A Couple of Days Ride Outta…….

The home stay last night was pretty ropey and the food for evening and breakfast a joke.

10 mins out from the homestay I stopped and had a coffee, 1st one since being here.

The route was georgeous. People were amenable. Such a good ride and after yesterday I felt good the legs were even moving.

Through coffee plantations, past tea plantations, the full array of morning and afternoon beverages.

I rode past a temple and stopped to look round, a guy gave name a chocolate which was not the most pleasant of tastes.

The road today was particularly broken up and the pounding my sensitive bits got was unimaginable, but the moment I got back on to proper road the traffic increased and the level of horns went up and the near misses multiplied 10 fold. Give me a rough ride any day.

I asked for Veg fried rice at lunch but got French Fries, but they were nice.

Then I rocked into a home stay, bed no shower, use a bucket, still charged me a grand though (I suppose it’s OK about a tenner). It seems the husband and all his cronies are coffee plantation owners.

They all turned up at about 5pm and proceeded to play cards till 10pm. That’s why I am writing this so late. But I did go out for the best meal I have had yet.

I didn’t want to leave the Kadinamane home stay this morning it was such a tranquil spot and although the horns are usually muted at night, I didn’t hear a peep. But the beds are plank hard and there was activity outside. Breakfast not on the menu so I put the bike together and rode off.

There was a little town about 3km along the way, I crunched through a square of peanut brittle, 2 cups of tea and I was ready to go.

The joy and naivety of early morning. The sun already high and temperatures starting to rise above 28° the road was easy, but with this showing on my Garmin I knew it wouldn’t last.

The first long pitches are simple just getting the legs warmed up. But despite the discarding of 5kg yesterday the bike is heavy. Just before I left up I gotScott at Mickey Cranks in Witney to reconfigure my gearing now with a 24t on the front and a 32t on the back my easiest gear is easier than before. If I had not done this I would have been in a world of trouble on this climb.

The world infamous Agumbe Ghaut is only about 7km long but the hairpins are so steep and with this coupled with the horns blaring as a truck negotiates each turn, but some of the trucks just cannot get round most of the turns without taking up all of the road. Every turn is a mess of caution tape, a flimsy reminder that the wall then the sandbags were not enough to stop previous drivers.

The road is shrouded in jungle plants, monkeys playing on the road, dicing with death.

Me the sweat is dripping off my nose, landing on my Garmin forming a pool. The legs in pain but it’s early in the day I’ll recover. 😏

I was hoping for a celebratory tea but nothing there. So on l pushed. How many times can I reiterate the beauty of riding through a jungle.

At about 3pm I was on a particularly steep climb and had stopped for an orange so asked someone if there was a home stay close. 10 km he said, I rode on. 10 km on, I see a bloke, who told me it’s only booked online, but my Wi-Fi is not working, he shrugged, 4 km further he said. I rode on into the town, I asked 2 guys, nothing here they said 20km further, my face must have dropped, but resolute I pulled the bike round and started pedalling. I really was shattered by now, the road took a decidedly upward slant, then I turned a corner and the steepness got the better of me I just ground to a halt rested my head on my handlebars for a long moment, pulling my self together I put foot to pedal, but after the 3rd switch back I had to stop again and I did what I have berated many a person for, I started to walk maybe for 10 mins, I was shattered, just an indication of how awfully out of shape I have got. The next stop was the jungle guard. He said 3km, at this point it was getting on for 6pm and I as spark out of humour. But I stopped at a shop the bloke pointed to a place, they were offering me stuff to sweeten the deal I said I was happy to go horizontal and my bike is safe.

Although they promised food at 8 and it’s 8.30 I’m hungry and want bed.

Sometimes while sorting equipment I start to elaborate, and something works I stick with it. It’s at this point that you find you fill every bag to the capacity it’ll take, you think it is a good thing. But then you find the bike has increased to behemoth size.

