Adventure
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Spine Chilling Trek to KalavantiDurg Fort in rain with zero protection ascent
I came to know about KalavantiDurg Fort about a year ago from an article posted on a travel website. I browsed a lot on the net to find more about the fort. I found a detailed content on KalavantiDurg fort. It is one the 35 beautiful abandoned places in the world. Shivaja won the fort back from Kesar singh, a mughal sardar. At the time of attack the fort was governed by Kesar Singh and was the only fort to put up a strong resistance. Singh died during the battle but Shivaji in an act of kindness made sure that singh’s mother and her grandchild were allowed a safe passage out.
After some regular internet research I came to know about Prabalgad too which is adjacent to KalavantiDurg Fort. It is located on the edge of Matheran in the state Maharashtra, at an elevation of 2300 feet above the sea level in the Western Ghats. After a one year, finally the day came when I decided to visit KalavantiDurg Fort with few of friends on a weekend, and what better way to end the week than a whiff of freedom and a feeling of fullness?
So, on a beautiful Saturday morning, at an around 8 O’clock in the morning we all gathered at Panvel Railway Station, which is the closest to KalavatiDurg Fort. August, being a Monsoon Season, though there was not a single rain cloud in sky. It was a perfectly hot sunny day. We hired a vehicle from station to village Thakurwadi. The entire mountain can be seen from the Mumbai-Pune express highway. It took us around 45 minutes to reach the village. The vehicle dropped us to the foothill. Here on, we started ascending the mountain towards the plateau called Prabalmachi, named after the village located up on the plateau. The way towards the plateau was bounty with nature. We also saw some Baboons playing on a tree. Wait, I am not sure whether they were playing or fighting. There were lots of Fig trees on the way with fruits on them, we grabbed some fruits to eat and they were not bad at all, not very sweet but perfectly edible. After 2 hours of incessant ascend we finally reached the plateau. Due to monsoon there was a small stream of water flowing down from the plateau, the water clean enough to drink and had a great taste.
We halted for 15 minutes on the plateau; and we started to walk towards the base of KalavantiDurg fort. The KalavatiDurg fort wasn’t much difficult to ascent but it was dangerous because of the nerve breaking steep climb. The stairs leading to the fort were cut out of the rock of the hill. There were no safety rails on the edge or no ropes on the wall to hold on to. As we finished the scary stairs we had a steep ridge of about 3 meters in front of us to climb on. It wasn’t easy but somehow we all managed to get to the top of KalavantiDurg Fort. The view from the top was breath taking. The hardest part was now to descent. Due to rain, mud from top was flowing down to the stairs, which made it slippery. Slowly yet carefully, step by step, we were able to make it down to the plateau. It is a sigh of relief after spine chilling experience.
As the descent was over and we were on the plateau, we went to a small hotel up on the plateau owned by a local villager. They had Dal-Chawal, Roti with some sort of sabji. We had amazing food with mesmerising view
Things to Know:
- There is a dense forest up, so one should hire a guide if not sure about the route. - Do wear proper trekking or hiking shoes or boots with good grip. - Carry at least 5 litres of water
How to reach
- Own car – Drive down to Thakurwadi (from Shedungphata – Kalamboli-Mumbai bypass road meets the Mumbai-Pune highway) - Via train- reach panvel station and then either hire a vehicle or a State Transport Bus to thakurwadi village. - There are two State transport buses available in the morning, one at 7:00 A.M. and the other at 8:30 A.M. The Last bus from Thakurwadi to Panvel railway station is at 8:00 PM. - Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport Is nearest to Panvel.
Location
- Google coordinates 18.971193, 73.225293
About Author: Ketan Shide
Hi! My name is Ketan, I am just 21 years old college student living happily in Mumbai. My passion is to travel to unknown places. I travel to places because I do not just want to see it in books or television. For me, it is a great opportunity to experience and observe our great mother nature that surrounds us as a protection layer from all odds and also holds a great beauty in itself.
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Escape to Dodi
On Saturday, 12th September, a group of 8 cycling enthusiasts embarked on a 100 Kilometers joy ride to Dodi, a place situated at a mid way of Bhopal and Indore.
Our group of cycling Enthusiasts, nicknamed "The New Golfers" organized a bike trip to a Highway resort at Dodi, which is about 100 Kms from Bhopal. This was going to be a “first ever 100 kms cycling experience” for most of our group members who showed up on the day for this particular trip.
[START] Bhopal (Chunabhatti) --> VIP Road --> Bairagarh--> Fanda --> Crescent (Sehore) --> Barkhedi --> Astha --> Dodi [END]
The Trip was planned by our captain and chief motivator, Mr. Chandra Mauli Shukla, who ensured all the logistics are in place and an active participation from members.
