[amitoj]

Originally Posted by ampere

Its been ages since I have seen you post! How have you been!

These days I spend way more time on my bicycles than in a car, so I have been lurking in the Bicycles sub-forum mostly, occasionally poking outside.

[livetodrive]

Great restart Arun !! Like your beloved Compass thread, I would love to see this thread getting filled up with data, pie charts and bar diagrams. Happy cycling.

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by chandrda

Your experience and advise, clears few of doubts and also gives me hope to take the plunge. Thanks

Regards

Thank you for the very kind words. As they say, better late than never.

Originally Posted by zadoom

Your journey 1.0 reminded me of mine some 12 years back when alone at home suddenly read (most likely the riding log of one of our Kolkata BHPians, who cycled solo to Leh), I OLXed for bikes found one (some Hero geared cycle) of a 10th class kid for Rs 1500 and around 38 kms away. Promptly went to his home the next day and a visit to the neighboring cycle repair shop later was on my way cycling back to home. Somehow managed around 27 - 28 kms after don't know how many hours and decided it is better to dump it on a Taxi for the remaining journey. Well I think maybe 40 - 50 Kms and around 3-4K Rs spent on repair over the next 3 years realised my journey 1.0 started and ended the same day effectively. Coincidentally my journey 2.0 also started with Firefox (don't remember the model).

Best of luck for a long cycling journey

Cheers,
Mayank

Thanks a lot Mayank for sharing your experience and for the tips. Yes, it is about keeping up the momentum irrespective of other challenges that we face in our regular schedule. I am determined with this 2.0 as I am already experiencing lot of positive changes in my fitness levels.
Also, this is a good mental break from the hectic work schedule.

Originally Posted by Rajat347

Nice !

Even I have a FireFox Pro Runner D 21 Inches. Probably one of the most reliable bikes in the price range.
I generally go for 50 KM ride every weekend here in Pune and I find this bike really fast but bit uncomfortable.

Yes, at this price point it is good. I have not faced any difficulty in the 2 50Kms ride I have done so far. Not sure how it will respond beyond the 70-80Kms mark.

I liked Trek FX2 in the short test ride which I did. But it is totally in a different price segment and outside my budget.

Originally Posted by silverado

Last year has been very inconsistent for me, but it is threads like these which ignite the spark to start it again.
Being consistent is the key for us who are in their 40's, and this is one exercise which doesn't feel mundane and boring. Happy Pedaling.

Thank you silverado for sharing your experience.

Yes, one has to enjoy the activity to be consistent at it. Otherwise, you will give it up at the next available opportunity by making lame excuses.

Originally Posted by vijayols

Looks like Arun a lot of us in our 50's face a similar dilemma of how to keep weight in check and cycling/running/walking are the means to achieve the same of course backed by a proper diet.

Your write up is an inspiration to rekindle the cycling bug.

Lovely blog.

Thank you vijayols.

Yes. dieting is the most important aspect for people in forties and fifties. :-) One cannot out run a bad diet or in this case, out pedal a bad diet.

Originally Posted by ampere

Its been ages since I have seen you post! How have you been!

Like Amitoj mentioned its only start of the journey. The big part is getting to the goal and then maintaining it! Thats where the bulk of the effort goes in.

My suggestion there is make a schedule/regimen which can be a part of your life.

Yes, I get your point. Nice suggestion.

A great start indeed! For change the Compass will heave a breather!

Its long since Compass went out for a breakfast drive or a just-for-fun drive.

Originally Posted by livetodrive

Great restart Arun !! Like your beloved Compass thread, I would love to see this thread getting filled up with data, pie charts and bar diagrams. Happy cycling.

Thank you! Strava is a great help in tracking the data. Right now, I am not focusing on chasing numbers only learning to enjoy the experience.

[pdma]

Nice writeup, Arun.

Cycling is addictive, on a lighter note you will start realizing very soon how expensive it is too
Happy to see you enjoying the rides, I started cycling about 4 years back and graduated to a road bike about a year and a half back, I too love spending time in the saddle and this is one of the best investments I have made. The best part is my Son (who will step into his teens very soon) picked up cycling too and I get to spend good time with him without distractions on our long rides.

Keep spinning.

Regards,
Pradeep

[subhro1988]

Great write-up Arun. I can fully understand your situation. Last month, one fine day, I also thought of starting cycling as a hobby, since I got bored with my daily walks. The last time I cycled was around 20 years back. I was not sure whether I would be able to cycle and thus went for the pre-worshipped route. After a lot of search, I bought a pre-worshipped decathlon rockrider 520 for 7000/- from FB marketplace. The cycle was seldom used in the 2 years of ownership of the previous owner. Thankfully he serviced the cycle before selling.
Now I am using the cycle almost everyday for 30-45 mins.
I am new to geared cycle and trying to understand how the gears work while riding. Also, I am facing a lot of body weight on my arms on the handlebar and trying to figure out my perfect riding height as well. In the meantime, the Strava app is of great help.

