A Ride alongside Two Lakes...

Yesterday, I suddenly felt that I haven't ridden out for many days. So wanted to do a ride this weekend (today), atleast 50 kilometres. The usual option is, Hessarghatta  again. Started with a plan to do Hessarghatta populaire route, and ended up riding 76 kilometres, the Madhurekere loop, which I had already done by  december 30, 2011.

Four the riders - Aditya Joshi, his friend, Hari and I, started late around 0700 hrs. Aditya and his friend started slowly, but Hari and I sped up, reached Gangamma circle and were waiting for them for more than 15 minutes. They haven't reached and also haven't attended our calls. So the two of us decided to move forward. Hari choose the way through Byalkere peacock reserve. I spent some time in peacock reserve roaming, while he was tuning his newly fit pedals. Then we started riding in a fast phase, and reached the bakery before Hessarghatta, near IIHR road. This is the usual bakery where most of cyclists riding to Hessarghatta have some snacks.

While we were having our snacks, we saw Aditya reaching there alone, and asking a person there about way. We called him and we came to know that his friend had a flat before ORR and dropped ride. Aditya lost time there and was unable to reach us before. We three would ride together for rest of the ride. When we three were discussing, We saw Mustafa and his friends coming back from Hessarghatta. Had some chat with them while having snacks.

Then two groups parted and started riding their own routes. While starting, I was thinking whether we could reach institute for breakfast after doing loop around the lake.  Hari told it would be possible if we return back from that point itself. But I insisted that we should complete atleast 50 kms. So, knowing anyways we couldn't reach for breakfast, I persuaded them to do the Hessarghatta - Madhurekere Loop, because the weather then felt good.

While going around Hessarghatta lake, we took wrong turn because of my confusion, and I ended up, finding the forgotten route to Hessarghatta grasslands. Hari had a minor fall and small scratch here, due to new usage of his pedals. Then we came back into the correct route, skipped fodder institute route, passed through sceny Madhure temple road, reached SH-74, passed alongside Madhurekere lake. We ate some watermelon pieces in the way. We turned back into Hessarghatta main road at railway crossing near Gollahalli. Last time when I did this route, this part, from Hessarghatta, back to Hessarghatta was excellently greeny and scenic (regretted not taking a camera). This time Aditya found it scenic, but I found it dry.

We reached bakery in Hessarghatta back, refilled water and started riding. We took Soladevanahalli - pipeline road route. This part of the trip was a bit taxing. With some halts to synchronise with slow rider,  all the three of us enjoyed pipeline climb, and reached back institute by 1215 hrs.

Total ride time is around 5 hrs 20 minutes, for 75 kms, not meeting populaire standards of minimum average speed, 15 kmph. Have to reduce pauses and increase speed up a bit more. Hari rode faster in his roadbike.

Addons :-

1. Followed my usual ride features : saturday ride, morning start, lack of full preparations, ending ride with two juices at juice centre, ...
2. Whenever I ride to Hessarghatta, I ride with a minimum goal of coming back to institute for breakfast. But I never reached that goal, till now. This is my sixth ride to Hessarghatta. And for the sixth time, I missed mess idlis because of riding :-(. Reasons are, late start and synchronisation pauses. 
3. Forgot to check wallet and withdraw some money. Then thought to manage with Hari. But he too did and thought the same. Fortunately I had ATM card with me. So managed to get some money in IIHR SBI ATM, but rode uncounted 4 kilometres. 
4. Confusion in waiting point of Hari at Hessarghatta while returning resulted in myself, searching in Hessarghatta main road, from one end to other end of village, thrice. Finally found him in usual bakery, outside Hessarghatta .
5. Forgot to see the name of bakery this time too, eventhough we paused there twice.