Workshop - Basic Bike Maintenance

Been always wanted to clean and lube your bike, but not confident enough to give it a go? This Saturday morning, get your bike at its filthiest, and get your hands all dirty to make it sparkling clean. More so, the bike that comes with the dirtiest drive train wins a free finish line degreaser:)

Details as below:

What : Basic Bike Cleaning and Maintenance workshop

Why : Because nothing in the world feels better than riding a freshly cleaned and lubed bike.

When : 10th Sep 2011, morning 7.30 am

Location : TBA store, Kondapur. More details here -

http://www.thebikeaffair.com/contactus.html

Covers : A theoretical session on what needs maintenance on your bike , how it needs to be done, usage of degreaser and multiple kind of lubes. Followed by a hands on workshop on cleaning your bike and drive train, lubing the chain , derailleurs, gear and brake cables.

Entries : 20 riders. The cap on the no. of bikes for the workshop is 10 ( preference will go to first 10 registration)

Fees : Rs 100 per participant, which will be used to cover the cost of degreasers, lubes, and a quick breakfast and chai.

The only stuffs that you need to bring are:

a) A soiled tooth brush

b) Rags/waste cloth

To register or enquire email us at krish@thebikeaffair.com or call us at the contact nos. mentioned at http://www.thebikeaffair.com/contactus.html

HBCC 8 - A Photo Blog

Sunday 17th June, 2011, 5.45 am - While most of us preferred to catch up on our weekly backlog of sleep, 20 odd members(volunteers included) of Hyderabad bicycling club championship were found waiting at the start line for the race to start. For them , it was no ordinary Sunday, but 2nd sunday of June and time for the 8th edition of Hyderabad Bicycling club Championship. This time a road challenge. ( FYI, HBC organizes a race second Sunday of every month). I had the privilege of following the riders on my activa with photographer Devraj. Here's an pictorial account of how it went

Riders waiting for the race to start. 17 in all, not all of them in the pic

Roopak went for a sprint start

And succeeded in developed a big gap pretty soon. Rest of the ride he was on a time trial. Srikanth

had a real bad start, and is the last rider you can spot in the pic.

Vamsi and Gokul (not in pic) had a great start too, and was right behind the wheel of Sunil for quite a long time.

Murali trying to catch up Gokul and Vamsi.

Deepu had an ordinary start, but is slowly breaking away from the rest of the pack here

Mahesh, followed by Sam and Vamsi

Meanwhile Sunil broke away from the rest of the pack too, and Srikanth did a terrific job to come all the way up just behind Roopak and Sunil. Here, he is seen breathing right on Sunil's neck.

Roopak however, at the 15 km mark, had already build a minutes gap between himself and Sunil.

Sreekanth at the 21 km turn around point. By now, he has overtaken Sunil.

Gokul fighting cramps and saddle sores( new saddle)

Well, Roopak was too fast, and finished before we reached. Srikanth finishes second. Devraj(photographer) congratulates him.

1st, 2nd and 3rd, left to right

Deepu was the first MTB guy to finish, and was 5th overall. Wonder what will happen if he gets hold of a road bike.

Chilling out while waiting for the other riders to finish.

More pics of HBCC 8 here

Workshop - Fix a Flat

Lot of riders do come down from the farthest corner of the city to TBA to pick up a bike. Not a great feeling to ride down 25-30 km through traffic to get your bike serviced, for sure. Keeping them in mind, TBA will be arranging their first service camp at secunderabad on 05th June 2011.

We also thought that this would be a nice platform to have the first of our bike maintainance session - 'Fix a Flat'. ( for riders in the techier side of the town, we will have one at our store very soon ). A special thanks to Santosh who has agreed to let us highjack his garage for the camp.

When : 05-June-2011, Flat Fixing : 6 am - 7 am. Bike servicing : 7 am - 10.30 am
What : Puncture repair session followed and bike tune up for riders needing their bike to be serviced.
Cost : Puncture repair session is free. Service and tune up of bike is free for TBA customers.
Location : Plot No. #25,Venkateshwara Colony,Saraswathi Nagar, Lothkunta, Secunderabad
Click here for the map

As far as the Puncture Repair Session is concerned, we would be demonstrating
a) taking off and putting back the front and the rear wheels correctly .
b) changing a tube
c) detecting punctures and patching up tubes

Please do us at 9966040005 or send a mail to krish@thebikeaffair.com to register for the event.

HBCC 7 - The MTB Race

Get ready for the 7th edition of the HBC Championship - this time it is an MTB one. What's more, the route is so scenic that we have decided to open it for non racers/leisure riders too. To organise it better, there will also be a donation of Rs200 per participant ( applies for racers and non racers).

Location : Around Narsapur Lake. Approx 50 km from Kondapur, and 25 km from Gandimaisamma, on the medak road. Distance: 20-30 KM.
Route : 8-9 km loop, to be ridden multiple times. Combination of untarred country roads and forest trails. Scenic and thrilling. Non racers can do at their own pace. Riders are responsible for their safety and that of other riders.
Categories : a) Racer b) Non racer/leisure rider
Start Time : 6 am for racers, 6.30 am for leisure riders.
End time : Ride will get over by 8 am. We will pack up and head back by 9 am.
Donation : Rs 200/rider. This will cover
a) to and fro transport of limited nos of bikes,
b) supply of drinking water and refreshments ( juices , electrol, banana).
c) Mechanic support ( only for genuine mechanical problems, and not for punctures)

The trail while beautiful is very unforgiving. More details on HBC meet up site
http://www.meetup.com/HyderabadBicyclingClub/events/17511009/

MTB with knobbies are must. Road bikes, hybrids, or mtbs with sleeks will not be allowed in the race for safety reasons.