Keep spinning!

[Dieseltuned]

Thankyou for a motivating read. The only thing that is putting me off cycling here in Mumbai is the traffic and no road discipline towards cyclists especially from bikers and rickshaws.

You are lucky that you have destinations within cycling distance to move out to. Here in Mumbai I would have to wade through heavily choked roads for 10-15 kms before I could reach a "cycleable" road.

I think however good a hobby and whatever benefits they give to you personally , it is not worth pursuing if it puts you in mortal peril and endangers your life and the disrupts the lives of your dear ones.

Can you please also post on what safety measures you take while cycling on the roads (single or in a group). ?

Regards
Diesel

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by pdma

Nice writeup, Arun.

Cycling is addictive, on a lighter note you will start realizing very soon how expensive it is too

I have already started realizing it :-). It think as long as we keep it simple with 10-20Kms rides, its not expensive. But the moment you start doing long rides then yes it becomes expensive.

The best part is my Son (who will step into his teens very soon) picked up cycling too and I get to spend good time with him without distractions on our long rides.

Keep spinning.

Regards,
Pradeep

I follow your updates in Whtsapp, Nice to see him shine and winning trophies.

Originally Posted by subhro1988

Now I am using the cycle almost everyday for 30-45 mins.

Good to hear about your experience.

I am new to geared cycle and trying to understand how the gears work while riding. Also, I am facing a lot of body weight on my arms on the handlebar and trying to figure out my perfect riding height as well. In the meantime, the Strava app is of great help.

Keep spinning!

This is probably because of incorrect riding position. If possible get a bike fit done, this will help enormously.

Originally Posted by Dieseltuned

Thankyou for a motivating read. The only thing that is putting me off cycling here in Mumbai is the traffic and no road discipline towards cyclists especially from bikers and rickshaws.

I understand your situation, it is difficult to ride in city traffic. I have done this few times and faced lot of issues with these bikers.

I think however good a hobby and whatever benefits they give to you personally , it is not worth pursuing if it puts you in mortal peril and endangers your life and the disrupts the lives of your dear ones.

Can you please also post on what safety measures you take while cycling on the roads (single or in a group). ?

Regards
Diesel

Nothing as such, cyclist are the slowest on the road, so we need to show lot of patience. I am not using rear view mirror so it is very important to avoid sudden change in line. I try to avoid being in between two bigger vehicles. When on downward slopes, I keep slowing down by applying brakes so that I don't lose control.

In today's world lot of things can happen, so be positive.

[Passatman]

[quote=subhro1988;5516007] am new to geared cycle and trying to understand how the gears work while riding. Also, I am facing a lot of body weight on my arms on the handlebar and trying to figure out my perfect riding height as well. In the meantime, the Strava app is of great help.

One major reason could be, one is putting weight on the arms while cycling.Try practising by holding the bars with just a finger or two, to steer the bike. Slowly, one will notice that ones upper body strength improves and one will experience less or no pain in the arms.
Gears on a cycle work the same way they do in a car or bike. The difference is we have front derailleurs too ! One rule of thumb to ensure smooth shifts is to ensure no load while shifting ( shift at the bottom of your pedal stroke) and keeping the chain as straight as possible. Use Gear 1 on Front derailleur restricted to Gear 1-3 on Rear, Gear 2 on FD to Gears 3-5 on RD and Gear 3 on FD for Gears 5-7/8 . This way chain remains straighter and lessens chances of snapping. And yes, shift gears before hitting that gradient, just like in an automobile.

Happy cycling and a fitter you!

[sbenstewart]

This is really inspiring! I recently got back into cycling in Bangalore after the stint in college days. Would love you join you for rides in this amazing city!

[pdma]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

I have already started realizing it :-). It think as long as we keep it simple with 10-20Kms rides, its not expensive. But the moment you start doing long rides then yes it becomes expensive.

I follow your updates in Whtsapp, Nice to see him shine and winning trophies.

It is not about the rides .
Iam talking about the equipment. This is an addiction and once you get sucked in you will itch to upgrade first, then shoes, jerseys, indoor smart trainers, rollers, power pedals, sensors, and a whole new world to create enough dent in your pocket costing more than any mid segment car in the market.
Just a matter of time, before you realize what I am talking about

We too never expected our son to pick this up so seriously and compete in the sport at this level, he is enjoying it and we are supporting where ever we can.

