I have decided to bite the bullet. I am going to go out on a multi-day cycling trip. It might sound a bit too ambitious to choose this particular route as my first such tour but the temptation was too much to resist. Rana and I have decided to try to cycle to Mirik from Siliguri during the Poila Boisakh Good Friday week in April. The plan is we will go to Mirik on day one. Rest there the next day and then see where we can go. We might go to Sukhiapokhari or Maney or Dhotre or Lepchajagat or Ghoom. We shall see.
I have already ordered for a soft bicycle carrying bag from Trek n Earth on Amazon. We will take the Volvo bus to Siliguri. There we will spend a day there setting up the bike, taking rest and leaving the cycle bag and other such stuff at the Exide warehouse. I shall see if we can stay somewhere in Dudhia or Sukna area. So that the next morning's ride will be shorter. The real climb starts from Dudhia after one crosses the Balsan bridge. And it's an uphill climb for about 25 km.
If you google Mirik or Darjeeling cycling, you discover lots of commercial posts from tour operators offering cycling packages in that area. But there are just two old personal blog posts about cycling on this route. People who have themselves cycled from Siliguri to Mirik. One is by a foreigner who went from Siliguri to Mirik and the other is from a Calcuttan who seemed to exaggerate the experience a bit (it's just a hunch and I am seldom wrong on these hunches). Also they went with a support vehicle (the bikes have no pannier or bag or anything. Just one small water bottle). So their account need not be taken too seriously. Apparently they reached straight from NJP station to Mirik in a day.
Adrian's blog is more real. However, he does not describe the route in too much detail except to say that it is a series of switchbacks. I do not really depend too much on the foreigners' accounts because their physical and mental abilities and experiences are completely different from ours. But he took 11 hours to finish what he says is a 50 km ride. He says he had a huge load on the cycle.
Here is the blog by Adrian . He cycled this route in 2009 I think.
And here is the blog by Manasij . I think he also did this around 2010.
If I do this trip I promise to write an accurate travelogue so that others can do it as well.
As far as I could gather, it will be an uphill task. No doubt. We shall see how far we can reach. If I get overawed before the start then I shall never be able to even start. So best to prepare myself as much as possible and hope for the best. In a worst case scenario I can always walk the rest of the way from where I cannot cycle any more.
Rana has already booked a homestay in Mirik for two nights. The plan is to start from here on 12th night. Reach Siliguri by 13th morning. Start for Mirik on 14th from Siliguri. If we find something near Sukna or Dudhia we could stay there for the 13th night instead of staying in Siliguri.That way we get a head start on the next day. We spend the day in Mirik on 15th as well. On 16th we start towards Sukhiapokhari. From there we turn towards Manebhanjang. If we feel up to it, we might even go up to Dhotre. If possible or feasible we might go to Rimbik or Srikhola the next day.
From Sukhia we might also opt to go towards Lepchajagat and then off to Ghoom.
We shall see. It's an open ended thing. The only things fixed are these - our start and return dates and that we are first going to Mirik.
My main worry right now is how to carry my stuff. I have no pannier rack. No pannier bag. I have nothing except a small front handlebar bag to carry my food and Gatorade etc and a small saddle bag to carry my tools. These are permanent fixtures on the bike. I am all for going for a front pannier rack from Surly and a pair of Ortlieb panniers. Both are available in India but that will set me back by 20k right away. It will also create more bulk. And as Rana says riding with a front pannier rack requires experience.
Rana says go for a 10 litre saddle bag from Trek n Ride like he has. Costs just Rs 1200. I want to check out his bag. I read a review that grinding with the bag is next to impossible. Apparently it also makes hill climbs a little unstable.
Now let me see what all I want to take for the trip.
I will be wearing at any given point of time while cycling
I will be carrying the following clothing and related items
Tools & Spares in saddle bag
Attached To Bike
March 16, 2019
As of now the plan is to go via Kurseong up Hill Cart Road and not via Mirik. I think the Mirik climb is much steeper than the Kurseong one.
Here is a complete list of the railway stations from the Indian Railway website that we will be passing on the route. If they are right on the road - I think they are - I am going to take a selfie in front of each one of them. I believe Gayabari and Sonada stations have been gutted in political agitation. One wonders if they have been restored.
Final Countdown
April 8, 2019
Yesterday Sunday Someswar came to my house and packed the bike. The die is cast. I am a little scared now. I have a little OCD about preparation and packing. I always worry I have forgotten this and forgotten that. Now that the bike is packed and sealed in the box (Someswar felt since we will be going by bus and the luggage will be in the hold it is safer to use a cardboard box rather than the bag).
