Main bhi rider.
I’ll be honest. I am too tired to write about the day in my usual style. But I went on my first group ride today with the Knight Riderz. Suffice to say, it was memorable. The first half of that morning ride was smooth and on tarmac/concrete, but the next quarter was pure hell. I have, not even in my riding heydays 25 years ago, ever ridden a motorcycle over an off-road track so tough, I’d not have dared to attempt it with even the 4×4 Pajero I had back in the 2000s. And I did a lot of off-roads in that car.
In fact, not just me, every team member fell multiple times off their bike on those slopes from hell, and every other team member rushed to lift an awkwardly large 200kg+ machine (everyone had superbikes) from a steep incline on which it was difficult even to find footing. Mirrors were damaged, gear shifts and brake pedals bent, I got my handle out of whack, and while no bones were broken, a dozen-odd egos were surely cracked, if not irretrievably shattered. In short, it was mayhem.
When we did reach the top, rest, and start on our way down, it became, if you can imagine it, worse, because the only thing worse than riding a superbike up a dirt track is riding it down the same one. Once again, there were multiple spills and multiple occasions to rush to aid others. Plus, I held a spanner in my hand and used it after a long time indeed. Suffice to say, I made up for the past 25-odd years of living a spanner-free life in a matter of 2 hours on those slopes. Everyone was so helpful and supportive that I felt truly accepted as part of the wolf pack. These guys are tough, as I want to believe, was I today.
Riders, assemble.
At the breakfast point, mid-way on the ride. The calm before the storm.
Misaligned handlebars and bent instrument cluster.
Misshaped brake lever.
Why did we fall so often though? This requires a bit of explaining. You see, these bikes are heavy. And powerful. And tall. This means that as long as they are moving, there is very little chance of a spill. This is true even on the slopes of that godforsaken (or maybe not, since there was a temple at the apex!) off-road climb. The trick is to keep the motorcycle in motion, even at the slowest of speeds or toughest of gradients. The problem only begins when it stops. And it could stop for multiple reasons: you encountered a ditch, there’s a large rock ahead of you, someone ahead of you stopped or slowed down, the turn you are taking needed you to slow down but you lost momentum, whatever. Now, on flat land, most riders of these superbikes would be reaching the ground to firmly plant their feet on terra firma, but just about, which is enough to keep a stationary bike upright. Unfortunately, these tall bikes expect the rider to be either moving all the time, stopped on level ground, or be a 6’4” giant with arms of steel. For us mere mortals, when we are stopped on an incline, our feet are off the ground and we can, at most, place only one foot down while the other hangs in the air. That is a recipe for disaster, especially with a 200kg+ bike under you now requiring you to balance it using only one foot. The more experienced ones amongst us knew this and made sure they never stopped during the climb or the descent. They were also highly skilled off-roaders with finely tuned bikes made for this. But, most others were not. And, boy, did it tell! We fell like ninepins and by the time we descended, we were looking like the crew of The Black Pearl on a bad day.
Anyway, at the end of this life-altering ordeal, we stopped at a nearby cafe, refreshed our bodies and souls, and sped back in the staggered formation to cover the distance of Lonavala to Pune in 45m, wowing everyone on the way (imagine a couple of dozen of superbikes cruising down the highway at 120kmph in a formation and you’ll understand why it was an impressive sight indeed for bystanders).
We split at Dehu, and I wheeled towards Retox, Viman Nagar, for the Pune Eat Outs Annual do (something I have missed sorely over the past 2 years of the pandemic). As usual, it was rocking. Enjoyed not just the food and drink (when the world’s largest FB group of single-city foodies meet, this part is never an issue), but also the conversations and company. Just what I needed after that ride. Indeed, this soothed my ego a bit since many people who read me (or enjoyed Tasha & Girl fruit spreads) were here and I was, if not exactly mobbed, recognised by most attendees who went out of their way to treat me well and give me preferential treatment. In fact, someone tried to introduce me to single women thinking that now that I am separated, I would be interested (I am not). Even so, it was a nice feeling, and an antidote to the spills and falls earlier in the day.
Paaaarty!
Later, when I was home, I got my gear cleaned up and sun-dried, had a shower, called my soon-to-be-ex-wife (‘Listen, can I come up for a drink. Have I had an interesting day or what! Can’t wait to tell you.’), got my neighbours to bring a bottle of whiskey to her place, and spent an enjoyable hour recounting my adventures to my eager (and unfortunately, captive) listeners. The whiskey was welcome too. And now, sitting propped up with as many soft pillows behind and under me on my bed, here I sit writing this. What a great way to end the day.
Lessons from the ride:
- Do not underestimate what your body can do if your mind wills it.
- Do not underestimate what your bike is capable of if you can squeeze it out of her.
- Do not underestimate the toughness of your fellow bikers.
- Do not underestimate what biking as a sport can cost you in repairs (I will know the real damage only tomorrow).
- Carry more water than you think necessary. I did not realise this when I went on all my earlier rides all alone because it was not as tiring or physically challenging as this.
- Carry salty and sugary eatables (the sugar, you’ll need for energy, and the salt to avoid cramps, which I suffered from badly on the ride back).
- You are not as young as your mind would have you believe. That said, you are not as old as your body keeps trying to tell you. Listen more to your mind than your body. Physical pain is temporary.
- Don’t give up. The important thing to remember is not the fall, but that you got up and tried again. And again.
Lessons from the party:
- Even if you think no one is reading, someone is. And to them, it makes a difference. You matter. Keep writing.
- It is a rare joy to eat, drink, and make merry with people who love you and think you are the shit. If you somehow manage to find yourself in a situation where you are surrounded by good food, drink, and such people, consider yourself lucky. And savour the moment.
- You have more friends than you think.
And now, for some well-deserved rest. What a day!
