Crank With ProCycle - Issue 12 December 2018

India’s only lifestyle bicycle magazine

Volume 6 Issue 12

KARENG / 2016 / 68421

DECEMBER 2018

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Tour of Aravallis 3.0 Tips for Mountain Bikepacking Indian Cycling League Profiled - Cyclist Abirami

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Inside

Cycling Federation of India

InThisIssue

IndustryNews Tour of Nilgiris Indian Cycling League Vyshak K V, Golden Boy

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ProCycling Keeping Apace with Mayank...

Mountain Bikepacking Tour Of Aravallis 3.0

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Profiled Gautam Verma Cyclist Abirami

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CityTalk Imperial Cycles

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Editor’sNote

The CRANK with ProCycle Team Dear Readers Managing Editor and Publisher Vikram K Limsay Invitee editor Onkar Singh, Secretary General CFI and ACC Edit Desk Dr. Meera Velankar Contributors Kanishk Pooddar Pedal Pal Creative and Design N. Chandru Contact editdeskcrank@procycle.in subscribecrank@procycle.in advertisecrank@procycle.in

It is the onset of winter already and probably the best time to get on your wheels.

And no surprises that the best stage tours are being flagged off around the country.

The beautiful hills are on fire for us riders. We bring to you a round up of one of the best from the Aravallis in the west to a curtain raiser of another famous in the Nilgiris in the south.

Off Roading tours from Arunachal to Malanadu have also seen good participation and as we reported earlier the Himalayan MTB also had encouraging participation.

We see a healthy increase in commuter cycling with the World Economic Forum promoting cycling friendly cities in a big way. The habit is catching on in Indian cities as well with even friendly foldies increasingly seen on the roads.

We bring you some great tips if you want to do some solo bike packing in the hills and much more.

Keeping reading and riding.

Ciao Vikram K Limsay Managing Editor and Publisher

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Cycling Federation of India

IndustryNews

Tour of Nilgiris Curtain Raiser 2018

TfN 2018 scheduled between December 9 and 16, 2018; Attracts 110 Cyclists from across the globe Cyclists to pedal 950+ kms around Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve across Karnataka, Kerala & Tamilnadu 29 international riders from 13 countries and 17 women cyclists to pedal TfN 2018

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he 11th edition of Tour of Nilgiris (TfN), the annual flagship event of RideACycle Foundation (RAC-F), will witness cyclists pedal 950+ kms around the pristine Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve across Western Ghats, winding through the three states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamilnadu. TfN 2018 has attracted 110 cyclists to pedal the epic tour, including 29 international riders from 13 countries (23 men & 6 women) and 17 women riders.

Starting from Mysuru, the cyclists will pedal through Hassan, Kushalanagar, Sultan Bathery, Udhagamandalam (Ooty), Kalpetta and return to Mysuru to complete the tour.

On Day 4, while pedalling from Sultan Bathery to Ooty, the cyclists will climb the mighty Kalhatti Ghat which is among the toughest cycling climbs in the world.

The eight-day cycling tour (December 9 to 16, 2018) will take cyclists through breath taking terrain, offering a myriad of natural sightings across different topography including plains, coffee & tea plantations, three wild life sanctuaries and mountains.

The cyclists will get to taste the unique regional cuisines each region has to offer and capture in their lens the beauty of Nilgiris Biosphere as they pedal across the rolling terrain.

Tour of Nilgiris epitomises ‘Experiencing Nature through Cycle’ and TfN 2018 will be

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no different, commented Deepak Majipatil, Co-Founder, RAC-F. Every edition of TfN has etched a memory in riders’ mind and they crave to come back to experience nature. Besides Indian cyclists, more and more of overseas cyclists are keen to visit India to pedal in this grand tour. There are 7 cyclists from Denmark, while 4 from the US, 3 each from Australia, Germany & UK, 2 each from Belgium & Canada and one each from Austria, Greece, Malaysia, Philippines and Poland complete the international representation. This year the tour has attracted not only record international riders, but also 17 women cyclists both from India and abroad, he added.

From a humble beginning TfN has come a long way and has emerged as the largest & most loved bike tours in India that has put India on the global cycling map. Also over the years, TfN has triggered passion amongst enthusiasts to pursue cycling as an extreme sport with an adventure quotient. In tune with eminence of the tour, celebrity cyclists including Kiran Kumar Raju, current India MTB Champion and Naveen John, current India Road champion will pedal TfN 2018. Alexi Grewal - an Indian American to win an Olympic Gold Medal in road cycling in 1984 - enamoured having pedalled TfN 2017, is volunteering in this edition to mentor young talented riders who are using TfN as a platform to achieve bigger goals cycling has to offer globally.