On Saturday, six members assembled at Chunabhatti. We began our journey at around 5:30 A.M. from Chunabhatti. Two more members joined us at V.I.P road. Atmosphere was just perfect and pleasant as it should be in an early Morning. We rode till Bairagarh, our next stop fairly quickly and halted for 5 minutes to have tea.
From Bairagarh we progressed further to Fanda, our next stopover for water and refreshment. So far we covered ground of 30 kms and at this point two of our members left back for Bhopal to meet some pre planned engagements later in the day.
Rest six of us proceeded ahead towards Crescent resort in Sehore, the midpoint of our journey. We reached there at 8:45 A.M. and the weather was still pleasant, perfect for a cycle tour. We decided to step up the speed and pedal faster as the day was sunny and it would get hotter to make it difficult for us to pedal on after 10:00-10:30.
We left from Crescent around 9:00 A.M, and rode for next hour and half to our next stopover at Barkhedi . As expected, it got bit hot and pedaling on road was getting tougher due to hot weather. From here onwards, we decided to stop every 10 kms or so for water and refreshments so that no one gets dehydrated.
Ultimately around 1:00 P.M. we reached our destination. Our first Century Ride of the Group.
I am a entrepreneur and dabble with all things in mobile. I am based out of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
I am passionate about sports namely, Cycling, Running etc. I am passionate about Tech toys as well.
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Trekking at night at Kunti Betta
Just a day before friendship day, 21st August afternoon, five of us decided to celebrate the friendship day in a memorable way. We tossed with some options but the one that got all of us excited about was to go for a night trekking. We zeroed in to a location after checking couple of blogs about Kunti betta. This was my first trekking experience in Karnataka and was pretty excited by the thought of it. It was a pleasant day. We booked our tickets from a website and we received complete details about the Trek beforehand, much before we actually started.
We finished our dinner and got ready by 9:00 PM to catch the bus near Marathali. Bus came as per the schedule. There were forty more travelers including us. Around 11:30 PM we stopped at Ramnagar, our base camp. We had some refreshments and relaxed for some time before we boarded the bus again to reach Kunti Beta base by 12:30 AM. The atmosphere was electrifying. We all got soaked in cool breeze blowing gently over us. We carried a torch and camp fire wood sticks. The trek started little over mid-night. Kunti betta night trek was increasingly becoming fascinating experience to remember as we moved along in staunch darkness. Here a word of caution, one needs to be very careful during the trek because you will be ascending in night and more so in the dark. We had to combat the darkness with the help of torch lights and lamps. The experience was really little scary but full of excitement. My friends and I also helped few fellow travelers while trekking and became friends. After two and half hours of incessant trekking, we reached the peak of kunti betta. The organizers arranged a camp fire with sticks which we carried. We enjoyed the ambience and the serenity of the location as the atmosphere was blessed with unperturbed silence. We waited there for about 3 hours and got drenched with the falling moon light and warmth of the camp fire. The view from the peak was unprecedented. We celebrated friendship day on the peak of Kunti Betta by cutting cake. It can’t get better than this.
Around 5:40 A.M, we all witnessed the beautiful and vivacious sun rising; it was gently yet majestically appearing from the mysterious clutter of cloud. Soon the entire location was encompassed with affluent sun light. Around 7:00 AM, we started descending and reached the base camp at 8:30 AM. From here on, we went to a lake nearby for boating and swimming. We swam, played and enjoyed our heart out in the cool and clear water of the lake. Again by 10:30 we left from Kunti betta and stopped in a small village for breakfast, food was yummy. We finally boarded the bus back to Bangalore and reached by 2:00 PM. The entire trip was organized by Escape2Exlore team.
About the Author I am a software engineer working for MNC in Bangalore. I am passionate about exploring the beauty of nature as I Hail from Amalapuram a beautiful town in East Godavari. And also passionate about being close to the nature as much as I can.
