2014+Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QaFvWtNzhM355LW7_NyK-oDeo3ubLYREdqIAN23uSv-WCWMfKSypPReW6N6YHn6F6PH31c23qF6JWCTikPGsNk8yyj3P6bvlZSabak6PQ4zOs64UJ8Eb0LJ6oa4KyMjzIMCZhw2QL3xd/s1600/2014+Banner.png" height="410" width="640" /></a></div>
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Southern Ridershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10310769773151840302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8574423464225702746.post-66876524164879253552014-02-05T15:25:00.000+05:302014-11-14T12:49:56.817+05:30Cycling to Kanyakumari!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I wrapped up year 2013 with a bicycle trip to Kanyakumari from Coimbatore along with few colleagues from Cognizant and friends from <a href="http://www.southernriders.in/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; color: #009eb8; display: inline; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;" target="_blank">Southern Riders</a> – eleven riders in total. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #333333; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">It was a great trip. Besides ending up with a very relaxed mind, a sense of achievement and knee pain that lasted for a couple of days after the trip, I re-learnt three life lessons. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<ul style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.5em 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em;">
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>Any motor-assisted ride is luxury</b>. The daily practice of 20 kms looked fine, but, 130 a day for 4 days in a row was a real test. Riding a motor bike is definitely a luxury. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My father who was a teacher used to cycle to the school every day. It was a perk to get my father’s cycle on weekends and try my hands (or legs) learning. Those days, almost all cycles are of the same height and kids have to wait to grow tall enough before they lay their hands/legs on them. The learning process typically starts with kurangu pedal (monkey pedaling) and goes on till you grow to be able to sit on the saddle. An interesting subject by itself.</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>Big guys don’t necessarily care for small guys</b>. Lorries/Trucks or Buses do not care for cars and cars do not care for motorbikes and motorbikes do not care for bicycles. Look out for yourself.</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>There are always bigger things people do</b>. When we reached Kanyakumari, we learnt that two of the college students have cycled from Kashmir to Kanyakumari in 28 days, dwarfing our effort.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #333333; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">One other thing I observed was that <strong>no one listens to Mohanlal in Kerala’s cities.</strong> About 85% of our cycling distance was in Kerala. We had to cross many small towns, big towns, cities en route and were treated to many billboards. Majority of them fall under the below categories:</span><br />
<ul style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.5em 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em;">
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pretty women urging you to buy jewellery or sarees - <em>so pretty that it distracted the ride and contributed to the reduction of the average speed - at least for me :-)</em></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Actor Mammotty urging you to bank at Federal bank.</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Actor Mohanlal urging you to watch Tatasky.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #333333; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">After seeing most of the city roads full of people - in the day time, in the hot sun - I could only guess that they are out to bank and buy jewellery or sarees. We had to get off the saddle and walk down. Kerala friends should listen to Mohanlal and stay indoor during the day time :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was a fantastic experience for me: kids shouting “Jeyichchuttu varoo” as if we were in a race, adults on motorbikes slowing down and asking where we were coming and why we were doing and the subsequent disbelief, astonishment on their faces, cycling enthusiasts from Thrissur who cycled along with us for a distance, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheGearJunction" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; color: #009eb8; display: inline; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;" target="_blank">Sanjay of The Gear Junction - Krishna Cycle store</a> in Kochi who helped fix many of the teething issues we had with our cycles , Praveen Nair, George from Trivandrum who spent almost 2 hours with us on Sunday (it is surprising to note that they come over on a Sunday to talk to us and help us with some logistics), the sight of blinkers in each of our cycles in the early morning rides and of course the food - breakfast at ICH, meen charam, sweet biriyani, nongu sherbet. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here are some of the pictures from the trip. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8FIWIxTroKsmzZBPsI7aq589wXDFSn5itRp6il6Bty8y6MoC8GnH_dIoV3K28DyRPXdqIqAMNw90pmNp7Fr0qxK2q17druWSIFBXH-bTI7gStWESvqvO1Pyh3LSk9LGfCQJc-qRcY30/s1600/flagging+off.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; color: #009eb8; display: inline; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8FIWIxTroKsmzZBPsI7aq589wXDFSn5itRp6il6Bty8y6MoC8GnH_dIoV3K28DyRPXdqIqAMNw90pmNp7Fr0qxK2q17druWSIFBXH-bTI7gStWESvqvO1Pyh3LSk9LGfCQJc-qRcY30/s1600/flagging+off.jpg" style="-webkit-border-image: url(data:image/png; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 9; border-image-source: url(data:image/png; border-image-width: 9px; border: 9px none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 10px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 8px; position: relative;" /></a></div>
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Flagging off from Parsn, Coimbatore</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjalRiCRlkcH1S3QznmvjRBxWKV374gAYo66WXH_IXobljh_aJLPlFh82wOUpoehBSWm1CJu2AhtxK38RQvAZ0ynbFZF2uxeCV824UUBWs-dEmDP-bd6fTr_lprbcIG6etAmtH-ZRc-vUY/s1600/day+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; color: #009eb8; display: inline; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjalRiCRlkcH1S3QznmvjRBxWKV374gAYo66WXH_IXobljh_aJLPlFh82wOUpoehBSWm1CJu2AhtxK38RQvAZ0ynbFZF2uxeCV824UUBWs-dEmDP-bd6fTr_lprbcIG6etAmtH-ZRc-vUY/s1600/day+1.jpg" style="-webkit-border-image: url(data:image/png; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 9; border-image-source: url(data:image/png; border-image-width: 9px; border: 9px none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 10px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 8px; position: relative;" /></a></div>
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On the way - Day 1</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsM86lNKYuvXcGjmNUySrt4GOFshf290NGIdmqO_au9pvUfEQNUNty5Waqa3UNV4J6zvVajFmMEgo66a48SYHb6H0iIxJVRd7VdtHVcvGVtB5K0jS8AMyj2Gm-R-PQ1vdSgCn4-F8h9B4/s1600/on+the+way.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; color: #009eb8; display: inline; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsM86lNKYuvXcGjmNUySrt4GOFshf290NGIdmqO_au9pvUfEQNUNty5Waqa3UNV4J6zvVajFmMEgo66a48SYHb6H0iIxJVRd7VdtHVcvGVtB5K0jS8AMyj2Gm-R-PQ1vdSgCn4-F8h9B4/s1600/on+the+way.jpg" style="-webkit-border-image: url(data:image/png; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 9; border-image-source: url(data:image/png; border-image-width: 9px; border: 9px none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 10px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 8px; position: relative;" /></a></div>