Another dimension of TfN is that few riders are keen to make their pedals count by giving something back to the society and they ride TfN for a cause as charity riders.

This year ‘Charity Riders’ will be pedalling for the following organizations - Kenneth Anderson Nature Society; Sita Bhateja Speciality Hospital; Iksha Foundation and Vidyodaya School, among others – to support their respective social cause.

RideACycle Foundation (RAC-F): RAC-F, a not-for-profit advocacy organization, is pioneering an initiative to popularize Cycling for commuting, leisure and as an agent of social change and usher in a Bicycle Freedom Revolution in the country and make it a viable option for daily transportation. RAC-F’s initiative is essentially aimed at bringing back the culture of Cycling by creating awareness in society on the virtues of using Cycle and its benefits. RAC-F also partners with transport infra activism, Cycle Manufacturers, Cycling Communities and Government Organizations with a single minded devotion to provide a fillip to Cycling culture. The foundation over the years has initiated several programs including Tour of Nilgiris (TfN), NammaCycle, Cyclerecycle and additionally supported charity activities so as to achieve its stated objectives. For more information, visit: https://www.facebook.com/Ride-A-CycleFoundation-470982642939503/

Indian Cycling League ICL is promoting the cycling and designing the events for all to age groups of the society.

Unlike other sport leagues, the ICL, in association with CFI, shall be conducting 10-15 promotional events annually across India before and after ICL season for promoting the sport of cycling. Proposed events include but not limited to Road Cycling, Track Cycling, Cyclo-cross, BMX Freestyle, BMX Racing, Time Trials, MTB trials, Children’s rides and Cyclothon. The events would be distributed all across India in existing tracks of CFI and other sports associations of India.

How ICL will operate l

10 franchise teams will be participating in the first season of ICL.

eagues in different sports have become a competitive platform to showcase talent, which otherwise remains hidden for years. The latest one will be nothing but cycling.

The all-new series of cycling events Indian Cycling League (ICL), which is affiliated to Cycling Federation of India (CFI), where Indian cyclists will get a chance to compete with their international counterparts in various events like Track Racing, Road Racing, MTB racing, Downhill, BMX racing and freestyle.

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The distribution of franchise teams will be based on geographical basis.

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Franchise will have lock-in contract period.

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ICL will approach the potential franchise for team ownership.

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Criteria for selection will be based on market reputation, passion for cycling promotion, franchise fee and revenue sharing formula.

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Preference to be given to franchise teams who have corporates, celebrities as stakeholders.

The pan-India event racing will be held across Delhi, Mumbai, Manali, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Pune, Ludhiana and many other cities.

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Franchise will have opportunity to participate in non-league cycling events.

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ICL will be responsible to hold league and non-league events in India.

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Know the Team

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Uday Sinh Wala

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Over 24 years of experience in advertising, marketing, sports management and broadcasting.

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At present, CEO of Kosmik Global Media.

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Heading Bengaluru Bulls team for Pro Kabaddi League.

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Associated with I-League (men’s professional football league in India).

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Associated with UTT (table tennis league).

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Riyaz A. Batey

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Sports enthusiast and international cyclist.

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Instrumental in taking the sport of cycling forward in the territory of India and has been conducting various professional cycle tournament throughout India at national and state levels.

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At present, serving as director of Golden Bird Sports and Adventures Pvt Ltd, which is the promoter of ICL.

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Owner of Unique Fitness Pvt Ltd that is sole distributor for premium cycling brands in India.

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Sole supplier to the Cycling Federation of India, Indian Railways, Armed forces and various state-level associations.

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Associate sponsors of the Indian national cycling team.

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India has come a long way in various sports since 1947. Although cricket is the leading sport in the country, however, sports culture in India has evolved drastically. Talents in other sports like archery, badminton, boxing, chess, golf, gymnastics, hockey, kabaddi, shooting, tennis, wrestling etc. have emerged winners globally.

India is hosting many international sports events nowadays with IPL being the first successful professional league that changed the dynamics of Indian cricket. In last 10 years, over a dozen professional leagues have been formed since IPL-T20 with eight more being planned to launch in next couple of years.

ICL has exclusive agreement with CFI to hold velodrome-based cycling league event in India. ICL has been formed to promote cycling-related activities on pan-India level. ICL is promoted by the cycling and sports enthusiasts and professionals.