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Biligiri Hills One day trip - A Must Visit
The road trip to Biligiri Rangana betta was a wonderful experience The Biligirirangana Hills, commonly called B R Hills, is a hill range situated in south-eastern Karnataka, at its border with Tamil Nadu in South India. Being at the confluence of the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, the sanctuary is home to eco-systems that are unique to both the mountain ranges. The area is called Biligiriranganatha Swamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary or simply BRT Wildlife Sanctuary. The hills are famous for the temple of Lord Ranganatha or Lord Venkatesha which is situated on the highest peak of the hill range. This is also a tiger reserve and if lucky, you will spot tiger, cheetah and many other wild animals, well nothing can be more satisfying than spotting a tiger in a jungle. There are a large number of "champaka" trees together with several covering the area with thick shadow. To the east of the riverbank, of the river Bhargavi (a tributary of the cauvery) stands a gigantic champaka tree, about 43 meter in height and the girth of trunk measuring about 20 meters. Trekker's who are visiting BRT wildlife sanctuary would like to visit Doddasampige by trekking. The forest area is a home for many medicinal and other endemic species. The BR hills links the Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats allowing animals to move between them and facilitating gene flow between populations of species in these areas. Thus, this sanctuary serves as an important biological bridge for the biota of the entire Deccan plateau.
Not many people explore this part of Karnataka Drive towards this place would be a memorable one, you also have an option to go for jungle safari, the weather here is awesome.
How to reach B R Hills : Bangalore - Maddur- Malavalli - BR Hills By Road (From Bangalore): Take the Bangalore – Mysore highway, and drive till Maddur. Turn left after leaving Maddur and drive till you reach Malavalli. Continue driving past Malavalli and get to Kollegala town. BR Hills is another 30 minutes drive from Kollegala. Those who come from Coimbatore can take either KSRTC or TNSTC to reach Chamarajanagar, buses ply every 20 minutes. Train: Nearest train station is in Chamarajanagar, 40 km from BR Hills. Daily 6 trains connect Chamarajanagar with Mysore and one among the six goes to Tirupati via Bangalore. Flight: Mysore Airport is the nearest Domestic Airport, Which has tri-weekly non-stop flights to Bangalore operated by Spicejet. Coimbatore Airport, 185 km from BR Hills, is nearest International Airport. But Coimbatore has less connectivity compared to Bangalore International Airport is 220 km from BR Hills. I suggest people to go visit this place once in his / her lifetime.
Things to keep in mind before starting: There is no food available on the way, you need to take away food near Maddur or take away from KFC / Dominos on Mysore highway Weather is chilled, warm clothes are recommended Do not miss to visit the BR hills Safari. You must be lucky to spot tigers Stags, deers and elephant are common sightings Weather is pleasant around 19 degree, slight drizzle, make sure you are equipped accordingly Food Facility : No food , you will get food if you stay nearby home stay or resort. If you are going for one day outing you need to take away food. Do not throw plastic and play loud music. Your vehicle will be checked and you will have to sign in and sign out. The only vehicle available is Jeep
About Author: I am from Bangalore and I plan for outings every 15 days, I am an engineer working with an MNC and am always on the lookout for new places to get myself rejuvenated. It adds a rush to my adrenaline whenever I imagine a tiger spotted in a forest. I am passionate about travelling in uncharted areas of my state Karnataka.
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Trek to the Valley of Flowers amidst the alpine Himalayas of Uttarakhand
The beauty of the lofty Himalayas is unsurpassed showing a different facet in every state, town and the remotest of the villages that the range crosses. Who would have imagined that one such replica of the gardens of heaven would be nestled within the lap of this extravagant being – The Valley of Flowers or ‘Phoolon ki Ghaati’ as traditionally known. The valley covering an area of 87.5 kilometers is part of the Zanskar range of the Uttarakhand Himalayas and is home to about 521 species of alpine flowers and offers an unimaginable sight in the monsoon months of July and August, which is the best time to visit. Behold the lively dance of white and yellow Anemones, Angelicas, Himalayan Balsams, Calendulas, Geraniums, Blue Poppies and many more wild flowers amidst lush green meadows of the valley. These high-altitude meadows are locally termed as ‘Bugyals.’ Indeed, you truly need to see it to believe it. The plethora of rioting colours, the intoxicating smell and the seamless foliage transports you to an artist’s dream for that perfect portrait. The Valley of Flowers National Park has been well protected due to its uneasy accessibility and in the year 2005 it was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list of natural sites.
Getting to the valley entails a trek of 19 kilometers from Govindghat, which is 15 kilometers away from the closest major town in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, Joshimath. Joshimath is well connected by road to both Dehradun and Haridwar. The trek in itself is an experience creating everlasting memories and is a trekker’s paradise. Visitors usually make it a two-day trek covering the first 15 kilometers from Govindghat to Ghangaria which serves as the base for visiting Valley of Flowers and is the last of human habitation in this alpine valley, on the first day and reserving the following day for the visit to the enchanting valley. Due to unpredictable weather changes, all tourists are strictly advised to start descending from the valley by 1.00 in the afternoon and overnight stays are prohibited. I would like to thank 10kya for uploading my blog and providing the opportunity to share my experience. It feels great!
