A woman needs a bicycle like a man needs his fish
I am back from the cycling trip that I mentioned (blog pimping alert). Mumbai to Daman.
I started by having a black out half an hour after the start. And I have only my impatience to blame for it. At the start the trip leader was giving a brief about gears and maintaining a steady comfortable pace, it been a 2 day long trip and there was no point speeding up and getting tired early.I of course , decided there is nothing new to learn and pooh poohed his instructions and sped off in full swing , not even changing gears in the uphill,since I had no clue how to do it. 25 min of pedalling furiously ,in the full blast of the summer heat, at 12 in the noon,I stopped for a quick water break. When I resumed cycling after that, things started going horribly wrong and I could feel trucks whizzing past me.My vision was getting blurred and I couldnot hear the traffic in the highway.I could feel myself swaying. STOP before you kill yourself, my brain shouted.
And I did..and sheepishly waited for the back up car to pick me up.next one hour I was busy recovering from the shock.I had to get back on my cycle.And decided come what may, I shall not get off it till we reach our destination. And I pedalled. Some more. Yet more. It was a fight against the heat, the aching thighs, the bruised hands.
And I managed to complete 84 kms.
And now to re-live those moments as I pen it down for some magazine (which explains this half hearted post)
(left leg down,right up,left down ,right up,left….)
(the afternoon sessions were bearable)
(crossing on a ferry) Sid did around 102 kms, and is preparing for the Nilgiris cycling expedition in Nov.Refuses to take me along as he fears I might slow him down…
Lost on the street 
Did you say 84?? I cannot even dream of one-tenth of that. You have got guts lady! Hats off to you.
Yeah, am a bit proud of it myself,considering I have very poor stamina . 😛
wha???? amazing. especially in this heat.
Now I am all enthu about doing a cycling trip in the winters (when it ought to be done).
wow.. hats off.. you have some stamina.. wish I could do this!! but I would probably not last 5 mins!! 😛
I lasted 30 mins in the first stretch..
You should have fixed up a tiny motor in your bicycle so you wouldn’t have to pedal.. (Don’t listen to me, I’m an engineer, I’m lazy and I keep trying to make life easier so I wouldn’t have to do more work..) You go girl!!!
Oi Engineer Sahiba, can you build me some kind of protective air-conditioned covering for the whole body, which will also save me from sun burnt.I have turned a funny shade of purple now.
good going gurl!
didn’t know u biked! but, to repeat what G said there.. you go, gurl! 🙂
Thanks 🙂
That is brilliant!!! I can’t even imagine walking 84 kms. Even more amazed that you’re not flat in bed, but actually manage to write a post and reply to comments, which means you’re in pretty good shape.
Phew! You never know what’s coming up next on this blog!!!!
Just you wait..Maybe next blog will announce my pregnancy !!
impressive
🙂
I’ve done about 55 km at a stretch, but on a beautiful, mostly shaded bike path. How you could do that on India’s busy roads in summer, I can’t imagine. 🙂 More power to you, and please, somebody, start a campaign for bicycle paths in Indian cities. Heaven knows we need it!
Me :It was not actually busy roads, we were cycling along the coastal road passing through the odd village here and there.But there is a campaign for cycling in the city,cannot recall it right now.