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On the way - Day 2</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgClRqPJihbLbzkhaSUySVtp2UGRI3Ad6qTuSGYyj8yRT3JfHLyMoNnRSJf780bmTIWTxzPyY9iRx64jraamd3fGIa4H5l3dbysnZsfEgXfy8P8nFsovXJ2mIIS77KUc6Onb0RC2ibjEwA/s1600/At+Cochin+-+Krishna+Cycle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; color: #009eb8; display: inline; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgClRqPJihbLbzkhaSUySVtp2UGRI3Ad6qTuSGYyj8yRT3JfHLyMoNnRSJf780bmTIWTxzPyY9iRx64jraamd3fGIa4H5l3dbysnZsfEgXfy8P8nFsovXJ2mIIS77KUc6Onb0RC2ibjEwA/s1600/At+Cochin+-+Krishna+Cycle.jpg" style="-webkit-border-image: url(data:image/png; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 9; border-image-source: url(data:image/png; border-image-width: 9px; border: 9px none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 10px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 8px; position: relative;" /></a></div>
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At Krishna Cycles - Kochi</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LU6rLE5Dl_1bmUJIcbwEwcwymOZlSsYS8vxNZ9vvuUZP6KFex4YOx0fLz8kKoMx07RocgZDVN3lzvhch_ZeCWSQC8EnIxTEANq1r5xGic7UkRLj9t4GmWIjJenzRFSZovmMSc-jwFUA/s1600/at+trivandrum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; color: #009eb8; display: inline; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LU6rLE5Dl_1bmUJIcbwEwcwymOZlSsYS8vxNZ9vvuUZP6KFex4YOx0fLz8kKoMx07RocgZDVN3lzvhch_ZeCWSQC8EnIxTEANq1r5xGic7UkRLj9t4GmWIjJenzRFSZovmMSc-jwFUA/s1600/at+trivandrum.jpg" style="-webkit-border-image: url(data:image/png; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 9; border-image-source: url(data:image/png; border-image-width: 9px; border: 9px none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 10px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 8px; position: relative;" /></a></div>
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After Breakfast at ICH - Trivandrum</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGGFxOUCF45WX3j0NWkhCWpgDrnbMTYNn6p5NEVcZq89a1pDPEbb8ap61okN3STJmqGsadTxvGUm-HzxPqOK6_coPD-v_Kz-cyNePu8tueFz7DMsBLmhV9nT2EvuzI5dLSURL37mwx3Zk/s1600/at+kanyakumari.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; color: #009eb8; display: inline; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGGFxOUCF45WX3j0NWkhCWpgDrnbMTYNn6p5NEVcZq89a1pDPEbb8ap61okN3STJmqGsadTxvGUm-HzxPqOK6_coPD-v_Kz-cyNePu8tueFz7DMsBLmhV9nT2EvuzI5dLSURL37mwx3Zk/s1600/at+kanyakumari.jpg" style="-webkit-border-image: url(data:image/png; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 9; border-image-source: url(data:image/png; border-image-width: 9px; border: 9px none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 10px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 8px; position: relative;" /></a></div>
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At Kanyakumari</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-X35DUi4lHbpZRQgoY2CPVQUC_wu31do57unQJjOkZbOara7fKHir7_Ryo0T3lLdkf2b8w0hBeBO8A3u5g2CugDk-HMYVim4zvUJ9WVNXfH1P-JrV8v388Xjen-vb8-YRIhkynbliBws/s1600/champagne+moment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; color: #009eb8; display: inline; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-X35DUi4lHbpZRQgoY2CPVQUC_wu31do57unQJjOkZbOara7fKHir7_Ryo0T3lLdkf2b8w0hBeBO8A3u5g2CugDk-HMYVim4zvUJ9WVNXfH1P-JrV8v388Xjen-vb8-YRIhkynbliBws/s1600/champagne+moment.jpg" style="-webkit-border-image: url(data:image/png; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 9; border-image-source: url(data:image/png; border-image-width: 9px; border: 9px none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 10px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 8px; position: relative;" /></a></div>
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Celebration moment - Nagercoil</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Watching the eleven of us riding for the four days, if any one of our the friends or any on lookers have taken to cycling or any of the kids pester their parents to get them a cycle, we would be very happy about it. Reading about our experience, if any of our colleagues take to cycling, we would be much happier. Happy cycling! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hour by hour account of our trip was updated in facebook by the-always-connected Palani, Raghav, Sriram and will soon be posted in southernriders website too. So, I have restricted the write up only to my thoughts and experiences in this blog.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">Posted by </span><a class="url fn" href="https://plus.google.com/113009044416623668676" itemprop="author" rel="author" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; color: #009eb8; outline: none; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;">Anbarasu Thangavelu</a><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Calibri;"> in his <a href="http://storyofsociety.blogspot.in/2014/02/cycling-to-kanyakumari.html" target="_blank">blog</a>.</span></span></div>
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Southern Ridershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10310769773151840302noreply@blogger.com1Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India11.0168445 76.95583209999995210.518139999999999 76.310385099999948 11.515549 77.601279099999957tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8574423464225702746.post-63413634528622984082013-09-03T16:10:00.000+05:302013-09-04T11:53:44.240+05:30Chennai to Ooty – Post experience!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpWfi_GAqJOl83mlSyhBTtXUv6CjMKb25UvoiicJW8YQed5K4v9EtmC8M-El67BO8JEsR5BQntyHbxuawszsIYp7ymFDm3Ri4qS5XaHl0YkDRjv6Ub0nooDcaKNJ_thTEIu6E_8zh8L88/s1600/WP_000914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpWfi_GAqJOl83mlSyhBTtXUv6CjMKb25UvoiicJW8YQed5K4v9EtmC8M-El67BO8JEsR5BQntyHbxuawszsIYp7ymFDm3Ri4qS5XaHl0YkDRjv6Ub0nooDcaKNJ_thTEIu6E_8zh8L88/s200/WP_000914.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHYw6ZsiP-pgeI9QP_DV9iXqVNersWFaokPOI3ceAJFTqx-qmjW-BxxGbsJHE30Jx1DW3QnP9dFVJAcy0IM0snuUCpAVnG73u2MLjwJqAChae-G_e9Fwa59ABxe1b_o8KCVlSH5BLHpBMF/s1600/WP_000992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>Riding a distance of 650 KMs and scaling a height of 2000 meters from MSL to reach Ooty by bicycle was always going to be a challenge – especially considering we are ‘part time’ cyclists carrying 20 KG baggage on our bicycles! So, we were quite prepared to accept defeat and the 3 of us set forth in the early hours of 22-Dec-2012 seeking to find how far we could progress.
We made plans considering that we would encounter ghat roads and steep climbs only during the final stretch at Ooty and prepared for smooth sailing for first 4 days – hoping to have lots of fun. The first stretch was smooth indeed and we passed territories in Kancheepuram, Katpadi and Vellore - eating, snacking and sleeping along the way. After a well-deserved rest for riding 170 KMs on day-1, we set off towards Kolar Gold Fields in Karnataka in the early hours of day-2. The plan was to cross a small territory in Andhra Pradesh and the language of people we encountered was a perfect blend of Tamil, Telugu and Kannada! By the time we had break-fast, we had already been pedaling uphill for 3 hours and were faced with the reality of scaling the Venkatagiri Kota hill. None of us was ready to continue pedaling uphill at that point and so, we changed our route to head towards Dharmapuri – with plans of crossing over to Karnataka at Hogenekkal. We had no clue at this point that an even steeper hill by name ‘Madhesan Malai’ lay on our route beyond Hogenekkal!