About the author:
Zainab Limbidwala - When people ask me what is that one thing that always brings a smile on your face? It is the prospect of travelling, anywhere that may be I quit my full-time job a year ago and now, am working as a freelancer in content development and editing, and it allows me to take off every once in a while. The joy of meeting new people, learning where they come from, experiencing new landscapes, new environments and cultures and that unfamiliarity from all things home is something that keeps me going. I know have only just started, but I want to make memories all over the world!
Click here to see all Adventure gear :http://www.10kya.com/adventure.html
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A beguiling bike rove to the peninsular tip
Planning;
as they say, is essential before you set out for a journey but I never cared to do that. As long as you have the urge inside, journeys will never shrivel you from having a ramble across the dry and hard terrains. This would not have been my opinion, had I decided not to let my name get thrown in to a two-day junket planned by friends. The destination was set explicitly at Dhanushkodi, the south eastern tip where raspy flairs beckon. There never was any route-map neither was there any planning of “When” and “How” even though we had the final nod good few hours ahead of gripping ourselves to the journey.
And finally we set out for a journey of more than 700 kilometers. During the journey, we did not come across any predicaments, thwacks, or snags as alarmed by our friends. What we embraced with was some grueling yet vigorous hours of a fervor- ride which only got coupled with the pinnacles of felicity unwinding ourselves from the drilled urban lifestyle. At this point, I must confess that it has never been my choice to have two days trip on bike. But I had no regret in rejigging my thoughts and it is not just one thought, but many. Being a travel enthusiast, I somehow was drifting away from the traversing instincts in recent years. It was only after this voyage, I realized that it was only kept inert. All it required is a spark in you. In my case the spark got well ignited by this exotic trip. The journey taught me about the most important things to consider ahead of your plan for a trip like this one. It is the journey and not the destination which thrills. There are moments when you await to peck your destination but such thoughts never flashed in my minds even for once during this adorable journey. All I wished was to just roll through the dreary, yet stirring roads through which we moved our way ahead.
Let me mention the places where we spent some quality time. Rameswaram is one of them, but just let it be, the beauty of being there can never just be contained in my scribbling. You have to be there to feel the exquisite charm.
The Pamban bridge, the ruined island of Dhanushkodi, and the escapade through bumpy roads in a forest (pardon me, I forgot the exact name of the place) are just few of the many capers that is welcoming you in this south-eastern tip. I could only say, if given a chance to visit here again, I would embrace it with no second thought, and with utmost passion and pleasure, yet again, with no forethoughts drawn up in my mind. That's how I feel it must have worked out.
It will be a sin if I miss out to mention to the rural restaurant vendor who served our appetite well with the flavors of local cuisine during midnight, along the outskirts of Thirunelveli.
About Dhanuskodi:
is ruined island severely damaged by cyclone in 50 -60 years back. Dhanushkodi is situated to the South-East of Pamban. Danushkodi is about 18 miles (29 km) West of Talaimannar in Sri Lanka. The Dhanushkodi railway line running from Pamban Station was destroyed in the 1964 cyclone and a passenger train with over 100 passengers drowned in the sea. Dhanushkodi has the only land border between India and Sri Lanka which is one of the smallest in the world-just 45 meters in length on a shoal in Palk Strait. Before the 1964 cyclone, Dhanushkodi was a flourishing tourist and pilgrimage town. Since Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) is just 19 miles (31 km) away, there were many ferry services between Dhanushkodi and Talaimannar of Ceylon, transporting travelers and goods across the sea. There were hotels, textile shops and dharmashalas catering to these pilgrims and travelers. The railway line to Dhanushkodi, which did not touch Rameswaram then was destroyed in the 1964 cyclone, went directly from Mandapam to Dhanushkodi. Dhanushkodi in those days had a railway station, a small railway hospital, primary schools, a post office, customs and port offices, and other buildings. It was here in this island in January 1897 that Swami Vivekananda again set foot on Indian soil, after his visit to the west to attend the World's Parliament of Religions held in the United States.
How to get there:
By Road- Bus, Car or Bike; By train- there's only train that gets you to the island of Rameswaram, but I'm not sure of the timings.
About the author: Akhil Unnikrishnan is a Public relation professional based out of Trivandram. He uses his time well during festival holidays to travel through the less known places in his beautiful state of kerala. Travelling by bike and organizing such tours with his friends is his passion.
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Climb Safe: Dangers of Rope Worn Carabiners
By Kolin Powick Kolin Powick (KP) is a mechanical engineer hailing from Calgary, Canada. He has over 20 years of experience in the engineering field and served as Black Diamond’s Director of Quality for over 11 years. He is currently their Climbing Category Director.