ICL is the innovation idea of Golden Bird Sports and Adventures Pvt Ltd. ICL will host velodrome cycling and also promote various cycling events such as MTB, BMX, Cyclothon, Road, Intercity and more with new exciting opportunities. International and domestic cyclist will participate in various cycling events. ICL will provide unseen opportunity to all the involved stakeholders. Races will be conducted as per rules and regulations/guidelines of UCI and CFI.

CRANK with ProCycle DECEMBER 15TH, 2018

5

Vyshak K V, Golden Boy

V

yshak K V, a promising cyclist from Mysuru, has won two gold medals at the recently concluded National Mountain Biking (MTB) Championship in Pune.

Vyshak, 18, participated in the ‘Junior-Men’ category. He is a student of JSS Polytechnic, Mysuru.

Vyshak won gold medals in both ‘Individual Time Trial’ and ‘Massed Start’ events. At present, he is Junior Men National Champion and along with these achievements, he has again qualified for the 23rd National Road Cycling Championship 2018. He becomes the only cyclist from Mysuru to qualify this

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CRANK with ProCycle DECEMBER 15TH, 2018

year for the national road cycling competition that will be held at Kurukshetra, Haryana, from November 21-24.

Vyshak is training under the watchful guidance of Lokesh Narasimhachar, one of the top cyclists of India. Lokesh, a Mysuruean, has won many laurels at both national and international competitions.

Lokesh also received Karnataka’s most prestigious Eklavya Award too. Lokesh, one of the finest and most experienced cyclists in the country, is an elite rider of international standard, symbolising the potential that India has. He lives and breathes cycling and, given all the necessary training, support and opportunity.

ProCycling

Keeping Apace with Mayank...

Crank by Procycle talks to Mayank Tripathi, who finished 4th in the elite category of Tour of Glory race held in Karnataka in October 2018.

Can you tell us what makes the Tour of Glory race unique?

Tour of Glory happens to be the only Stage Road Race in India which has four days of hardcore road racing. Every cyclist has to finish all the four stages to complete the event. The race is open for all elite and amateur cyclists from the age 16-80 years.

What kind of distance did you do on each day? Was it uphill most of the time?

Well, actually we we did different distances everyday, for example on Day 1 we had a 96km road race from Nelamangala to Channarayapatna on Hassan highway which was mostly flattish.

On day 2, we had a 25km climbing ITT. Day 3 was the queen satge which was a 90km road race with a lot of climbs and technical descents. On day 4, we had a City Criterium in which we did 25 laps of 1.2 km. So, each day had unique challenges.

You are obviously a very good cyclist to have finished at the 4th place so besides mastering the actual sport, what else according to you is advantageous to have while participating in a race?

Of course, the Bike is at number 1, if there is no bike then there is no race. So, a compatible bike and race specific apparel are the two components that can give a racer a leg-up over other competitors. I used the apace kit for cycling apparel and it really

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helped to get the best out of me. I used their Breakaway jersey which is meant for racing, it fit like second skin on me and the mesh at the back of the jersey kept me cool. One doesn’t want to get flustered with heat during the race. When you are racing, the aero advantage your cycling jersey comes into play, I felt the aero power either while launching a break or catching one. The funny thing is that my jersey had a QR code print, that helped me stand apart from other participants and also made quite a many heads turn.

What’s next for you?

I had a great tour, racing against one of the best in the country and happy to have finished 4th in the Elite category. I made a lot of friends and spotted areas for improvement. I hope to be back next year.

What is Apace? Apace products are designed and manufactured in Pune, India. All apace products are crafted using a range of advanced technical fabrics and have finely detailed functional features. superior quality light-weight cycling pads, triathlon specific pads, overlocked and flat-locked seams with stretchable threads, self-locking zippers that are easy to open and close while on the bike, lightweight and mesh fabrics, soft gripper elastics, and sport specific fits make every product purpose built for the sport, whether it be training, cycling or triathlon. apace offers three product lines, with specific fits for men and women. For training, they have a range of tshirts, shorts and capris. Bib shorts, cycling shorts and capris, racefit, profit and clubfit cycling jerseys, under their cycling range. In triathlon, they have a range of premium triathlon tops and triathlon shorts. apace has a strong product development process.