Also I had a little rack this was was stretching the bike and sort if acting like a tail causing the bike to wobble side to side, violently and dangerously. Never riding over 25kph, downhill riding the brake ay every speed the bike wobbled, a bit like a dog waggung its tail. I’ve been waking up feeling like I have just got off a boat. My crotch is rubbed to bits because the wobbling was counter to the rhythm of riding. My wrists are painful and aching as they are the first point of contact.

The wobbling has been exacerbated by the new Lauf forks. They take out the bumps of any road but well…. wobble.

I have had to cull, the back bag gone the back rack gone, some equipment and clothes gone.

About half the weight of bags and equipment. The bike feels nibble and fast it rides well at all speeds (So far). The seat pack is not designed for this use so here’s hoping it will stand up, or I might have to find a substitute, and it is not waterproof. I will double with an inside plastic bag.

But the whole plan falls down if the Indian post don’t allow my bag to be sent to UK. Here’s hoping for Monday morning.

At my resort camp site. The music went on way later than the promised ‘10.30pm or it’ll disturb the animals curfue.’ —- Nooooooo now I’m sounding really old. 🤨

There was breakfast, I ate lots.

Leaving lazily at about 9.00am. Now since I crossed that ferry on the first day I have found the reputation portrayed to me by others about the traffic to be not quite factual, yes of course there is traffic and yes today I did get buzzed so close I hyperventilated for at least a minute. Yes the horns are annoying. But I have been travelling along near empty roads, through jungle scenery, monkeys scampering across the road, it’s is fantastic.

Yes I know the picture is not on the road but this one had already scampered.

I passed a monkey today, it did arrogantly hold it’s ground and as I drew adjacent it let out a bit of a growl and I swear I heard it mutter something about bloody tourists, now I have had some recent incidents with a dog ripping a gash in my leg, so I turned to the monkey and said something that I thought placatory, he growled again and started to jog after me cajoling one of the other monkeys to join him, I sped up….. considerably. Still they kept up growling, I had nothing left except hope for my life and legs, the growling got quieter and I look back to see my persueing troop had lost their appetite for human. I breathed a sigh of relief.
There has been signs about a tiger sanctuary but I haven’t seen any yet.

This morning I tried to readjust the weight distribution of the bike. But this wobbling fork us really being a problem. The wobbling puts so much extra pressure on my wrists, up my arms, right through my shoulders on to my back. I have to use the breaks every time the bike speeds up. Sometimes my pedalling rhythm starts the wobbling. I can reduce its effect by pushing as hard as I can on the handlebars through the forks, obviously this unsustainable. Not only the physiological effect on my body it also could have an effect on the integrity of the bikes frame. It ranges from pretty dangerous to horrendous dangerous.

1. Yes moved as much weight to the front
2. Yes moved the bags off the fork tines.
3. Yes tried more weight at the back
4. Yes pedalled slower
5. Yes pedalled faster
6. Yes pedalled heel down (Although I am pretty pissed off about adjusting anything to do with my pedal action that I have just perfected over the last 5 or so years)

No I forgot to message Lauf when I was last online. Doh.
No I have not messaged the Facebook ‘Lauf Owners Group’

I probably will have by the time you read this. 😏 Yep this is starting to piss me off.

Anyway the region is Karnataka just in case someone is going to India and doesn’t want to follow the lemmings just going to Goa and Kerela.

About 11.00pm as I was dozing there was an almighty dog fight outside, I didn’t dare look. Well also I felt the bed bugs had gone to sleep as well and I didn’t want to disturb them.

Out of Jog Falls village and slow pedalled for an hour. I only had a couple of biscuits last night as there were no resturants near. The first hour was of the ride was fasted. Then eventually I saw a chai house. 2 mugs and some cashew nut biscuits. Yum.

Today was a day of wonder and beauty.