There was an accident at the Red River Gorge where a climber fell going to the second bolt and the rope was cut completely through by the fixed draw's sharp-edged, rope-end biner at the first bolt.
If you recall the previous testing and commentary on this subject, I had stated that I'd only seen ropes getting "sheathed" by sharp-edged biners—usually mid-route—and subsequently learned of an accident in the Czech Republic (in a climbing gym) where the rope-grooved sharp biner (also at the first bolt) severed the rope completely, resulting in the climber hitting the ground. Luckily in both cases, the climbers were not badly injured.
Which biners get badly grooved and why? From my experience falling all over routes, all over the county, I've noticed three primary locations where fixed biners become badly grooved:
1) First Bolt
Belayers typically stand too far away from the wall. This results in a sharp angle in the rope from the belayer to the first biner and then up the route. When lowering a climber, the rope, often dirty and gritty, slowly wears a groove in the biner. Both incidents I've heard of where the rope was cut completely, it was the first bolt that was the culprit.
2) Crux Bolt
Many climbers being lowered off the same biner (falling at the crux onto the same bolt). This has the same effect as above. The sharp angle of the rope wrapping around the biner and the weight of the climber being lowered is what is allowing the rope to slowly cut through the biner.
3) Out of line bolts
Often if the bolt line isn't straight, an out-of-line biner can end up being grooved. Once again, this is caused by the rope and its angle running over the biner surface.
TESTING We have done some testing before, but decided to do one more super quick test in our drop tower just to see what it would take to cut a rope on a sharp-edged biner in a harsh, but realistic, loading scenario.
SETUP
Sharp-edged biner (actual biner used in test shown directly above) 80 kg mass brand new 10.2 mm rope One harsh, but realistic, drop Static belay
RESULTS
Rope cut on the FIRST drop (see image below) Max load reached - ~7 kN
DISCUSSION Once again, what does this mean? What does 7 kN actually mean at the piece of protection? What does it mean to you, the gear and the rope?
Well, 7 kN falls can and do happen in the field. These can occur:
usually when there is not much rope out (i.e., early on in the climb). With not enough rope out, there is little rope to help absorb the energy of the fall. and with a close-to-static belay (i.e., belayer hauls in rope and even leans back, trying to keep the climber from hitting the deck.). Loads are decreased with a dynamic belay, but increase with a static belay. The climber usually "feels" these sorts of falls. Your kidneys take a beating, your hips are sore, and your feet may even hurt from slamming into the wall. I've seen many a climber take a harsh fall low on the route—it's usually followed by a deep grunt and "lower me".
The reality is these sorts of harsh falls low on a route with a sharp biner in play and the rope running over its sharp edge at angle (belayer standing away from the wall) can, and obviously have, resulted in damaging and even cutting the rope.
BOTTOM LINE Now I don't want to get into some ethical debate on whether routes should be left with fixed draws or not. The bottom line is you can do a few things to reduce the impact on fixed gear:
stand close to the wall when belaying, especially when lowering use your own first draw on the first bolt of fixed routes use long slings to help reduce rope drag use steel biners on "high traffic" fixed draws And of course, it's in everyone's best interest to replace worn and tattered fixed gear.
Be careful out there KP
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"Tifosi" Optics Sunglasses
About Tifosi...
Tifosi is the Italian word referring to a super-fan, an enthusiast, and that is exactly who we are and who we make our eyewear for. Our mission is to provide technically advanced eyewear to enthusiasts of all sports and outdoor activities. We design test and torture our product to enhance your sport whether you’re running a 5k, riding your first century or playing 18 holes on Sunday. Tifosi defines us; we are enthusiasts about our product, our sport, and our fun.
1 - GRILAMID TR-90 FRAME
TR-90 is an incredibly light durable nylon material that resists chemical & UV damage.
2 - ADJUSTABLE EAR PADS*
Fully adjustable ear pads allow a customized fit, increasing comfort & performance.
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4 - HYDROPHILIC RUBBER
Hydrophilic rubber ear & nose pads increase their grip the more you sweat to prevent slipping.
INCLUDES CASE & BAG
Each pair of Tifosi Optics sunglasses comes with a hardshell zippered case & microfiber cleaning bag.
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The Single Speed Btwin ‘MyBike’: Thrill on a Budget
A few months ago, I was presented with an opportunity to own a brand new bike without paying a dime! Naturally, being a cyclist, whatever the bike is, a new bike is still a new bike. So I grabbed the opportunity and got to keep a spanking brand new bike for almost a month.