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ProCycling

Mountain Bikepacking Expert Tips

By Kanishka Poddar

T

ouring on a bicycle from Manali to Leh is a dream ride for cyclist across the globe. The ride takes you through 5 treacherous mountain passes on the way, out of which 2 are above 5000 mts wherein one is the second highest motor-able road in the world. It generally takes 7-14 days to complete the 474 kms long stretch between Manali to Leh, depending on your pace, motive and time available. I completed the ride in 10 days as I wanted to do is at ease, with comfort of stopping at places I feel like to enjoy the views, a cup of chai, or to make conversation with locals on the way.

How to reach: The best way to reach Manali from Delhi is to take an overnight bus from Delhi wherein it generally takes anything between 12-14 hrs depending on the road condition and traffic.

The safest way to take the bicycle on bus is to pack it in a bicycle/ TV box which easily goes in the luggage compartment of any Volvo buses.

Pro Tip: • HPTDC Buses are best bet as they only charge Rs. 300 extra for your bicycle. If you take a private bus, they can charge anything between Rs. 500 to Rs. 1000 for the bicycle.

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• The Bike Shop at Greenpark, in Delhi is a recommended place for getting your bike packed at a nominal charge. They pack it pretty well to ensure the bike is safe.

• I have always preferred touring on my own bicycle and would carry it all the way with me. However, other option is to rent a bike from Delhi or Manali. In the Delhi a decent MTB is available of RS. 500/- per day at The Bike Shop and in Manali, it is available for Rs. 700/- per day. Eventually both come down to same price after the trip as you keep the bike for a longer duration when renting from Delhi than Manali.

• It is next to impossible to find carrier racks and pannier bags on rent, so it is advisable to buy it yourself. Decathlon and Happy Earth has good options at decent price points.

• Once you reach Manali, Naveen at the local Firefox Store in New Manali is always up for help. He has every tool and spares for your bike, and has extensive knowledge of the route.

• Stay closer to bus station in New Manali as you would not like to move around with the big bicycle box.

Physical & Mental fitness: It is a popular saying that no amount of physical training is good for this ride in Himalayas as it all comes down to your mental fitness. Your body will be the last to give up in most of the extreme situations you would encounter in the route.

However, anyone who has been regularly cycling and is comfortable on saddle for long duration is fit enough for the ride physically.

Like I said, in the end it all comes down to your mind. You need to be really strong headed to be able to complete the ride and need to have control over your emotions. Since, you will be riding through some of the most extreme terrains and weather, emotions of all kind will be spurting out in abundance. Here are some basic ways you can keep yourself mentally strong and control your emotions during the ride.

• Understanding your route and terrain makes you a lot more confident for the ride.

• Small things like being able to repair you bike, having camping gears to camp, enough food and water to survive also makes you mentally strong.

• Be euphoric and proud for even thinking of doing this ride and for reaching Manali to start your ride. It is the biggest first step towards a life time adventure you are about to experience. Not many get to take that first step.

• AMS/ High Altitude Sickness is reality. To understand it also makes you way more comfortable as you will be able to take care of yourself in extreme situations.

• Make sure you stay in Manali for couple of days to acclimatize and go short rides to Solang Valley and back. Believe me, these extra days and ride in Manali will be a life saver for the next 2 weeks.

Know your bike: The foremost important thing during the ride is to know all about your bike and its mechanics. Once you leave Manali, you won’t find any mechanic to repair you bike till Upshi, Ladakh.

There are few shops in Koksar, Keylong & Zing Zing Bar who can help you with your flat tire but nothing beyond that. Knowing the following will definitely be of great help during the ride and will also make you mentally strong: • Practice repairing a flat tire & replacing tubes.

• Know how to change or remove the chain links.

• One should know how to adjust and change break/gear wires.

• Learn how to change spokes without using the spoke tools (It’s a jugaad)

Beyond this, here is a list of spares & tools you should definitely carry: • 2 set of Spare Tubes, Puncture repair kit & hand pump.

• 1 set of spare chain link and chain link removal tool • Basic bicycle tool Kit • Spare Spokes (2 pc) • Break/Gear Wires (2 pc) • Commonly used extra screws and nuts.

• Machine oil or any lubricant. I personally prefer Machine oil over anything else.

Pro Tip: Make sure your tubes are matched with your bike and it is preferred to carry tubes with thicker nozzle.

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Understanding your route: We need to understand that cycling in Himalaya’s isn’t even close to cycling in your regular terrains. There will be long stretches with almost no population, places to stay or have food, you will be cycling at an average elevation of over 4500 mts, with thin air, dry deserts, strong head winds and nature around will never fail to surprise you with a new challenge. It is therefore advisable to have some basic plans with destinations for night stays pre identified and also important to understand every places on the way where you will find places to stay or eat at minimum.

