Cycling Expedition from Pune to Statue of Unity

I was fortunate to be a part of the four day cycling expedition from Pune to Statue of Unity, covering a distance of 100+ kilometers each day.

The Preparation

Two weeks prior to the expedition, Tapan and I did a 100+ kilometers ride from Pune to Velhe and back, via Pabe ghat.  This proved highly beneficial during the four day tour.  Pabe ghat is a monster.  It either makes you or breaks you.

Tapan and I had never done a multi-day cycling tour.  So the challenge for us was like doing a Pune to Velhe ride via Pabe ghat on four consecutive days.  We tapered down during the last two weeks, doing mostly short rides and the usual weekend football game.  

Likewise, each member of the expedition did their own preparation.

Considering the roads and the terrain, a lightweight hybrid cycle is best suited for this expedition.  I chose to ride my Marin San Quentin 1 downhill mountain bike.  I was the only one riding a mountain bike.  Two were riding road bikes and remaining seven were on hybrid cycles.

For years, I like riding off the roads.  I am not used to riding long flat roads for hours after hours with the same momentum.  The downhill mountain bike I have is obviously not made for riding long flat roads.  So I imagined I'd drop back from the hybrid cycles and the road bikes during the tour.  

Organised by : Sprocket Services LLP, Pune, Maharashtra, India

Riders : 10

Supporting Crew : 4

Ride distance : 555 kilometers

Days : 4

The Plan

Day 1 - Saturday 28 December 2024

Warje, Pune to Sangamner, Maharashtra

Ride distance : 155 kilometers

Day 2 - Sunday 29 December 2024

Sangamner, Maharashtra to Saputara, Gujarat

Ride distance : 150 kilometers

Day 3 - Monday 30 December 2024

Saputara, Gujarat to Mandvi, Gujarat

Ride distance : 130 kilometers

Day 4 - Tuesday 31 December 2024

Mandvi, Gujarat to Statue of Unity, Kevadia, Gujarat

Ride distance : 120 kilometers

What Happened

Each day we started to ride early morning.  Halt for breakfast was at about 40 kilometers.  Halt for lunch was at about 100 kilometers.  In between were hydration breaks, well managed by the support crew.  We typically did a short break after every 25 kilometers.  

Sarang was ahead of all the rides on his motorbike.  Somewhere in between the riders, Chintan was driving the car.  The support vehicle was always behind the last rider.  We kept this formation throughout the tour.  At the road intersections, Sarang used to do marking on the road.  To avoid detouring of the riders.

Breakfast

The early morning ride till breakfast was the easiest of the day.  Temperature was low and we were fresh from the night's rest.  After the breakfast, our ride started with the same energy.  Then temperature began to rise.  12 noon to 1 PM was the difficult time of the day to ride.  The last few kilometers before reaching for lunch break were tough.

I usually avoid eating lunch during full day cycle rides.  Likewise, on the first day I had a mini lunch.  But on the subsequent days I had to eat full lunch.  The energy drain was so heavy that not having lunch was not a choice.

Gujarati Thali

Having a 30 minutes nap after the lunch is necessary.  Energy level gets restored by the lunch and the rest.  But only for a limited duration.  In the ride after the lunch, the fatigue grows again.

Kathiyawadi Thali

Breakdown cycles and riders were swept by the support crew.  They are the reason why we could do this expedition.

As I had imagined, the hybrid cycles and the road bikes were faster than my mountain bike.  The roads were mostly not suitable for the mountain bike.  I was at the tail end of the pack on the first day.  Riding the 15 kg mountain bike having broad tires, I was burning more energy than those riding the lighter hybrid cycles and the road bikes.  

So the second day I chose to ride the spare hybrid cycle.  That saved some energy for me.

On the third day I was back on my mountain bike.  The road from Saputara to Mandvi has many downhill sections.  The downhill mountain bike never leaves the grip on the road.  Whether a truck is passing by, or heavy headwind or sidewind, or sharp declining turns on the road, or too much bumpiness of the road - the downhill mountain bike never lets you down.

