[landcruiser123]

Amitoj,
This is an amazing tour. Hats off! I've driven through these areas in Utah, but doing it on a bike must be something special.

You've summed up why I like biking so much with one sentence:

It allows you to slow down and lets you absorb more and appreciate the beauty around you.

If possible, could you please edit posts to show maps/stats of your Strava rides?

Cheers!!

[tatafanatic]

excellent article and an amazing feat

motivated me enough to go cycling on a business trip to Japan, hopefully my writeup can match yours in terms of writing quality and pictures

Cheers

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by ssathiyanarayan

The sad part as you mentioned - Cycling as a sport is not picking up much in India. I blame it on the attitude, support and infrastructure. Being a randennuer myself I realized this in a hard way. Wishing you all the best and super good luck to complete your SR. It's something I missed out and will be in my bucket list for a long time to come. Happy miles and milestones ahead ��

Thanks for your wishes. The cycling scene here in US is also not very different from India. In fact, I think in some places India is faring better than US in terms of cycling infrastructure. Case in point, the covered bike path in Hyderabad (I think)

And the randonneuring scene has picked up a lot too in India over the past few years, specially after the pandemic, which is another great news that I love sharing with all the cyclists here

Originally Posted by PreludeSH

Congrats on a great trip and beautiful photographs.
The landscape of Utah is truly amazing with red/yellow/brown colours on naked rock and earth . Having lived next door in Colorado for close to 2 decades, I find this serene and you acknowledge the vastness and your tiny self in all of that.

Thanks. I'd love to visit Colorado too some day.

Originally Posted by FrankMartin

It would help cycling novices like me if you could also add a little about the supporting equipment that you used like the bicycle bag n how you organized your riding gear.

Sure, although keep in mind that I am a novice tourer too

And that is why everyone else had racks and panniers whereas I had a handlebar bag and a seatpost bag.

This is the handlebar bag that I had:

Arkel Handlebar Bag

I've been using the handlebar bag for long distance brevets for a while now but I may have to bid farewell to it as I get my bike fitted with a dynamo hub. This bag occupies all the real estate on the handlebar. But I have used and abused this bag so much that it is almost time to let it go anyway. Having said that, it is a very handy and versatile bag. I carried snacks, repair tools, 2 spare tubes, rain gloves, cycling cap, a rain jacket, rechargeable batteries and sunscreen in this bag. I stuffed GU energy gels and Cliff bars on the side pockets for easy access and all the charging cables in the front pocket.

And here is the seat post bag:
Ortlieb Saddle Bag

I bought this bag years ago when I bought the bike but never felt the need to use it till now. This bag is surprisingly deep. I was able to pack 3 bib shorts, 4 jerseys, a hiking pant, hiking shorts, 2 t shirts, few undergarments, 4 socks, toiletries and a pair of sneakers into it. The trick is to roll fold everything and pack the items you'll need most last, which took me a few days to master.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx301uHM74o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNt5OnhbnSQ

I may have to use this bag more often as I let go of the handle bar bag.

All in all, I was quite happy with my gear. I could have carried another pair of shorts and t shirt though.

Also, I bought some detergent in Springdale and washed clothes twice during the trip.

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

If possible, could you please edit posts to show maps/stats of your Strava rides?

Ooh that might be tough. The 2 main stats that I was focused on were distance and climbing, both of which I have shared. I have provided links to all the rides on Strava and made them all public. Let me know if you come across any links that don't work.

Originally Posted by tatafanatic

excellent article and an amazing feat

motivated me enough to go cycling on a business trip to Japan, hopefully my writeup can match yours in terms of writing quality and pictures

Cheers

Thanks and I look forward to your writeup!