ISSUE 4 VOL 2 MAY 15TH 2014
INSIDE
MONSOON GETAWAY 2014 GIANT RINCON TESTED FEATURE: HISTORY IN A BYLANE
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IN THIS ISSUE 04
Off the beaten track: Monsoon Getaway
Gear Review: Shimano RS11 Wheelset
Race Report: PBCh: The fort beckons
Bike Review: 2014 Giant Rincon Disc
History in a Bylane: Part I
Q&A: The CFI on the future of Indian cycling
The Long Road: Creating Ripples
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16 Feature: 20 21
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22 Race Report!: Mayhem at Kari 24 ProCycle Profiled 26 Boys Toys
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HEYA! The CRANK with ProCycle Team Publisher and Managing Editor Vikram Limsay Editor Rahul K Thomas Technical Editor Nilesh Dhumal West Zone Bureau Divya Tate Bike Testers Ajay Kamble Ritwik D Burman Contributions by Arun Sekhar, Subhanker Dey N Kumar, K Narayan, Ludmilla Lamont Harishvara Venkat, Abhinandan Momaya, Robin Darius Conz, Aditya Kaul Registered to Procycle and Sports India Private Limited Corporate Office Indiranagar, 889, First Floor, 7th Main 4th Cross, HAL II stage, Bangalore - 560008 Tel: +91 80 41161902 Showroom Indiranagar 37, 11th Cross, 1st Stage, Bangalore 560 038
Tel: +91 80 25202004 +91 98802 16064
Koramangala/HSR Layout New #12, Old #75, Service Road, Jakkasandra Extension, Koramangala 1st Block, Near HSR 5th Sector, Bangalore - 560034 Tel: +91 80 2550 1967 Website www.procycle.in For queries regarding advertising and subscription mail us at subscribecrank@procycle.in Cover Vintage pre World War II roadsters stare into the future in Ulsoor, Bangalore. Picture by Rahul K Thomas Rear Cover The ProCycle sets out on another adventure Printed by Print 2 Last Solutions
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Hello Readers! This issue was particularly fun in the making. I’d heard whispers about some beautiful vintage bicycles doing the rounds but, unlike with cars and motorcycles, collectors of cycles tend to be infinitely more low profile. The last issue saw us track one down. He put me on to another. So I hoofed it down through the narrow bylanes of Ulsoor, one of the older parts of Bangalore. And boy, did I unearth gold! Check out Part I of ‘History in a Bylane’ in this issue. We’ve been riding the 2014 Giant Rincon Disc for a while now and in this issue we bring you the skinny on a very good looking entry-level hardtail. Divya Tate tells us what went down in the Pune Bicycle Championship and profiles a lady who just cracked the 1200 km brevet. Arun Sekhar then gives us a much-need cool off with an account of a monster 300km monsoon trail ride outside near Chennai. All this and more in this issue of CRANK with ProCycle. Turn the page and read. Then get out and ride!
Editor
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
MONSOON GETAWAY Text and Images by Arun Sekhar
Often we find many cyclists in Chennai buying a cycle initially with good amount of enthusiasm and eventually, ending up cribbing about the rain, heat, sweat, dehydration, pollution and traffic. Enter the Chennai Trekking Club (CTC) - a weekend outdoor community which has kicked off cycling events away from the hustle of the city. One such destination are Nagalapuram Hills around 70 kms north of Chennai. The ‘Nagala 300’ loop is a 300km loop encircling the complete range, passing through small villages in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. I led one of these trips. 7 of us ventured out on cycles to witness and explore the magical world of Nagalapuram in this event. The City’s potholed roads were replaced with scenic country paths and trails; the pollution was replaced with the scent of moist mud, traffic was replaced with fresh air and buildings replaced with forests and mountains. 300 kilometers through tough terrain and a rainstorm caused the ‘mission’ to be appropriately renamed ‘Monsoon Survival Cycling’.
