[arun_josie]

A Ride to Vidhana Soudha by the Recharged Riders group:

As mentioned earlier, we are group of friends who took up cycling around the same time earlier this year. The main motive of this group was to improve our fitness levels and also have some fun group rides during the weekends or anytime we get an opportunity to ride together.

This group has become an integral part of my cycling journey. Being in a group smoothened my learning curve, gave me motivation on a regular basis, helped me improve my riding skills.

Once the rides became regular, we came up with a plan to get a Jersey for our group with our tag line “Recharged Riders”. One of our fellow riders helped with a custom designed jersey and we ordered it via Hyve online store. Once we got the jerseys delivered, we decided on a group ride to Vidhana Soudha.

This distance is 16Kms from our starting point, but we had to ride through the city as Vidhana Soudha is in center of the city. So, the plan was to start early to beat the city traffic at least during the onward ride. And then have breakfast during the return and ride back home.

Pics before the start





As planned, we started around 5:45 AM and traversed through the city roads. City roads Vs Google maps is sometimes a challenge as it shows different routes to different people. WE decided to stick together so that all of us were taking the same route.

Once we get closer to Vidhana Soudha, there are some very wide roads with heavy bus traffic as this road connects Majestic bus stand. We had to cross this road with lots of buses around, it was a challenge and a different experience cycle through this mad traffic. A bit terrifying to ride among heavy vehicles.

Some pics on the way





We reached Vidhana Soudha in about 50 minutes. Once we reached the destination, the photo session started �� Here are few pics.



The Recharged Riders







Yours truly



Trek guys doing some stunts





One more group pic after going to the other side of the road



After clicking the pics, we started our return ride, the plan was to have breakfast on the way. We tried checking MTR but it was crowded and it was the same situation at few other places as well. We finally stopped at Brahmins café for some nice tasty idlis, vada and coffee.





At a traffic signal



By now the city traffic had started to build up and it was a challenge to navigate this traffic. But we were able to manage it without any issues.

Overall, the average speed during this ride of 35 Kms was 17-18 Kmph. This is very good considering that it was a group ride as we had to slow down multiple times and make sure all are together, and we hit some traffic during the return.

Overall, it was a nice and fun filled ride. Here is one last pic before we ended the ride.



Update on Bangalore Randonneurs Monsoon Challenge 23X20 (September):

I have done 17 rides till now and 3 more to go with one more week in hand. One of our fellow rider has already completed the required 20 rides and few have done 15 or above. As mentioned earlier, even though 23Km is a short ride which takes around 70-80 minutes to complete, the challenge is to find time to ride during the weekdays. But most of us were able to manage it so far. Hopefully we will get this done by this month end.
Here is my data so far,

[Raghav07]

Hello to all.
I have been cycling since the age of 4 and recently acquired a new cycle. It has been great to cycle around my neighborhood and the suspension absorbs most of the bumps.

But I have a question regarding disc brakes. How to mantain them properly? It has been 3 months since purchase and the brakes have become weak in stopping. I need to use both front and back to stop nowadays.

Is there anything specific to clean the brake pads? Or do I already need to take it for servicing? The brakes were fine for the first 2 months but since mid-August the brakes have become weaker.

[amol4184]

Originally Posted by Raghav07

Hello to all.
I have been cycling since the age of 4 and recently acquired a new cycle. It has been great to cycle around my neighborhood and the suspension absorbs most of the bumps.

But I have a question regarding disc brakes. How to mantain them properly? It has been 3 months since purchase and the brakes have become weak in stopping. I need to use both front and back to stop nowadays.

Is there anything specific to clean the brake pads? Or do I already need to take it for servicing? The brakes were fine for the first 2 months but since mid-August the brakes have become weaker.

Requesting mods to move it to relevant thread. There are a few basic troubleshooting tips but need to know what type of brakes are those? do they make noise?

[arun_josie]

My first 100 Kms ride - Thally Lake:

So, earlier this year, when I started my cycling journey, I was struggling to do a 4 Km ride. Cut to 10 months later… here I am doing my first 100Km ride successfully. Although in the cycling world, a 100 Km ride is not a big thing, it is a milestone for me. It took time and patience to get here. Most of the credit goes to the online strength training sessions I attend, conducted by team-bhpian mohankv. And also to my Recharged Riders cycling group for all their assistance and motivation throughout this journey.