Regards,
Pradeep

[arun_josie]

Bike Fit done @ Candence90

I restarted cycling with an objective of riding 15-20 Kms in a day or on alternate days. But with the interest to ride more growing in me, I decided to get the bike fit done. I was told that this will help to tune my riding posture for better comfort and increase the efficiency. And more importantly, it will avoid injuries due to wrong posture/saddle height etc.
My friend asked me to get this done at Candence90 as he was happy with their analysis for him. They charge 850/- for the same.
The major adjustments that were done for me was on the saddle height, foot position, handle bar and gear shifter.

This is the setup for Bike Fit





Saddle Height:

The analysis was done by technician Jerome. After doing a thorough review, he advised me to have a higher saddle position. As per the measurements taken by him, my cycle frame is one size smaller for me. This is currently an 18 inch frame and the saddle height is already at max. However, this saddle height is not enough for an optimal foot/knee position. A 19-inch frame would better suit my height. Since I don't have any immediate plans to upgrade the cycle, the workaround was to change the saddle seat post. This helps increase the saddle height. So, I took this option as of now and will revisit the plan to upgrade the cycle later as the proper solution is to get the right frame size.

The saddle seat post costed me around 2.5K.

Note: It is very important to get the right frame size while buying the cycle, at times the shop guys try to push the stock they have. I missed checking on this during my purchase.

Other changes:

Based on the saddle height position, he also helped to tune the correct position for my handlebar. The hand should be relaxed on the handlebar. Any stress and tightness will pass the impact stress directly onto the shoulders which will result in shoulder injuries.

The gear shifter was moved to a very comfortable position on the handlebar, earlier it was difficult for me to shift the gear.

We removed the additional seat cover that I had on the seat.

After all these changes, I did a short test ride and felt more relaxed during the ride. He asked me to take a 50-60Km ride and then share the feedback. If there is any discomfort, then further tuning will be done.

Overall, it was a very nice session with them. This process took around 45 minutes.

Full Service:

I got a full service done as well with all the parts disassembled and lubricated properly. As mentioned earlier, I was not happy with the service done at Jayant Probikes which looked more like a water wash. These guys did an excellent job, and I could feel a world of difference.

The cost for this service was 2K.

Jerome also advised me to dust the chain after every ride. I took degreaser and dry lube from them, will use them every 100Kms to clean the chain.



35 Km ride to Coconut Point Chikkanna

This ride covered the internal roads from Bannerghatta Road(Meenakshi Mall) to Kanakapura road to Link road. During the onward journey almost 80% of this stretch is full of downward slopes. The roads were really nice. Especially the 100ft road from Kanakapura road. This also touches the Turahalli forest road.

During the return we took the Technology road and then connected to the Kanakapura road. Return was tough but we were able to make it successfully. I felt comfortable and more relaxed throughout this ride.





Some nice roads

[printh]

Hi, Arun. It was really an inspiring read. I am in the band wagon for getting a new bike - commute and weekend rides. I am torn between a MTB vs hybrid. Predominant route would be old airport road and in and around Whitefield. Consider bad roads with multiple potholes, patchworks, steep flyovers and me being a newbie what's your take on the choice of cycle? Enquiries with colleagues and shop owners were confusing as each suggested different type with different logic.

[arun_josie]

Learning from Experience:

When we started going on group rides, one of our friend asked us to buy a puncture kit, inflator, spare tube etc. This is basically to fix the punctures by ourselves instead of depending on puncture shops. And while on rides, it is very difficult to find a puncture shop unless we are inside the city. We didn’t think much of this suggestion as we were mostly sticking to city roads and thought we won’t need it. Also, we didn’t face any punctures during our initial solo/group rides. So, none of us bought the puncture kit.

Two weeks back, during one of the planned 50 Km ride, while riding near Jigani, I felt a sudden loss of air pressure in the back tyre and when I checked the tyre was totally flat. My immediate assumption was that it should be a cut or a big puncture as the air was lost in no time. This happened around 5:45 am and so I couldn’t check the tyre nor was there any shop nearby. I updated the group to proceed ahead and tried to scout for any cycle shop near by. It was too early for shops to be open.

I was 18-20Km away from home so walking back with the cycle would be a pain. Tried searching online for mobile puncture shop but couldn’t find any. Finally, I decided to book a Porter pickup and I got one who was just 5 mins away. Took the cycle in this Tata Ace and reached back home.

