Addiction that is Tour of Nilgiris

Nilgiris

By Chenthil Mohan

May 10^th, 2017

By Bikey Venky

Last year, for an international online cycling magazine, I had put together the following set of images consolidating my archives from Tour of Nilgiris over the years and set to words by another TfN junky Bikey Venky. This how it goes..

What is it with cyclists and the strong urge that draws them towards challenges that normal folk would categorize as death wishes? Is it the masochism that seems to be a common trait in cyclists? Or is it the addiction to the endorphins that flood the system after a strenuous physical challenge is overcome? Whatever it is, I too fell victim to that deep uncontrollable urge (a.k.a. death wish) and signed up for riding, Tour of Nilgiris in 2011.

Tour of Nilgiris, or TFN in short, is a hilly cyclo-sportive that covers about 900km with a cumulative elevation gain of around 12,000 meters in 7 days. It has timed sections every day, mostly on the hills, that add up to determine the winner in General Classification. That itself might not sound like a huge challenge but for a weekend warrior like me in 2011, it was a challenge of Himalayan proportions. To add to it, I had decided to ride it on my fixed gear bike, the only bike I owned at that point of time.

The enormity of it dawned up on me only after my registration had been accepted. I was scared witless.

The only way I knew how to deal with that fear was to go out and ride. I added 2-3 weekday rides to my schedule along with a couple of weekend rides. One of those weekend rides was usually a long ride with a hill to climb. As the event approached nearer, both the weekend rides were spent grinding up the hill on my fixed gear bike, since the event has lot of climbing. I was no longer a weekend warrior. Over the course of next 5 months, I rode about 9,000km while training for the 900km event.

By the time TFN started on December 16th 2011, I was 66kgs, 12 down from 78kgs. I was lighter and faster than I have ever been. On the last day of the tour we had to race up a 20km 5% climb to Ooty in a mountain top finish. I gave my all grinding up the hill in a 42x15 and collapsed at the finish line exhausted and with tears of elation! I was not only able to successfully complete the most grueling of tours but also finished in top 10 overall.

I was hooked! I went ahead and signed up for the tour the year after and the year after. I have done the tour 5 consecutive years so far and this year will be my 6th time riding the tour that got me hooked to cycling for life. What makes this tour so addictive for me?

A Challenge That Intimidates And Motivates: In 2012 a 12km 10% Hors Category climb was introduced. The 36 hairpin climb is one of the toughest of climbs in the world. No matter how many times you climb it, it never gets easier always humbles the strongest of the riders with its difficulty level. Many strong riders from all over the world, who have ridden the climb, have unanimously said it rates very highly on the toughest climbs they have ever done. It is only one of such challenges that the tour offers. One year we had to climb a 50km 4-5% climb after 100km of ride in rolling terrain. It was one of the toughest days on a bike ever for me.

The Social Aspect: Over the last four years, I have met and become friends with some of the most inspirational people from all over India and from around the world. Every year you get to interact with people from so many disperse back grounds connected by a common thread of love for cycling. There is always something that I get to learn and take away from those super humans masquerading in the grab of ordinary folk. There is always something fun going on and you never know what you get to see on the tour. I have seen a marriage proposal and engagement on the tour. A rider, signed up sighting his age as 50 so that he has a better chance of getting accepted into the tour, celebrated his 70th birthday on the tour and kicked ass and took podium in over 45+ category.

Beautiful Routes: The tour takes us through some of the most pristine of routes around in the southern India. We get to ride through wild life sanctuaries and National parks across three states. The incredible beauty of the routes we ride in is unparalleled while still being challenging by the very nature of the undulating terrain. Each year I get to see something new or see the same route in a way that I have never looked at before. The diversity is incredible.

A Great Format: The grand fondo format allows the riders to have fun taking in the scenery, engage in local culture and delicacies and do it as a cycling tour/vacation. The small competitive sections every day cater to the racing types who enjoy the adrenaline rush of pushing themselves. It caters to the vast variety of riders and offers a variety of experiences for each rider.

Flawless Organization: The event is organized by a non-profit organization called Ride A Cycle Foundation(RACF) that promotes cycling in India and is run on volunteer power. The core team have taken the rider feedback over the years and refined their processes to run the event like clockwork. The incredibly rider focused volunteers and organizers take your mind off everything so that you can just get on the bike and enjoy the beautiful tour and relish the challenge it offers.

When on TFN, don’t remember which day of the week it is but only know which day of the tour it is. For me it is a cycling vacation like none other. It is a training block that always left me stronger than when I entered it. It always left me mentally stronger by offering me challenges that I never thought I was capable of overcoming. It has become my strength and weakness, an addiction that I’m desperate for and look forward to all year.