Yelläks /ˈyæl•eks/

On Sunday the Bangalore Bikers Club organized a cycle race from Bangalore to Nandy Hills. Starting point was on National Highway 7 near the new airport, finishing line was on the peak of Nandy Hills around 40km away. Four warriors from IISc started at 6am, but we were already late. So riding to the starting point (distance from IISc around 20km) was already something like a race. At 7 am around 100 cyclist gathered at the starting line. Many very fancy cycles could be seen and many people in fancy, professional looking outfit. I went there with my Photon Ex cycle. Like the one introduced earlier, it also has one gear only, but it is much more advanced (pictures will come soon). Additional weight is added due to the mudguards, the big bell and lock to prevent thieves from snitching my precious cycle.

To give single geared cycles any chance, they started in a different category. However when the Nandy Hills came close, it became difficult to climb due to the acclivity. My Photon Ex and I passed many people on street racing cycles who wondered, how can somebody with only one gear take over. The secret is: It is not the stamina (maybe a little bit). It is more that I do not waste time in choosing the right gear. There is one more secret: I just heard about the race the evening before. I could not organize any oil for the squeaking chain and rattling axes. So I used lamp oil which I found in an opening of the closed cycle shop on campus. It is very greasy, but everything runs like clockwork.

After 2h and 7 minutes I crossed the finishing line, ranked 33rd. Not bad for the first race with this cycle.

Photos have been uploaded to flickr. Look at me before the race and at the finishing line. I was simply at the end, physically and literally.