Anyway, we reached Dharmapuri to rest for the night and enjoyed a joy-ride towards Hogenekkal next morning. It was an absolute slope towards the Hogenekkal falls and we skidded our way at high speeds.. thoroughly enjoying the fall in altitude after 2 days of riding towards elevations.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHYw6ZsiP-pgeI9QP_DV9iXqVNersWFaokPOI3ceAJFTqx-qmjW-BxxGbsJHE30Jx1DW3QnP9dFVJAcy0IM0snuUCpAVnG73u2MLjwJqAChae-G_e9Fwa59ABxe1b_o8KCVlSH5BLHpBMF/s1600/WP_000992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHYw6ZsiP-pgeI9QP_DV9iXqVNersWFaokPOI3ceAJFTqx-qmjW-BxxGbsJHE30Jx1DW3QnP9dFVJAcy0IM0snuUCpAVnG73u2MLjwJqAChae-G_e9Fwa59ABxe1b_o8KCVlSH5BLHpBMF/s320/WP_000992.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Once at Hogenekkal, we crossed over the river by parisal (small boat), took a bath in the mountain streams and enquired about the way ahead. We were told categorically that there was no way we would be able to scale Madhesanwaran Malai on bicycles – considering 20 hair-pin bends, terrible worn-out roads and elephant infested ‘Veerappan’ forests on the way. We instantly gave up our plans of riding and sourced a Jeep to carry us ahead. The Jeep journey had it’s own shares of fun to offer – including interactions with people who claimed to be relatives and friends of sandal wood smuggler Veerapan and their version of Veerappan’s encounter with the police. After 45 KMs of travelling on the luggage area of the jeep along with the bicycles, we stretched our legs and got ready for downhill ride from Madhesanwaran Malai – but were faced with another hill and steep bends on the road after lunch!
We had no option now.. if we looked around for another jeep, we would be killing the spirit of this bicycle ride and started pedaling in the lowest gears. After a few minutes, we gave up pedaling started walking by pushing our bikes along. Even this mode was tough to sustain and we took regular rests hoping we would scale this hill soon. We asked people about the distance to be covered and they responded in Kannada – which we did not understand. At one point, we saw some local woodcutters walking along a path that looked like a short-cut to reach the top.. we decided to follow them pushing our cycles with hopes of scaling the hill quickly. Midway through the climb, the difficulty of pushing cycles in this walking track and climbing up hill made one of us remark ‘is this a leisure trip or a NCC camp??’.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGC-lussBbJyLP_9xHyVNZe9P6NV4kXyNgR-hXfPNqWY2FBBJceZBn5FdAnJ5NZbcVkDvoqfvXXW5MZ30xTUydL3wrh4j-O93WuMH7PL0p5wojJZBhWiJGgeqorE7oYvlkvCmOHhin-RY/s1600/WP_001008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGC-lussBbJyLP_9xHyVNZe9P6NV4kXyNgR-hXfPNqWY2FBBJceZBn5FdAnJ5NZbcVkDvoqfvXXW5MZ30xTUydL3wrh4j-O93WuMH7PL0p5wojJZBhWiJGgeqorE7oYvlkvCmOHhin-RY/s320/WP_001008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
We soon got over the frustration and found ourselves at the top of hill with a wonderful slope downhill ahead. After a quick photo session, we set forth with hopes of reaching some village/town before it got too dark..
The ride was absolutely wonderful and the slope seemed to be continuing for ever and ever. Finally, we rested at a shop at the foothill and made inquiries about where we could find a place to sleep for the night. We were told the nearest such town was about 3 hours ride (45 KMs) away and the sun was beginning to disappear behind the mountains. The forest around the road looked dense and the air was heavy with silence..<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqBhHanrV3GsJ9bKsvN4CotQ6R66Nfd0Wbo9eSccKQjLd7sOU2oHgydbI5XjtPBTkPe4GYsbX2tezFDuPKZf238xtWzkWpGVyzsn9iwKRYjL5gEJ9cnMxzGKFngEC5FDnufLY053FpSHR/s1600/WP_001010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqBhHanrV3GsJ9bKsvN4CotQ6R66Nfd0Wbo9eSccKQjLd7sOU2oHgydbI5XjtPBTkPe4GYsbX2tezFDuPKZf238xtWzkWpGVyzsn9iwKRYjL5gEJ9cnMxzGKFngEC5FDnufLY053FpSHR/s320/WP_001010.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
so, we quickly hurried on to our bikes to cover the 45 KMs. The start was ‘eventful’ as we hit the first puncture of our trip. As we settled around the bike to replace the tube with light from bicycle head-lights, a motorbike speeded by with it’s rider shouting ‘do not stop here.. this area is full of elephants’. We had not stopped by choice(!).. we hurried with our repair and resumed riding. The road was full of elevations and slopes. We were forced to dismount and push the bikes on elevations.. with the fear of attack from elephants or other wild animals looming. The only subject of discussion for the next 3 hours was around how we should react if we encountered an elephant!
By around 9 PM, we reached the town of Kollegal (Karnataka) and found a hotel to sleep for the night. The next morning, we headed towards Gundulpet which is the foothill of Ooty in the Karnataka side. We celebrated the achievement by checking into a luxury resort and enjoying good dinner. By this time, our companion by Car – Sriram – arrived with his Ford Figo carrying our heavy winter clothing and other stuff for use at Ooty.<br />
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As we sat in our room planning the ride for the next day, one of us expressed doubts about being able to pedal up-hill even with all luggage offloaded into the car. So, we made some enquiries for options to carry one bike uphill – and were told categorically that there is no way we would get permission to ride from Gundulpet to Ooty on bicycles – with the number of wild elephants and Leapords spotted on the way. We had to beat retreat and quickly organized for a jeep to carry us uphill – along with our bikes.