Pack Wisely: Now many would understand the importance of packing if you haven’t been on a bicycle tour before. I have traveled through Thailand, Vietnam and places in India on my bicycle and have learned over the period that packing your belonging wisely is the most important things for any bicycle tour. It not only keeps you less messy but also helps a lot with ride, pace and balance. Here are few things I consider while packing:

The route I took was as per my riding pace, places to stay and availability of food. I did carried my own camping gears but eventually camped only once in Darcha. Here is a route which can be considered for completing the ride in 10 days.

• Both the Pannier Bags should weight same for a good balance.

Starting Point

Destination

Distance

Elevation

Manali Marhi

37 1300

Marhi Sissu

53 900

Sissu Darcha

57 900

Darcha

Zing Zing Bar

29

900

Zing Zing Bar

Sarchu

49

1400

Sarchu

Whiskey Nala

54

900

Whiskey Nala

Pang

27

300

Pang Debring 52 641 Debring Upshi

76 900

Upshi Leh

49 450

Important Places where food and accommodations are available: Marhi, Koksar, Sissu, Gondla, Tandi, Keylong, Tandi, Jispa, Darcha, Zing Zing Bar (Lower & Upper), Bharatpur, Sarchu, Whiskey Nala, Pang, Debring (Lower & Upper), Rumptse, Upshi, Karu, Thiksey, Leh

Things to Carry: Clothes: Cycling Shots (2), Jersey/Dry Fit T-shirt (2), Cotton Shot (1), Cotton T-shirt (2), Towel (1), Socks (2), Running Shoes (1), Cap (1), Woolen Gloves (1), Underwear (2), Thermal Top (1), Thermal Bottom (1), Fleece (1), Raincoat (1) Spares & Tools: As mentioned above in Know your bike.

Camping Gears: Tent, Sleeping Bag, Sleeping Mat, Thermos On Bike: Headlight, Tail Light, Pannier Bags, Rack, Frame Bag, Saddle Bag, Bungee Cord (3), Bottle (2) Cooking Gears & Food: Stove, Butane Gas, Burner Adapter, Utensils, Bowl (1), Fork & Spoon and on food side: Oats, Dry Fruit, Milk Powder, Sugar, Tea & Coffee (Only if you want to be at comfort of your pace and like starting the day early without disturbing others) During our ride, we tried to keep an average total weight of 15 kgs on our bike distributed evenly in the rear pannier bags, frame bag and on handle bar.

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• Frame bag should have the entire go-to thing you would need like money, gloves, camera, mobile, food etc

• One of the pannier bag should have things you use less where as the other one can have more regular things. It helps you with being less messy.

• If you don’t have front bags, do have some weight on the front while climbing or downhill for the right balance and control over your bicycle.

• Solar Chargers should be kept on top as you will be using it while riding for charging the batteries. The best place is on top of rack.

High Altitude Sickness: High Altitude Sickness is a reality and we should never joke about it. Being on a bicycle will definitely help you with acclimatization over the days as you climb gradually over the days and generally stays at high altitudes. However, it is always advised to take preventive steps to help you complete the ride without any troubles.

• Keep yourself hydrated. Drink as much water as you can and always remember that waters in the stream are safe and good to drink.

• We used to carry a thermos filled with hot black tea. It used be of a great relief when the temperature start dripping en route to the passes. Perhaps best way to keep yourself warm.

• If you have not been on high altitude earlier, it is advisable to take one tablet of Dermox from the day you arrive Manali till Day 5 of your ride. It helps a lot in acclimatization.

• Always remember the golden rule: Ride higher and sleep lower.

• On Day 0 of your trip, make sure you a do a acclimatization ride in and around Manali. The ride to Solang Valley and back is most advisable.

Connectivity: There won’t be any good mobile network post Marhi till you reach Leh. You will notice some network in your BSNL Phone in places like Keylong, Darcha and Sissu but those are not of any good. The army camps at Sarchu and Pang has satellite phone and you can call anywhere across India and globe on payment of nominal fees. The rates for domestic calls were just under Rs. 2/per min.

Navigation: Since there is no network Google Map will not be of much help as even its offline contents need some internet to retrieve information. However, maps.me works flawlessly and is a savior in this route. It works offline, has extensive details of settlement, places to eat, treks & hikes and more. It even gives you an elevation profile for your ride.

