India Bike Tour

It’s amazing the difference a day makes. If we hadn’t emulated King Agamemnon at Troy and burned the boats on the beach to lock our resolve, we might have considered ending our ride yesterday. After such a rough first day out it was tempting to head to Goa by train to drink beer by the beach, laughing at our folly. But day two was a dream. The undulating, irrigated landscape and long levy roads protected our battered souls and delivered a meandering day of cycling to rival any we’ve ever done. We stopped in small villages and were celebrated with incredulity, as if aliens from another solar system had wondered from their spaceship for chai. Local snacks appeared, hundreds of selfies were taken and offers to join them for home cooked meals were declined. It was tempting to stay longer but we had miles to ride and were pinching ourselves with the discovery of sublime riding conditions.

At one point Matt suggested we turn around and ride the same 20k over and over the rest of the month. “We will have ridden India and it was perfect!”

By noon, we had already ridden forty miles (on empty stomachs), a feat I wouldn’t have previously thought possible. For me, riding with fuel in the tank has always been a critical component of my touring success. My large CBAD breakfasts are infamous. CBAD’s are my daughter’s name for our summer cycling adventures and stand for Character Building Adventures with Dad. Anyway, on this day—although definitely hungry—we both were OK without food.

Our midday destination? The famed Modhera Sun Temple (and stepwell), where we found delicious thali (a vegetarian meal of small plates served on a stainless platter) and one of the premier architectural sites in all Gujarat. It did not disappoint.

We ended the day in Patan, a city that appeared to be a village on our map. Arriving after 62 miles / 100 km of riding in warm sun (about 88F / 31C) we were completely overwhelmed. We were also physically and emotionally out of gas and didn’t realize it. I’m used to riding into a calm forest campsite and making some comforting food. India, not so much. We rolled into town and were completely annihilated by crazy traffic, noxious fumes, and aggressive shouting to get our attention and find out what galaxy we hailed from.

Finding a hotel is difficult as well. Google maps had us criss- crossing the city and as often happens, came up short. In frustration, we headed back to the highway and found one by dead reckoning. It was clean, quiet and had a third bed that allowed us room to pile our exploded bags.

Matt named our dinner “hurricane curry.” The flavors exploded in our hungry mouths. We drank glasses of the local buttermilk (blessings to the sacred cow!) to temper the building inferno in our mouths. Too good to stop, we ate our fill.

The day’s learning:

◦ We resolved to stop earlier (3:00? 4:00?) and head into town with purpose. Ideally, locating the area with the most hotels in advance. Riding in expecting a calm town center or park to consider one’s options is a fantasy.

◦ The small roads and even minor highways are certainly rideable and in many stretches, better that we expected.

◦ Arriving end of day with physical and psychic reserves is crucial. There is a huge amount of friction involved in finding lodging and navigating congested new areas.