The bike is extremely well packed with foam tubes and zip ties etc. I forgot to take a pic of the finished packing. Will take one before taking the packaging off in Siliguri.
I am a bit nervous about putting it all back together myself in the Siliguri hotel room and more worryingly packing it equally well when I come back. He took the brake cable out and packed the handle in a different way from the way it came from Happy Earth. In fact, I think he did a better job than Happy Earth. He showed me how to put the brake cable back on through the barrel adjuster. I find the barrel adjuster very confusing. Must learn it once and for all.
Today I got all the items that will go together and put them in a box. These are the hardware kind of items. I think I am more or less covered. There are a few luxury items that I am taking till Siliguri. They will be left behind and not form part of my equipment list for the ride. Here is an image and now I will jot down the items one by one from the top.
1. Bungee cords - 2
2. Zip ties - 1 large, 1 small (to be left behind in Siliguri - TBLBS)
3. Bottle cages - 3
4. Schwalbe inner tube 2
5. Cello tapes - Green and brown (TBLBS)
6. Tin cutter (TBLBS)
7. Pliers (undecided whether TBLBS)
8. Pump
9. Allen key #4
10. Box wrench #8 and #9 (to hold the nuts of mudguards/carrier etc)
11. Sliding wrench (For Rana's pedals)
12. Tube repair kit in a box (with a spare chain link, two dust caps and a Presta to Schrader converter)
13. Multi-tool
14. Knife
15. Scissors (TBLBS)
16. Combination lock (not in the picture)
17. Chain Lubricant
18. A rag
19. Some spare allen screws M5
Sunday April 28, 2019
I am happy to inform that last Sunday I came back after a successful completion of the trip. It was fantastic. Nothing went wrong. Not even the weather. Read about the trip here
I have already ordered for a soft bicycle carrying bag from Trek n Earth on Amazon. We will take the Volvo bus to Siliguri. There we will spend a day there setting up the bike, taking rest and leaving the cycle bag and other such stuff at the Exide warehouse. I shall see if we can stay somewhere in Dudhia or Sukna area. So that the next morning's ride will be shorter. The real climb starts from Dudhia after one crosses the Balsan bridge. And it's an uphill climb for about 25 km.
If you google Mirik or Darjeeling cycling, you discover lots of commercial posts from tour operators offering cycling packages in that area. But there are just two old personal blog posts about cycling on this route. People who have themselves cycled from Siliguri to Mirik. One is by a foreigner who went from Siliguri to Mirik and the other is from a Calcuttan who seemed to exaggerate the experience a bit (it's just a hunch and I am seldom wrong on these hunches). Also they went with a support vehicle (the bikes have no pannier or bag or anything. Just one small water bottle). So their account need not be taken too seriously. Apparently they reached straight from NJP station to Mirik in a day.
Adrian's blog is more real. However, he does not describe the route in too much detail except to say that it is a series of switchbacks. I do not really depend too much on the foreigners' accounts because their physical and mental abilities and experiences are completely different from ours. But he took 11 hours to finish what he says is a 50 km ride. He says he had a huge load on the cycle.
Here is the blog by Adrian . He cycled this route in 2009 I think.
And here is the blog by Manasij . I think he also did this around 2010.
If I do this trip I promise to write an accurate travelogue so that others can do it as well.
As far as I could gather, it will be an uphill task. No doubt. We shall see how far we can reach. If I get overawed before the start then I shall never be able to even start. So best to prepare myself as much as possible and hope for the best. In a worst case scenario I can always walk the rest of the way from where I cannot cycle any more.
Rana has already booked a homestay in Mirik for two nights. The plan is to start from here on 12th night. Reach Siliguri by 13th morning. Start for Mirik on 14th from Siliguri. If we find something near Sukna or Dudhia we could stay there for the 13th night instead of staying in Siliguri.That way we get a head start on the next day. We spend the day in Mirik on 15th as well. On 16th we start towards Sukhiapokhari. From there we turn towards Manebhanjang. If we feel up to it, we might even go up to Dhotre. If possible or feasible we might go to Rimbik or Srikhola the next day.
From Sukhia we might also opt to go towards Lepchajagat and then off to Ghoom.
We shall see. It's an open ended thing. The only things fixed are these - our start and return dates and that we are first going to Mirik.
My main worry right now is how to carry my stuff. I have no pannier rack. No pannier bag. I have nothing except a small front handlebar bag to carry my food and Gatorade etc and a small saddle bag to carry my tools. These are permanent fixtures on the bike. I am all for going for a front pannier rack from Surly and a pair of Ortlieb panniers. Both are available in India but that will set me back by 20k right away. It will also create more bulk. And as Rana says riding with a front pannier rack requires experience.
