The Basavanabetta 200

The Basavanabetta 200 route was designed by Parag Patankar, and organised as a non-ACP ride under the Bangalore Brevets banner.

A Winter Night Ride

November is here, and the temperature has dropped noticably since Diwali. I took a short impromptu ride last night to enjoy the crisp winter air and the full moon. Despite the bright moonlight, some roads in are completely dark due to the dense canopy of Mahogany and Rain Trees. An added bonus is the sweet smell of Alstonia Scholaris flowers (near the library) filling the night.

Kottai 200 Brevet

Back story:

After an eventful fallout with the national randonneuring 'body', a number of clubs (both clubs of Bangalore included) are no longer organising ACP sanctioned rides this year. Instead, a new organisation is taking shape in Bangalore, and there could hardly be a more fitting first ride than the K200 - a scenic and challenging route with just the right mix of everything.

The K200

HOWTO: Open Chain Quick Link with Nose Pliers

My s.o.'s commuter bike has a stubborn quick link on the chain which just can't be undone by hand. There are a number of nice tools specifically for this (Park Tool and others) but a pair of nose pliers will work just as well - in 5 easy steps! Click on the pictures for full sized versions.

Step 0: Find a pair of nose pliers

Mini Velo

By a stroke of luck I happen to have on loan a small wheeled bike from Mr Pai. I had test-ridden it before, but now that I have ridden it a little more I think it deserves a post of its own.

The Mercier Mini Velo in bright Orange

Time Trialing

Some of the roadies from IBN started a bi-weekly schedule of early morning Time Trial practice on Airport Road, which I rode today. The "course" starts at Esteem Mall and goes all the way to airport and back, a distance of about 40km

Makalidurga Exploratory

Shaunak and I rode a 150K loop yesterday. Briefly, north all the way to Makalidurga and just a little beyond to Thondeblavi, then west to Alipur and then back south along some village roads, some of which I had already explored.

Gauribidanur 200 Brevet Preride

This was the first Non-ACP Brevet by the IISc Randonneurs. The plan for a brevet to / through Gauribidanur had been simmering for nearly a year before Sourav and Shaunak teamed up to put it together. Shaunak, Rishav and I rode the pre-ride since we were volunteering for the actual event. The route can be summed up in one word: scenic. (Don't try it in the heat of peak summer, though)

Just after Gauribidanur

Hoskote - Mandur

A short ride with Sourav Mondal to recce the last section of the Gauribidanur 200 (Non-ACP) Brevet.

Full Fenders - SKS P65 Chromoplastic

A couple of rides in wet conditions had me convinced I needed mudguards. I quickly got myself a pair of inexpensive BTwin Clip-Ons, but after seeing little improvement I decided I needs full mudguards. Full mudguards need some investment of time and energy, but are worth it in the long run. This post details fender selection, installation, and links to other useful stuff.

The KGF 300

After a number of missed opportunities, I finally attempted the KGF 300 BRM - a super scenic route that passes through two neighboring states - Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The ride was certainly not easy for me, being my first 300K brevet, with summer weather making things even harder on an otherwise easy route. I was riding the pre-ride with Sohan and Chiddu a week before the actual event since we would all be volunteering at the controls on that day.

Belting it on Hoskote-Malur Road

On Punctures

Todays post is a rambling one about the one thing all cyclists hate - punctures! I had remarked earlier that I seemed to be lucky to have fewer than average flats on my rides, only to find that my rear tube had developed a slow leak (after the Devarayandurga ride) and was flat in a couple of hours after I got home. It must have happened in or very close to campus, because I'm sure the tire was fine until then. Finding this puncture was tedious - it was imperceptible to the ear or lips, and was found only after I submerged the tube in a bucket. As expected it was a tiny hole.

Ride to Devarayanadurga

Riding towards Urdigere

This ride was supposed to happen in feb, but for a number of reasons it got pushed to march 2nd. Weather had been just awesome all week, with lots of cloud and gentle rains. During the ride, however, it was oppressively hot.

[Update: Map added]