Now what actually happened is that a close friend, inspired by my pictures on Facebook and listening to the awesome ride stories, took the plunge and ordered a Btwin MyBike. The buying decision is an altogether another story worth making a Bollywood potboiler so I really won’t get into the details.
Well, now this friend was eagerly expecting to have the bike delivered to him but 2 days before the delivery was due, he was forced to leave town to go to work at a Client’s site for one whole month. And of course he had no option but to sorrowfully ask me to take the delivery of the bike, set it up for him and even do a few test rides, while I was at it. I just could not believe my good luck, since… a new bike is still a new bike.
Finally, the MyBike arrived neatly packed in a carton and I took out the parts carefully and got the bike setup. The bike comes almost complete with only the pedals and the handlebar left to attach and put the wheels on.
I need to mention here for the benefit of the readers, that I have previously owned a Btwin Rockrider 5.0 for almost a year and 2000 kms and hence could instantly relate to the MyBike, which has, though not identical, but similar geometry and ride quality. Having said that, the first ride I took on the MyBike was an absolute pleasure to ride after my heavy Rockrider 5.3 Mountain Bike. I could feel the joy of the riding a much lighter bike with semi slick wheels and have to admit the MyBike was a sheer joy to ride at an amazing price of INR 5999/-.
Let me quickly highlight the important aspects of the Btwin MyBike before we discuss the good and the bad. The MyBike is marketed by Decathlon India, is a rigid fork steel frame bike and is officially sold under the MTB tag, whereas the true worth of the bike can be felt on the bad city roads. The Hi-ten Steel frame and steel fork along with an aluminum steerer and aluminum wheels gives the rider very good stability and a right body posture while riding at the same time promising rust free performance. The Steel frame is powder coated with anti rust paint to make riding in Indian Rainy season, a worry-free experience. The MyBike comes with semi-slick tires that make it comfortable and perfectly suited to riding on tarmac. The front crank chain guard is helpful to keep off dirt and lubricant. I personally found the V- Brake system of the MyBike, the two finger type, very simple and easy to operate with really good braking power.
The Btwin MyBike stayed with me for nearly a month and during the time I had almost given up on riding my Fat and Big mountain bike. During that period, I fell in love with the fact that I was getting the pleasure of a Single Speed bike (no front or rear gears) with the comfort of a hybrid. Meaning I could ride the bike to get a thorough workout on the flat roads with the single crank and no gears and at the same time I could choose to ride to it small trails, gravel paths and country roads with equal ease. This was the first ride impression I got with the MyBike.
The first ride I planned was on the beautiful and lovely Palm Beach Road. At a round trip distance of almost 15 kms with wide open and flat roads, the Palm Beach offers a thrilling experience to cyclists with a Road Bike or a Hybrid and after years of trying to get some speed on my MTB, I felt like I was flying with the MyBike. It was almost to the point where I felt that my speed was almost 2-3 times more than what is was on my other MTB.
The ride quality on the MyBike is quite smooth by city standards due to the semi-slick 26 x 2.0 tires riding on 36 hole aluminum rims. I believe the semi slick has been used thinking of the sad condition of a majority of Indian roads. However, if this was my own bike, I would change the tires to road or slick tires maybe from Schwalbe or Ralson, for a smoother ride. The MyBike offers the simple pleasures of cycling and yet have your legs exercised fully. Contrary to what people might think, riding a single speed bike, maybe once a week with ensure fitter legs and thighs. (Ladies - are you listening)
The other highlight of the MyBike has got to be the Steel Frame. Made up of Hi-Ten steel (Google Hi-Ten Steel…please!) the frame is comfortable to absorb all the shocks and bumps the Indian roads have to offer. This is the special quality of steel and that is why Steel bike frames do not require shock absorbers. I am glad that the Decathlon designers decided to go with a steel frame and in the process making the bike sturdier and in consequence being able to offer a Lifetime Warranty on the Frame. Yes, you read that right, it’s a lifetime warranty (T & C apply). Just like the Rockrider 5.0, the steel frame means that the bike can be used for overland bike touring for multiday trips not exceeding 3-4 days. For longer month long tours etc, bikes with better components etc are recommended. The Steel frame of the MyBike will ensure that tourers can fit racks behind using the eyelets provided and carry loads of up to 10—12 kgs excluding rider weight.