Later after the group returned from the ride, one of my friend who knows how to fix punctures, removed the tyre and tried to fix the puncture. But the cut was big and there was also a bulge when we tried to fill the air. The tube was unusable. So, I got a new tube and fitted it. Putting back the rear tyre was a challenge as we didn’t have the experience to do it. After 20-25 mins of struggle, we successfully fitted the rear tyre.

Few days later, another friend got a puncture during a solo ride, and he returned back in auto.

So, after back-to-back puncture incidents, I got a spare tube for emergencies but I still didn’t buy the full puncture kit. But another thoughtful friend in the group bought a complete kit.

The spare tube and the mini-inflator


Today, while riding to the Mariapura lake near Kaggalipura, after 7-8 Kms from start I got my second puncture and this time it was the front tyre. Thankfully my friend had the complete kit handy and this was a good opportunity to test our skills.

He was immediately on the job removing the front tyre and we directly replaced the tube. While checking the tyre, we found the culprit which was a small iron piece. We didn’t have any plier (another lesson) to pull that out but we somehow managed to pull it out. Overall, it took us around 15 minutes. And it was a good learning experience.





After this episode, we have asked everyone to carry a spare tube at least and get the mini-inflator + puncture kit as well, as this is essential during solo rides.

We proceeded ahead with our ride, reached the lake, and spent some time there. The challenge was the return. it’s almost entirely uphill till we join the Bannerghatta road. We took couple of stops before reaching Bannerghatta road. Stopped on the Bannerghatta junction for some tender coconut and we continued our ride to reach home.

It was another nice and satisfying ride with our first experience of fixing the puncture ourselves.

Here are some pics,

Some nice roads







This was at another lake which was just before the Maraiapura lake




When we stopped for some tender coconut

Originally Posted by printh

Hi, Arun. It was really an inspiring read. I am in the band wagon for getting a new bike - commute and weekend rides. I am torn between a MTB vs hybrid. Predominant route would be old airport road and in and around Whitefield. Consider bad roads with multiple potholes, patchworks, steep flyovers and me being a newbie what's your take on the choice of cycle? Enquiries with colleagues and shop owners were confusing as each suggested different type with different logic.

I am not an expert yet but I think for city rides, hybrid would work. In my hybrid, I have done some mild offroading as well, but didn't face any issues. And regarding potholes, whether its hybrid or MTB, you will anyways slow down unlike driving a car.

[arun_josie]

Update on my Cycling/Fitness journey:

Cycling routine was going on fine, I was doing 50 Kms rides every once in a while, and shorter rides based on my work schedule. Even though I was clocking decent mileage and frequent rides, I felt that my endurance was bad, and I struggled a lot during the rides. The recovery time after the long rides were longer too. Obviously, I had to improve my fitness levels with some workouts to complement the cycle rides. I looked for ways to improve my endurance and fitness. Since I have never followed any fitness routine till date, I decided to start with strength training, and it has been the best decision I took in this journey.

Strength Training:

Considering that my overall fitness level that was not great, I felt that individual attention was required for me. So, joining any fitness session with a large group won't help me. One of my friend and team-bhpian mohankv is in the fitness industry and he provides individual and group fitness sessions tailored to your needs. So, I had a long discussion with him on what options I have to improve my fitness. He suggested me to join his classes on a trial basis and then make my decision.

To start with, he conducted two assessment sessions (one hour each) to assess my fitness level. This session was an eye-opener to me as it made me realize how bad my fitness levels were. My all-round mobility/flexibility was very bad. I knew I needed to change that right away. So, I enrolled in his classes immediately. Later, another friend of mine also took his assessment sessions and joined me in his classes. Thankfully Mohan put us in a class of just the two of us so that he can give individual attention to us both as it was very much needed.

Its 3 classes (one hour per session) weekly and for the other 2 days, we have a predefined routine to follow. All exercises were using our body weights, dumbbells or resistance bands. It was a struggle initially but slowly I started showing improvements. Apart from these sessions, I walk regularly from 30mins to 1 hour every day.

Slowly but steadily, I started seeing improvement in my mobility which started showing in my cycling as well. The long rides are more comfortable now, my stamina is better and after a 50 Km ride, I am able to continue with my other activities for the day instead of crashing on the couch to recover for the rest of the day.

These are just early days and things can only go upward from here, hopefully. mohankv also keeps the sessions very interesting with varied routines which is very much needed as it’s an online session.

Using the right gears during the rides:

This comes with experience. When I bought this cycle, I used to ride on same gear as I was not comfortable changing the gears. Later I started changing the gears, but I was not on the right gears many times. During the long rides, we get all kind of roads with steep inclines and slopes, and I used to struggle with the gears on the inclines. Now with more experiences, I have started being on the right gears. This makes a big difference and helps to bring down the effort that we put.

