Calories Not Worth Losing - A Food Trail

One of the plus points of running a bike store is getting to meet crazy people you otherwise won't. The other day I met Jochen (pronounced Yohen) at the store. He has been traveling around the world on bicycle for the last 2.5 years and had stopped over for some help on his bike. After spending a couple of hours hearing his jaw dropping adventure stories, I came to know that Jochen is in town for one more day. So I invited him for tour cum dinner trip of old city. Obviously on the bicycle! This post is primarily going to be a foodie post, but those of you who want to know more about Jochen should have a look at his portal - http://nomadic-freedom.de

Come saturday evening, a few more riders joined  and we headed to the old city. I had  an itinerary in mind (courtesy :http://chowdersingh.com/), and the first scheduled stop was Iqbal Cafe on Purani Haveli Road, near Charminar. This place, I have been told, makes some delicious Lukhmi and Irani Chai.

Iqbal Cafe on Purani Haveli Road, our first stop

Crisp from outside, but take a bite and it melts in our mouth

Irani chai being served. One of the best I ever had.

A sip of Irani Chai

The place is 50 years old and quite a hit among locals. The chai was mean, and not overly creamy. Everybody had at least 2 cups each. The lukhmi was yummy and literally melts in mouth. To be frank , I have had lukhmi at few other places, but this is the first time I really loved it.

The next stop was an unplanned one. Couple of our veggie friends had to let go the Lukhmis, and they wanted a grab. Hussaini Naan just a few shops away on the Purani Haveli Road caught our eyes.

Hussaini Naan

Naans coming out from the clay tandoors

Crisp from outside, and soft inside

Getting ready for a marriage function

The place has the ambience and looked like a century old.  The naans were coming right out of the oven. They were getting made in 2 shapes. We were told the square ones are the ones which are consumed on daily basis. The heart shaped ones are reserved for special occasions  We tried out a couple of them. they were soft and nice, but I guess you need something to accompany them.

Our next stop which was Kabab-e-Jahangir, but everyone was thirsty. So there we were , at a road side sugarcane juice vendor, Abul Barkaat Sugar Cane Juice. Rs 5/ glass if you opt for the one with ice, Rs 10 a glass without ice

The thirst quencher - Sugarcane juice

Sugarcane Juice

Feeling recharged after a few juices, we parked our bikes around Charminar and walked down to Kabab-e-Jahangir, around 100 metres away from Charminar

Kababs on coal at Kabab-e-Jahangir

Waiting for more happiness to arrive.

Although we received a warm welcome, I was kind of disappointed by the kebabs. The kebabs were nothing spectacular and I thought I have had better kebabs at another road side vendor close by Charminar. But nevertheless, we had a great time.

Having a good time at Famous Ice Cream.

Last stop - the 50 year old ice cream joint Famous Ice Cream opposite Mozamzai market. When we reached there, it was close to midnight. The place was teeming with people. We opted for the fresh fruit flavours of litchi, mango, chikku and kharbuja.  These are hand churned and the chiku in particular tasted delicious. 

Jochen is a big fan of tropical fruits. So we went ahead and ordered some fruit salad with ice cream. That was accompanied by some astonishing real life experience from Yochen, and time just flew.  

As we were talking, the lights went off and the noises turned to whispers. Apparently the midnight patrolling was on. We finished the ice creams in a hurry. It was time to ride back home.

The Backwater Trail – A Unique Experience Amidst Wilderness

Exploring new places on bike is always fun.  Fitness is only the byproduct. Saayon Chakrabarti shares his experience of  last weekend's bike outing.

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Having started cycling as a sport for only a few weeks, it took some amount of self-convincing to sign up for the 70km trail ride in the rustic trails of Anantagiri and Vikarabad. I had been on only one ride with TBA earlier (which was a short ride to Golkonda Fort) and the friendly and encouraging group at TBA gave me the confidence to sign up for the back water trails even though it was not strictly a "beginners" ride.

 

We started off the ride after a light lunch at the Deccan Trails Adventure Camps. Luckily, it had rained quite heavily the previous day and the 4 PM afternoon heat was not killing. We rode through dirt tracks and broken village road amidst acres and acres of lush green fields till we reached our first break which was beside a dilapidated temple in the middle of a pond.

We took in the serenity of the place and filled in our lungs with fresh air. There was a large mango tree and some of us had fun trying to climb it and get raw mangoes. 

The irresistible mangoes

We continued our journey and then encountered the first of the many "flats".A flat , even though a nightmare for a cyclist riding alone, was kind of fun with this group as it gave a much needed break to others while the specialists repaired it in minutes. It was also a good learning for us first timers as to how to repair a flat in the shortest possible time.

Moving on,we reached the Vikarabad main road and continued our climb uphill.For a cyclist, on a steep uphill, the only other thing apart from using lower gears that makes him keep paddling is the surety that there will soon be a downhill after the climb. Sure enough, soon we encountered downhill and were taught how to use controlled braking on a steep downhill. Here is when the second flat happened. And we go out second break! 

A break amidst wilderness

 

The break was a lot of fun since, we decided to halt at a tea stall and binge on chips and fries, while passersby stared at us oddly since we were 15 “geared up” people with shorts, goggles and jerseys! We were quite conspicuous and were also photographed by locals. But, the local kids made the best of it by borrowing our bikes for quick rides.

By this time, it was already around 8 PM and we decided not to continue up to the final destination of Kotepally Lake because there were several muddy roads along the trail. We turned back and tried a new return route (which we were severely warned against by locals and truck drivers!).So, preparing for the worst, we went ahead and believed what we hit was a bad road. However, after the initial rough patch, we came across one of the best roads laid in recent times! The tarmac was so fresh; we actually lay down on the road listening to music! 