Few of them in my group have already done 100 Kms rides including team bhpian speedsatya who has done two 200Kms BRM rides till date. It took me 10 months to feel ready to attempt the 100km ride. I was clear from the beginning that I won’t rush this ride and I am glad I waited. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride and the recovery period was much shorter than I expected.

Going solo:

I had a good momentum going after completing the September 23 Km x 20 days challenge. I wanted to keep the momentum going. So, the idea of doing the 100 Km ride came up. I started planning for it but others in my group were not available on my convenient date. I was a bit hesitant initially to go solo as there won’t be immediate help in case of any issues. I decided not to overthink and just go for the ride.

The favorite destination for 100 Km rides in my group is the Thally lake in KA-TN border. So, I decided on the same destination. Just like my drives, I decided to start early for the ride as well. I wanted to cover as much distance as possible by 7-7:30 AM or before the sun comes out in full force.

Preparation for the Ride:

I made sure that the basics were taken care of. The day before the ride I washed my cycle and lubricated the chain. A quick and short test ride after this to make sure all is well. Recharged my lights and replaced the bottle holder which broke few days back. Checked the tyre air pressure and inflated it accordingly. Packed 2 energy bars (which I never consumed during the ride) and one water bottle. I made sure to carry the spare tube and mini-inflator.

The Ride:

Plan was to start at 4:30 AM, but I could start by 4:45 AM only. Before the start I did my regular warm-up exercises. I was super excited and pumped for the ride. The route planned was Bannerghatta Road – Jigani – Anekal and Thally. I started off slowly and increased the pace gradually. The idea was to maintain a consistent speed instead of spurts of high and low speeds. The early morning weather was chill and perfect for the ride. The first challenge that I faced was the crosswinds. After crossing Anekal, the crosswinds were high, and I couldn’t maintain decent speeds even on flat roads. I was struggling to cross 15Kmph. The roads were nice and scenic all through and the traffic was less. I took 3 water breaks before reaching the breakfast point in Thally. I had taken an 8Km detour at the beginning. So, by now I had completed 55 Kms. Including breaks, it took 2 hours and 45 minutes.

I had a nice breakfast @ Hotel Siva and refilled my water bottle. After the breakfast I came to Thally lake and spent some time here. After 10-15 minutes, I started the return ride. Once we approach the TN-KA border, there is a steep climb which was challenging. After this point, I was doing some good speeds and crossed Anekal. While crossing Anekal, it started raining, I continued for 2 Kms in the drizzle but the rain got heavier. So, I decided to stop for shelter.

This ended up being a long wait of around 25 minutes. Once the rain stopped, I resumed my ride. This break broke the good momentum I had before the rain. This worried me a bit as I had to ride another 25Kms to reach home. Thankfully after 2-3 Kms, I regained my momentum without any discomfort.

Compared to my onward journey, my water stops increased during the return. Also, I stopped for tender coconut twice. By the time I reached home, I had covered 101.82 Kms. My pace was consistent till last which was unexpected. I felt that I could have done another 20-25Kms easily. The moving time was exactly 5 hours with average speed of 20.3 km/h. After the ride, I made sure to do my post-ride stretches.

Overall, it was a nice solo ride, and I was super happy to complete it successfully without any trouble or niggles to my body. After a two-hour rest, I was back to my normal routine. This is how I wanted the ride to be rather than doing it and taking two days to recover. The day after the ride, I did a short 20Kms recovery ride as well.

As I mentioned earlier, I completed the 23x20 challenge during September. Including this 100 Km ride, I did 21 rides covering 588 Kms in September.

Overall, lot of cycling in September and my driving took the backstage, I drove just 200 Kms in September when compared to 588 Kms of riding.

I am looking forward for more such long rides in the coming days. I hope this post is a motivation to those on the saddle wondering if they can do a long ride. All it takes is patience, and understanding of your body’s limitation and working with it.

Ride Details



Here are few pics captured during this ride,

During my first break after crossing 20 Kms



At the Thally Lake





There are few Mariegold field on this route





This was during another water break





This was during the recovery ride

[ampere]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

I am looking forward for more such long rides in the coming days. I hope this post is a motivation to those on the saddle wondering if they can do a long ride. All it takes is patience, and understanding of your body’s limitation and working with it.