Jog Falls was beautiful. But the road to the coast 100km exact, the jungle, the monkeys the birds of paradise. Practically no cars on the road. Winding up and down in such georgeous mountains. As I came round a curve I saw this

I rolled on by. Then I screeched to a halt and slapped myself… you are only ever going to be here once, where is your sense of adventure. I did a U turn. And this is what I was greeted with.

So steep I had to keep the brakes fully on and let the bike skid down… in a controlled fashion. 1.5 km later I was at the bottom.

Then it went up just as steep the other side. But every pedal stroke rewarded.

H

The monk showed me round, wow. I did offer some money, for the temples upkeep I said but it wasn’t accepted.

Then off back up the hill, it was a bit of a grind.

I rode on mainly downhill and eventually into my destination Bhatkal. I rode around hoping to meet some other tourists but could find none, I looked at the sea.

Then into The Royal Oak. Extravagantly expensive, but it has the best shower ever (on a par with the one at Cockerels) and they let me put my bike inside as I said it was my home. They are stars and the room is worth every penny if only because of the bike.

I set of at my usual 9.00 am. A banana and a few biscuits fuelled my legs, searching a chai. A good few Kms till I found a place I liked, well pot luck. I don’t find it too easy to spot places, decisions have to be made quickly. Anyway, tea sickly sweet, I always have a second cup.

The road is pretty cut up so it’s a guarantee that if I move in a bit to avoid collapsed edge I will be hooted and have another hyperventalation fit. Strong nerves are a must.

Scenery is still jungle, still not seen any tigers. Stopped at the most sleazy of food stalls today, no I wasn’t searching for the most sleazy it just happened to be the best of the bunch, anyway the guy made a couple of1st class omelettes.

I did want to make the coast today just over 100km. But these bike problems are doing my head and body in. So I opted to stop at ‘The world Famous Jog Falls’ obviously I hope to get to the coast tomorrow. I might stay for a couple of days if I can find somewhere nice. I also met 4 Russians touring around India, I asked if they were driving, but I was disappointed that they had a driver.

Just to prove I was there.

And I opted for a sleazyish homestay. 600 rupees. Less than a tenner. (90 to the £)

So I said I was going to stay for about a week. A lucky guess when I picked the hotel. I was also really lucky a person cancelled and I was allowed o stay the next night.

Tranquil, friendly, no bed bugs, close to the beach, close to resturants, and all at a good price.

So I made the inordinately ridiculous decision to leave the next day.

I put the bike together in a day, bags on the forks. Ecstatic about the new forks.

I got up early ready to leave but stalled a bit over a cup of tea or 2.

I see off. Horns, people, cows, tic tucs, you name it it was happening, let’s face it I’m in India.

My Garmin crashed every time I tried to load my route. But I found a method.

I got on a ferry and followed the new route.

Incorporated a bit of off road.

But there is a horrendous problem, what already you all shout, but there is and I seem to have no way to solution, every time I go above 20kph sometimes slower I get a front end wobbly so severe fear I am in dear of loosing control. The forks seem fine off road. The usual system is to load the front end. I have done that but to no avail. Grrrrrrr.

But I met a farmer who offered and I accepted lunch, he’s a cyclist.

I rode the day, the road went up the weather was hot, I was particularly pooped. I got to the top of a hill the police there gave me tea and told me there was a town with a hotel a little further along… I rode there and there was not a hotel so I rode back a bit to where I had seen a spot I may be able to camp.

By this time it was pitch black, lucky I had the dynamo front light.

Unfortunately the spot was next to a train line….. yes every 30 mins horn blaring.

Lots of dew and mist soaked the tent.

I packed up and rode on, I had a town in mind about 50km away great rude through nature reserves wildlife sanctuaries, lush verdant rain forests.

I

got to Dandeli, no hotels I liked but I found a resort empty quiet. I paid and they offer me their tent. Then 10000 teenagers turned up jumped 8n the pool played loud music. Grrrrrrr I have moved my tent to a quieter spot. But there is no horns being hooted.

Oh and my Garmin will not upload.

Oh and I am struggling to get a SIM for the phone