Day 1 The route initially passes through two big reservoirs of North Chennai - the Puzhal Lake and the Cholavaram Tank. IMoving towards the base of the hills, the route passes through Vengal and Seethanjeri which is a 15 kilometer stretch through a dense forest and Eucalyptus plantations. Traffic and habitation in this spooky road is almost nonexistent and one wished the 14 km stretch would never end. From Seethanjeri, it passes through acres of paddy fields
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and plantations and due to the rains, its green all around. Nearby are the Gudiyam caves which are known for their Pre-historic rocks shelters and natural caves. There is a river called Arani which flows in the middle of this route. In small villages, there is no separate over-bridge and since the river dries up, the paths pass right down through the river.
Rustic roads at every turn!
Ride or swim?
Due to the heavy rains, the Arani was in spate and all of us had a tough time maneuvering the cycle on the mud and slush along the river. And this was among the smaller rivers we anticipated crossing. Day 2 had a much bigger river in store for us. With brakes squeaking on all the cycles due to the mud and pain all over the wrists and legs, we got our first view of the Nagalapuram range.
All the pain was lost when we witnessed the majestic blue hills. Re-energised by the view, we pedaled hard to reach the town of Nagalapuram where we stopped for lunch. Nature played its part and welcomed all of us with flowers on both sides and a red carpet for a road. One of the riders had to leave us here (he had bought tickets for Premium Rush) and returned to Chennai by bus leaving 6 A midstream conference
Break for a bite with the hills in the backdrop
of us - the devils number! Post lunch, the road gave way to mud and water trails which was thoroughly enjoyed by the ones on MTBs. The path now started to circumvent the hills in an anti-clockwise direction. One interesting feature here was that since the mountains were blocking the clouds, there was even heavy thunderstorm in this area! Winds were heavy and pushing us off the cycle. Everything on us and the bike was drenched by now. We had to give it all we had to reach the base of the hills. Here, the six of us camped in the shelter of a Band of muddy brothers at a reservoir
temple which is near the base of our usual trekking route. Some of us decided to extend the adventure and went for a swim in the dam. A small night trek gave us a glimpse of some rat snakes. Food was served in a local village by people who regularly cook for the trekkers in that area.
Day 2 The route on the second day completes rest of the circle around the hills. The first stop was Varadapalayam and the route passed
through roads adjacent to infinite paddy fields. We were trying hard to concentrate on the road and not get distracted by nature’s beauty all around. The tarmac was hard and perfect for some distance and all of a sudden, a section of the road was completely engulfed by the over-flooded river due to the rains. We ferried our cycles, one by one safely across the river. Since the bicycle tyres have air, all our cycles were floating on the river and we carried it on our shoulders in the chest deep water. What seemed to be an impossible task turned out to be an enthralling experience and an opportunity to clean our cycles off the mud. After the lunch at Varadapalayam, the route then passes through Telugu Ganga Canal, a canal which drains water from the river Krishna to the Poondi reservoir which eventually supplies drinking water to Chennai. We followed the mud roads on the side of the canal which were totally sloshed. Even pedaling seemed to be impossible due to the resistance. Interestingly, the complete stretch of Telugu Ganga canal has a mud road on the sides. This canal starts from the Poondi reservoir and completes a nice 80 kilometer loop around the base of the Nagalapuram hills doing a 270 degree loop. This canal itself holds a good potential for pure off-road rides all along its dirt tracks. After completing the daunting off-road stretch, the route heads to Kalangini reservoir which is the biggest reservoir to the West of Nagalapuram range. Enjoying the magnificent view, we munched upon the snacks and refreshments that we carried along. Dusk approached it was time to go home. Bidding farewell to the ranges we slowly pedaled back to Chennai to get back to our daily chores.
Grinding it out against the tide
Break to fix a flat
Rear wheel - 20 spokes in a ‘2-cross’ lacing pattern
GEAR REVIEW
SHIMANO RS11 WHEELSET We can’t say this enough - after the frame, the most important components on your bike are your wheels. We see people constantly asking about cranksets and shifters and rear derailleurs. But a good wheelset can transform your ride like you wouldn’t imagine.
wheel. We’ve ridden these wheels for thousands of kilometers now through every kind of obstacle that Bangalore roads can throw at them (and thats a lot) and they have passed the test with flying colours. The wheels are still perfectly true.