Congrats! So the next purchase I am guessing would be a cycle stand/carrier for the Comapss?
And I am already assuming that you have inducted into the Garmin community?

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by ampere

Congrats! So the next purchase I am guessing would be a cycle stand/carrier for the Comapss?

For now, I am not thinking about cycle carrier, but we never know .

Thankfully Bangalore has some good locations to cycle around, need to cover this first.

And I am already assuming that you have inducted into the Garmin community?

Yes, I have a smart watch from Garmin

[arun_josie]

Service Update (@ Candence90 ):

After the 23x20 challenge and the 100 Kms ride, it was time to get a service done. The previous service was done more than 6 months back. Since then, I was doing occasional wash/degrease/lubricate the chain at home. Recently I started facing issues with few gear changes. Sometimes the gear changes were slow or it wouldn’t slot in properly. Also, there were few other sounds coming while riding. So, I decided to get the service done.

I got the service done at Candence90 this time as well. After checking the cycle, they suggested me to replace the chain and the cassette. I agreed and left the cycle at their place. After two days I got the cycle back with service done. The ride feel was totally different after the replacement of chain and cassette.

The total cost for Servicing + parts replacement came to 3900/-

Here are some pics after servicing,



The new Chain and Cassette





After the service I did a 40 Kms ride, this helped to test the replaced components. From bannerghatta road side, we went towards Turahalli forest and Technology road. This stretch has some very steep inclines, some of the inclines were really challenging and I was able to cover them without stepping down. I did this route some 5 months back as well, but I had to walk on some of the steep inclines then. This time I showed a much-improved performance ��. And regarding the servicing, the gear changes and the ride quality is smoother than before.
Here are some pics during the ride

At Konasandra Lake



Recharged Riders :-)





Some nice empty roads



Accessories Update:

I received a PM asking for the product names/links of the accessories that I am using. So, I thought of sharing it in this thread as well. When I started with this cycling journey, I was not sure on how long I would continue, so I didn’t want to invest too much initially. I wanted to wait and buy based on my usage. Due to this very reason, for some of the accessories, I preferred cheaper products. Here are the details,

Lights (VICTGOAL USB Rechargeable Bicycle Light Set)

I got this from amazon.

The charge of this light lasts for around 4-5 hours. This lighting is sufficient for a ride starting at 4am. However, if you plan for a night ride (after 10pm), then it would be better to go for a powerful light with longer usable duration

Gloves (Castelli Rosso Corsa Pro):

This was a gift from a friend. This costs around 3500/-. The quality is very good and its very comfortable as well

Cycling shorts (VAN RYSEL - RC500):

This is a decathlon product which costs 2000/-

For a long time, I was riding in tracks despite my friends pushing me to get a cycling shorts. But I was not convinced. Recently I moved to these shorts, and I am glad I did. These shorts improve the ride quality and makes your ride super comfortable.

I was also looking at Castelli cycling shorts, but they were costing around 10K. For now, I have kept as option for upgrade.

Cycling glasses:

I started with a very cheap glass as I wanted to be protected from dust. They are good for dust protection but it doesn’t help keeping the harsh sunlight out.

3M 1709IN Safety Goggles, available in amazon. Cost 100/-

After I started going on longer rides, I felt the need of better glasses that can protect from dust as well as sun. So, recently I upgraded to Zakpro. This costs 3,300 /- in amazon.

ZAKPRO Professional Outdoor Sports Cycling Polarised Coloured Riding Sunglasses UV

Mini Inflator:

I am using a Giyo brand mini air pump. I got this from cadence90 and paid around 1500/- for this. It has been used once to fill the air from 0 psi to 70 psi, and it was very effective. I carry a spare tube always.

Lubricants:

1. Muc Off Dry Lube, this costed me 800/-
2. Loopwipe - Eco-Friendly Bicycle Chain Cleaner Cum Degreaser, this costed me 250/-
3. I have two brushes to clean the chain, got this from decathlon

Pouch:

Yumin Bicycle Front Frame Bag, I got this amazon. Cost: 450/-

Smart Watch:

Garmin Venu Sq Music, this almost costs as much as my cycle ��. It has been very helpful to capture all my fitness activities. There are many cheaper ones available in the market too. This was a gift from my wife.

