Monday, December 23, 2013

Auroville Offroading

This plan was made in one week, when four of us decided to do some moderate level cycling and enjoy some good european food in Auroville. Okay its the other way around, Food exploration with a little bit of cycling. A friend of ours, also an avid MTB cyclist- Eric, booked a couple of huts for us for the weekend and the location was picture perfect for a weekend getaway. It was basically a hut which had beds, lights and even fan inside!

Stay in Auroville
Image

We started off right on Sunday morning all fresh after a stretching and a 5 km jog. It was a chill foggy morning, the way it is there in the hill stations!
Me, Karan and Nobal, starting off our ride!
Image

Through paddy fields in Auroville
Image

Since we were on our own, we got out of Auroville. It is easy to get out: when the red sands turn brown means you are out of Auroville. We took some village roads nearby and started exploring the places based on Peter's memory of the visit last time. We stopped for numerous photos as we were just chillin out...

Lotus and Lillies
Image

Amazed by the water Lillies
Image

With numerous photographs we also took numerous breaks. Since it was post monsoon, the climate was good with water all around and sahdy trees all green. Saturday afternoon was well spent with lazy cycling all around!

Mine and Peter's Bike resting on the ground
Image

Suddenly, all the happy stuff goes dirty! the Sun comes out of nowhere and the climate becomes hot as hell! The route which Peter wanted to take had been recently ploughed by the farmers and hence it was impossible to go! I tried to go a few meters and ended up messing up my bike. Anyways, the RR looks cute when its dirty.

Deciding which way to go!
Image

Me cycling in the Sun
Image

My bike getting dirty
Image

This venture into the mud pricked a small hole in my front wheel. It was a small thorn which I noticed while cleaning the bike in the nearby streams. I stopped in a village nearby and started fixing it. The villagers were very friendly and surprised.

Fixing the only flat of the trip
Image

Me fixing the flat in a nearby village
Image

After a nice ride in the morning, we got back to our huts, took another bath and went out for lunch. (We had delicous breakfast in the Auro bakery). We went to Tanto's Pizza which was the main Pizza join in Auroville. The pizza was okay.considering I've had some better Pizzas in Chennai. But yes, cook there tells me that they have a traditional oven which has the Fire and pizzas baked in the same level rather than the modern ones where its done in seperate compartments.

Fresh and happy out of a muddy session
Image

Riding on lonely roads
Image

Enjoying Tanto's Pizza for Lunch
Image

In the evening, we went for shorter rides around Auroville in the red sands. We found a small incline over there and we went up and came flying downhill 5 times just to enjoy it! After a day at work, we called it a day off with a few drinks in the some bakery there

having a drink after a tough day's ride
Image

The next day we had the similar morning routine. We went inside the forests for a short 5 km run followed by breakfast some items we parceled from the Bakery earlier.

Breakfast at Auro Center
Image

After a few rounds around Auroville, we headed to Roma's Kitchen, another nice place serving Indian food as well. 

Waiting for Lunch at Roma's Kitchen
Image

Our plan for the afternoon was a 70 kilometer loop where a person by the name Patrick was to accompany us. I have to tell something about this guy. He is a 60+ year old who absolutely loves his bikes. A MTB rider to the core, and throughout our stay in Auroville, we heard somethings like this from our friends
Eric - "Patrick is gonna kill you guys"
Dominick (The Triathlon winner) - "The old man is crazy! he will kill you guys"
Peter (CTC) "Last time when I went with him, he is surely a tough rider"

After our lunch, when we went to his place, it was the way we pictured a hard-core MTB guys' place. He had a seperate garage for all his bikes, he had two huge dogs who liked to lick all the sweat, he was having his lunch in his proper team jersey, and prepping for the ride. I was totally impressed with his garage. Although he may seem to be very less of a technology person, but he had all the top end bikes!

Patrick's Garage
Image

All of us checking out our bikes
Image

Patrick's stable
Image

Patrick's Titanium bike!
Image

Checking out Patrick's Ti Bike with no front Derailleur or front brake, deore XTRD.. That is some kickass bike!
Image

After all the drooling over high end MTBs, all the final adjustments were made and we head out into the roads. Patrick used MTB cleats and all of us were finding it very hard to even match his cadence. Moreover, even in bumps and speed-breakers, he never seems to stop pedalling. This type of riding was new to me and really inspiring!

Making final adjustments
Image

Finally on the road
Image

Riding happily on tar roads unknowing of what lies ahead
Image

All of us so happy on tar roads
Image

The starting 20 kilometers were going fine through the Tar roads and all of us were doing well. But we though about it too soon as the moment he went off the tar road, almost every second we wished he'd slow down! Though the places were through some beautiful eucalyptus fields and sandy trails, but Patrick's speed ensured that we don't have a single second to slow down even for a photograph. the guy is very strict on his timings. The only person who was able to match his speed was Peter and we 3 were slowing down and pushing too hard to catch up. Finally we were around 3 kilometers from the road when we gave up! Patrick didn't have lights so he sped away home. But the 4 of us decided to take a break as we were almost dead tired!

Through Eucalyptus Farms
Image

There was a point when the tar road gave away to the stream and it had totally covered it up. We had to carry the cycles on top to the other side. This reminded me of the Monsoon Cycling I did in Nagalapuram hills about a month before this trip (Next write-up tomorrow on that)

Underwater Cycling!
Image

After a super-tough cycling loop on a rather chilled out weekend, we headed to Pondicherry to feast ourselves in a French restaurant who served the best mashed potatoes I have ever had! A very nice way to close up on an awesome weekend!

Chilling out at the lobby 
Image

End of day 
Image

the mashed potatoes!
Image

No comments:

Post a Comment