This was my first brevet ride. I had maximum of 120KM ride earlier. I reached the start point by around 5:10AM. Found few more riders who had reached the spot. Got my brevet card and cuesheet. Cycle was checked for the mandatory things. I met Sagar with whom I rode Gollahalli 55KM Populaire. The ride started at 6AM. I started along with Sagar and rode fast. Targeted to reach Harohalli by 8:15 and save 1 hour for the climbs. We reached first control point Harohalli at 8:20 AM and continued without stopping for breakfast.
We stopped in Maralwadi and had breakfast, joined by Sundar. From there onwards we 3 rode together, almost along with Puneeth Rao. I was ahead of them where Sagar suddenly stopped and said one of the guys (I think it was Mrinal Kumar) had the flat. As we were not in a position to help, we decided to continue. Somewhere in the climb I rode off the road and fell off while attempting to get back to the road. I hurt my left knee, but decided to continue. I was frequently slowing down to be joined by Sagar and Sundar. When there was about 5 KMs to the next control point at Thally I decided to ride fast and get some medicine to my hurting knee and wait for Sagar and Sundar. I reached Thally at 11:10 AM, and bought the Soframycin and applied to my knee. Sagar and Sundar reached 10 minutes later.
Sagar told me that he had a crash and Sundar helped him. The front disc brake of Sagar’s bike was bent. We rode half a kilometer to get out of the town, took right to Jawalgiri and stopped to fix Sagar’s bike. Sundar helped him to disconnect the caliper before we continued.
We reached Anchetty and asked villagers at bus stop about the Petrol bunk who told us that there are 2 bunks on 2 different routes. We took the wrong route and 100 meters down asked another villager about the Petrol bunk with ATM, who guided us to the right direction. We got our ATM slips around 2PM and joined by around 10 to 15 riders. Sagar wanted to have lunch, where we needed to go back half a kilometer to Anchetty. Sundar advised us against eating lunch as we were about to start the ghat section climb. We rode a kilometer and took almost 10 to 15 minutes break. Ate chikkis, biscuits, snicker, dry fruits and had water. We saved little water for the next climb as we were not expecting any shops for another 25 KMs.
Sundar asked me to ride along with him as I was riding fast. We rode another 6 KMs together, where Sagar asked me to ride ahead and wait at Denkanikottai. I started to ride fast as Sagar and Sundar were riding together. I stopped and waited almost 5 minutes at first hairpin curve for both of them. I started to ride again along with them for few meters and went ahead thinking that I will wait for them at Denki. I stopped in a small village had tea and filled my bottle with water, washed my face and waited for more than 15 minutes for Sagar and Sundar. As I did not find them, I thought I may be losing time and continued. I reached Denki at around 4:30PM and had 3 hours in my hand to complete another 55 KMs. I decided to ride past Denki and stop somewhere and wait. I stopped in between and had some bananas. As I found lot of climbs even after Denki and riding at average of 18KM was an uphill task for me, I decided to continue without waiting for Sagar and Sundar. I rode along with Ashok T for almost 10KMs before I took a break.
At the cross to Attibele, I stopped to have bananas and met Ankush and David. The speed with which I was riding, I thought I will be able to make it just in time and worried about getting the ATM slip, if the machine fails to read the card. At Tally-Hosur Road intersection, one biker brushed my front tire, luckily I could manage to hold on. Leaving behind the incident, I started to ride fast. Ankush and David rode past me asking me to ride on the lower gears. I tried to follow them, but could not catch up. I found them later at Attibele bus stop. I waved them and continued. Near Chandapur, I took 2 minutes break to fix the rear light as it was getting dark when Mahesh and Abhilash rode past me. I caught up with them at Electronics city elevated expressway, where I had 40 minutes to cover 10KMs. I reached the end point by 7:20PM just 10 minutes before the control point closes. I am not sure if Sagar and Sundar completed it as I did not had their numbers. I heard that 21 out of 64 riders completed the brevet and rest of them dropped out. I left silk board and reached home around 10PM.
Last but not least Thanks to IISc Randonneurs for drafting such an awesome & breathtaking route.
We stopped in Maralwadi and had breakfast, joined by Sundar. From there onwards we 3 rode together, almost along with Puneeth Rao. I was ahead of them where Sagar suddenly stopped and said one of the guys (I think it was Mrinal Kumar) had the flat. As we were not in a position to help, we decided to continue. Somewhere in the climb I rode off the road and fell off while attempting to get back to the road. I hurt my left knee, but decided to continue. I was frequently slowing down to be joined by Sagar and Sundar. When there was about 5 KMs to the next control point at Thally I decided to ride fast and get some medicine to my hurting knee and wait for Sagar and Sundar. I reached Thally at 11:10 AM, and bought the Soframycin and applied to my knee. Sagar and Sundar reached 10 minutes later.
Sagar told me that he had a crash and Sundar helped him. The front disc brake of Sagar’s bike was bent. We rode half a kilometer to get out of the town, took right to Jawalgiri and stopped to fix Sagar’s bike. Sundar helped him to disconnect the caliper before we continued.
We reached Anchetty and asked villagers at bus stop about the Petrol bunk who told us that there are 2 bunks on 2 different routes. We took the wrong route and 100 meters down asked another villager about the Petrol bunk with ATM, who guided us to the right direction. We got our ATM slips around 2PM and joined by around 10 to 15 riders. Sagar wanted to have lunch, where we needed to go back half a kilometer to Anchetty. Sundar advised us against eating lunch as we were about to start the ghat section climb. We rode a kilometer and took almost 10 to 15 minutes break. Ate chikkis, biscuits, snicker, dry fruits and had water. We saved little water for the next climb as we were not expecting any shops for another 25 KMs.
Sundar asked me to ride along with him as I was riding fast. We rode another 6 KMs together, where Sagar asked me to ride ahead and wait at Denkanikottai. I started to ride fast as Sagar and Sundar were riding together. I stopped and waited almost 5 minutes at first hairpin curve for both of them. I started to ride again along with them for few meters and went ahead thinking that I will wait for them at Denki. I stopped in a small village had tea and filled my bottle with water, washed my face and waited for more than 15 minutes for Sagar and Sundar. As I did not find them, I thought I may be losing time and continued. I reached Denki at around 4:30PM and had 3 hours in my hand to complete another 55 KMs. I decided to ride past Denki and stop somewhere and wait. I stopped in between and had some bananas. As I found lot of climbs even after Denki and riding at average of 18KM was an uphill task for me, I decided to continue without waiting for Sagar and Sundar. I rode along with Ashok T for almost 10KMs before I took a break.
At the cross to Attibele, I stopped to have bananas and met Ankush and David. The speed with which I was riding, I thought I will be able to make it just in time and worried about getting the ATM slip, if the machine fails to read the card. At Tally-Hosur Road intersection, one biker brushed my front tire, luckily I could manage to hold on. Leaving behind the incident, I started to ride fast. Ankush and David rode past me asking me to ride on the lower gears. I tried to follow them, but could not catch up. I found them later at Attibele bus stop. I waved them and continued. Near Chandapur, I took 2 minutes break to fix the rear light as it was getting dark when Mahesh and Abhilash rode past me. I caught up with them at Electronics city elevated expressway, where I had 40 minutes to cover 10KMs. I reached the end point by 7:20PM just 10 minutes before the control point closes. I am not sure if Sagar and Sundar completed it as I did not had their numbers. I heard that 21 out of 64 riders completed the brevet and rest of them dropped out. I left silk board and reached home around 10PM.
Last but not least Thanks to IISc Randonneurs for drafting such an awesome & breathtaking route.
