[harshithkashyap]

Tour of Karnataka (TOK) is a cycling event which takes place every year spanning 4 days and covering 450+kms towards the end of November. What started out to be a pure cycling event has turned into so much more over the years!

My cycling journey started 4 years ago and I got introduced to TOK during one of our group rides with team Cadence90. The thought of touring various regions on a cycle was really exciting and scary at the same time having never ridden back to back for 4 days. Sure enough, I signed up and this was a fantastic experience riding various terrains from Western Ghats to Coastal regions across Chikmagalur, Kumta to Dandeli/Ganeshgudi. This was the 4th edition of TOK and I ended up taking up part in the 5th edition as well.

Fast forward a couple of years, it was TOK7 and I was not going to miss this year. I signed up as soon as it was announced. Before, I write about my experience with the latest edition which I was procrastinating, here's the teaser to the documentary which gave me the push to start the travelogue.

https://youtu.be/3WaEU0-ZRhQ

Tour Stats:
Total Distance: 473kms
Elevation Gain: 5690m
Duration: 4 days

As a training event a month before the tour, a 100K ride near the Turahalli Forest, Kanakapura road was organized. The training event was a difficult circuit with continuous rolling terrain. This was an assessment ride to me and found myself struggling and just managing to complete the circuits. The lack of training was very evident and it was crucial for me to get some training before the main event and sure enough I managed to get back in form with a back to back 100K rides a few weeks before.

Note: All the images used in this post have been captured by Vinod Krishna and Rabinandan of team Tour of Karnataka.

Day 0: Bangalore to Chikmagalur (Bus Ride)
A total of 62 riders had signed up for the tour. The ride starts from Chikmagalur and we headed on a bus from Bangalore having dropped off our cycles a few days before. The cycles were carefully transported to Chikmagalur. The tour briefing was conducted in the evening with an overview of various terrains, routes, food and hydration points stationed along the way. We verified our bikes were in right condition with correct tyre pressure, lubricated chain and for any another mechanical and called it a day.


Briefing by the Tour Director

Day 1: Chikmagalur to Shimoga
Distance: 108.6KM
Elevation Gain: 914m

This was one of the easier days compared to the remaining three days both in distance as well as the elevation. With some fresh coffee and ragi malt, we got into our riding gear and assembled outside the hotel. With a small route and control point briefing, the TOK7 and Day 1 was officially flagged off. The rest of the days also had similar format.



We headed towards Kaimara from the city and the route quickly turned scenic as we entered the ghat regions. The roads were excellent and we could see the misty Mullayanagiri and surrounding mountain ranges along the way. This was such a delight to experience and we rode through the Gonakal ghats happily. The breakfast was setup at around 26km mark at Honey Dewwz Hotel and we were served some amazing food and a much needed filter coffee at the hotel.




After requesting and posing for some photos from the official TOK7 photographers, we continued our ride towards Tarikere descending the Shantaveri climb. Soon after the descent, a peleton started forming with 6 riders riding one behind the other as a train, drafting each other. We decided to take turns and switch every few kms to ensure we all work together and get some aero advantage against the wind resistance. In no time, we were at lunch point around 70km and spent some resting and finishing our lunch.

We continued our ride as a peleton and rode beside Bhadra Dam. The drones from the videographers captured the scenic backdrop as we rode past the bridge. A few kms into the ride, the sun was out and were out of the tree cover from the ghats. Our pace had slowed down and we stopped at the hydration point setup by the organizers. We gulped some chilled butter milk and red bull and were on our way. We reached Shimoga around 12PM and checked into our hotel rooms.

Day 2: Shimoga to Udupi
Distance: 148.7km
Elevation Gain: 1504m

Day 2 was one of the longest day of the tour in distance. Since we were descending down to the sea level, the thought of lesser climbs gave us some comfort. But this was quickly taken away soon after the descent, more on this later.

