Another Bicycle Chronicle (Part-2)

Chronicle of 2011

BSA Fun, Fitness & Freedom Ride

The year started with the welcoming of Cyclist Anil Kumar from Bangalore on 11th January who was on his solo Tour of India. Another big cycling event to happen on 30th January was the 3rd International Cycling Race in the ECR Road. The event witnessed many teams participating from different parts of the country with a notable absentee being Chennai based teams and it was an wonderful sight to see a large gathering of cyclist and particularly the Road Race. My first cycling anniversary came up on 14th February and my ride tally being around 5000 km sealed and packed. On 27th April a turning point in my cycling career happened it was the purchase of Cannondale Q5 which over the years partnered me to greater glories. The earlier bicycle which I had was not to my size and specifications but this new possession was a beauty which compelled to keep riding more. The new bicycle brought with it new cycling gears and frequent rides to the heritage town of Mahabalipuram. Cycling was gaining momentum most notable being the role of social media like facebook which began to witness growing traffic on cycling related activities.

Ghada Kufar (MTB Himachal)

The following months came forward with many rides both group and individual, on 31st July the BSA Fun,Fitness and Freedom Ride was organised at Kodambakkam, it was an wonderful time to meet reputed cyclist Samim Rizvi during this event, but the most important moment of the year came on 18th September I was fortunate enough to win a jackpot ticket to Hercules MTB Himachal fully sponsored by TI Cycles. From 29th September to 2nd October I was at Shimla to participate in MTB Himachal as a weekend rider. This was my first pan Indian cycling event and this event drew many cyclist from across the country and abroad. The first day was a 76 km ride to Ghada Kufar which contained some dangerous descent with almost non existent roads to pedal I had ever come across, the over night stay under the tents at this place was worth every penny. On coming to know about steep uphill climbs in the coming days I just sat back to relax and enjoy the scenic Himachal Pradesh in the support vehicle which was specially arranged and the tour came to an end with some fascinating memories to take in return. 

                         

BRM 200KM Recce

       Back here in Chennai things were getting bit diverse the festival of lights Deepavali saw another ride to Mahabalipuram but the most notable being I was able to complete my first 200 km on 12th November as a part of BRM Recce for Madras Randonneurs.The momentum of this ride brought about great results during the TCC Team Time Trials on 4th December. Usually end of the year contains a packed cycling activities and if 17th December was the Tour of Tamilnadu inauguration ride to Vandalur Zoo, the 18th December witnessed another landmark event in Chennai's cycling history it was on this day when 200 km Brevets was flagged off. Many of my cycling friends participated in this event even though I could not due to various reasons but I was there to help my friend who unfortunately could not finish the ride. The last week of the year brought about the southern flavor the 2nd edition of Tour of Tamilnadu kick started from Madurai passing through Rameshwaram, Tuticorin, Kanyakumari and Kutralam, the seven days tour was very satisfying since I completed the entire ride distance on my cycle. The tour brought forward camaraderie and splendid memories like never before. Bidding adieu to Lord Alagar at Madurai on the New Year Day returned home seeking his blessings.

Tour of Tamilnadu 2011