The Shimano RS11 is a good solid set of clincher training wheels. The rim is a 24mm high profile aluminium rim. The hubs are quick-rolling with low-friction sealed bearings. Keeping out muck, water and dust, they are very easy to maintain. The front wheel is built with 16 stainless steel bladed straight-pull spokes with a radial lacing pattern. The rear uses 20 spokes in a ‘2-cross’ lacing pattern. What this does is reduce weight and improve aerodynamics while still making for a very strong
And they aren’t just built like a tank either. They look slick and expensive and weigh in at a shade over 1.8 kilos. Available in both black and silver and compatible with 8, 9, 10 and 11 speed drivetrains, these are very versatile wheels. Priced at INR 24,400, the Shimano RS11 are quite frankly, the best training wheels a fairly serious rider can get in the market without breaking the bank.
24mm high profile aluminium rim
The hubs are quick-rolling with low-friction sealed bearings
Front wheel - 16 stainless steel, bladed, straight-pull spokes with a radial lacing pattern
Adrenaline was in the air at the start line
RACE REPORT
PBCH: THE FORT BECKONS Text by Divya Tate, Images by Subhanker Dey
When the riders gathered to complete registration at Donje Phata, Sinhagad’s ramparts, 2000 ft above, remained hidden in a cloak of Darkness. Warming up till the start of the Lifecycle Pune Bicycle Championship (PBCh) race, the riders sized each other up. Most participants were from Pune, but many came for different parts of Maharashtra, as well as from far of places like Himachal and Kerala. National-level riders from the competed with local Pune racers who have been training hard on the hill slopes of Sinhagad Fort for 2-3 months. The race started at daybreak, passing through a village at the base of the fort before going uphill through the forest. The peloton soon broke up as the climbs took their toll, with only the first few riders keeping an eye on each other at each bend. The route wound up to the fort, on a road that has been ‘underrepair’ as long as anyone can remember, ensuring that the road bike category remained unvialble at Sinhagad and making it hard for riders to get traction on steep gradients. MTB and Hybrid riders were seen frequenting Lifecycle Mall in the week before the race, changing tyres, testing out strategies for optimal solutions on this road surface.
The sheer beauty of the scenery made the climb worth it
Two-thirds of the way up is the only break in the route, when the road flattens out and the fort looms into sight. At this point the race picked up a little momentum and a bunch formed, of riders from various categories, reluctant to give up their advantage to others that were attempting to use the break in the terrain to gain
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The sheer beauty of the scenery made the climb worth it.
Sanjay karandikar and a other cyclist competing for the top slot in the the above 50+ group
Siddharta Gadekar.. The man with the wobbly handle! The expression on the face is priceless, ‘dont break, dont break..!’ Volunteers and Sancheti Hospital attending to Sushil who had a fall with just 4 kms to the finish
The group photograph with various category winners
RESULTS Youth Men
Women - Open
Dhruv Kaluskar Dhruv Shah Salil Vaidya
Deepali Shildankar Chaitrali Pavnaskar Shruti Marathe
Senior – Men MTB
Open – Men Hybrid
The award announcement ceremony was preceded by a traditional breakfast of Kanda Bhajji and Pohe made by the local villagers who are used to hosting and feeding hungry trekkers and cyclists! The prizes, consisting of 3 MTBs and Vouchers from Giant-Starkenn were awarded at the Giant-Sprint Cycling world store in Pune city.
Nikhil Jakkal Dinesh Marathe Sachin Kelkar
Ramesh Joshi Sidharth Gadekar Sushil Dhende
Senior – Men Hybrid
Open – Men Mtb
3rd time winner, Ramesh Joshi, won in his category, Open men Hybrid, with the best timing of 39mins and 35secs. He was followed by Sidharth Gadekar of Team Lifecycle Racing, who had the 2nd best overall time at 40mins and 22secs. Ashish K. who had also won at PBCh in the past, won the hotly contested Open Men’s MTB race which had 34 participants, with a timing of 41mins and 10secs. The Open Women race was won my Deepali Shildankar in 55mins and 30secs.
