Help Park-A-Cycle

The RideACycle Foundation is a non-profit cycling advocacy group which aims to promote cycling for both commuting as well as leisure amongst Bangaloreans.



As part of this, we're rolling out a park-and-ride concept where people may use their cycles from their homes (off the trunk routes) to get closer to bus stops, park them safely there and take a bus. For this, we are requesting apartments, stores and other establishments which are closer to bus stops, shopping centers, etc, to donate 3-5 slots inside their campus for parking bikes and help promote this cause. We will maintain a list of such locations for all cyclists to access.

If required, RAC-F will put up a (movable) cycle rack to enable this.

We will be giving out id-cards for ensuring access control so no unauthorized people enter the premises, and users of this facility will be allowed only with these cards, and only if free slots are available. RAC-F will maintain updated contact details of all id-card holders.

The parking providers will have no formal liability towards the safety of the bikes inside their premises, and users will need to ensure they lock the bikes properly. [Of course, it would be great if we can request the security folks to keep an eye out, especially if these slots are located such that they are near a security post.]

It would be great if you could bring this up with your association, and let me know if we can get this rolled out at your apartment, or a store nearby.

New set of wheels!

Those are a few cell-cam pics of Shubha's new Merida SUB 5-V! Yes, she decided to take the plunge as well, and actually rode the first 15+ kms from Venkatesh's place in Chamrajpet to home quite easily! I got to ride the bike to work this morning as well because of a flat in my bike's rear wheel - nice relaxed ride, and got the hang of the rotary gears quite easily.

Bangalore's Traffic Solutions ?

A nice set of slides discussing various obvious ones.

Bangalore traffic - Solution

Uploaded on authorSTREAM by das | Upload your own presentation

If we don't start thinking NOW, and wake up from the sexy sleek-car-on-a-highway dream and short term convenience-of-a-car-myth, we will choose a very scary future.

Increasing road space is surely not the way to go. A network of smaller sub-cities, fewer long commutes, buses to connect the networks, wayyy more lung space - those are the options to focus on. Even at the cost of a short term pain for car users. Come to think of it, does their pain have any scope for increase ? Its horrible enough as is.

How many riders....

Have been trying to collect details about how many people ride to work etc in Bangalore.

Now that the numbers of regular commuters who've responded has hit 50, sharing - the surveys still open and hope to see the numbers hit 100+

From Blogger Pictures

Bike/Pedestrian primary city ?

The Dutch have done it a long time ago - turned against the automobile for commutes inside and immediately around the city. There are a lot many more who're either bike-friendly already, or waking up to it.

A lot many of us consider the coming decades to be India's, and Bangalore's surely one of the "smarter" and more cosmopolitan, forward thinking cities here.

Can we do it ?

What its got going for it ?

• A lot many people do live close to their workplaces - within 10-12kms
• Bangalore does have slopes - but nothing major
• Lovely weather most of the year - through the monsoon I got caught in the rain maybe thrice

What may it change ?

• Make it tougher/more expensive to drive - actively discourage bigger vehicles
• Might "split" the urban sprawl into smaller, more self contained centres. This will be a major help in managing them better as well. The various "towns" can be connected primarily using decent public transport which is again bike friendly.
• Fewer traffic related deaths, lesser pollution, lesser need to chop trees, expand roads and the like - lesser money spent better on public transport, a few arterial roads etc.

To me, the Dutch model for growth/urbanization beats the American Suburban sprawl model hands down. Its the way forward for civilization - and while this might seem like a utopian dream, its feasibility has been proven already, and "but-we're-Indians" is the only myth that needs busting.

Some cyclists are trying to do that a little this Fri - first ever Critical Mass ride in Bangalore. The plan is to ride in a single line (i.e one cyclist behind the other) and draw attention to the fact there there are people who cycle on the roads and that other people using the road should know about us and provide us
equal opportunity to use the roads.

Just a simple peaceful ride!

Cycle in a single file
No breaking red lights
No cussing
No arguing with motorists
Just a quiet ride. And it'll be fun.

I'm hoping we turn the IC-engine tide and pedal into a better city in a decade or so. Mere hope ? Who knows. I was really hoping the government would NOT drop fuel prices....

Bike To Work Basics

Bike To Work Book Free Chapters

It talks about some common anxieties, issues and myths. Good read if you're still wondering. If we can get 5% of Bangalore officegoers on bikes, it'll have done a tremendous lot for the city, and the riders as well.

My first century ride. Plus Nandi Hills!

Had planned a 90ish kms Nandi Hills ride, and as it turned out, did the full tour-day-distance! 145kms - mostly thanks to the extremely motivating Vasu, and never-say-die-first-long-distancer-Joshine. Joshine and I were the TFN aspirants on the ride, while Vasu was the guy who looked like he could actually do it easily :)

The first-cut-plan was to take a ride with Rajat upto CCD before the airport turnoff - but he had to pullout because of some personal reasons. Vasu called on Fri night and said he'd join as well.

