Seven
Manoj E G
Took to biking when I became a teenager thrice over again and with a few more years under the belt. I realized that I had to do something. Life was good with 2 beautiful daughters and a wife. Bumped into reading a couple of blogs related to biking during a Google search and there I was on my way to buy a bike!
A Hero Octane (phew!) initially and the last 2 and half years on a Cannondale F5….life has been good! Dinged my motorcycle and car and been commuting ever since on the bike to office. Managed to influence 20 odd others into biking at office. My first 100 kms from home to the new airport on my Octane about 3 years back, still brings the goose bumps and memories of the first long ride!
A ready stream of gaalis for those who sideswipe me and a smile and wave to the school kids who travel to school in their buses is what drives me every day.
Taste in reading and music is eclectic! Ranges from ragas to rock, blues to jazz, Kishore-Mukesh-Rafi, Calvin and Hobbes to History et al..
Saurabh Kumar
Where do I start?
My family-
Wife: Anuradha, kids: Shlok (7 years) & Vedanshi (2 years),
Cycles: Schwinn Sporterra (1.2 Year) & the newbie addition to our family …Trek 1.5 (One month old)
Am a traveler/history buff by nature. (Another IT guy from Bangalore by profession)
Work for GE Energy -P&W Aero business from Bangalore. Manage ERP Projects when I get some time off cycling.
GE (RMZ- Bangalore premises) is quite a cycle friendly employer, you get flexi hours to beat traffic; got a shower in premises and more …
Sohan my colleague inspired me to take on cycling
Started commuting to office from day one I got my Schwinn, never rode my car to work there-after….been more than a year.
Eugene from Decathlon introduced me to the joy of trail rides.
Love the charm of wading through new found village roads, green and brown woods, deserted quarries….fuelling in at wayside idli shops.
The bonding these social rides bring with fellow peddlers and young things are fun and some cases lasting.
And then the TFN 11 invite happened.
A late gate crasher. As a prep…trying to get into a skin of a roadie, moving from hybrid to trek 1.5 , clipless pedals and all…
Now I ride alone on weekends, start early 6ish , complete a loop of around 200 km and back in my cave before sunset.
Love Jigani-Horahalli-Thalli route…great roads, nice climbs, lot of adoring fans (read government school kids) and Banerghatta forest reserves enroute.
Looking forward to TFN 11 …. To ride, to climb and to see Siva in person and the other mad lot.
To be honest on what makes me crazy about cycling? it’s NOT the fresh air part , NOT the socializing part , NOT the health part , NOT the part of soaking in rain and sun …those are mere add-ons ….The real joy lies in just putting your foot on those pedals and let the cycle zip through …everything else has to wait …
Mark Hemhauser
I am a librarian at the University of Maryland. I manage periodicals and electronic journal acquisitions and have recently moved into Systems. I have done some wedding and sports photography as a side job.
In 2003 I bought a very nice hybrid bike that had skinny tires, but flat handle bars. I went out for a ride on one of the bike trails in Virginia. The first ten miles were hilly, but then it became flat and easy. So I just kept riding. Finally, I turned around and realized I had a long way to go to get home and I was tired. I got slower and slower and finally stopped for something to eat. My first “bonk.” Then continued. My knees were starting to hurt and I still had to go through that hilly section.
I was sore for a few days. It came to almost a metric century. Too far, too soon. This year I’ve done two hilly double metric centuries and a total of 11 English centuries. For long rides I simply ride long distances in preparation. On the ride itself I find motivation in riding with friends and in my unwillingness to give up. Mostly, though it is the training that gets me to the point where I know it is possible to complete.
Most unique cycling experience? As an American who has only been abroad once (to England) my most unique cycling experience was riding the Tour of Nilgiris last year. My first foray into cycling in India was unique, at least to me. I left the hotel near Cubbon Park for a solo ride the day after arriving in Bangalore, got lost and hired an auto to lead me to NH 7. While riding out of the city I saw a sign with the distance to Nandi Hills. I calculated that an out and back to Nandi Hills summit would be about 125 kms. So I went and climbed Nandi. Asked people for direction here and there. Got lost twice on the way into the city. But found my way home finally, thanks to the previous day’s wandering the alleys behind the hotel I recognized an intersection.
Editor’s note:Welcome back, Mark!
Mallikarjuna
I am an outdoor person and like being with nature.
I work in IT. Outside off that I am a weekend farmer (Not very active off late though!)… I started that mainly to avoid the hustle/bustle or madness of city life. I also like travelling. I do get to travel due to my job and also do otherwise. Cycling like most of us started in childhood. Me and friends used to challenge a lot and in those times also we used to go on drives after Saturday school. I started with cycling mainly on weekends and mainly for fitness purpose. Mostly off-roading. Off-roading is loads of fun, is with nature and also helps fitness.
What else should I expect! Learned about TFN and it all looked very exciting… now as the D day approaches seeing stars on the uphill task ahead! I hope that with an excited bunch of enthusiasts motivation should not be a problem!
Deepak Patro
Had tried my luck in TFN’09 photography contest, as I didn’t own a bicycle or had the required fitness at that time. Was among the 1st few to register for TFN’10 and even got a chance to be on the tour, however, due to some issues on personal front, had to drop out of the tour. Didn’t wish to loose out on the experience this time. Whether one’s wish is to relax the senses, test one’s limits, be close to nature or just enjoy the passion for cycling, I feel TFN is the place to be.
My native town is Berhampur in Orissa. Cycling had taken a back seat since I moved out of home and limited to short durations only when I visited my hometown. Started more of regular cycling again since April’11. I have penned down my 1st day experience of riding my bike to office in my blog
I am a Software Engineer by profession, working at Target Corporation India Pvt Ltd., Bangalore and my travel from home to office and back is a total of 30kms.
Being a nature lover, I love nature photography, biking and enjoy riding in rain too. My first long ride was to Chikka Tirupati, and it was a Solo ride. That was a total of 70kms ride and most of it being through country-side, I enjoyed each and every moment of the ride. The weather was just right that day with slight drizzles in between, but nothing that could stop me from riding as well as enjoying it, clicking photographs and a couple of videos too, all along the way.
For me, the most unique experience I’ve had riding a cycle might be silly, but it sure touched my heart. On my 1st long ride to Chikka Tirupati as I was riding, there were many children waving their hands at me, throughout the way across all the villages that I crossed. It sure feels good.
Regarding motivating myself on long rides, the motivating factor would be the fact that, the journey is more important rather than the destination. So instead of focusing on the destination, if I shift my focus to enjoy each and every moment of the journey, I surely believe that I would be able to motivate myself to ride longer and explore new places.
I would be riding the road bike bTwin Sport1 in the TFN’11, which I bought very recently. Until then, most of my training and rides had been on the Hercules ACT 110 which is a Hybrid bike. Paddling the hybrid bike requires more strength and drains more energy out of you compared to a road bike. So I personally feel that using the hybrid bike for the initial days of my training has helped me to better prepare for the TFN’11.