Vishal D Pawar Sanjay Karandikar Suresh Sonawane
Ashish K Jitendra Mahapatra Hrushikesh Satpute Kailas Patil Mihir Deo
ground on the leaders. As the road wound relentlessly up again, only the strongest had the capacity to sprint. The officials at PBCh are always witness to a number of riders retching as they cross the finish line, and this time was no different!
Women - Senior Anjali Bhalinge Smita Patil
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The Rincon in all its state. Note the chunky frame but the rather skinny fork and small bars.
BIKE REVIEW
2014 GIANT RINCON DISC Tech speak by Nilesh Dhumal, Images by Rahul K Thomas This month we feature the 2014 Giant Rincon Disc - a 26-inch entry-level hardtail. The Indian cyclist is no stranger to the Giant Revel series which garnered legions of fans for Giant with its sturdy frame and superb value-for-money in terms of componentry. The comparison with the Revel is then inevitable but, this isn’t an entirely fair comparison. On the global stage, the Rincon has been around for a good decade with quite a strong legacy and is actually positioned above the Revel. So, it isn’t just a cosmetic difference, its a different animal altogether and its worth keeping this in mind while you read on. The Rincon picks up where the Revel left off where looks are concerned. The matte black and red paint job is top notch and it certainly oozes quality. If you happen to feel that this looks just a little bit like one of those body builders with hopped-up arms but skinny legs though, you’d be forgiven. For this indeed just might be the case.
The Frame This is certainly an attention-grabbing frame. Crafted from 6061 alloy, the tubing is big and beefy with the downtube being particularly imposing. The chainstays are pretty big and the junction of the seatstays is well
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The Shimano Acera rear derailleur does the business
Giant OEM hubs roll pretty well
reinforced, implying that it would be pretty stiff at the back. We were keen on testing that theory.
The Ride Hit the trails with the Rincon and the frame makes you feel confident enough to attack. It feels light and responsive with, as we guessed, a nice stiff rear triangle. We really like the cockpit too with a nice flat bar and very comfy grips. We would prefer a wider bar but thats more a matter of preference. The saddle is very good indeed, particularly for an entry-level bike. Nicely shaped and comfy it’ll do for any level of rider. The fork is a Suntour XCT MLO which is an entry-level fork with a lockout. Now, we don’t usually have any expectations of forks at this level but, very surprisingly, this does provide some decent travel and responsiveness. If you know how to shift your weight onto the fork so that it tracks the terrain, this will do you pretty decently. We do wish the lockout were a ‘speed lockout’ which can be engaged while riding since its a bit of a pain to stop, get off and then lock it out. Keeping the bike moving on the trails are the Giant-branded OEM wheels. The hubs are basic but nice and they roll rather well and they are mated to OEM rims. Completing the package are the Giant-branded Kenda 26x1.95 tyres. They have a round profile with small knobs. This makes them roll very well but without the greatest grip. They would definitely not be our tyre of choice on challenging trails but do fine on hardpack and mud Suntour fork with a lockout (see the lever at the top) that punches above its weight
Tektro Novella Disc callipers and rotor
A full Shimano drivetrain, albeit entry-level. The crankset is pretty smooth though. paths and are fantastic on the roads. These are tyres which have been specced keeping in mind the urban rider who mostly stays on road but wants to occasionally get off it for some fun on light trails. All told, the wheels exhibited a fair amount of flex and certainly didn’t float our boat considering the way the frame had raised our expectations.
The groupset The drivetrain is mostly entry-level Shimano Altus with an 8-speed Acera rear derailleur thrown in for good measure. They do the job decently enough. The shifters though are 8-speed integrated brakeshifters. We are seeing this on quite a lot of bikes these days, at this level. While they help the manufacturer to economise, they are a bit of a let down for the rider, when they are mixed with disc brakes. The Tektro Novella disc brakes this comes with are decent enough. The callipers have some bite in them. But, since they have been specced with the integrated brake-shifters (normally reserved for v-brakes), the levers simply don’t do them justice. The crankset is pretty smooth though and the shifts were decent. The rear cassette has been well chosen and provides a good ratio for riding in the city and on trails. When hitting the trails with this, we had some seriously mixed feelings. We love this frame! Its a great frame with tremendous potential. Its lively and begs to be allowed to rip. But, these wheels are less than confidence inspiring and on the whole, the package simply held the frame back.