Tour Of Aravallis 3.0 Round Up

The third edition of Tour of Aravallis Cycling Expedition (TOA 3.0) was successfully completed from August 29 to September 3, 2018, in Rajasthan. This edition was bigger and grander, attracting participants from across India, UK, the Netherlands among other countries with a goal to pedal about 22,000 km in the three days of cycling expedition.

TOA 3.0 was an exhilarating experience and a unique opportunity for cyclists to test their limits and satiate this desire. Most riders of the tour can be called “serious cyclists” — with their high-end road bike(s), expensive Lycra kits and training on a regular basis to conquer the Aravallis.

Team TOA endeavoured to make this tour open for all kinds of riders. Team TOA had an amazing bunch of core team members who did not shy away from their responsibilities in making the event fun and success for all the riders.

For TOA 3.0, Mirza Saib Beg, known as the most passionate, renowned, loved and respected cyclist in the cycling circuit, as

CRANK with ProCycle DECEMBER 15TH, 2018

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Race Director. Mirza shared valuable inputs and added value to the racing/competitive segments by making the cycling tour more challenging and interesting for the riders. The organisers decided to add a sprint-point classification to the tour with the winners getting points for ranking in the sprint. This system was designed with two intentions — first was to create a new element for the tour and second was to make the tour an equitable platform for all racers, climbers, sprinters and leisure riders as well.

Day 1 — Udaipur to Ranakpur: 165 km, elevation +1500 Day 1 started with an 18 km neutral section to give the sprinters time for a warm-up and to give the camera crew an opportunity to capture all the riders cycling together around the picturesque Nakki lake. The first sprint was fiercely contested between Shiven and Darshan but Darshan had a comfortable lead and he scored 10 points on Day 1. On Day 1, the first 40 km were on the highway and after which the riders were directed into an inner road leading to Sayra, where the first ITT, took place. In the ITT section, Shiven took a comfortable lead and was closely followed by Mayank. This section was challenging for all riders and everyone was pushing their limits. It was still just the first day so most riders were on fresh legs. In the veteran category, Marco from Holland took an early lead on Day 1.

Day 2 — Ranakpur to Abu Road: 157 km, elevation: +1385 Day 2 began with a tough 14 km climb for the ITT section but after the climb, the road was mostly descent towards Abu Road. Despite

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Day two ended in a tie between Shiven and Darshan and the race director faced with a last minute dilemma and he came with an interesting on the spot decision to introduce a sprint before flag off on day three before the hill climb to break the tie. This gave an added competitive flavour as all participants were able to get involved and cheers and watch closely.

Final result: 1. Darshan (10 points) 2. Shiven (7 points) 3. Rohan (5 points)

the negative gradient, the day was designed to test the endurance of the riders, having done 167 km on Day 1 and now again 157 km on Day 2. Furthermore, the day was made even more challenging by the constant headwinds. Riders started to make small pelotons and took turns to take on the wind. It was a beautiful display of camaraderie to see the competitors display such sportsmanship and take care of all their fellow riders. In the ITT section of Day 2, Shiven increased his lead taking himself to a comfortable 9 minutes ahead of the second rider. In the sprint section also, Shiven displayed a great show by finishing 1st with a lead of about 5-6 seconds over the others. Darshan took 2nd and Rohan took 3rd.

This lead to a tie between Darshan and Shiven with both riders at 17 points.

Day 3 — Abu Road to Gurushikhar and back to Mount Abu, 68 km, elevation: +1640 Day 3 was the shortest but toughest of all the 3 days. The ride began with a sprint shootout in early in the morning. The ranks for the sprint-point classification were settled with Darshan leading, Shiven in the 2nd and Rohan in the 3rd, positions respectively.

The day began on a relaxed note. There was time to chat with the fellow riders, while on saddle. As it was the final day of the tour, everyone was ready to put their max to the limit and juice out whatever was left in their legs.

Guru Shikhar, Mount Abu, is the highest peak of Aravalli range and one of the most difficult climbs in the region. However, the

enthusiasm and energy that the riders brought along was sufficient to take the riders all the way to the top where media paparazzi from various channels were waiting for the riders.

After the completion of the 3 gruelling days of riding, the riders were happy to have concluded the Tour of Aravallis successfully and were looking forward to the evening party where they all would be felicitated with medals, trophies, cash prizes etc.