We arrived at Ooty with the muted satisfaction of having reached the peak afterall – but with help from Jeeps along the tough stretches. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/krsk4u" target="_blank">Ragav</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sankarasivan" target="_blank">Siva</a> packed their bikes by TVS parcel service to Chennai, while I contemplated riding solo downhill from Ooty and into Coimbatore city.<br />
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It was going to be a 100 KM ride and I braced myself for the challenge. I was warned about riding alone with potential problems thrown up in the conversation. My only thought was, ‘if I encountered problems, I would also encounter solutions..’. It was another wonderful chilling ride till Mettupalayam crossing Wellington and Coonoor – right in the middle of lush green mountain scenery. Beyond Mettupalayam, I choose quiet country routes across agriculture fields and dead quiet villages – riding tight into the city of Coimbatore – feasting on free pongal distributed in a temple on the way and some tender coconut water. As I parked and locked the bicycle at my uncle’s house in Coimbatore, a sense of satisfaction struck.. finally, after 5 days of endurance, thrill and fun along the way, the trip was formally closed. Check it out our <a href="http://www.southernriders.in/p/2012-annual-ride-gallery.html" target="_blank">galleries</a> for more photos!!!</div>
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PalaniselvanShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03568417717759361518noreply@blogger.com1Ooty, Tamil Nadu, India11.411828 76.69535599999994711.349568 76.614674999999949 11.474088 76.776036999999945tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8574423464225702746.post-19723024367307248752013-08-27T20:56:00.001+05:302013-08-29T16:45:26.428+05:30So, how did southernriders.in start?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Roughly 3 years back, Ragavendra asked me out of the blue ‘Shall we buy bicycles? It will be a good work-out to go on weekend rides.. we can even do out-of station multi-day rides!’. I have considered many kinds of outdoor activities like trekking, pilgrimage walks, catamaran rides with fisher-men, motorbike rides etc.. but cycling never occurred to me. I asked ‘what??’ and he was all excited about buying good new bikes and getting started. Budget stated was around 10 K – which seemed a ridiculously high amount for a bicycle at that point. We drove down to Suresh’s Track&Trail store at Kodambakkam and got our Schwinn Sporterras. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We were soon riding 40-50 KMs during weekends within about 6 months, did one memorable ride Chennai-Thiruvannamalai-Chennai over 3 days! </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was an absolutely enjoyable experience.. riding in unfamiliar territory thru the night, across paddy fields, little towns, villages and meeting school kids cycling their way to schools, people idlying away their time in village bus-stops and several other people curious to understand what we were doing in a bicycle in their parts of the world.. </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">By this time, we were hooked into cycling and planned a massive Chennai-Rameswaram ride along the ECR over a 5-day period. It was during this ride that we discussed about spreading this cycling activity, forming a club, encouraging friends to take this up – and keep this an informal group at all times. This is how Southernriders.in was born and cycles have become an integral part of our arsenal now. Rides to Mahabalipuram or Thiruporur are common-place during week-ends and we have an active core group of 6 riders now. We have done another long ride Chennai-Hogenakkal-Masinagudi-Ooty and are in the process of expanding this group into Coimbatore as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, what is your experience with Cycling and how did you start? If U are yet to start, are you considering this as an activity for the future??<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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PalaniselvanShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03568417717759361518noreply@blogger.com0Kamaraj Colony, Kodambakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600024, India13.051908321556333 80.22037625312805213.051666821556333 80.220061253128051 13.052149821556332 80.220691253128052tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8574423464225702746.post-90849099987460877722012-05-07T15:21:00.000+05:302013-09-01T15:34:45.304+05:30Night Trek at Thiruvannamalai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This not just another write-up, another trek or another weekend entertainment.. this was an unique midnight experience in the middle of the no-man’s land.. setting camp atop a hill with winds threatening to blow-us away.. accompanied by a drunk guide who narrated storied about ghosts he had seen in the hill we were climbing, accompanied by 2 faithful dogs that formed sentry – and the chance to experience all of this with the company of 2 friends. Read on if I have tempted you enough.. </div>
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We had befriended a local guy from Thiruvannamalai during one of our previous treks. Watching us climb the hill frequently, he asked us if we would be interested in a night trek up this hill. He offered to accompany us, make arrangements to cook and sleep at the hilltop and assured us of our safety. The offer seemed irrepressible and when 2 friends Sriram from Infy and Arun Sify (nice rhyming!) agreed to join, we were on our way to Thiruvannamalai yet another time!
Though we reached before sunset, we waited for it to get dark by visiting the temple at the fothill, having dinner and killing some time. We then changed over to our climbing gear and did final checks on our bags to ensure we had our blankets, each of us carried atleast 3 liters of water, dug out our torch lights etc and set off. The guide carried stuff to perform pooja at the hill top and to cook for us. We were soon on our way and started sweating profusely by the time we reach the Kandashram cave and the water body near it. We had to take off our shirts to let the wind dry off the sweat and washed ourselves from the fresh water that keeps sprouting perennially from under rocks in this area. We then sat around the place to view the magnificence of the Arunachaleeswarar temple from this height and picked up a conversation with the guide whose 2 country dogs faithfully accompanied us during the trek. He started off with his frightening stories.. “Just around these rocks besides us, there are several snakes.. all kinds of them. But you need not worry.. because they are doing their work and we are doing ours. We shall not disturb them and they will not disturb us. Same with ghosts as well.. I have seen them walk past in this very hill during night climbs. But I just warn them to keep off my path and they go their own way. In this mountain, some tracks are meant for people and some for ghosts.. as long as they do not cross each other there is no problem..” an so he went on. It as clear that he was drunk.. but listening to ghost and snake storied in the middle of the night in a mountain with no other human in sight is a bit unsettling to say the least!
We continued our climb and now found no need for our torch lights.. the cool pleasing light from the moon was more than sufficient. This is peak summer time here in Tamil Nadu.. yet, it was not very uncomfortable as our bare bodies were caressed by a pleasant breeze flowing by. We took frequent breaks as we had the entire night with us and whenever we found a large enough rock, we would spread our bags / legs and lay down for as long as we wanted. Throughout our trek, the 2 dogs that accompanied us with us formed a wonderful sentry – one at the front with the lead trekker and another at the end with the last person in line – and were a far more reassuring presence than the drunk guide. So, after a thrilling climb, we reached the top just before midnight and settled ourselves in a small hut that was once inhabited by a sadhu till about 5 years back at the hill top. The guide made some herbal tea for us, served them in coconut shells he had stored in the hut and started cooking food using the material he had carried with him. We set out outside the hut and simply raveled at the great views and the gushing winds at the peak. It started feeling incredibly cold and we had to put on the spare T-shirts we had carried with us. After immersing in this experience, we got back into the hut to enjoy some hot semiya uppma and set our make-shift carpets for sleep. The dogs found their comfortable spots within the hut too and we were soon under blankets trying to ward off the great wind that was gushing in thru one side of the hut which was completely open.
After a no-so-comfortable sleep, we woke up at around 6 AM, were herbal tea yet again by our dedicated guide and we packed up to start our downhill journey. It was pleasant to have the early morning sun beating on our faces as we walked and we walked relishing the great nigh we had just experienced. Enjoy some pictures from the trip..</div>
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PalaniselvanShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03568417717759361518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8574423464225702746.post-10969649334079113662012-02-07T15:14:00.000+05:302013-09-01T15:24:33.680+05:30My Foray into Cycling!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This post should have been written the
day I bought my Schwinn 2012 Searcher or after my first cycle trip.
Better late than never, my last 2 blogs were written quite a while ago <a href="http://srirambits.blogspot.in/" title="Razor's Edge!!">http://srirambits.blogspot.in/ </a>about my trekking sojourn’s.<br />
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From the time Palani joined Infosys, I
have been in awe of his trekking escapade during weekends. I still
remember the day when he mailed our team for an outing with 2 choices -
A get together at his home or A trek to Tiruvannamalai. We chose the
latter and little did I know that I would be bitten by the adventure
bug. We have scaled the hill many times, in bright sunshine, in
beautiful moonlight, in pitch darkness and in all sorts of weather
conditions mother nature could offer. Each of these attempts was
exciting as the one before and thanks to Palani I emerged unscathed and
joyous after each trek. I was quite happy with my increasing physical
activity and thought that this is it, I will keep continuing as long as
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During one of our treks, he told me
about his new found passion – cycling. I was scratching my head
initially as to what could be exciting in cycling. I was fearing that
Palani might reduce his weekend trek’s and concentrate more on his new
found physical activity.</div>
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The last time I rode a cycle was way
back in 2007 in College, and the longest distance on cycle at that time
was to a temple on a small hillock about 7 kms away. Cycling that far
made us feel like Lance Amstrong after his seventh Tour de France
title!!