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The reinforced seatstay junction (above the wheel) keeps the frame stiff
Kenda OEM tyres move quickly. Good for road use and light trails.
A short, riser stem with plenty of spacers below. The angle shows how this is intended for entry-level riders.
The Rincon - crafted from 6061 alloy
The Verdict Now, we understand budget bikes will have budget kit, but this hardtail weighs in a fairly hefty 38,630 INR so the average consumer will expect more out of it. The truth is though, that most of that price goes towards the frame which is simply a class apart. As a bike aimed at the entry-level rider, it’ll do but, this bike has far more potential. Even if you simply were to upgrade the wheelset and move to independent brake levers and shifters, this bike would reward you with bucketloads of fun. The integrated shifter and brake lever. Note the writing which says it is supposed to be for ‘v-brakes’ (not for the discs they are used with)
Nicely contoured, firm saddle. We like!
FEATURE
HISTORY IN A BYLANE: PART I Text and Images by Rahul K Thomas
The voice on the phone had said he would be there to pick me up in exactly one minute. As I waited in my car under the Ulsoor Metro Station in Bangalore, I wondered what could possibly await me here. You see, I used to live not far from Ulsoor and thought that I was somewhat familiar with the area, including the bylanes and back alleys. And yet, I had been told that somewhere in this labyrinth of narrow, ancient streets crowded with people lay a cache of some beautiful vintage bikes. I eyed the entrance to the area with some trepidation. The kind you get when you know with absolute certainty that, should you meet oncoming traffic, there is nowhere to go, no way to turn around and no way to back up. Suddenly, there he was on his scooter beckoning me to follow.
1933 Raleigh Standard Roadster all its glory. Note the pump on the downtube
Hidden treasure for bicycle enthusiasts
The original Dutch Phillips dynao and rear light
The Phillips head light is still in perfect condition
As I made my nervous way through the streets, he kept looking back at me to make sure I was still on his tail. Finally we pulled up in front of a mechanic’s workshop. On the left was a single-storey house built in the old style with rooms all around. I got out and shook hands with Kumar. He quickly made his way in and came out with his elderly father and a set of keys. Right in front of the gate was a small, lean-to shed which he quickly unlocked. Tarpaulin was flung aside and as I adjusted to the light I saw an oddly-stickered roadster. As he wheeled them out,
Beautifully crafted aluminium cable guides
The original registration tag. Back in the day, bicycles needed to be registered, just like motorised vehicles are today
he irritably explained that the workshop had stickered it in his absence and got the spelling wrong. I would soon come to realise that Kumar’s obsession with detail was only exceeded by his passion for pre World War bicycles. And so they were wheeled out. And as each came out into the sunlight, my jaw dropped a little lower. Gleaming chrome, beautiful brass, perfectly restored and lovingly cared for, they stood proudly, bathed in the glow of the afternoon sun. Or perhaps that was just my sudden feeling of being transported to a bygone era. The patriarch of his collection is a 24-inch 1933 Raleigh Roadster Gentleman’s Edition. The story goes that it was owned by one gentleman all his life. And when he passed in the early nineties, Kumar’s father (the elderly gent proudly looking on) bought it off his son. That was the first of his collection. Soon it would be joined by others. Today, Kumar has an enviable collection of bikes, frames, lights, parts, accessories and so on. Some of them date well back into the 1800s. Some of them are in working condition, others await loving restoration and Four-speed Sturmey-Archer dynohub. Gears and dynamo in a single, dependable package
K Narayan (Kumar’s father) with his majestic ride - the 1933 Raleigh
The pre-1940 Humber - Blue Blooded indeed
The ‘Humber Sports’ legend with the original pump
Your eyes do not deceive you. This is an original Lucas mileometer which still work! Infinitely more hardy than any cyclocomp we can get these days.