Rana says go for a 10 litre saddle bag from Trek n Ride like he has. Costs just Rs 1200. I want to check out his bag. I read a review that grinding with the bag is next to impossible. Apparently it also makes hill climbs a little unstable.
Now let me see what all I want to take for the trip.
I will be wearing at any given point of time while cycling
- Half-sleeve jersey - 1
- Cycling bib - 1
- Socks
- Cycling gloves (PI half)
- Cycling helmet (?)
- Quechua boots
I will be carrying the following clothing and related items
 |
| Includes a rainwear lower. Won't take it |
- Half sleeve jersey - 1
- Cycling bibs/shorts - 1
- Dry fit material half sleeve - 1
- Dry fit material full sleeve - 1
-
Kappa track pant (really soft material with lining inside)Marmot Transcend pants (poor man's rainwear) - 1 - Briefs -
42 (needed only when I am not riding) - Socks - 3
- Marmot Precip Rainwear - 1
- Sierra Designs Jacket - 1
- Woolen cap - 1
- Quechua pique hat - 1
- Towel - 1 (may buy a microlight from Decathlon)
- Rag - 1
- Medicines (regular plus emergency)
- Basic first aid kit (Boroline, gauge, cotton wool, Volini/Relispray, Band Aids)
- Toilet paper, soap, toothbrush, paste, 501 bar soap, Nivea, Suncream lotion, comb (these can go in the handlebar bag)
- Head torch
- Four spare batteries
- Phone-charger-powerbank
- Topeak gauge
Tools & Spares in saddle bag
- Multi-tool
- Tyre lever
- Chain link
- Adjustable pliers
- Tube repair kit
- Chain cleaner and lube (?)
Attached To Bike
- Bottle cages - 3
- Pump
- Front light
- Back light
- Spokes
March 16, 2019
As of now the plan is to go via Kurseong up Hill Cart Road and not via Mirik. I think the Mirik climb is much steeper than the Kurseong one.
Here is a complete list of the railway stations from the Indian Railway website that we will be passing on the route. If they are right on the road - I think they are - I am going to take a selfie in front of each one of them. I believe Gayabari and Sonada stations have been gutted in political agitation. One wonders if they have been restored.
Final Countdown
April 8, 2019
Yesterday Sunday Someswar came to my house and packed the bike. The die is cast. I am a little scared now. I have a little OCD about preparation and packing. I always worry I have forgotten this and forgotten that. Now that the bike is packed and sealed in the box (Someswar felt since we will be going by bus and the luggage will be in the hold it is safer to use a cardboard box rather than the bag).
The bike is extremely well packed with foam tubes and zip ties etc. I forgot to take a pic of the finished packing. Will take one before taking the packaging off in Siliguri.
I am a bit nervous about putting it all back together myself in the Siliguri hotel room and more worryingly packing it equally well when I come back. He took the brake cable out and packed the handle in a different way from the way it came from Happy Earth. In fact, I think he did a better job than Happy Earth. He showed me how to put the brake cable back on through the barrel adjuster. I find the barrel adjuster very confusing. Must learn it once and for all.
Today I got all the items that will go together and put them in a box. These are the hardware kind of items. I think I am more or less covered. There are a few luxury items that I am taking till Siliguri. They will be left behind and not form part of my equipment list for the ride. Here is an image and now I will jot down the items one by one from the top.1. Bungee cords - 2
2. Zip ties - 1 large, 1 small (to be left behind in Siliguri - TBLBS)
3. Bottle cages - 3
4. Schwalbe inner tube 2
5. Cello tapes - Green and brown (TBLBS)
6. Tin cutter (TBLBS)
7. Pliers (undecided whether TBLBS)
8. Pump
9. Allen key #4
10. Box wrench #8 and #9 (to hold the nuts of mudguards/carrier etc)
11. Sliding wrench (For Rana's pedals)
12. Tube repair kit in a box (with a spare chain link, two dust caps and a Presta to Schrader converter)
13. Multi-tool
14. Knife
15. Scissors (TBLBS)
16. Combination lock (not in the picture)
17. Chain Lubricant
18. A rag
19. Some spare allen screws M5
Sunday April 28, 2019
I am happy to inform that last Sunday I came back after a successful completion of the trip. It was fantastic. Nothing went wrong. Not even the weather. Read about the trip here
No comments:
Post a Comment