January Gran Fondo

Indulgence at 99

One of my cycling goals for the year 2021 is to do a century ride every month. The January century ride wasn't somehow happening, though in terms of daily rides it was turning out to be one of the most productive months in my short cycling life. The last two days of the month were weekend. On Friday evening I didn't go out, thinking that I would do the century on Saturday, so I must rest on Friday night. But Saturday came and went. I couldn't motivate myself enough to go out for the ride. In fact I ate my breakfast at 11 or so. It was cold in the morning by Calcutta standards. I thought I would go for an evening ride and slept the entire day. In the evening also I felt sleepy and went back to sleep, intermittently watching English football. I told myself I will go out tomorrow, like I always tell myself every Saturday in winter. Sunday was the last day of the month. If I didn't do it I would miss the January target, right in the beginning of the year. Also, my monthly odo was showing 725 Km. That was another motivation. I wanted to push that to 800.

Sunday morning came. I couldn't get up early enough. My target was 6 am but that remained illusive. Finally after 10 am I decided that come what may I will go. I must go. May be a late lunch but I will go and at least finish the 800 Km target, if not a century.

Went out after my usual breakfast, which now means two eggs, one piece of toasted bread, a toasted bacon and some green peas. Took two boiled eggs in the small Apidura bag and two bottles of plain water. I also carried a packet of Electral in my pocket - just in case.

For the unsuspecting stranger who might be reading this - what follows after is a rather drab route description and may not make any sense to you unless you know the roads and geography of North 24 Parganas. 

As is my wont, I didn't have any plan. This is the benefit of solitary cycling. I went towards Golpark and then off towards Gariahat, meaning to go towards Gurusaday on the way to the Red Road area. At Gariahat red light crossing I was on the extreme right lane. When it turned green, all the vehicles to my left started turning right towards Ballygunge station. After some time I decided to follow the herd and turned right. Okay I will go to Rajarhat. 

During Durga Pujo Chenka and I with Atish had gone to Badu via Kharibari. At that time we saw a wide four lane road meeting the Kharibari Road on the right hand side. Evidently it came from the New Town. So this time I thought I would explore that road, as it meant quite a short cut and of course the opportunity to ride on a nice new road. 

 

I got the exit right in the first attempt. The main arterial road of New Town takes a sharp turn to the left towards Rajarhat and VIP Road/Haldiram's. This is after the Eco-Park. There is a big traffic island there with artificial rock climbing walls, subways etc. From this point I turned right and kept moving straight. It's a wide four-laned sort of road. As of now it's all vacant plots of land on either side but in a few years I am sure this place will have lots of buildings all around.

As expected, this road met Kharibari Road beyond Rajarhat. From here I turned right towards Kharibari (going left would bring me on the Rajarhat junction going towards VIP Road). This Kharibari Road, as I had discovered during my Pujo ride, has now become a nice wide road. It used to be a narrow road with water bodies all around even a few years ago. But now I can see visible signs of urbanisation all around with large, tall buildings. Work is on to make it four-lane up to Taki Road. I stopped for a moment to drink a glass of Chhatu (ground chhola powder, mixed in water with chopped onion and chillies - poor man's health drink but very tasty and mildly spicy) from a road side vendor. It was quite a refreshing drink for Rs 25 only. Off I went towards Kharibari, which was around 10 Km from the point where I emerged on the main road. 

Last time I had turned left from Kharibari towards Guste (my grandfather went to a school here), Kanchantala, Badu, Madhyamgram. This time I pushed further on. I wanted to see Taki Road where the Kharibari Road ended. As per my calculation, it should come at 46 Km from home. And it did. Kharibari, incidentally, was 42. 

Taki Road is a T-junction. Here one can turn left towards Barasat (Chapa Dali Morh) or right towards Basirhat and on to Taki. I had originally meant to come back tracing the same road. But once there I turned towards Barasat. I wanted to see how good or bad Taki Road was. Turned out Taki Road was pretty bad and not at all suitable for a narrow wheeled roadie. 

I wanted to check out the new road that goes through our village. It connects the Kharibari Madhyam Road with Taki Road. I thought I would find it from Kadambagachhi. But they said no, the road is to be found near Dharmatolla. So from Dharmatolla I found this new road. Kanchantala is just 2.8 Km from here. This road goes through my village Kuberpur. 

My Parents 

It was quite a cultural shock for me. The first thing I found here was a three storied building which is a multi-gym. I cannot imagine a multi-gym here near my village where my cousins don't get a square meal every day. I soon found myself cycling through Kuberpur. I saw the small house my father had built. The old brick road is now a narrow but concrete road. My father would have been very proud of this. I regret that I have done nothing for this house. I somehow never liked the local village society here. They are not only extremely poverty stricken, the cultural atmosphere of the village is terrible. I heard extremely loud music blaring from some speaker in what used to be Khudu or Ronu Jyatha's garden. Some picnic party was having a good time. 

I remember taking this road in the 90s to visit my parents when they would stay in the village for a few days. It used to be a narrow village road with paddy fields on both sides and small village houses full of green orchards. Now it is urbanised in a very ugly Indian way. Sree-heen as we call it in Bengali. Meaning, looking shabby and impoverished.

I regret I could not keep this last wish of my father. I did nothing to keep the small one-room house in a well maintained state. It looks like a haunted house from a distance (not the least because our aunt had committed suicide setting herself on fire in our balcony). I cannot imagine ever going and spending even a night there. I will write about this in some other post somewhere else. To keep it short, the abject poverty of my cousins there shocks me and embarrasses me. We support them financially for their children's education or in some crisis but there is a gulf of difference between them and us. Both financially and culturally that I cannot reconcile myself to.

I soon cycled out of the village. No one noticed or recognised me. Reached Kanchantala which is now quite a well populated square. I remembered my parents standing in the sun there for long to catch a bus to Calcutta. We didn't have a car then. I cycled through Badu, which is a big town now. Even the small non-descript sweet shop where my father would customarily stop to get some sweets is now a swanky shop. I thought of stopping there but didn't. Pedalled on towards Madhyamgram. 

From Madhyamgram I was on the Jessore Road towards the airport. The road is much wider now and from Doltala in fact it is a four-laned road. Once on VIP Road I saw my odo was showing only 70 Kms. If I took the straight VIP Road I would reach home at 95. So I entered Rajarhat. At Gariahat I was still 95. So from Jugal's I turned towards Southern Avenue and went towards GolPark. Near Anderson I bought a chock-o-bar for myself and ate it at 99 Km outside Narayan's tea stall. I hit 100 infront of Menoka and reached home just after 101. It was well past 4 o'clock. I had a late lunch after a big shower. Didn't feel too tired. But it was a very dusty ride. 

I did not need the eggs. Drank one bottle of water and a little from the other one. Of course finished the other bottle when I reached home.

My cycle is all dusty. The front wheel I thought had come loose. I tightened the skewer. Next morning I took the Surly to work and didn't ride the customary 40 Km evening ride. Tonight I will. Possibly on the Surly but with the Brooks saddle.