Riders who want to join either has to RSVP on the meetup side or let me know so I can do it on their behalf. If you don't have a bike, TBA will be happy to arrange one for you at an additional cost.

Movie Time - Chasing Legends

What : Lunch, movie, coffee.
When : Sunday, 15th May 2011, 1 pm - 4 pm
Where : My Cafe latte , Kondapur (in the lane opposite Google).
Costs : Rs 250/person ( lunch + beer/coffee + movie)

Indulge yourself in some great food at My Cafe Latte while you watch Chasing Legends, a movie that brings out all the drama of 2009 Tour De France, as seen through the eyes of HTC Columbia.

Riders are welcome to get friends and family members along. Do block your seats by sending a mail to krish@thebikeaffair.com with subject 'Chasing Legends'. Limited seats.

TBA-Medical Workshop

For all who want to use bit of advice on first aid and injury management, Doc Muralidhar would be conduction a session on the same at The Bike Affair, 23rd April, 7.30 am. Doc Murali has been a general practitioner since the last 9 years. He is also a long distance runner and a keen cyclist.

He will cover the following

a) Accidents
- minor (bruises/road rashes/cuts/abrasions/sprains)
- major (dislocations/fractures/head injuries)

How to stabilize and manage these injuries and recognizing critical injuries.

b) Repetitive Strain Injuries
- lower back, upper back, knee, wrist
- numbness of wrist/palm,... handlebar palsy

Causes, prevention, precaution and remedy.

If time permits, he will also talk about the aspects of nutrition and hydration, before, during and after a ride.


This is a free session, but you need to register yourself by sending a mail at krish@thebikeaffair.com, with subject 'TBA-Medical Workshop'.

A weekend Bicycle Escapade : 28th-30Jan 2011

Here's a belated new year gift from TBA - A biking escapade into the hills and jungles of Ananthgiri, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Now, you have always wanted to be on a vacation that lets you sample some great food and still loose a pound or two? Not to mention the terrific scenery and the awesome trails around. Pictures from the recce can be found here

http://thebikeaffair.blogspot.com/2010/11/coming-up-organised-biking-trips-from.html

What : Januari@Ananthgiri, a weekend of Bliss
When : 28-30Jan, 2011
Stay: Trails, an eco resort right at the edge of Ananthgiri Forest, Vikarabad
Food: North Indian vegetarian
Suggested Bike Type : MTB
Difficulty : Medium
Fees: Rs 4900 (+ 10.3% service tax) for the complete trip, per person on twin sharing basis.
Itinerary :

Day 1, 28-Jan-2011 :

Start point: The Bike Affair, Kondapur
End point: Deccan Trails, Vikarabad (Manneguda)

Option a) Ride to Vikarabad
Start time: 6.00 am
Route: Scenic village routes through shankarpalle, nawabpet, vikarabad, manneguda
Distance: 80 km

You will be checked in at one of the twin sharing tents at Deccan Trails, a luxury jungle resort commanding a splendid view of the ananthgiri forests. You will be based at Trails throughout this trip. Optional 10 km trail riding in ananthgiri jungles in the evening. If you don’t want to cycle any more, you can opt for a jungle walk instead.
Dinner followed by campfire.

Option b) Drive down to Vikarabad
Start time: 4.00 pm
Route: Gachibowli., Outer Ring Road, Moinabad ( via Vikarabad road), Chevela, Manneguda, Deccan Trails.

Dinner, campfire and stay at one of the twin sharing tents at Deccan trails - a luxury jungle resort commanding a splendid view of the Ananthgiri forests.


Day 2, 29-Jan -2011

Start time : 6.30 am
End time : 11 am
Distance : Around 50 km
Route : local loop, primarily trail riding through some nice and quite little villages , hills, and farmlands, in and around the ananthgiri forest belt.

Rest of the day at leisure at Trails.
Campfire after dinner

Day 3 , 30-Jan-2011

Start time : 6.30 am
End time : By 12 pm
Distance : Option of 45km or 90 km
Route : Manneguda, Vikarabad, Anathgiri, Kirelli, Kotepally lake, Vikarabad

Today’s ride is going to be through some of the serene countryside around Vikarabad - primarily a road ride through village roads, with scenic views. We will cross Vikarabad town, get onto the anathgiri hills; take a very scenic route downhill to reach the village of kirelli. We will then continue forward to the Kotepally lake. There will be a few km of nice and relaxed trail riding thrown in around the backwaters of Kotepally Lake – a birdwatchers delight. You have the option to stop the ride here (and get into the support vehicle with your bike. Around 45 km), or complete the full loop (90km) till the resort

Once you are back at resort, you will need to pack up your bikes. Packing materials will be provided. You can then head for lunch. Post lunch, transport will be arranged for you and your bikes. Destination will be The Bike Affair, Kondapur.


Whats included :

• Stay at the luxury jungle resort Deccan trails in twin sharing tents
• Breakfast, lunch, evening snacks, and dinner. Food served will be north Indian vegetarian plus boiled eggs for breakfast and dinner.
• Pick up and drop from The Bike Affair, Kondapur to Deccan trails, Vikarabad, and vice versa
• Transport of your bike from The Bike Affair, Kondapur to Deccan trails, Vikarabad, and vice versa.
• Support vehicle on day 3, in case you don’t want to ride the whole distance.
• A mechanic will accompany the team of volunteers, in case you need any help with your bicycle.

Whats not included :

• Your bikes. You can get your own bikes, or rent a bike from us. Rental bikes will cost Rs 800 for the whole trip.
• Any bicycle spares that you may require during the trip.
• Bikes need to be packed by the respective owners before transporting them to destination. The Bike Affair will only provide the necessary packaging materials.
• Anything that is not mentioned under ‘what’s included’

For reservations/information, mail krish@thebikeaffair.com or call us @ 9966040005