A Sturmey-Archer hub with a drum brake. This uses a metal rod to operate it instead of a cable
A Sturmey-Archer rear light, powered by the dynohub
he Lucas bell and Sturmey-Archer lamp
still others have never been used and still sit in the box in which they came. Kumar spends copious amounts of time trawling the net for information regarding these old beauties. His obsession takes him everywhere from ebay to the scrapyards of Bangalore and Mysore. And nothing gives him satisfaction like finding something rare which he can preserve. In a corner of his shed lies an unusual frame. It turns out that its a Humber frame from the 1800s - one which was only minutes away from being crushed for scrap when he rescued it. He says he wasn’t wildly interested in this. His father had two Raleighs (one of them pictured here) but he really only took to it in 2006. At the time, he stumbled across a Raleigh Sports with a Sturmey-Archer hub containing a drum brake. This was the beginning of it all for him. Today, the pride of his collection is carefully kept separately, in a garage - one which houses many astounding bits and bobs. It is a gorgeous, sparking blue pre-1940s 21- inch Humber Sports model roadster. It took him four years to restore it, even going as far as to import the original decals and stickers for it. It boasts a Sturmey-Archer front hub with a drum brake, a four-speed Sturmey-Archer dyno hub at the back powering a lamp, with a battery (that stick like thing you see attached to the seat tube) to store power while one pedals around during the day. As his father (K Narayan) posed with his beautiful big roadster, Kumar quietly polished away specs of dust on his other bicycles. Just as you can’t do museums justice in a single go, this was all too much to take in at once. And as I drove away, I knew I’d be returning very soon. Join me in the next issue as I bring you more cycling history in Part II of ‘History in a Bylane’
This odd-looking thing is a battery. It stores power generated by the dynohub while you pedal around during the day, only to discharge and boost the power of the light at night.
Kumar and his collection (some of it anyway)
Q&A
THE CFI ON THE FUTURE OF INDIAN CYCLING
With the cycling scene in India hotting up on many fronts from competitive to commercial, we asked the Cycling Federation of India what we could expect in the future.
Onkar Singh, Secretary General, Cycling Federation of India
V N Singh, Assistant Secretary, Cycling Federation of India
Q. How can we promote and
Q. What are the kind of programmes
incentivise cycling as a primary form of transport?
A
. We have to start a campaign to make people aware of this aspect and the advantages of cycle not only as a mean of transport but also to save fuel, reduce pollution and above all one of the best means of leading a healthy life. We propagate the message, “Burn fat not fuel”.
Q. Is there a national strategy for improving cycling infrastructure such as bicycling lanes, transport for cycles on public transport, etc?
A. Yes,we have put in a lot of effort to have dedicated tracks for
cycling especially in developing cities.We have written to Chief Ministers of various states for developing dedicated cycling tracks. This has borne fruit particularly in developing areas such as New Raipur,Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai, Noida and Chandigarh to name a few. Also efforts are on to persuade the administration to plan for the use of bicycles as short distance transport specially at the metro stations and at commercial complexes in bigger cities.
Q. Are domestic cycling companies gearing up to meet the
challenge of the increased expectation of Indian consumers?
A
. The Federation is in the process of making cycle companies a part of this campaign and this idea has had an encouraging response.
Q. When will the Indian bicycling industry have its equivalent of the ‘Auto Expo’, where world class products make their debut and are exhibited?
A. Unfortunately there is still not that kind of market for the
high end cycles which need this kind of exhibitions.India only manufacture cycles which are comparably cheaper and is mostly meant for rural population who use it as a mode of transport. But now with the awareness for fitness and more people taking cycling as a leisure sport the time is not far when the cycle manufacturers will have to venture into this sort of marketing.
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and events the CFI is organising to promote cycling as a sport across the country?
A
. The cycling federation has in the last few years started a program to popularize the sport of cycling across the country.We have been holding cyclothons in different part of the country which not only has prize money races for the elite cyclists but involve general public including women and children.Beside making them aware of competitive cycling a message of fitness and of cleaner and greener environment is also propagated.