We started towards Thirthahalli from Shimoga and after 15kms or so, we entered the Sakrebyle/Gajanuru forest stretch. This was a beautiful stretch with tree canopy covering the entire road and backwaters of Tunga river on one side. This lasted for a good 15kms before we stopped for breakfast which was setup at 33kms.






Food continued to be a highlight of the tour and we were served some amazing upma and kesari bath. The cloudy weather until the breakfast quickly turned sunny. We had some oranges and were on our way. The peleton was back after the breakfast and we had more riders joining the train.

The peleton was riding at a very good and steady pace ensuring all the riders keep up. A couple of shoutouts were followed along with hand signal. Slowdown, in case of the riders at the back had to drop their pace. Watchout, to signal any potholes, hazards and people riding in the wrong lane ahead. Switch to keep the riders in rotation to lead the group usually every 2kms. This was quoted more often than expected as everyone was waiting for their turn to lead and pull the train. Within no time, we had covered around 40kms without a break and were mandatorily stopped by the organizers for some yummy aloo-chapati rolls, oranges and buttermilk.

We continued riding towards Agumbe and decided to break the peleton ensuring enough gap between the riders as the descent was steep ahead. Having climbed Agumbe ghat 2 years ago which also had a Time Trial competition, the steep descents and hairpin bends left us wondering how we managed to conquer one of the toughest climbs we had ever done. Another 10kms after the descent, the lunch was organized at Hotel Seethanadi. The coastal humidity was near and it was tiring along with the heat. We had a few fresh lime soda along with lunch and decided to recharge ourselves with a small power nap.

We continued our ride and a few more riders decided to ride with our peleton. We had another 40kms to go and thought it was going to be easier since the descent is complete. The terrain quickly changed to continuous steep rolling climbs. Along with the heat and humidity, we were drained just 15kms into the ride. Against better judgement, I decided to have some cold water to quench my thirst. We continued to ride as this wasn't going to get better and headed towards Manipal. Though it was only a few kms, the Manipal climb seemed like it was forever after a long day. We reached the Hotel around 3pm and thought it was the end for the day.

Little did we know the organizers had a surprise waiting for us when we were asked to gather in the evening. It was the Huli Vesha/Tiger Dance which is unique to coastal Karnataka. Having never seen this in person, we were greeted to Udupi with an authentic folk dance seen mostly during festivals and temples. The dance team goes through extensive and painful process to paint their body with tiger stripes and costumes. The mood was celebratory with everyone on their feet dancing along with the tigers even after a long cycling day. It was an amazing performance and a fantastic event to end the 2nd day!





Day 3: Udupi to Puttur
Distance: 115km
Elevation Gain: 1275m

Day 3 started out with a ride to the Mattu Beach via the Malpe harbour. This was a beautiful 15km stretch which had the beach on one side and the Udyavara river on the other. We spent a considerable time along this stretch posing for plenty of photos thanks to the tour photographers who patiently clicked hundreds and hundreds of shots across various locations. The authentic coastal experience continued with Kotte Kadubu (idlis made with jackfruit leaves cup) for breakfast and were served right next to the banks of river Udyavara.






We continued our ride towards Kateel via Belman and were greeted with plenty of rolling climbs. Our flat/puncture account wasn't open yet and happened so around 45kms with a tyre cut of one the riders. That location must have been a punture magnet as we ended up fixing 2 more punctures and spent more than half hour to get things sorted. Thankfully, it ended there and wasn't the worst as we had previously fixed around 6 punctures in a span of 2kms in a previous ride a few years ago. We picked up the momentum again and continued riding until the lunch point at 60kms. We helped ourselves to multiple servings of Vangi Bath, Curd Rice and Obbattu.