Evening party was a hit as all the riders, core team members, race director and each and every person associated with TOA Edition 3, were on a high for having enjoyed and completed the event on a grand success scale. Everyone got lost to the music beats, dancing their way to joy, sharing their saga of the three days of cycling with the new friends that they had made during the cycling event. As they say, sports in the best way of bonding and TOA is one of the best platforms for forging long lasting friendships while on saddle.

Team TOA thanks all its sponsors, riders, photographers, media and others for having contributed hugely in making the event a grand success. The team has already started putting in ideas for Season 4. Stay tuned for more updates!!!

The ToA was supported by: Montra, Rajasthan Tourism and AB Jewels.

CRANK with ProCycle DECEMBER 15TH, 2018

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Profiled

After couple of months, I bought Trek 820 mountain bike made of steel frame with 21 gears and started doing outdoor cycling.

Besides this, I have a Trek Madone 3.1 (Carbon, Racing, 10 speed, custom), Trek 1.5c (Aluminum, Endurance, 10 speed) and Marin (Aluminum, Touring, 8 Speed).

In August 2011, I participated in the MTB Himalaya event, attempted my first-ever 200km brevet organized by the Audax India Randonneur and thereafter my cycling became unstoppable. In November 2011, I laid down the foundation of a fitness group with the name of ‘Spinners’. The fitness group was aimed at promoting cycling as a non-motorized emission free mode of transport. I motivated some of the members to do outdoor cycling. They were fit enough to do 20km cycling. In December, after some brain storming we renamed ‘Spinners’ to ‘SpinLife’, which is at present operational in Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Indore, Ahmedabad and Ludhiana. ‘SpinLife’ has now become self-sustainable community with many more cities wanting to join it.

PBP

Gautam Verma

I

am a ‘Fitness Professional’, born and brought up in New Delhi.

I have been in sports and fitness since my childhood. After finishing my school, I decided to pursue bodybuilding and started to train myself. After couple of years of training, I won few reputed championship titles. Subsequently, I started working as a fitness trainer with premium fitness centers of Delhi. Later on, I got promoted as a fitness manager and center manager, but never left training. In 2003, I organized workshops on ‘indoor cycling’ and started taking freestyle indoor cycling classes. The response was overwhelming and the members used to look forward for indoor spinning programs. I still undertake specialized programs in fitness centers viz. ‘Chisel Fitness’, ‘Ozone Fitness & Spa’ and ‘Celebrity Fitness’ to earn my spending.

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In 2015, I participated in PBP, which is one of the best cycling events in the world. In my understanding if you have done cycling, but you haven’t done PBP, then you haven’t done cycling at all. In think it is not an event.

It is a carnival. Although I couldn’t finish the event because of the bike failure, I learned a lot from it. According to me, if a rider wants to complete the PBP, he must complete at least 2 years of randonneuring in order to bring maturity in his riding skills.

When people ask for my advice, I tell them to maintain the heart rate within zone 2 and zone 3 during the activities. Work on cadence, which should around 90-95 rpm and get a nutrition plan from a professional. One must also learn to handle and solve the cycle breakdowns.

Future goals My future goals are to get more people into cycling and to enable them to ride events like PBP 2019, R5000, R10000, ISR. Wild Atlantic Way Audax and Bike Tour in Norway are in my bucket list.

I also have plans to engage more states in cycling and to promote themes like ‘Destination Cycling’ and ‘Cycling Tourism’.

Before concluding, I would like to say that be safe out on the roads and ride in a group. Don’t look for the partner, be a partner.

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The Impossible Race

Cycling Federation of India

Profiled

E

very person has different stages of life but women undergo so many life-changing factors that make them stronger than before. Abirami Manoharan is no exception, rather she gained strength and confidence while jumping on to the saddle of BMC TMR01 Carbon Aero bike.

Of course, the journey was not easy as silky smooth as it may look.

“After my second pregnancy, I tried my hands in various fitness activities. At a point, I wanted to step out of my stress and face the wind on my face, and that’s when cycling happened. I took part in a local race with a rented cycle, the adrenaline rush and the energy of the community made me come back for more and pushed me to perform better. From there on, my racing journey began,” says Abirami, who won the Tamil Nadu state championship last year.

She had one thing in mind — race. Unlike many an amateur cyclist, she did not settle for just leisure weekend rides or even BRMs, all that she wanted is competition, and the art to crack title finish.