The other components of the MyBike also deserve a mention as the designers have ensured that only universally accepted and recognized parts are used and that will help in reducing the average wear and tear and ensure easy replace ability. The Brakes used are the V-Brake type ensuring very good braking power with just 2 fingers and during my ride I had no problem in stopping in traffic. The Riser handlebars provide a comfortable riding stance for the rider and the Pedals are the Flat type offering a good grip. The handlebars are also made of steel and this allows for added shock absorption. (Tip: It is a good idea to wear half finger cycling cloves with good padding to reduce the stress on the palms while riding longer than 5 kms.) The saddle though not the best in class offers a comfortable ride and is not a pain in the **tt. Although newer rider might want to start riding with a GEL Seat Cover for some time till they get used to the saddle. (Note: ALL Saddles of new age bikes may seem smaller, because they are designed to be so. The saddle pain, if any, for new riders will go away in due time once they start riding regularly)
Finally, here’s the last word on the MyBike. It’s an awesome bike to ride within the city as well as on light trails. The Single Speed factor ensures a decent speed and a complete workout of the legs while riding or commuting on flat roads. The Mountain Bike Hard-tail-ish geometry and semi slick tires ensure that the MyBike can also be used on light trails and country roads with ease. All I recommend changing are the tires to slicker type if you wish to ride more on city roads. The Bike comes backed by the unfailing warranty and superb build quality and after sales service support of Decathlon. The MyBike is highly recommended for those looking to start cycling on a budget with the pleasure of pure cycling on a Single Speed.
(After about a month of riding the MyBike, my friend returned and asked me back for the bike. I told him that the bike was tested, though I omitted to mention that I had ridden it close to a 100 kms. That would break his heart. I sometimes still borrow the MyBike and ride it when we are out riding together.)
[About the Author: The Author is an avid cyclist and rides on an average 100 - 150 kms per week. The Author has not owned the MyBike mentioned in the review and the review is written purely from the joy and wonderful experience derived from riding the MyBike for a month. He owns a Btwin Rockrider 5.3 MTB and looking to buy a Single Speed Bike like the MyBike purely for the exercise and joy of pure cycling.]
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Awesome Weekend Rides: Gadheshwar Lake & Dam Panvel
One upon a time someone remarked, ‘You can’t buy happiness but you can buy a bicycle”. How could that be possible, I asked myself? What kind of happiness can someone derive out of pedaling furiously on the smoke filled and the back-breaking roads of our city? The answer to this, I thought needs to be found out first hand. And after a few weeks I was the owner of an awesome looking and equally awesome to ride modern day two wheeled geared wonder to ride bicycle. And after my first ride I realized why riders or cyclists referred to them as Bikes instead of Bicycles, given the amount of technology that went into these ‘Bikes’.
TO cut a long story short I have been riding almost for two years now. Even changed or upgraded, as they call it, my Mountain Bike (MTB) to a higher end model. I am now in my mid thirties, and having ridden for about 6,000 kms in these two years, I have to admit, I loved every minute of it. I am one of those who have been called ‘Weekend Warriors’ or MAMIL or short for Middle Aged Men in Lycra. See a seasoned cyclist in his riding attire and you’ll know why, the term MAMIL.
These two years of riding have been very eventful. I usually ride alone or solo and rarely do group rides with the few Bicycling clubs that are existent in the city. Living in Navi Mumbai, where I shifted to 2 years ago, after almost 25 years in the suburbs of Mumbai, I discovered a Cycling Heaven given the easy access to open highways and wide expanse of space in the upcoming suburbs of navi Mumbai. The areas around Navi Mumbai, Panvel, Uran, JNPT, Khopoli, Karjat, and Karnala are a part of the Raigad district in Maharashtra and the places are abundant with small hills, lakes, Dams, villages, hiking and biking trails. Naturally this meant that I ride more cross country than on the city roads. Often when I ride on the Mumbai pune highway and odd driver or a biker will stop and ask me about my Bike and if it’s safe to ride on the Highways with zooming cars, speeding Volvos and reckless ST and Truck drivers. I tell them that its much safer than the drivers in Mumbai, one given the fact that drivers on Highway rarely do drink and drive, second, the drivers on the highway I have encountered usually respect the fact that a cyclist is on the road, miles from the city pedaling his heart out to reach some God for saken place. And thirdly, I always ride with safety gear, meaning Helmet, Rear Blinkers, and Front Blinkers, safety or a yellow reflective jersey that ensures that I am always visible to other drivers on the road. Of course I am also prepared for any eventuality so I also carry spare tubes, a small frame mounted pump, puncture repair kit and most important, identification that I may require in case of emergency. Readers should believe me; it’s much safer outside the city than within it.