Q. With companies stepping forward to sponsor Indian cyclists, what is the future of competitive cycling in India?
A
. Mainly the cycle manufacturers are part of these cylothons but lately other event management and telecom companies are also showing interest in these cycling events.
Q. Are there plans for a top-notch ‘cycling academy’ in order to
give cyclists with potential the training and scientific edge they need to compete on the world stage?
A
. The Cycling Federation in association with the Sports Authority of India has already inaugurated National Cycling Academy under the name and style of SAINCA at the I.G Indoor Cycling Velodrome,New Delhi. This Academy has the support of the World Cycling Centre of the International Cycling Union and will impart training as per their programe with scientific approach.This will definitely help in improving the standard of cycling in coming years and fulfill our dreams for getting medals at the Asian as well as Olympic level.
Q. Tell us about the Tour de India and its future. Any new events in the pipeline?
A
. The Tour de India is in its infancy and in the years to come with the support of our sponsors this will be one of the most soughtafter races across Asia attracting the best exponents of the game. A new event is being organised in Uttranchal from Rishikesh to Gaurikund being supported by the Uttakhand Govt purely to boost tourism. I think in the years to come this is going to be one of the most popular events in cycling.
Belinda and Richard in a light moment. Image courtesy Ludmilla Lamont
THE LONG ROAD
CREATING RIPPLES by Divya Tate
1200 of them! Belinda Mueller of Goa, became the first Indian woman and only the 6th from India to finish a ride of 1200 Km or more. Her unassuming appearance, and a smile that could light up the countryside, hide a quiet determination and tenacity. This was what she needed more than anything else, on the last day of the 1200 km ride, facing a strong wind, in the heat of the day and unable to find anything to eat or drink. This was the second time on this ride that she came close the edge. The Daal Baati 1200 km Audax ride organised by Team T3 explored the roads of Rajasthan, and had to be completed with 90 hours. Having started 3 days earlier, on the 27th feb, in Jaipur, with her husband Richard and 9 others, she had faced bad weather, tough terrain and remained on course. These, and other factors, had taken their toll on most of the others. Her lowest point till then had been when Richard had had to quit the ride after 870 km because of a mechanical failure. She has a strong sporty, outdoors history, having played Badminton in college, and taken to rock climbing and trekking later. Balancing her profession as a psychiatrist and an author, with raising kids, her love for the outdoors was shared with her children, as they spent weekends and holidays trekking. Belinda had been cycling for about 2 years before attempting a long ride of 150 kms. Encouraged by how easily she did it, she rode a 200 km Brevet in Dec 2012 and realised that she enjoyed it. Looking forward to more, in the following Brevet season, she and Richard completed the series, becoming India’s first SR couple, and she became only the 5th Super Randonneusse in India. When Richard had to discontinue the 1200, she faced the cold dark night alone, and decided she could not let down all the others who were cheering for her. Later when she could not find anything
to sustain her, there were only 3 riders left on the course, who she assumed were well ahead of her. Frustrated and weary, she passed the officials. They told her that she was the only person with a chance to finish the ride successfully.* That was all Belinda needed to hear, that it was all up to her now, to push through and make this event an official success. By this time Randonneurs from around the country were waiting anxiously to see how she was doing. The only woman attempting this ride, she had approached the 1200 with some trepidation, never expecting that she would be the only person to finish. Fighting sleep as she dreamt of a hot bath and a clean bed, she has never felt as relieved as when she finally reached the finish point, to the cheers of a jubilant group of officials and fellow participants. Like every one of us who rides against the odds, Belinda has inspired many to take to riding, including a friend with a medical condition whose health improved within 7 months of cycling small distances. It is especially inspiring for her fellow Randonneurs, to see the ease with which she accomplished this arduous ride. The very next month saw an unprecedented 32 people finish 1000 km brevets in India. The ripple effect of each rider who has been riding even 200 km brevets is far reaching. And it is not just the big distances that are valued. Every person, man or woman in India that takes up cycling, attempts any distance more than what they have attempted before, are agents of transformation. *Kirgintsev Sergey of Russia, finished well within the overall timings, but missed a cut-off earlier as he went badly off-course. The reason for this was determined to have arisen because of the language barrier, and at this time a decision about it being official or not, is still awaited.
