And then I tried racing!!!! Part I – The Intro

So, mid-Jan I got myself the Helios 500 – a hell of a road bike and that was the start of a new relationship and a tryst with another sport. Now, its not like I have just started riding – I remember clearly that I learnt how to cycle back in school on an Avon cycle complete with the supporting wheels and everything. Dad was my teacher and eventually he decided that those supporting wheels could come off, and after a few falls I was fairly secure and comfortable riding around in our compound after school. This was way back in 1994-1995 when Dad was stationed in Pune.

Once dad was transferred out of Pune, cycling was also forgotten. Then came June, 2011 – I had come back home after a long stint overseas and had only just begun working. Traffic was a nuisance and I thought it was time to do something to get back into being fit. So, once I got my first pay-check, I did some research and decided upon purchasing a decent bike for commute to and fro my workplace. Eventually, I zeroed in on the Trek 3700. I showed it to Ankush and he was all for it. Then, I discussed my plans to commute to and from work on what would be my new bike with my parents. Lets suffice to say that they were not pleased with this recent brainwave of mine. To add to this, I had a grand price tag of Rs.20,000 for a bike. So yes, there was a fair amount of friction and resistance that came my way with this decision.

This is when Ankush stepped in and said – ” You want this right?” Me – “Yep, I really do” Ankush – ” Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go and get it!”

And just like that, we both got into the car, went over to the Trek Firefox Station in Ulsoor and picked up the new bike which would be the start of a brand new chapter in both our lives. Ankush drove behind me the entire ride back and even stopped to help me fix my chain when it derailed. Then, the bike was used for commute for the next 3 months. Over this period of time, a lot of my workmates were introduced to cycling and about 4-5 people within my team also purchased bikes for themselves and started commuting on it. By August 2011, the initial fervor had died down, I had joined a gym and somewhere along the line Ankush had started enjoying cycling a lot more than me.

Meanwhile, 2012 rolled in – later in the year I started running and enjoyed it immensely until early 2014. Then, as we all know the rest of the year was spent on injury, rest, rehab and well… complete rest. Come 2015, Doc gave the green light for me to start some low impact work. I had purchased a road bike in late 2013 on a whim. From Nov 2013 -Dec 2014, I had probably taken it out for 3 rides. In fact Naveen Raj would never let go of a chance to taunt me. The general tune would be : ” aapne road bike khareeda na? kabhi uske uppar dekha nahin ” etc. etc. I deserved it too.

Anyway, once the doc gave me the green light, I started doing a few miles. Also, I wanted an upgrade, there was just something about the other roadie – we had not gelled well. So I got the Polygon Helios 500 on 23rd Jan 2015 and that is the day when I actually started riding seriously. My whole point is, everytime I invest a huge amount in equipment, I feel obligated to use it in order to justify my expenditure on it. The day the Helios was ready, we ( she and me) went for a 200K ride to get to know each other.

It has been  a month since that day,but it feels like so much longer. And this is because we have had a very adventurous time, getting to know each other as well as the sport of cycling. I may even go a step further in saying that my injury may have been the best thing to happen to me. I wish I had not been introduced to this sport under these circumstances, but there is a very high possibility that I would never have paid as much attention to it had I not been injured. I say so, because when you actually pay attention to it and get immersed in it – there is a whole new world to explore – a new world of pain, intensity, all consuming passion, speed, endurance, gadgets, technique, rules and not to forget – Fashion. Like I always say, its the little things that make the biggest difference