The past two years I have been to a lot of places riding on my own. I usually plan the whole week for the ride with the kind assistance of Google Maps and ride out on Saturday. The planning is very important as an extra half hour taken during the ride can mean the strong Indian Sun beating you down. The rides usually begin at 6.00 am in the morning, sometime even earlier. (Call us crazy)
Among one of my rides, the most memorable one that I have and also the place where I have done multiple rides (almost 5 times till date) is a place known as Gadheshwar, near Panvel. This is a small village about 22 kms from Panvel station or the Mumbai Pune Highway. Gadheshwar is located quite close to Navi Mumbai and from Belapur one needs to keep going straight beyond the Kalamboli circle towards Panvel. One has to be careful not to get on to the Expressway. In Panvel keep going straight crossing the Khanda Colony Signal and then cross a small bridge over the railways tracks to come near Garden Restaurant. From here on keep riding straight and then turning left will bring us on the New Panvel road and further on to the road leading to Gadheshwar. This road is incidentally called the Panvel Matheran Road because further on from Gadheshwar the road leads to a village called Maldunge which is the base for a Trek to Matheran, from the other side of Neral. That of course is another Blog Post altogether.
Well, after taking a left turn at Panvel, continue riding on the Panvel Matheran. The roads at that time are almost empty being a Saturday and you might catch a few village kids walking to school and if you wave to them you might catch them smiling back at you. The road is a two lane road without any dividers in the middle and caution is advised considering the bikers and rickshaws sometimes drive at breakneck speeds. But keeping to the left is a good idea always.
The ride itself is awesome in the early morning warm sunshine and after crossing the village of Koproli the road takes a sharp left on Nere village. From here on the road is beautiful with fields and small houses dotting the landscape. The road down to Gadheshwar is a little bit of rolling terrain but all in all mostly flat and can be attempted by even novice riders.
Riding along the route you will cross the Gadheshwar Temple. Now, Gadheshwar is another name for Lord Shiva and the temple although small yet beautifully constructed like the older temples and is starkly empty. We stopped at the temple on our return ride though. Moving along further you catch the first glimpse of the Dam channel. The lake also has a Dam surrounding it that supplies water to the villages in the vicinity. Soon after a few small climbs and amazing drops you can see the first glimpse of the Gadheshwar Lake glistening in the sunlight.
The entrance or the mud trail leading from the road to the Dam is built in such a way so as to prevent cars and motorbikes to be go there. The Water Works Dept. that also maintains the Dam and surrounding areas have literally dug a trench before the path begins and we had to get down and life our bikes over. Of course it’s not too big a trench or more like a ditch to cross but quite thoughtful. Having crossed the ditch and walked down the path we suddenly came to the most beautiful sight and suddenly the tired legs feel springy again. The Lake was there before us gleaming in the morning sun and you can gaze upon it till eternity. There is a small hut where the security guy and maintenance guy sit and laze around the whole day (I would). Tip: It’s always a good idea to befriend these men and show them some respect and trust me they’ll welcome you into their lives telling you all sorts of stories and the history of the place. We, me and my riding partner that day, spend close to an hour at the lake not wanting to pull ourselves away. We usually pack biscuits on longer rides so we sat there sipping water and eating biscuits and just gazing at the lake while the trees over head swayed and gave us the much needed shade. After spending an amazing hour we decided to head back to Navi Mumbai and bid adieu to the security guys promising to return again. The return rides are also equally good if you can live with the traffic that increases while you were out towards your destination. The total ride was around 48 kms to and fro and we started at 6.30 am in the morning and returned back to Kharghar at around 10.00 am with just two stops en route both ways. The route is easy to medium grade and can be done on MTB, Hybrids as well as Road Bikes although the former two are recommended.
The equipment I use: • Btwin Rockrider 5.3 MTB from Decathlon India • Btwin Urban Helmet • Scott half finger gloves • Cateye Nima rear blinker • Quechua Hydration Backpack 1 L • Sigma wired bike compute or cyclocomp • Btwin dri fit cycling jersey • Btwin XC MTB shorts • Btwin Padded cycling tights • Btwin Schrader valve spare tube • Park Tools Puncture kit • Btwin Multitool • Btwin Saddlebag 0.4 l • Btwin Mini frame pump • Respra anti pollution mask (for the return ride) • Lumia 730 with 6.7 mpix Zeiss Lens
About the Author:
Partha is in his mid-thirties and works as a Credit Manager with a leading NBFC working five days a week in Mumbai. Other than cycling he also enjoys hiking, trekking, nature walks and active sports. And when he is not doing any of these you can find him hooked on to his Kindle or listening to Progressive trance or simply shooting random pics on his Lumia 730. A Greenpeace follower and a staunch Save-the-Earth activist, Partha loves connecting with people.