“When I decided to improve my cycling skills, I wanted to first focus on my riding consistency. In that pursuit, with the guided advice from my mentor Srinath Rajam, I took up online training from Training Peaks and discovered the advantages of training with a power meter which made a huge difference for me. Being a mother of two, I had to balance kids and my passion to excel. Training right means quality workouts in the limited time I had. Weekdays indoor

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and outdoor on weekends made me more consistent over the years,” quickly adds Abirami, winner of Chennai and Coimbatore crits and a podium finisher of BBCh criterium too.

A Masters in International Business, Abirami loves to call herself a professional cyclist who chose to be a homemaker otherwise. “I am a mother first. So, I plan my workouts around their schedule. My typical routine would be to get on to the Wahoo Snap trainer after dropping them in school during weekdays. On weekends, I ride outdoor early and be back home to say them good morning,” says Abirami, who enjoys riding the East Coast Road in Chennai and also the beautiful curves of Ooty.

In the couple of years, there has been hardly any race in which she did not take part. All individual time-trials (ITTs) and road races conducted in Chennai saw Abirami riding ahead of her compatriots.

She even represented the state in the nationals before winning the All India 2Go Master Champion 2018 ( ITT and roadrace). “In my initial days, after my race I complained to my friend that it was a tough race and I couldn’t speed up with my maximum effort. He laughed and said I was in the small ring in the front the entire race!

Those were the days when I felt it’s me who is weak and never doubted the equipment or the wind direction,” she adds.

Abirami, who also rides with her group, Chennai Joy Riders, quite

“After my second pregnancy, I tried my hands in various fitness activities. At a point, I wanted to step out of my stress and face the wind on my face, and that’s when cycling happened. I took part in a local race with a rented cycle, the adrenaline rush and the energy of the community made me come back for more and pushed me to perform better. From there on, my racing journey began” often, feels one should not be confined to one’s own self but should spread the wings. “If I can do it, anyone can. Expenses for my bike, trainer and coaching with Volker Maier (Training Peaks) is borne by me. I’m also indebted to Gayathre Rajam (G3 Women Cyclist team founder and wife of Srinath) gifted me her power pedals when I won the State Championship last year. I can say one thing — chase your passion and dreams,” says Abirami.

To the question — what should a woman do to start bicycle racing — that Crank asked her, Abirami replies with an encouraging note, “To start off, one doesn’t need to invest in a cycle itself. There are many places and events which rent out cycles. If you decide it is

cycling, then you can invest in a good bike. Expensive bikes do not win races. In many cycling groups, there are amateur riders who join faster cyclists to get inspired and improve themselves. Riding with faster cyclist is the first step to be faster.”

In her pursuit to be always on the front, managing home can be problematic. But Abirami insists her children are pillars of support in chasing the dream, and other riders. “The road has been quite bumpy yet when my kids appreciate and support my passion, I feel there are miles to go before I sleep,” she says with a smile that only reflects her determination to win against all adversities.

CRANK with ProCycle DECEMBER 15TH, 2018

21

CityTalk

Imperial Cycles Getting Mumbai on Two Wheels

A

business gains ascendance and ecumenical acceptance if it works towards its vision and maintains quality standards. The life of any business depends on factors like quality, variance, adaptability and evolution. It is imperative to walk hand in hand with the changing technology and also meet the customers’ expectation and demands.

Forty-eight years of excellent customer service with integrated business values and a vision to outspread cycling across the country, Imperial Cycles has brought a revolution in the cycling industry at an international level. Incorporating international standards and introducing the concept of high-end cycles, Imperial Cycles has expanded drastically in all demographics.

An idea emerges from an indomitable concept and that was the foundation of the company. The idea rose from repairing cycles and selling them to start purchasing from dealers and selling.

It started off with a cycle store named Imperial Cycle Centre at Kurla, marketing a range of cycles for all age groups and variegated purpose — the traditional cycles to the geared cycles.

In 2014, Imperial Cycles entered the international market with a modest outlet — Firefox and Trek studios — at Phoenix Market City, Kurla, a retailer for the high-end brands — Firefox and Trek. The concept store with colorful interiors and variegated cycles gave a new perspective to people and changed the traditional way of marketing cycles in Mumbai. Just like any other prominent brand but the highlight here was ‘cycles’.

This store witnessed prolific success and now it’s become a

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hub for celebrities who trust the store to get their bikes from.

Imperial Cycles also actively organises events and social rides with a maximum participation. It also has rolled out its new store at Ghatkopar with more variance in the brands.

Customer service along with a mission to achieve customer satisfaction with quality as an underlying priority is the key for success of Imperial Cycles and it always thrives to get better than its current best.

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