[arun_josie]

An eventful Bangalore – Mysore ride (154 Kms):

After my 100 Kms ride, I did few short rides and was looking forward to do another 100Km+ ride. That’s when I came across this cycle ride organized by Cycle World. This ride was a one-way ride to Mysore and the organizers will ship the cycle back to Bangalore. Also, the organizers promised technical support along the ride. I have not done this route (via Kanakapura road) and it is neither an easy nor a tough one. So, I thought this will be perfect for my fitness level with the right amount of challenge in it to keep it interesting.

Preparation for the Ride:

Since this ride was 150Kms+, it required more preparation. I was overthinking the preparation. Getting the cycle checked, deciding on what to carry, getting additional accessories etc. The list was becoming endless. So, at one point I stopped thinking too much and just went back to the basics.
Here are some prep I did:

• washed the cycle, degreased and lubed the chain one day before the ride.
• got the lights charged.
• Spare tube and puncture kit in place
• Mini inflator
• I had doubt about my tyres as there were some minor cracks. But my service guy gave a go ahead. But I was still in a doubt and eventually I went ahead with the same tyres. (This would come back to bite me in my behind later.)
• got a head cover to place it inside the helmet to avoid sweat dripping on my face while riding.
• got an arm cover and neck cover for protection from sunlight
• carried hydration powder, ORS, energy bars, snickers etc
• A set of dress for the return. (I carried this in a small back pack)

Start of the Ride:

The reporting time at the start point was 4:30 AM (@ Cycle World, Bannerghatta Road). Normally I don’t get sleep before the drives, but now that has spread to cycling too. The main worry before the ride was the rain. It rained till 2:00 am and I was not sure about what to do if it rains or drizzles continuously as I was not prepared for a rainy ride. Thankfully the rain stopped before the ride.

I did some warmup before the start and was all set for the ride. It was super cold and by the time I reached the start point, few cyclists had already reached there. I have never been on such a group ride, nor I knew anyone in this group. So, I introduced myself and we had some casual discussion before the ride. Also, with all the enthusiasm before the ride, I forgot to bring the gloves. Thankfully this start point is closer to my home and so my wife could bring it to me in quick time.

All set for the ride



The ride started at 5:00 AM. The route was via Bannerghatta road - Anjanapura road to connect @ Kanakapura road.
The next scheduled stop was near Kagalipura which is 20Kms from the start point. The climate was super cold and was perfect for the ride.

Tyre Cut/Puncture @ the 10Km mark:

It was a disastrous start for me as by the 10Km mark I felt drop in air pressure in the rear tyre. With a worried mind I stopped and checked the tyre and yes it was a puncture. I immediately called the support team and they arrived in 10mins. One of my co-riders whom I met for the first time also stopped and waited along with me. I suggested him to go ahead but he was ok to stay as it was still dark and I didn’t have any other riders with me. It was very kind gesture from him, especially when have never met before.
The support team arrived and checked for the puncture and noticed that it was a tyre cut + puncture. As per their technician, since it is a tyre cut, replacing the tube will not help and if we still replace the tube puncture can reoccur again in no time. They didn’t have a spare tyre of this size. So, the option to replace the tube and proceed ahead looked very bleak.

However, since I was looking forward for this ride a lot, I didn’t want to retire from the ride so early. They understood my intention and decided to replace the tube but with less air pressure. The recommended tyre pressure for this tyre is 75psi, but keeping this pressure means the tube will protrude through the cut in the tyre. So, we tried to keep the tyre pressure around 45 psi. This is too low and was going to make the ride more difficult. And I will have to be extra cautious on the bad roads.

Here is the pic of the tyre cut taken after the ride. The tyre got damaged further due to this ride with very low air pressure, I have decided to replace both the tyres.



I decided to take this challenge and test it till the breakfast point. By the time we restarted, we had lost 30 minutes. After the restart, we came across some very bad stretches right away. I was very cautious and tried to shift my weight to the front by standing on the pedals and leaning forward. This worked fine till the breakfast point which was 25 Kms from the puncture point. However, this lower air pressure was affecting my ride on the inclines as I had to put more effort.

Breakfast:

We had some nice delicious thatte idli for the breakfast. After the breakfast, it was decision making time again on whether to continue or end the ride there and return home. This was a tricky situation. If I decide to proceed and get a puncture again then returning home will be a big task. But whatever it is, I stayed very positive and decided to take the risk and proceed.