So when I heard from Palani that he was going to cycle all the way to
Tiruvannamalai, my jaw almost dropped at the very idea of cycling that
far. I knew Palani was a super fit guy, but I did think initially that
for his age this was pushing his body a bit too far. I wished him good
luck to his first loooooooong trip and hoped he would complete it
successfully. He eventually completed it and the blog and pictures from
his first cycling trip did make me think about taking up cycling.</div>
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I told my mom about Palani’s cycle trip
to Tiruvannamalai and she was impressed. I told her that I wanted to buy
one and join him on his cycle trips. She dismissed the idea
immediately. Disappointed at the outright rejection of my proposal, I
forgot about my cycling ambitions until Palani reminded me that he is
going to Rameswaram by Cycle during Christmas 2011. I tried convincing
mom again and this time the very idea of going till Rameswaram itself
made me run for cover from her lectures. Again I wished him good luck
for his trip and was disappointed on not being able to accompany him.</div>
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Cyclone ‘Thane’ which wreaked havoc
during the last week of Dec’ 2011 somehow was a blessing in disguise for
me. I was tracking the progress of cyclone in the anticipation that it
would hit Chennai and was excited about witnessing the full fury of the
storm. My mom who was concerned about the impending weather, asked if
Palani still went ahead with his cycling expedition. Thanks to
Ragavendra’s and Palani’s regular updates about their position and some
of the beautiful pictures uploaded by them, I showed my mom the website
and their preparations into the trip. Little did I realise that she
would agree on my request for a new cycle and on accompanying Palani and
Ragavendra on their future trips.</div>
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I was very excited and the day Palani
returned from Rameswaram, I called him up and asked him when he would be
free to help me choose my cycle. We searched a few forums and read
quite a few reviews on cycles. Palani and Ragavendra gave some quick
Gyaan and tips about cycle and the various categories. We did an inital
reconaissance of few shops in velachery and Pallikaranai. Finally our
search zeroed in on Balaji Cycle store at kodambakkam. I was quite
impressed with the speed of Schwinn searcher during my test ride and
decided that this was going to be my bike. After shelling out 21k bucks,
we packed the cycle into my car and came back home, exited and ready
to begin my journey into the world of cycling!!</div>
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Sriram Vasudevanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09410638070629198682noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8574423464225702746.post-91100597056085079142012-01-15T15:37:00.000+05:302013-09-01T16:00:12.706+05:30Chennai to Rameshwaram – Post experience – Part IV of IV<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As expected, the final day’s ride turned out to be quite a breeze.. the only problem was that we could not find a decent eatery between Ramanathapuram and Rameswaram to have our breakfast. </div>
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But then, we had literally feasted on some terrific food for the past 4 days and so were able to accept one large banana as breakfast for the day and kept riding. We gulped down several bottles of a local drink called ‘Bovonto’ along the way during all the 5 days.. it is the equivalent of Coca Cola in these areas. It has a strong fruity taste and if marketed properly, can give coke and Pepsi a run for their money. There is another drink called ‘Paneer Soda’ available in South Tamil Nadu.. </div>
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There is no brand for this and several vendors manufactures this locally.. it has a unique taste that is hard to describe.. we celebrated with 2 paneer sodas on reaching the Rameswaram Temple!
We then had almost 2 days to rest and recuperate at Rameswaram.. we used this time to visit the temple and the south eastern tip of India called Danushkodi – which is only 18 KMs away from Sri Lanka. It is from here that Rama and his monkey army built a bridge to reach Ceylon to fight Ravana. There are still some specimen ‘floating stones’ that was used to build the bridge and a few isolated temples that add credence to the Ramayana ‘story’. </div>
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For us, these were little diversions from the elation of having completed 756 KMs on bicycle over a 5-day period – with numerous interesting experiences and some wonderful scenery along the way.
We are now contemplating the next ride. The priority is to expand the group to have more friends participate. Adding people is not necessarily to add to the fun – a solo ride can be as much fun as a 10-member group ride.. the idea is to allow friends to experience and share the joy that is available in this activity. We already have 2 confirmed additions and a few others considering taking up bicycling.
Another critical factor is to have a ‘cause’ for the rides we take up. Whenever anyone struck a conversation with us, the inevitable question was ‘why are you doing this ride? What is the cause??’. It felt a little empty to say ‘nothing.. we are doing this just for fun.. on holiday..’. </div>
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People seem to be disappointed that we are putting in so much effort and taking up this adventure for ‘nothing’. The best we could manage is ‘cycling is the best mode of transport to enjoy the views and experiences any place has to offer. Being from Tamil Nadu, it is unfortunate that we do not know enough about our own state.. we want to bridge that gap and that is why we are doing this ride’. Some seemed to be convinced by this explanation… but most were not. Also, this bike ride offers a great opportunity to connect with strangers and so is a sure way to spread awareness on some subject that is relevant to all of us. So, next time, we are going to pick up a theme, print little notices / hand-outs to distribute to people we meet and make this an ‘useful’ exercise – even if we are primarily into it for the experience and joy..
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PalaniselvanShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03568417717759361518noreply@blogger.com0Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India13.0524139 80.25082459999998713.0524139 80.250824599999987 13.0524139 80.250824599999987tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8574423464225702746.post-44784560224085188602012-01-14T15:34:00.000+05:302013-09-01T16:00:49.944+05:30Chennai to Rameshwaram – Post experience – Part III of IV<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The next day, we visited the Velankanni chirch and admired the beauty of the constructions there and how well they were maintained. It was a hot day and we struggled to cover even 100 KMs. Not much sight-seeing was planned for the day and the only place we wanted to cover was a little costal village called ‘Manora’. It has a monument built by Tanjore Kings and a light-house. We wanted to get there before dark so that we could take some pictures.. it was a struggle, but we just about made it. Once there, we took pictures, had good rest and then contemplated where we would sleep for the night. We made enquiries in the light-house asking if we could stay there for the night and leave early the next day.. but were refused entry. Then, as we contemplated sleeping in an open stage near the light-house along with local fishermen, we got info that there was a village called ‘Peravurani’ that had 2-3 lodges to accommodate travelers… some 12 KMs away. This was a deviation from our route.. but we had no other option as the night was getting cold. We found a decent enough lodge there.. but had to put up with drunk guests making noises in the corridor at midnight. I tried telling them that they were disturbing others.. but this only aggravated the situation and I had to retreat. It was on this day that our confidence level was at its lowest – we had just about managed 100 KMs for the day and felt like we were reaching our limits. We had one burst tube during the day – which we fixed quickly. The problem was not the bicycles.. but our energy levels and the strength in the thighs to continue pedaling. We massaged our legs with ‘moove’ and hoped to be able to ride again the next day.