Smart watch:

My wife got me a smart watch (Garmin Venu Sq Music) as I needed an easy way to track the various activities I have added to my routine. Since I am doing multiple fitness activities, this is helping me track all the details. I monitor the heart rate during the high intensity training session and during the long rides. It also helps to compare our performance from our earlier rides. There is too much data available to track but I just keep an eye on the basic parameters. Another advantage with smart watch is the automatic sync with Strava.

Accessories to Buy:

With plans of much longer rides, I need to get some good cycling jersey and pants. Also, a good sunglass.The more you like cycling the more expensive it gets. But major gain is our fitness.

Some ride updates,

Gullahatti Kaval Lake (https://goo.gl/maps/MoZrmRxXAWLSVuVG6) - 55Km ride:

This is one of the scenic and toughest route I’ve done till date as the Kaggalipura – Bannerghatta stretch has a 6-7Km continuous incline. It’s fun while going on the decline but the return ride will test our endurance. Also, the last 4 Kms towards this lake has some bad roads.

This lake is in a very nice and peaceful location. We almost missed this lake as this was not shown as water body in google maps and we stopped few meters before this location as we couldn't see the lake. However the most enthu guy in our group went in search for this lake and found it.
Overall, it was a fun ride and we enjoyed it.

Serene lake



My ride


Our rides






About to start our return after a break




Recharged Riders


A short break just before the 7 Km incline towards the Bannerghatta road


Dodda Kere (50Km Ride):

This route passes via the Bannerghatta Circle, Jigani and Dodda Kere. While I returned at this point as I had other commitments that day, a few of them covered another ten Kms and returned. Two of them went till Thally lake and covered 100 Kms that day.

So, during this ride, the group got splitted in to 4 during the return.

Here are some pics,

All set for the ride, this was a 4:40 AM start


Yours truly. It was a diversion, so I was on the other side of the road


Dodda Kere


Crossed another lake during the return






Group Activity - Making sure that our rides are in good condition(Degreasing, Cleaning and Applying the lube on the chain)




That's it for now.

[arun_josie]

The cycling journey continues at a steady pace along with the strength training sessions. The strength training sessions are definitely helping my rides by way of increased overall stamina and flexibility. I can also feel a BIG difference in the ease in covering mileage as I progress.

Accessories Purchase:

With more rides happening, the accessories wish list is also going up. So, here are few more which got added recently,

1. Cycling Shorts:

This was pending for some time as I am not very comfortable wearing shorts. However, with plans for some 100Km+ rides in the pipeline, I felt I should get used to wearing cycling shorts.. So, to begin with I picked RC500 model from Decathlon which cost around 2K. Most of my friends were already using this and they were happy with it. The other option which I considered was the one at BOTS. This costs around 10K. But at this point I don’t want to invest so much, I will probably look at it once I start doing 100Km+ rides frequently.

For now, I have done few short rides in these shorts and I am really happy with the feel of it. They are very comfortable and more convenient to pedal. Looking forwards for some long rides now.



2. Safety Reflective Vest Belt Jacket:

After a night ride, I decided to get this one for better safety. I do have the tail-lights, but I think it is better to have reflective jacket as well.

3. Cycling Sunglasses:

Currently I am using a plain glass, this helps from dusts but not much protecting while riding under hot sun. Also, its not good under dark. So, I was looking around for cycling sunglasses and bhpian pdma suggested me to go with Zakpro, Outdoor Sports Cycling Sunglasses. So, I have ordered the same.

4. Jersey:

My cycling group of friends from my apartment ordered a custom jersey for everyone.

Bangalore Randonneurs Monsoon Challenge 23X20:

I’m participating in this ongoing challenge which has you do 23Km rides on 20 different days during September. These events are a good motivation to ride regularly. The challenge here is to find time to ride during weekdays as well to meet the 20 day criteria. I’m a weekend rider mostly. The weekday evening rides are maddening in Bangalore traffic.

I have completed 10 rides in 14 days so far. So, 10 more to go in the next 16 days. All my rides are in the evening except one which I did at night.
I enjoyed the night ride with less traffic and cool breeze. The challenge during the night ride is my lights. In very dark areas where there is no illumination, I struggled a bit with visibility. My lights were probably not fully charged. I had to slow down a lot or depend on the lights from passing vehicles. But I enjoyed the ride though.

Here are some of the pics,

The ride details of 23x20 challenge so far



This was during the night drive



Some random pics







After a quick maintenance work - a wash, degreasing and applying lube