Delicious thatte idli



Me all set to resume the ride





Post Breakfast / Cramps episode:

Till Kanakapura, there were lot of diversions with some bad stretches. So, I was very cautious. After crossing Kanakapura, the road was good. I was able to cover the next 35 Kms at a good pace. After this the sun was out and I started feeling the heat. At around the 75Km mark, I started getting cramps. I tried having water, ORS, tender coconut but I still couldn’t relieve the cramps. I was stopping for 5-10 minutes for every cramp episode before proceeding. But the cramps were happening at every 8-10 Kms. This slowed down my ride. The sun was getting hotter and I could see no improvements in the situation.

When we stopped for tender coconut


A random stop


It was lunch time but me and my friend were not hungry. We stopped for tender coconut, fruit juice etc to relieve the cramps with no success. At around 120Km mark and with another 30 Kms to go, I decided to give up. But my companion for this ride encouraged me to get this ride done. While we were discussing this, the support vehicle saw us on the road side and asked if we need any help. I explained my situation and initially they were ok to take me in their vehicle but then they remembered the puncture episode and my intention then to complete this ride. So, they wanted me to continue as well. They asked me to call them If I am still not able to ride.

I took a good break this time and called my personal trainer to check if any workout/stretches can help this situation. He asked to drink one full bottle of electrolytes + water. I tried this earlier but it was just a few sips. After drinking almost one full bottle of electrolyte + water, I felt much better. This gave me the confidence to push ahead and proceed with the ride.

One more stop for hydration


With my ride companion


We restarted the ride again and this time I was able to ride at a good pace. The cramps didn’t reoccur anymore. The next 20 Kms was tough as it was a continuous gradual incline plus it was extremely hot. The rear tyre was making me sweat more on this incline. We took few more breaks and reached our destination by 3:30 PM. Overall it took 10 hours and 30 minutes (including the puncture episode and all the stops). If not for the puncture, riding with low air pressure and cramps episode, I could have finished this ride an hour earlier or maybe in 9 hours.

Moving time was 7 hours and 54 minutes. At the end of the ride, the rear tyre pressure was at 35psi.



It was time to hand-over the cycle and then proceed to bus stand to catch the 4:30 PM Volvo bus.

At the finish point


The total ride data


The elevation map


Lessons learnt:

• If the plan is to ride very long distance during the day, then it would be better to practice some rides in the afternoon sun and get used to it. Otherwise, the conditions will feel very challenging.
• Don’t try too many “firsts” during such rides. Ex: I tried this head conver for the first time and it was not very comfortable initially. Same with the backpack, I was riding with a back pack for the first time and it was not comfortable during the second part of the ride.
• If any parts of the cycle is closer to replacement, then replace it without fail before the ride rather than taking a risk
• Better to have a hydration bag so that there is no need to stop for water.
• Maybe its good to have a backup tyre as well, especially when there is a support vehicle as we can put the backup tyre in the support vehicle.
• The smart watch died before the end. So, maybe its good to carry a power-bank
• Need to be prepared for rains.

Conclusion:

Overall, this ride was a very nice experience and it showed me on how far I have travelled on my fitness journey. If someone had asked me 6 months back on whether I am game for a 150 Kms ride, my response would have been “not even in my dreams”. A big salute to my recharged riders friends who keep motivating each other to test our limits. And then a big thanks to my trainer(bhpian mohankv) for taking care of my fitness and improving my endurance level despite my limitations(I have back issues). Also, the recovery period after the ride was quick.

A big thanks to my companion for this ride, Saravanan. I met him for the first time at this event and despite the puncture delay, he hung around with me and motivated me at the end to finish the ride when I wasn’t sure I could do it.

This 150Km ride is an achievement for me, now looking forward to a few more short rides before leveling up.

It was also good to meet some new faces in the cycling world and expand the network. This group had a bunch of people starting from newbies to very experienced. When I had stopped for cramps, few stopped by to check on me and extended their hand to help, it was so kind of them. Last but not the least, Cycle World did an excellent job in organizing this event successfully.