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The peloton rips around a chicane in the Elite race. Image courtesy Abhinandan Momaya
RACE REPORT!
MAYHEM AT KARI On the 30th March 2014, riders from all over south India (and some from beyond), headed for the tarmac of the Kari Speedway in Coimbatore for the first MVS Coimbatore Criterium supported by Scott Sports. The track was 2.2 kms long with the main event, the ‘Men’s Elite’ category, being a 60 minute criterium. The rest, the Men’s Amateur Open, Ladies Open and Under-18 were time-bound road races. With start times being delayed, the sun was well overhead with temperatures soaring by the time the open races kicked off. Riders were led to a rolling start by marshals riding superbikes. The course itself was extremely challenging. A long downhill straight from the start ended in a 180-degree turn followed by a hard left chicane. All uphill from here. As riders climbed with lungs bursting, they had to make sure that they stayed exactly on the racing line. While the tarmac was recently relaid, this was very clearly a motorsport track with the shoulders being demarcated by hard pebbles. Not a pleasant prospect when flying off the line on skinny tyres.
The Elite race was clearly a battle between the teams of Trek Firefox and Specialized Kynkyny (SKCT). Each team worked in perfect harmony trying to set up their riders Sangamesh Talwar (SKCT) and Sarvesh Sangarya (Trek Firefox) for the win. In the end, Sangamesh won in a sprint which went right down to the wire, with barely half a second separating him from Sarvesh. Third place was taken by Laxman Kurani of SKCT. The Men’s Amateur race saw participation from an astounding 82 riders competing on everything from road bikes to old roadsters. A group of about 10 riders broke away and quickly dominated the race. ProCycle riders Amrite Lama and Aditya Kaul controlled the tempo of the race and looked good to take the win but Bharat Kumar spoiled their party at the very last sprint. He finished a second ahead of Amrite with Aditya Kaul in 3rd. The Ladies event saw intense competition between the top 4, all of whom finished within 2 seconds of each other. Saheera Attar of Tiger Sports took the first place over Fariyal Jamadar, winning with less than a tenth of a second. Third and fourth were taken by Nandhini and Pavithrasri, barely 2 seconds behind them.
Hybrids vs. road bikes. Image courtesy Harishvara Venkat
The hotly contested women’s Cat. Image courtesy Abhinandan Momaya
Riders even competed on roadsters! Image courtesy Harishvara Venkat ProCycle rider Amrite Lama leads the peloton in the Men’s Amateur. Image courtesy Abhinandan Momaya
The under-18 race was won by Raju Bakthi followed by Ashley Dilbert and Vishwesh Sangarya. As all this happened, the kids were having a rollicking time as Royal Sheraton Cycling Club organised a fun day out with races and events for them too. We’re pretty sure the MVS Coimbatore Criterium is going to be an annual fixture from here on and its just going to get bigger. Written with the input of Aditya Kaul
Rolling start to the Men’s Elite Category, led by a marshall on a superbike! Image courtesy Abhinandan Momaya
PROCYCLE PROFILED
AAYUSH BASAVESH
Image courtesy Robin Darius Conz Aayush Basavesh has always loved cycling. He cycled around his house, then through school and now to college. His enthusiasm for cycling has won him an internship at ProCycle. Having tamed the roads ages ago, he is now keen to test himself in a new environment. This summer he is all set to go offroad and tear up the trails. We wish him all the very best. Rip ‘em up Aayush!
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BOYS’ TOYS
TOPEAK FUEL TANK
Ever felt peckish in the middle of the ride and yet didn’t want to break in order to reach your saddlebag? Ever wished you could reach those gels stowed behind you? The Topeak Fuel Tank is what you are looking for. As the name implies, it provides fuel for your ride. Available in both medium and large sizes, it’ll store snacks, a mobile phone and pretty much all the little bits and bobs that a roadie carries.
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