Got home at 1am, caught some sleep and was off at 6 - Joshine got there too and we talked to a few BMTC guys who refused to entertain bikes. Vasu had gotten home at 3 - and asked us to carry on towards Hebbal when I called him. We left Koramangala around 6:50am

There was some pain below my left knee as we started, and stayed for a while but disappeared by the time we crossed Hebbal - we were doing decent time and I even did a burst or two of pushing hard. It rained a bit en-route, and we stopped for water + a snack a little before the airport turn. Vasu caught up with us and we pushed along. Iggy and Rushi crossed us around Devanahalli - apprently after 3 ascents up Nandi Hills! Devanahalli to the turn towards NH is a persistent gradual climb and it took all my might to maintain 14kmph on that. Ant other short break.

Just before the turn at the end of the straight - saw a guy with a compressor, and given the huge rolling resistance i was sensing and attributing to crosswinds - decided to check on tyre pressure anyhow. Front:30 - Rear:35!!! Arrgghhhh. Filled them up to 55-60 (not a very sure gauge I guess) and the improvement was immediate!

Stopped at the Nandi Hills base for eats - bun + tea + biscuits + tea + chips + chikki + water - and did a lot many stretches - answered questions about the bike - and about 20 mins later Joshine and Vasu got there. Another tea.

Felt much better stuffed with all the sugar, salt, water and air in the tubes. Started the climb with a fair bit of anxiety. Vasu provided ample tips on gear selection, planned breaks and the like.

My focus - throughout the ride - was on maintaining cadence as long as I could - and thats what I was focusing on the ascent as well - did that peacefully (gears:1x2/3, 7-10kmph) for the first 3 kms - took a break - carried on for another 3 in similar fashion, then hit the hairpins. The first couple were a disaster - went to 1x1 and was looking for the next lower gear by the end of the slope after the bend :) Vasu suggested moving to the next higher gear on the front (2x2/3) and standing up - pushing hard just around the bend and settling down to the lower gears imdtly after - that helped and went all the way up - with some effort tho. Nandi was in the clouds, and their was a fair smattering of rain to keep things cool.

It must routine for a lot of you guys, but I went "woooooooo..." when I reached the top :)

The downhill - in heavier rain for part of it - was a 35-44kmph affair all the way with the v-brakes doing a fairly decent job! Vasu timed himself and was actually pedalling hard as well - 11.something minutes from the ticketed gate to the base!

Vasu suggested a smaller road to Doddaballapur turning right from the base - we took that - lovely, scenic, lesser traffic. Lunch at D-b-pur was egg+rice/chapati as you wished.

The limbs were beginning to tire a bit - we hit the century a few kms along on the road to yelahanka - and average speeds dropped quite a bit. Joshine was in bad shape but determined nevertheless, and Vasu's egging, and lighthearted banter to keep us distracted, made life easier :) We got to Yelahanka eventually, and from there the rush of city traffic enveloped us, and soon we were cutting/dicing through the urban commuter mess.

Got home at nearly 8:15 - more than 14 hrs after I'd started, 13+ hrs of the actual ride and 8:40 on the saddle! 145kms - unthinkable in the morning but achieved by the evening...felt real good. Especially including the Nandi ascent and rain-riding. And the legs/knees didn't feel half as bad as after my earlier two long distance rides. Slept like a log, though each turn was a sloow painful process.

Am feeling a lot more confident about the TFN stages I'm doing - at least the first day. Getting up in some sort of shape and doing the Ooty climb on day 2 is totally another cup of tea. Raring to go, nevertheless...

Inspiration ?

My knee hurts a bit. Thank god i have a knee to hurt. Watch the video - it shut my knee up for some time at least. Awe inspiring stuff!



"Life is better than worrying about a leg, y'know...."

TFN Training Ride #2

Route:

Redwoods-ECity-Gottigere-Bannerghata NP-Jigani-Anekal-Chandapura Circle - Vakil Satellite Township - left to Huskur - Hosa Road - Sarjapura Road - Redwoods (about 77kms in all)

Started in the rain - left knee hurt by E-City already. Carried on with an eye of returning after meeting guys at Gottigere - carried on to the NP anyway - and then to Jigani.

Knee felt much worse between Jigani-Anekal and I dropped pace. A few stretches, slow riding and grimacing helped manage it.

Abhi and Ram took off to Pearl Valley while Jas and I went towards Hosur Road - walked a little in between, and felt better after some rest and tea/cake - rode much better after the Chandapura crossing and only after a bit of off-roading did I feel a huge stab in the knee, completely stopped, walked a little, and then the knee felt much better than it had all morning! The right knee - probably overloaded through the ride - ached a little by now - but an easy few kms saw me home.

Updated the log with takeaways etc.


Feel unsure about the TFN even now - but the last few kms felt better and gave me some hope.

Training Calendar

Suggestions for changes welcome.

Log/tips captured here.

Why Ride

This one talks about how everyone benefits from cycling - everyone around too that is!

A little too positive, but yeah, if enough cars get off Sarjapura Road, everyone will benefit.

Not sure you want to buy that high end Trek/Merida?

Rent-a-cycle now, if you're not sure you want to invest in a high end one right away. Bangalore Bikers thought some about it, and decided it would both help people discover these bikes, and trails, and let the bikes earn for themselves when idle.

Got a helmet - Bell Venture

Prasant's colleague got a couple of helmets from the UK - both BELL Ventures (reviews here). Picked one up - seems very nice - especially with the adjustable "head-grip" or whatever.

Finally, will look weird riding to work :D