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

Tyre Cut/Puncture @ the 10Km mark:

It was a disastrous start for me as by the 10Km mark I felt drop in air pressure in the rear tyre. With a worried mind I stopped and checked the tyre and yes it was a puncture. I immediately called the support team and they arrived in 10mins. One of my co-riders whom I met for the first time also stopped and waited along with me. I suggested him to go ahead but he was ok to stay as it was still dark and I didn’t have any other riders with me. It was very kind gesture from him, especially when have never met before.
The support team arrived and checked for the puncture and noticed that it was a tyre cut + puncture. As per their technician, since it is a tyre cut, replacing the tube will not help and if we still replace the tube puncture can reoccur again in no time. They didn’t have a spare tyre of this size. So, the option to replace the tube and proceed ahead looked very bleak.

However, since I was looking forward for this ride a lot, I didn’t want to retire from the ride so early. They understood my intention and decided to replace the tube but with less air pressure. The recommended tyre pressure for this tyre is 75psi, but keeping this pressure means the tube will protrude through the cut in the tyre. So, we tried to keep the tyre pressure around 45 psi. This is too low and was going to make the ride more difficult. And I will have to be extra cautious on the bad roads.

Here is the pic of the tyre cut taken after the ride. The tyre got damaged further due to this ride with very low air pressure, I have decided to replace both the tyres.

New Tyres (Maxxis Overdrive Excel):

As mentioned in the previous post, the rear tyre got a cut during the Mysore ride and I also noticed lot of cracks on the side wall. Even the front tyre had some cracks. So, I got both the tyres repalced to Maxxis Overdrive Excel. These tyres cost me 2700/- each. I got this replaced at Jayant Probikes. Since the cycle was very dirty after the Mysore ride, I got a wash and minor service as well.

Looking forward for some long rides on these new tyres.

[ampere]

I guess less km on your odo is just not something you are used to?

Very nice indeed! Congrats Arun !

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

This 150Km ride is an achievement for me, now looking forward to a few more short rides before leveling up.

Nice job! That too on an MTB! Seems like a 200km brevet is up on the cards for 2024. Just make sure you select one of the less elevation options

[silverado]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

Lessons learnt:[list][*]If the plan is to ride very long distance during the day, then it would be better to practice some rides in the afternoon sun and get used to it. Otherwise, the conditions will feel very challenging.[*]Don’t try too many “firsts” during such rides. Ex: I tried this head conver for the first time and it was not very comfortable initially. Same with the backpack, I was riding with a back pack for the first time and it was not comfortable during the second part of the ride.[*]The smart watch died before the end. So, maybe its good to carry a power-bank

Congratulations on your first 150kms ride.

The most important thing for long rides is to ensure you are well hydrated a day before the ride and take foods rich in carbs.

I always ensure that i dont ride a day before the ride.
On ride day, you need to take water ( BEFORE YOU ARE THIRSTY ) and eat food ( BEFORE YOU ARE HUNGRY ).

If you take water when you are thirsty, you are already late and will cramp.

Never ever carry anything on back, you are bound to be uncomfortable and sore. Best to invest in a light weight good quality carrier.

Smart watch dying in one single ride? time to change its batteries or change the watch totally. I use a GPS smart watch and it has stayed put even during my longest ride ( 210 kms ).Power bank will add to weight , every gram saved helps on a long ride like this.

[samre75]

Congratulations for your ride!!!
For the punctures, You can try using the Liners. I do use them and have done several long rides on quite challenging terrains(Ladakh, Tawang), without a single puncture.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

This 150Km ride is an achievement for me, now looking forward to a few more short rides before leveling up.

Congratulations on finishing an epic ride! No matter how tough the ride is, the end is always very rewarding.

As for the cramps, I think the lower pressure in the rear tire made your legs work extra hard and that caused the cramps. Once cramps set in, it is very tough to get rid of them. That's why it is important to keep sipping on water and electrolytes at regular, frequent intervals even if you are not feeling thirsty.

The preparation for a long ride starts not the night before, but 3 to 5 days before the ride. You'd want to start tapering off your workouts 3 to 5 days prior so that you have enough energy in reserve for the ride. Silverado makes a good point about hydrating and carb loading before the ride. I would suggest to start doing that gradually at least 3 days before the ride. You dont want to do anything extreme a night a before the event.

Mechanical issues are unavoidable. You had the right mindset to deal with them though. So, kudos to you!

Ride on brother.

[gauravdgr8]

Congratulations on successfully completing the ride. A major milestone indeed

Many more to come. All the best.