To our surprise, day 4 riding turned out to be quite pleasant.. we got up early to ride thru farm lands and village roads to reconnect to the ECR. <br />
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Once on the ECR, picked up speed. We had another burst tube and replaced with the last available spare tube.. ate lovely halva in a place called Thondi – from a shop called ‘Takkas Halva’ that is supposed to be famous all over Tamil Nadu for this sweet.. and kept riding. It was an exceptionally smooth ride and we did well over 120 KMs during the day at good speeds. The joy in riding was back and we took numerous pictures, kept uploading pictures and comments in southernriders.in and reached Ramanathapuram by about 7.30 PM. We now knew that we had done 90% of the distance and completing the trip was a mere formality – unless we suffer another burst tube or any other mechanical failure. But our spirits were soaring high and we were ready to even walk the remaining distance if the bikes gave up!</div>
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PalaniselvanShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03568417717759361518noreply@blogger.com0Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu, India9.2876254 79.3129291000000199.2876254 79.312929100000019 9.2876254 79.312929100000019tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8574423464225702746.post-45924892044257854292012-01-10T15:32:00.000+05:302013-09-01T16:00:40.494+05:30Chennai to Rameshwaram – Post experience – Part II of IV<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The East Cost Road (ECR) that runs from Chennai to the southern tip of Tamil Nadu is absolutely the perfect route for a bicycle ride.. it is smooth and well maintained (no pot-holes), has a clearly marked track for 2-wheelers, is not heavy on truck traffic and since it is along the coast, it does not vary in altitude by much. Also, there are good places of tourist interest along with the way and numerous beaches and light-houses. This ECR was the setting for numerous memorable experiences for us between 25th and 29th Dec 2011. We started very early on a cold Sunday morning –at 2 AM so that we could reach Pondicherry before dusk. The idea was to get to Mahabalipuram for sun-rise and then continue riding from there. But our energy levels were very high and we got to Mahaballipuram too early to witness dawn. In fact, we reached Kalpakkam by the time sun rose and settled for breakfast in a nice road-side restaurant. As soon as daylight set in, we became objects of curiosity and everyone on the road gave us a second look. Some commented ‘hey.. look.. foreigners’ or ‘look.. cycle race’ or something like that. Children waved at us and adults wanted to talk to us.. and we enjoyed all the attention we were getting. We stopped only for food or if our muscles were too tired. Else, we kept riding – drinking water and snacking while on the bike. Our progress was really fast on day 1 and we rode past our planned destination Pondicherry. We took a long break in the afternoon in front of a closed shop by the road-side and Ragavendra took a nap. A local heavy-machine (JCB) driver picked up a conversation with me and started recounting how wonderful his childhood experience with his bicycle was.. he said ‘my bicycle was like Benz.. I could fly on it.. I would reach 25 KMs within 1 hr..’. I have not known a Benz to fly.. but could relate to what he said!
Day 2 involved riding from Cuddalore to Chidambaram.. here again, the roads were lovely and KMs disappeared into thin air as we zipped along. We had to make a small fix to the front wheel of my bike and found an excellent mechanic in Chidambram to get this done quickly. We then drove past the Sirgazhii temple and took a deviation to reach the historic city of Poompuhar. The ride was by a narrow winding road through paddy fields and ponds.. words or photos cannot do justice to the beauty of the place.. also, I learnt a bit about Poompuhar while riding there. Poompuhar is a city that has now been swallowed by the sea.. it was a major trading city in the olden times where ships from Rome and other parts of Europe would set anchor.. the city forms the setting for the Kovalan-Kanagi-Madhavi starrer epic Silapathikaram. </div>
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There is nothing special in today’s Poompuhar other than an attempt by the government to attract tourists with a museum. But, the history of the place has an unmistakable pull towards it.. From Poompuhar, we reconnected with the ECR and it took us to the ancient town of Tranquebar or Tarangambadi. It is an ancient Danish settlement – from about 400 years ago when the English, French, Dutch and Danish were trying to assert their superiority in India.. (we all know that the British won.. and that is why we are doing this update in English today!). Tranquebar has a lovely beach and a small Danish fort that is being built up into a tourist destination now. From there, another ride took us past the port-town of Karaikal. Just as we crossed Karaikal, the work shifts in the harbor were coming to a close and people were pouring out from the port to the road in their thousands.. it almost felt like walking out of a cricket stadium after a game. We snaked thru the crowd and reached the Naagore Dargah (mosque). It was clear that this mosque had something special in it.. I tried to sit in meditation in the inner chambers of the mosque.. but the need to reach Nagapattinam before it was too late made me come out in a hurry. We then found a decent enough hotel in Nagapattinam and slept for the night.</div>
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PalaniselvanShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03568417717759361518noreply@blogger.com0Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu, India9.2876254 79.3129291000000199.2876254 79.312929100000019 9.2876254 79.312929100000019tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8574423464225702746.post-83035600578336754252012-01-09T15:30:00.000+05:302013-09-01T16:00:24.852+05:30Chennai to Rameshwaram – Post experience – Part I of IV<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgPjleq_DjUE1RX5hed66oqCeDw8jyoUgmmcRAKBjjrQr6GgZXr1HUwaiKV3a3VG8qDNvxkL4L8iWHs8ib7dgi0qaqGCKX45x6INJPE_smuhxA2vWkHBbn7BGIPF7cyHdRAAUcjGGJzU8/s1600/Rameswaram+Ride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgPjleq_DjUE1RX5hed66oqCeDw8jyoUgmmcRAKBjjrQr6GgZXr1HUwaiKV3a3VG8qDNvxkL4L8iWHs8ib7dgi0qaqGCKX45x6INJPE_smuhxA2vWkHBbn7BGIPF7cyHdRAAUcjGGJzU8/s320/Rameswaram+Ride.jpg" /></a>When we crossed the Pamban Bridge (that connects Rameswaram island with rest of India), a local at a petty shop asked us where we came from.. we replied ‘Chennai’. He said ‘I mean, where are U cycling from?’.. ‘Yes..Chennai’ we repeated. His reaction was ‘what are U saying??’ along with an expression of total disbelief.. and a smile!
