Route: Borivali (Sanjay Gandhi National Park) - Vasai - Virar - Charoti - Mahalaxmi temple (& return) (
Link))
Distance: 201 kms
Difficulty: Tough
Feedback: Every now and then, a bike or a car would pull aside and more or less the same set of questions would be asked
"Bhai, koi marathon chal raha hai kya?"
(Is there a marathon/race going on?) "Kahan jaa rahe ho? Kahan sae chalu kiya?"
(Where are you heading? Where did you begin from?)
Their curiosity satisfied, with the courteous ones wishing me 'good luck', they continue ahead on their journey. I was asked this atleast 3-4 times, and I'm sure every single rider has been asked one or more times the same question!
With the hills, the inclines arrived. But with such amazing landscape, I wasn't complaining at all.
We passed by
Hotel 'Decent', but unfortunately I didn't stop there, so sorry guys, no story out there
The organizers had moved out to head towards the half-way mark, and were taking pics of the riders they passed by, and a few lucky ones got nice profile-pic quality pictures taken. Unfortunately (
murphy zindabad ) I wasn't one of them.
Surprisingly I managed to put a good pace and with a quick breakfast break at the 60km mark at a Vithal Kamat restaurant, I reach the halfway mark in about 4.5 hours, well before my own set timelines.
The organizers with had stocked themselves with water, fruits and few other goodies. One had to get their brevet card stamped to record their official timestamp, freshen up and head backwards.
So the easy part was done, and now the tougher part began - the road back. Unfortunately the clouds had disappeared over the past hour, and the sun was out in its full glory. Also as we turned back we realized that the wind had been assisting us till then, and now we were facing quite medium to high headwinds. Not helpful at all - I would have preferred headwinds in the morning!
Cycling on the highway gives you insights that get missed when you are in a bike or a car. Like the interesting modifications folks did to their cycles.
We also had a fellow rider who clearly was doing much longer rides than any of us - unfortunately I couldn't get a chance to interact with her as I missed seeing her on the route.
Riding during the monsoon season gives you the benefits of passing by a few reivers, and multiple streams, all full of rain-water. About an hour after the half-way mark, I decide to take a break, and literally jump into a small stream. I can't tell you how wonderful it felt to do that. Under the hot sun, the water felt the most amazing! If it wasn't for the clock ticking, I probably would have spent an hour or two at that place.
The last 50 kms were the most brutal for me - the lack of practice (of doing 150+ km rides) was clearly showing; and possibly I didn't plan out the first 100 kms in a better manner. I should have focussed on saving energy than achieving better speeds. Also the headwinds and lack of rain was not helping.
Around the same Vithal Kamat restaurant where I had my breakfast, I get a strong bout of cramps in my thighs, and I literally lie down on the grass adjacent to the highway.
Then the nicest thing happened - a sumo stops by and the concerned driver asks me if I need any help. I thank him and ask him to continue ahead. I head to the restaurant, and decide to have lunch.
About an hour later, slightly better off, I head back on the road. But my speed comes down to a casual level and I take around 4 hours to cover the rest 60 kms with several breaks every 10-15 kms, stopping to lay down at empty bus-stands.
Finally I reach the destination by 7, within the timelines and am greeted by a few others who were waiting for the rest! An ATM slip taken to record the final timestamp, and I was done! Yay!
A few learnings from this ride - could be wrong, but this is what I am going to take forward for the next BRM!
- BRM is all about endurance. One needs to understand one's limits and plan accordingly.
- You get to meet some amazing folks! The best part of the ride was post my breakfast as I cruised along with a fellow rider for a while, chatting about our hobbies, our lives. On my next BRM, I am going to focus more on the people, and lesser on the ride
- BRM is most fun when you have friends/known riders with you. Many of the experienced riders were riding in groups having fun all along the way!
Disclaimer: The pics have been taken by multiple riders. Ownership lies with them