the inspiration ride...

Today I got a chance to ride with HBC (Hyderabad Bicycling Club) again...and as always, it was inspiring and humbling at the same time...generally on Wednesday mornings, they go on power rides - which means that they ride for 2 hours non-stop at pretty much a steady speed of 25-30 kmph...I'm just not in shape or fit enough to go for something like that...and secondly, I'm not one of the racing kinds - I like more of exploratory rides. Luckily, today they planned for an off-road ride early in the morning...there was no way I was going to miss this, in spite of having a meeting at 9:00 in the morning. And it was a good decision indeed, to go with them...within minutes of leaving the starting point, the wheels were kicking dirt off the trails...9 riders, one after the other, twisting and turning with the track. There were a few downhill slopes (small ones) that we were supposed to ride...the surface was hard rock at some places and loose soil at others...riding downhill on such surfaces was new for some of us - at least, me...it was important to check the balance, center of weight and follow instructions to avoid any serious damage to any part of the anatomy...but more the risk, more the thrill and greater the sense of achievement! At one point, there was this hard, rocky, steep and slightly-longish uphill incline...and there was only one man amongst us who didn't even bat an eyelid before deciding to go for it. Shay - the leader of HBC made it look so simple! He was riding it up as if he were walking his dog on a grass lawn. We all stood there, in silence, watching him in awe, when someone quipped - "he is like a mountain goat!"...and we all broke into laughter, in admiration! If that was not enough, he turned his bike around and decided to climb down from a much steeper and seemingly more difficult slope. I stood there, wondering whether I should try it or not...the heart said yes but the brain said no...and unlike me, this time I listened to the latter! Rest of the ride was through the wood and over a small dam. One rider dared us to ride through the woods, full throttle, blind folded...oh yeah Ed! nice try! :) and yes, you still need to tell me the name of the movie :)

a couple of flats but they were taken care of, in no time!

Another great morning ride came to an end, leaving everyone hungry for more...there shall be an encore, soon! I did learn a lesson or two in downhill mountain biking. Thanks for today's ride guys...we need to make it a regular feature! :)

those who couldn't join today, did miss a really good one :)


[Edit]: All the pictures above are taken with my cellphone (which, btw is dying)...wanted to have an uninterrupted riding experience :)