Looking back, when Ragavendra first proposed the idea of a cycle trip from Chennai to Rameswaram, I too did not take it seriously. As the build-up and preparation started, I still thought ‘OK.. we shall go as far as we can.. and then, load the cycles in a bus or truck and reach Rameswaram’. As the days grew near, the determination to make it slowly set-in. I was in it for the experience.. the experience of visiting places I had not been to (Poompuhar, Tranquebar fort, Rameswaram temple etc..) and the chance to meet people from different walks of life and view life from their perspective. Ragavendra was more of a ‘purist’.. he seemed to be in it primarily for the cycling experience. If somebody offered a lift or some kind of support, I was inclined to take it as I counted it as yet another experience.. but he was particular that we ‘pedaled’ the entire 700 odd KMs. Also, he rides with proper cycling gear – jersey, helmet and the like. I prefer lose T-Shirts and a cap. He is a strong guy who can press the pedal really hard and ride at high speeds.. I am more of a gentle rider and prefer average speed of 15 kmph. He likes to take long breaks and sleep hard.. I like to keep riding and want wake up before sun-rise so that we can be in the outdoors as the sun peeps out.. he is internet savvy and is always doing something on his mobile browser.. <br />
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while I prefer to keep my phone switched off for most part of the day. He takes care of grooming himself before a ride so that he looks smart in photographs.. while I do not even notice if the room we are staying in has a mirror or not! With all these contrasts, we got together for one memorable ride that was as enriching as 5 days can ever be.. there were times during the journey – especially during day 3 – when we thought we were being over-ambitious by attempting 700+ KMs of riding. In the end, everything seemed magical and almost unbelievable.. we could not actually believe that we were going to complete the planned trip from Chennai to Rameswaram – entirely fuelled by the human energy of pedaling!</div>
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PalaniselvanShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03568417717759361518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8574423464225702746.post-613012649610743402011-12-12T15:05:00.000+05:302013-09-01T00:17:20.349+05:30Chennai to Rameshwaram {Season 2011}<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Leo Tolstoy once wrote “If we admit that human life can be ruled by reason, the possibility of life is destroyed” and this dialogue was made famous by Chris McCandles (Remember ‘Into The Wild’?). So, there is no need to dwell into the reason / logic behind everything we do… and this can be a convenient explanation for why 3 of us are undertaking a bicycle ride from Chennai to Rameshwaram.</div>
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Rameshwaram is about 600 KMs away and our estimate is to make this trip in 5 days. Based on our previous experience of doing Thiruvannamalai and back in 4 days, this distance is do’able – provided we can sustain the 5 days of riding. It is not as much about strength and stamina – as it is about endurance. The butt is going to t be sore resting on bicyce seat for so long.. arms are going to want a break from holding the handle-bars continuously.. and the back is going to break.. but, it has potential to be fun, exciting and memorable! Major part of the ride is going to be on the scenic East-Cost-Road along the beach and we are going to get to see places we have not been to before – including the Danish fort in Tanquebar and ending up in the much-heard-about ‘Pamban’ bridge in Dhanishkodi – only a few miles away from Sri Lanka.<br />
I wrote about this a few months back requesting interested people to join.. well, it is too late now as this trip is going to require lot of preparation and I will look forward to you joining us next time. Meanwhile, U can do a virtual trip with us thru photos and write-ups as we ride this time. We will soon share the website where U can see the updates. Preparation has included getting the bicycle serviced, buying back-up tubes, pumps etc and doing daily rides to let the body get used to riding. I have not been able to put in more than 1 hr per day.. and cannot claim to be naturally athletic too. So, I look forward to a tough time ahead! Friends <a data-hovercard-instant="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/hovercard.php?id=1109834166&type=mediatag&media_info=2.327938167217833" data-tag="1109834166" href="http://www.facebook.com/sankarasivan">Sankarasivan Natarajan</a> and <a data-hovercard-instant="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/hovercard.php?id=602176625&type=mediatag&media_info=2.327938167217833" data-tag="602176625" href="http://www.facebook.com/krsk4u">Ragavendra Senthil Kumar</a> who complete the team are in their own practice routines as well. But I do not think anything can really prepare us for 600 KMs. So, the actual ride is going to be a REAL experience.<br />
So, where are we going to stay? How are we going to manage bath.. and.. err.. everything else? Well.. we are not going into a uninhabited desert or something. So, there are going to be small towns with their own hotels.. there are going to be farms that let us take a outdoor shower and temples that are going to let us stretch our legs and sleep. We are keeping all options open and continuing the preparation to the kick-off (or should we say ‘pedal-off’ date) date of 25-Dec. If U are interested, we can continue sharing the build-up as we approach the 25th Dec 2011...</div>
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PalaniselvanShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03568417717759361518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8574423464225702746.post-20570982679231927152011-03-07T14:55:00.000+05:302013-09-01T00:17:49.984+05:30Chennai to/from Thiruvannamalai post trip experience…<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Part 1</b></div>
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<b>I</b> once read someone say ‘the key problem is that we do everything for money or for a reward… the moment we take the reward element out, everything we do becomes a joy in itself – no matter what you do’. I experienced this to be true while cycling to Thiruvannamalai… I have used the bicycle to go to school… I see several people cycling to work… so; cycling in itself is not some great creative activity. But when you do it for fun and out of choice, it takes on a different quality all together! U are pushing your body and sucking every drop of energy available… but U are doing this for fun… it is a wonderful feeling indeed… I will do the usual ritual of sharing the entire experience with you…</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHW14lKSbTN44pjrLhHkk_Q6XlAB_XrdgXSbnju4i09IFMEuWQcK2LfO6mEskyLGOw04x03oAEC3R3eKC5chCQ2A7O5LzXj2ndraldYpnmFOzK8OU7p607U5rhDiA_IYYL0HVsXWCOmug/s1600/Thiruvannamalai1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHW14lKSbTN44pjrLhHkk_Q6XlAB_XrdgXSbnju4i09IFMEuWQcK2LfO6mEskyLGOw04x03oAEC3R3eKC5chCQ2A7O5LzXj2ndraldYpnmFOzK8OU7p607U5rhDiA_IYYL0HVsXWCOmug/s320/Thiruvannamalai1.jpg" /></a>I started off documenting the trip from start to finish… but dumped it seeing that it is of not much entertainment value. So, this time, will change course and will just highlight some significant events, thoughts and experiences…</div>
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What a pleasure it is to get away from the maddening rush of the city and step into (or rather ‘pedal into…’) the vastness of bright green paddy fields and vacant roads! I could not stop clicking with my mobile phone camera… but then found it futile and just stared at the beauty around me. I tried to absorb the beauty of the places by breathing in deeply and wondering how I can comprehend and store this within me for revisiting and tasting whenever I needed… only to be reminded by Ragavendra “<em>don’t worry.. We will ask HCL to build one office here….</em>” asking me to move on…</div>
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Wherever we stopped for a short break, we were immediately mobbed by people who kept firing questions at us… many a time, people in bikes or cars would ride along with us and fire these questions… for them, seeing 2 people riding on village roads with helmets, sun glasses, gloves etc. seemed like an ‘exhibition or circus’ and we were instant superstars! Following are some of the questions fired at us…<br />
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* Where are you coming from? Chennai?? Unbelievable…<br />
* Why are you doing this? What is your motive?<br />
* What is the message U are trying to convey?<br />
* Pls do not tell that you are doing this for fun… tell us the truth!<br />
* Are you policemen? Are you government staff doing some survey?<br />
* Are you sportsmen? Are you this? Are U that?<br />
* ‘Enna sir ore comedy panreenga.. Why are U doing this comedy?<br />
* Oh… U have gears in your cycle… so, it will go even without pedaling! Those are petrol tanks right? – pointing to water bottles…<br />
* ‘These cycles look expensive… how much do they cost? Rs. 3000??’ When we tell them it costs Rs. 12500 without the accessories, they look at us as if we have been cheated big time by some seller!<br />
