Week 1: Hard work...training...but the sudden rise in heat is demoralising

It was supposed to be a big cycling weekend. 3 days of holidays including monday which is India's republic day. We had planned to cycle it out to Alibaug (which is around 110 kms) and come back to Mumbai by a ferry service. We had even checked hotel arrangements 10 days prior as it was expected to be a heavy tourist weekend. Satya's parents left for their yearly vacation to Bangalore and Satya had to stay home to look afte his dogs. So we all stayed back.

Saturday morning : Me and Satish started at 11 and took our pre-determined route from Badlapur towards Titwala and the Murbad highway. It is a tough route with many undulations. The heat rose above our head, but we weren't in the mood to care. We rode for around 15-17 kms, at a good pace, and touched the highway. I almost fainted in the heat. I had to stop near a shop and sit in the shade to steady myself as I was feeling dizzy. The handle ad other metal parts on the cycle were hot to the touch. The sun had done us in. After recovering (lots of bisleri water) we rode a little further on the highway and reached a dhaba and had lunch. The ride back was expectedly treachorous with the sun bearing down on our heads and a towering mountain incline. We laboured our way up the incline and somehow dragged ourselves back home. Disappointing.

We have planned to stop cycling in the sun, till the heat wave dies out and try to ride only in the mornings and evenings. The heat wave is expected to last for another 4-5 days. Morale is down notwithstanding the 4 hour ride from ambernath to the gateway of India (65-70 kms) which we did easily.

Grand dreams

Hello everyone,
Welcome to the blog. We are a bunch of cycling enthusiasts in Mumbai who took to cycling to keep ourselves fit and gradually realized what a wonderful experience it is to ride your cycles for long distances. We started doing little trips outside Mumbai to places like Khopoli, Vashi and now thing whole cycling thing has begun taking hysterical proportions. We are planning a trip to Delhi from Mumbai in the month of August and plan to reach Delhi on the 15th, which is our independence day.

Why are we planning to do this? A couple of reasons...

1. We want to say...Why can't a bicycle be thought of a viable means of transport. If a bunch of 28 yr guys can ride all the way from Mumbai to delhi (we are not professional cyclists...mind you)why can't people living within the vicinity of 5-10 kms of their office ride the bicycle to work. The advantages are many..better health, less conjestion on the road, less pollution.

2.We want to say...How about having a coach for bicycles in the local trains in mumbai. Commuters can ride to the station close to their homes, load their cycles in the train, alight at the station closest to their office and ride the cycle to work.