On the fourth day, I wanted to ride the spare hybrid cycle.  But it had to be used by the rider whose cycle had went out of order.  So I was riding my mountain bike on the fourth day.  The afternoon heat and the energy drain and the uphill sections were a way too much for me while reaching for the lunch break.  So after the lunch I took the Scott lightweight hybrid cycle that Nitin Sir was not riding.  And I was riding with the same pace as others.  In the last section of the tour, I was back on my mountain bike.  When the signboards mentioning the distance to the Statue of Unity started to appear, we were delighted with the thought that the destination is now within reach.

Private vehicles running on petrol and diesel are not permitted in the areas surrounding the Statue of Unity.  Cycles are allowed.  So we could ride all the way to the public bus station.  With the cycles parked safely, we visited the Statue of Unity, the tallest statue on earth as of today.  Sarang had already purchased the tickets that are required for going to the viewing gallery inside the statue.  Another example of his perfect planning of the whole trip.  We were the only ten folks in the crowd wearing cycling clothes, helmets, hand gloves.  When you arrive riding 555 kilometers all the way from Pune, being in the cycling getup is so apt.

DOs and DON'Ts

Be in the correct riding posture.  Use the correct combination of gears.

Don't ride at your top speed.  Conserve energy by riding a bit slower. 

Do not over-eat.  Remember this while having breakfast, lunch, dinner.  Stop eating before you feel 100% full.

Keep drinking water or liquids at regular intervals.  Not having enough water may lead to cramps.

Preferably, have the same liquid throughout the day.  If you have tea, energy drink, sugarcane juice, coffee, soft drink, buttermilk in the same day, that may upset your digestion.  So choose one and stick to it as much as possible.

At the first hint of a cramp, take evasive action.  Don't continue in the same way.  Lower your speed.  Or take a break.  Or apply some topical pain relief spray.  Use your own judgement and decide the best possible ways to avoid a breakdown.  During the ride after lunch on the third day, I sensed a cramp in the right calf.  I slowed down, started pushing with left leg, and rested the right leg.  And applied topical pain relief spray when the support vehicle approached.

Do take a short break if you think you would be hitting the wall.  Hitting the wall is when you get completely drained out of energy, and can't ride anymore.

Be prepared to ride in the hot afternoons under the burning sun.  Some folks are early morning riders who never ride in the afternoon heat.  In a multi-day expedition where you ride all day, afternoon is the treacherous time of the day.

Don't throw garbage on the roads.  Tons and tons of garbage is accumulating roadside.  Humans are killing this planet.  Don't be a part of the problem.  Be a part of a solution.  Carry all your garbage with you and dispose properly.

Help your fellow riders.  This is not a race.  Together we win.  Or together we lose.

Glimpses of the Expedition

संकल्प बोल के

हम तो निकल पड़े

हर द्वार खोल के

गगन कहे

Honorable Mention

T. Shivmani

During one of the hydration breaks, we met this guy.  His hometown is Rameshwaram, Tamilnadu.  He is travelling all over India on a moped bike.  He has visited Bangladesh as well.  He is selling the artifacts from the shop on his moped bike. A mobile shop.  You get to purchase something from this shop only if the shop comes in your vicinity. Luck by chance.

A Land Snail

We saw this land snail during a hydration break.  It would be living in a vicinity of may be a 100 meters.  And what if that area is littered with garbage thrown by humans.  Would you like to live in a home littered with garbage?  Then why should the creatures of this planet live in inhospitable conditions?  Why throw garbage roadside and move on?

VIPs of the Expedition

Name : Malhar
Age : 11 years
Road Bike Specialist

Name : Vivan
Age : 16 years
Future Champion

Support Vehicle Driver
Patiently drives behind the last rider of the expedition

The Technician
When a vessel breaks down 200 miles away from the shore, he is the Magician

The Leader of the Pack

Sarang organised and executed the expedition in the best possible manner.  Giving us the best possible start of the Gregorian year 2025.  The major factor in the success of the expedition is the food and the night stays.  At what time to start the ride in the morning, after what distance and and at which place to halt for breakfast, for lunch, for tea, for the night halt. The hydration breaks. All of this was meticulously planned by Sarang.  Keeping a spare cycle and all possible equipment and spares is another factor in the success of this expedition.  All of this contributed to why we kept riding till the fourth day to the best of our abilities.  The pain in the legs go away in a day or two. The memories stay for a long time.