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There were also occasional comments teasing us… At one place by midnight 1AM, we were asked by policemen to ‘introduce’ ourselves… watch for speeding lorries and… To take care! We were almost treated like guests in some places and were welcomed into conversations… and every time we had to leave, it felt like an unfinished dialogue and I wish we had more time to stay in each village. Not a single person crossed us without giving a second look… and those quick-witted enough did not miss the opportunity to fire some questions and pick up a conversation. While living in the city, we feel safe, secure and comfortable only inside our homes… but out here, we felt ‘at home’ almost anywhere… even when we were dead tired and wanted a nap, we only looked for a place to lay down.. Nothing else mattered as the entire earth felt like home!!! – And the part 1 ends here. Have a break!</div>
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<b>Part 2</b></div>
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<strong>W</strong>hile going on a long bicycle ride, you need to be able to ignore the motorbikes, cars and busses speeding by… U are not in competition with them! We need to be looking at the people walking by and amuse ourselves thinking how a pair of wheels can help cover so much distance with so little effort! When there are bumps on the road and you have to slow-down, it is rather tough to take… when U see a steep climb ahead of U, the mind tempts you to get down and walk.. And when you encounter a speed-breaker when speeding in a slope, it is really a sucker-punch… U are forced to apply the brakes and loose all the momentum you have built by pedaling hard on the slope… in the end, it is all part of the package and contributes to the enriching experience…</div>
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We were carrying 2 spare tubes each, pumps to fill air, kits to change tubes, fix punctures etc… But we did not encounter a single puncture during the entire trip. In the past, we have not carried these in short rides and ended up having to walk our cycles back home due to punctures… that is how cruel luck can be… the good part is – adding some luggage to the cycle does not make too much of a difference. The amount of accessories and pouches U can fit to a bicycle are almost unlimited… we had no pockets in our cycling shorts… but could enjoy snacks, drink, operate mobile phones, use solar chargers etc. – without having to stop. There are convenient pouches to enable all these as U ride… a blinking red hazard light at the rear and reflectors all around ensuring that vehicles passing by stay clear of us and give us enough space… an air horn attached creates the noise of an auto rickshaw horn and we are allowed space to overtake. In all, we discovered that cycling is a great way to travel and explore… next only to walking!</div>
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While the scenery around lights ups your experience during the day, the darkness of the night is an experience too! There were times when I could not see anything except the reflectors and hazard lights from Ragavendra bike ahead of me… it was absolute and pitch darkness. Our headlights indicated that we are on road… and frequent checking of Google maps on the mobile shows where on earth we were! At times, we ‘discovered’ that we were in ‘reserved forest’ area with no human inhabitation for 10-15 KMs. Imagine a puncture here.. That would have been quite an experience!! Another thing about night riding is the street dog menace… they barked at us and even chased us as we crossed small villages. But the moment U slow down, they lose interest and give up – a simple formula that works every single time.</div>
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During the initial leg of our journey, we came across a midnight street-play running in full stream at 2 AM – in a village near Sriperumbudhur (place where Rajiv Gandhi was blown up by LTTE!). It looked like Mahabharata was being played out… But Krishna and Draupathi were conversing in local <em>Chennai Tamil</em>… it was extremely funny… but enjoyable all the same. I liked it so much that I had to be literally dragged out of the place… street-play seems so much superior to movies and television shows! Hardly 2-3 musicians and a handful of over-made-up artists get the audience engaged and make this live show a very ‘involving’ experience…</div>
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As we rode along discussing the street-show, we somehow lost way to Sriperumbudhur and stopped at a place to find alternate route to Kanchipuram. It was a T-junction and Ragavendra was looking up the map in his mobile… while I and Ramesh were trying to select some snacks from our bags to recharge us. Remember – Ramesh was with us for the first 60 KMs after which he gave up and took his bike in a bus to Thiruvannamalai. Anyway… here we are at about 3 PM taking a forced break with no human or vehicle in sight… and all of a sudden, a middle-aged woman seemingly comes out of nowhere with a bag in hand, walking towards us! If any of us were alone, we would have got the fright of our lives… but since we were 3, we just stared back not knowing what else to do. She walked straight past us and stood in the T-Junction – looking like she was waiting for some vehicle. This was a dangerous situation for us if ghosts and devils truly existed… there was no time to debate – we quickly packed and moved on with our bikes..</div>
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Thighs and butts are the key to cycle ride… we managed to ride regularly for past 1 month to prepare ourselves and somehow managed… but(t) then, the ‘bottom’ line is – U cannot rest your backside on a tiny seat for one whole day at any rate.. The pain and discomfort gets to you even though U are wearing specially designed cycling shorts with padding! But it is a small price to pay for this wonderful experience of cycling in rural India…</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9bqP0roQhYjyRunxlrvAm244GUXZv60jdRE968Bh1Ubbkc3tiNSh3mJfpqX5TutT60nDhwD5yX1W-82tdh4dc0DjQz7apOw4ySW9_RNWFGO8s8frR4TsSKyHvpQ9pRFpwozXzzDiXVE/s1600/Thiruvannamalai2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9bqP0roQhYjyRunxlrvAm244GUXZv60jdRE968Bh1Ubbkc3tiNSh3mJfpqX5TutT60nDhwD5yX1W-82tdh4dc0DjQz7apOw4ySW9_RNWFGO8s8frR4TsSKyHvpQ9pRFpwozXzzDiXVE/s320/Thiruvannamalai2.jpg" /></a></div>
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One good aspect is that tea-shops are present well past midnight and from the small hours of the morning. So, when some kind of refreshment is needed, we only have to find a tea-shop, park and sip a warm cup of freshly made tea… we enjoyed the feeling of warm tea making its way through our throats in that cold/misty nights. We also had energy-bars and kadalai-muttai (ground-nut candy) to regularly boost energies… straight from the cross-bar pouch to our tummies… again without having to stop the bikes!</div>
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One notable fact from the trip – I think it will be impossible to spot an Indian without a mobile phone these days… and difficult to find one who does not spend over half his awake time using it! Everybody seems to be lost in conversations on their mobile phones – from people on bikes to those grazing cows… and even people working in the paddy fields seem to have one ear stuck to their phones. We saw one particular incident where a girl of about 10 years fell of a bicycle while riding it and trying to talk on her hone simultaneously. As soon as she fell, 2 others came to help her get up… she gladly took the help… but kept her ears glued to the phone and continued talking while all this was happening!!</div>
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Also, we enjoyed the feeling of being ‘superstars’ wherever we went… with people crowding around us and firing questions. Even when we reached Thiruvannamalai, the hotel staff surrounded us watching us unpack our luggage… and we ended up getting special attention throughout our stay! This could be little uncomfortable if it happened regularly… but since nobody gives is a dam back in the city, I was able to enjoy this! Besides all the enjoyment and sense pleasures, 3 key takeaways form this cycle trip were…<br />
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1. Rural India still maintains its culture of welcoming strangers and being very hospitable… if the British were to find a way to enter again, it will not be a surprise if they are able to establish camp in our country again!<br />
2. There is so much time and energy in store amongst Indian villages… people have so much time in hand and if guided d supported properly, could do quite a lot…<br />
3. What is the big deal of keeping busy and earning all that money anyway?? What do people here lack? We can say they have never tasted pizzas or seen LED televisions… But does that make the quality of their lives any lesser?? – I really do not know!<br />
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Even we captured some snaps in our trip… Check it out in our galleries… :)</div>
<span style="text-align: justify;">Thanks for riding along… by reading this far and giving your feedback…</span></div>
PalaniselvanShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03568417717759361518noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8574423464225702746.post-56894416833877210952011-01-01T00:00:00.000+05:302013-08-31T11:13:45.771+05:30Welcome to Southern Riders' Blog!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Southern Ridershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10310769773151840302noreply@blogger.com0Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India13.0524139 80.25082459999998712.5573929 79.605377599999983 13.547434899999999 80.896271599999992