TFN day 1: The longest day!

The alarm rang at 4.45am.

I had already been awake for an hour or so before that, tossing and turning in bed … anxiously awaiting the moment!

Tip: Better catch your winks a day in advance before any major event!

It was D-Day! Dec 16! Also the longest day of the tour with 180kms to negotiate!

Got up, got ready, checked the bike, had a quick breakfast, bid goodbye to family and hit the road. It was 6am when I reached the Koramangala indoor stadium.

The place was already buzzing with activity… riders, volunteers, administrative team and their families and anticipation, anxiety and a myriad of other emotions on their faces… and the adrenaline flow!

Excited riders striking a pose!

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Back from TFN

TFN is done! Am back home!

What a tour it was! Had maximum fun throughout! While a detailed trip report is being written, here are a few notable points.

• Cycled 880Kms through 3 states (TN, Karnataka, Kerala) with 100 riders and 30 or so volunteers over 8 days.
• Finished all days successfully without getting into the support truck
• Finished all the optional rides / treks too (Muthathi loop, Vidyodaya visit & Ooty forest trek)
• Made a lot of friends
• Had a ton of fun!
• Rode with sandals on all days except day1. Find it very comfortable!
• Had no flats, falls or bicycle issues
• Did have some knee pain initially, but after re-adjusting saddle position, the pain reduced

I hope to complete the trip report by this week. Do stay tuned!

TFN: D-Day!

Big day!

While you are reading this, I would probably have started on my TFN (Tour of Nilgiris) ride along with 100 other crazy riders. (This is a scheduled post).

If you are new to this blog, TFN is a 1000Km bicycling ride across 3 states over 8 days with 100 riders. From Dec 16 to 23, its gonna be the ride of my life. Take a peek at their site here.

A list of things to be taken was made.

And packed into a bag. (Apparently, mine was the smallest bag in the tour!!!)

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Training for TFN

TFN (the 1000Km cycling tour over 8 days with 100 riders covering 3 states) is just a week away, starting next Thursday!

Its been 4 weeks since I confirmed my participation in TFN (and cancelled the SriLanka trip ).

Ever since I signed up, I had been busy on almost every weekend leaving me with very few days to practise on. This post is a quick update on my practise and where I stand today.

CAUTION: If you are a road biker or a super biker (or one wanting to be) who likes to zip past at dizzying speeds covering several hundred Km’s in a day and wanting to know about stuff like HRM, cadence, paceline, specialized bikes, etc… STOP! Read no further, for you will be wasting your time on this post! However, if you are the type who loves to be on the saddle, riding through scenic locations at your sweet own pace, not minding your position in the pack… then do continue reading!

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TFN 10: My cycling gear for 1000 Kms

The much awaited TFN is less than a month away.

For those of you who are new to my blog (or TFN), Tour of Nilgiris is a ~1000Km, 8 day cycling ride across 3 states (Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu) involving 100 riders. More information is available here.

Several discussions are happening on what to wear and carry and what not to. Here is my list of gear / clothing for the much awaited ride…for 8 days.

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