The rolling climbs turned into a good descent for a few kms as we coasted along. The long descents while it's fun, kept us anxious as we almost always have to climb back the lost elevation and we sure enough we did. The sun was at it's peak and no tree cover along roads, we were baked. We were caught off guard when we came across a steep climb. It felt as if it was never ending as it lasted for a good 6kms. Adding fuel to the fire, we came across a message from the organizers written on the road, Loving it?. The team sure did have to hear a lot from riders about the message later on, all in good spirit. The hydration point was setup at the end of the climb and well stocked with fresh buttermilk, oranges and chilled redbulls.


PC: Sachin

Many of the riders in the peleton were drained out and we were starting to slow down. It was essential to motivate each other and ride together as it was a very tough day. With multiple stops, we reached Puttur around 3pm.

Day 4: Puttur to Suntikoppa
Distance: 103km
Elevation Gain: 2083m

The final day of the tour was the toughest in elevation as we had a lot of elevation to gain. Added to this, an Individual Time Trail (ITT) competition was also organized for a massive 17km climb from Sampaje towards Madikeri. The day started out with excellent weather, scenic route and great company of riders. The breakfast was setup around 22kms and were served delicious Idli, Vada, Chutney and Kesari Bath alongside a lovely location.



After a quick coffee break we headed towards Sullia. The peleton on the final day had close to 20 riders and everyone was in sync with the pace. We reached the lunch point near Sampaje in no time.





The ITT was a few kms away from the lunch point and wasn't set to start for another 30 minutes. Everyone was getting ready with stretches, power naps, energy gels to give their best. It was time to turn on The Beast Mode.




The ITT start point setup around 8kms from the base and gave a glimpse of the upcoming climb. Since this was an individual event, the riders were sent with a gap of 30s. With sufficient hydration for the ride, the ITT was away! I started out slow and found myself in a steady pace. As the climb was long, I had to ensure I pace myself for an hour long endurance climb. The roads had plenty of markings to indicate the KMs covered and kept us motivated to. Halfway into the climb, there was a hydration point setup. I didn't plan on stopping at this as I had sufficient water left but craved for some sugar as I was running out of energy. I yelled out Maaza, Maaza! from 100m into the hydration point and the volunteers were so kind enough to open a tetra pack and give it to me. I ended up stopping anyway for a bit as the straw fell through. Another volunteer quickly handed me a tetra pack and I was on the way.

Around 9kms into the 17km climb, I saw a marking with 3km to go and a message stating We had to cut it short.



Since the organizers were teasing us with Loving it? from the previous day, I was sure this was a joke again and didn't push myself. I kept riding at my own pace until few hundred meters at the 13km mark that I noticed the endpoint and the volunteers. I started with an all out effort but it was too late. We realized later that due to an ongoing road work at the 17km mark which made it unsafe for a timed effort, they had to cut it short.



After plenty of hydration and recovery, we continued our ride with 25kms to go. The terrain ahead was steeper and longer than the ITT segment and we had no energy left. With a few stops in between, we managed to reach Madikeri. We waited until the rest of our peleton came together and planned to finish the TOK7 together. We reached The Birchwood Retreat around 3pm with a great sense of accomplishment, congratulating each other and thanking the entire TOK7 team for creating wonderful experiences throughout the entire tour! The closing ceremory was carried out in the evening with ITT results of each category and various riders sharing their TOK7 experience. We headed back to Bangalore the next day!



The entire organizing team including the photographers and videographers.

Tour of Karnataka 7 started out to be cycling event but turned into so much more. Cycling was only a part of it and the experiences created along the journey be it food, dance, friendships and endless laughter on and off the bike has turned it into a memorable one!

[rjcorona]

Congratulations on completing TOK 7. I enjoyed reading your experience and it inspired me to take it out my old MTB for a ride.

[FURY_44]

This is wonderful harshitkashyap, gave me Tour de France vibes, always in awe with these kind of marathon rides.

Please do keep us updated on your expeditions.

Noob question: Can general audience like me participate in such kind of events?, interested with no prior experience.

[DevilzzzzOwn]

Great writeup by you and photos by Vinod and Rabinandan, Harshit. Also, good management by the team.

Please shed some light on your ride for TOK7. More the details, merrier I will be since I am also planning to get into cycling.

[goandude]

How does one go about participating in such an event? What are the costs involved?

[vinya_jag]

Thanks for Sharing. Didn't know that we had such an event. Can you please post when the next event is coming along?
And how do we prepare for it? What sort of pace should we expect. We are a small group and are weekend riders only. We have only gone as much as 100Kms, and only once uphill (Nandi, and not on the same day). I average around 24 - 25Kmph and a few of my folks, slightly lesser. What sort of training do you suggest for us to be ready for such an event?
Also, we haven't done rides on consecutive days. We don't know much about nutrition either. We usually carry Buns to our destinations around Bangalore, and nothing much.

[Aditya]

Lovely report of a fantastic event. The narration and pictures are good enough to make one feel like a part of the event.

A distance of almost 500 km with an elevation of 5,700 m in just 4 days is no mean feat at all. The effort and dedication you have shown - not only in the event, but also in preparing for it is commendable. Also, good spirit shown in waiting for the peloton and finishing the event together.

Tour of Karnataka 7 started out to be cycling event but turned into so much more. Cycling was only a part of it and the experiences created along the journey be it food, dance, friendships and endless laughter on and off the bike has turned it into a memorable one!

This is so true. These events are much more than just cycling. It's the experience, friendships you form and memories that stay with you for a lifetime.

I've been off the bike for a while now. Your report's just motivated me to start training seriously again.

[sukhbirST]

The changing landscapes are a delight to watch with you all cycling. Lovely photographs and congratulations for the splendid effort. The grit and determination is written on each rider's face, as is the tough ride to fame.

[VijayAnand1]

Wonderful feat to all the one involved. Cycling is a fun of different sort. When you mentioned "friendships and endless laughter on and off the bike has turned it into a memorable one!" I totally can feel it. Great road markings too, how cool is that!

A job well done!

Cheers!
VJ

[harshithkashyap]

Thank you everyone!

Originally Posted by FURY_44

Noob question: Can general audience like me participate in such kind of events?, interested with no prior experience.

Absolutely, there are many first time riders every year with little to cycling experience.

Originally Posted by DevilzzzzOwn

Please shed some light on your ride for TOK7. More the details, merrier I will be since I am also planning to get into cycling.

Originally Posted by goandude

How does one go about participating in such an event? What are the costs involved?

TOK is usually scheduled during the last week of November this year. It's going to be 22nd to 27th November. The registrations usually open during June/July. It got filled up in a couple of hours last year. You can reach out to them at https://tourofkarnataka.com/

Originally Posted by vinya_jag

Thanks for Sharing. Didn't know that we had such an event. Can you please post when the next event is coming along?
And how do we prepare for it? What sort of pace should we expect. We are a small group and are weekend riders only. We have only gone as much as 100Kms, and only once uphill (Nandi, and not on the same day). I average around 24 - 25Kmph and a few of my folks, slightly lesser. What sort of training do you suggest for us to be ready for such an event?
Also, we haven't done rides on consecutive days. We don't know much about nutrition either. We usually carry Buns to our destinations around Bangalore, and nothing much.

One of the riders flew from Dubai for the event and had no prior cycling experience. He had done rides on indoor trainer but never on the road. He was able to successfully complete the tour. With training, we will able to ride all 4 days well and suffer less.

Regarding training, we generally do weekend rides of 50 - 100kms which has a mix of both flat and elevation. It's going to be helpful to start slow with 40-50km rides and then increase the distance on successive rides to 100kms. Riders generally maintain a steady pace unless it's a competitive segment. There is a sweep which happens around 5pm in case the rider is too far behind to complete the ride before dark.

[harshithkashyap]

An update to this thread:

The Tour of Karnataka (TOK) 7 documentary has been released and is now live on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/D4Ng2S4dudw