 

Luckily, there were no further flats and we returned to the Deccan trails camp around 11pm to be greeted by hot food and chilled refreshments. 

 

Though we were dead tired from the 50km ride, we stayed up well past midnight sharing cycling tour stories and listening to the more experienced riders.

Lose weight the Cycle way

Raman Garimella is regular at national level cycling races . Dr Vignan runs a sports clinic and coaches on fitness and weight loss. Gokul Krishna is a fitness enthusiasts who believes there is no short cut to fitness. Gokul is also  cofounder of The Bike Affair. Here, they collaborate together to help you loose weight on the bike.

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We need energy for any and every kind of work that the body does, be it carrying weight, walking, running, cycling, sitting, breathing and even sleeping. This energy comes from the food we eat. Excess weight is accumulated when we eat more than what is required for the work we do. Excess carbohydrates and fat get stored as fat in the body and this is first visible in the mid-riff and then the limbs. If you want to lose weight, you must access these excess reserves first and then bring back balance to the equation of calories consumed and calories burnt (there is really no accurate way of measuring the number of calories that we eat and burn).

There are two approaches here: eat less, literally starving yourself and wait for the body to eat into your reserves but this is a very risky and unhealthy proposition that is NOT advised at any cost. The other approach is to keep a check on what you eat, eating the right food and working out. The best form of exercise for weight loss is endurance sport, where the level of intensity is moderate and the heart pumps in the “endurance” zone, enabling the body to tap into the fat reserves.

Thus the key components to fitness include

1. Right Exercise
2. Eating Right
3. Sleeping well

Yes it IS that simple!

Here are some fun tips that will help you lose weight quickly while riding your wheels.

Cycle whenever you can

Surveys have shown that daily distances covered for personal purposes are well within reach on a cycle. Avoid using your vehicles, because apart from losing the pounds, you save fuel, save money, and yes... save time! In our urban spaces, riding a cycle has proven to be much faster than commuting in cars. So, whenever you can, every chance you get, whether it is commuting, running errands or local work, ride your two wheels.

Hit the hills

A hill workout is a good way to shed those extra pounds. Apart from that, hills have a quality that brings out your best efforts whether you are riding an MTB or a hybrid or a road bike. Find the nearest incline and make it your training ground. Find a hill that takes a good 2 to 5 minutes to climb (Whisper Valley, Movie Towers, Financial District and hills at Rajendra Nagar). Ride up the route at a low gear and cadence between 85 and 100. Turn around and recover your legs down the hill and repeat till your times drop drastically.

Climbing hills are more fun with smartphones. There are quite a few apps; most famous being "Strava" that have brought gamification to bike riding. If you are a smartphone owner, you should surely install them. There are bragging rights and local honour at stake for almost every incline in town.

Sprinkle intervals

Intervals make you strong, add juice to your cycling and make you sweat buckets. Here is a sample one hour workout you can try.
Warm up – 10 mins easy riding, gradually building up to a sweat
5 mins of low gear and high cadence spinning (>100 RPM)
5 mins of easy riding
1 min of 95% max effort followed by 1 min easy riding (Start with 5 sets and move upto 10 sets)
Cool down - 20 mins of easy riding

Try a Brevet

A "brevet" is a self-supported, time-restricted ride that is equal to or longer than 200km which has to be done continuously on a cycle, alone or in a group. Sign up with Hyderabad Brevets for the next 200km ride. Find other participants, give yourself enough time to train, and get in shape for your first cycling medal. There is no doubt that riding 200km is no mean feat, the gratification you feel at the end is truly unmatched and very few moments in life come close to this feeling. The idea of riding a brevet is not speed, but a long, steady effort that is almost meditative in its essence. Riding at that low-medium intensity for long hours is really good for the cardiovascular system and the fat reserves of the body get used up. More than the event itself, the rewards of weight loss are reaped in the training for the event, when you are logging hundreds of miles week in and week out.

Register for a race

Racing is a primal instinct that we all possess and it brings out a side of you that you probably never knew existed. Whether you are a beginner, a pro, underweight or overweight, a hard race is a hard race is a hard race. Everybody feels the same burn and glory of being in a race and competing. Stay tuned to Hyderabad Racing League (www.hyderabadracingleague.tk) to sign up for their latest race around the corner.

Sign up for tours

 

Touring and tourism are another underrated pleasure of bike riding. For losing weight, multi-day cycle tours are very effective. Riding in your endurance intensity for days together over long distances can do wonders. Of course, bike tours come at a price, but the experience is priceless. Imagine taking a holiday to the hills, where the sceneries are breathtaking, the weather is better, there is no traffic, the roads are inviting, you are away from the stress of the city and your job, it is a fully supported holiday and the only thing you are expected to do is ride your cycle at your own pace, soaking in this magical atmosphere. Some famous road tours are the Tour of Nilgiris, Tour of Tamil Nadu and Tour of Tigers. Famous off-road tours are The Great Malnad Challenge and  MTB Himalaya.

Mix it Up

As we know, cycling doesn’t do much for the upper body (arms, shoulders, chest). Include swimming or pushing weights once a week. Start getting into a push-ups, crunches, back flexes routine after your rides.

Healthy Eating

Nutrition and Hydration during cycling is as important to shedding the extra kilos as riding the cycle itself. What you eat, when you eat and how much you eat before, during and after the ride are very critical to losing weight.

• Eat small portions, but eat more often throughout the day. This will improve your rate of metabolism to a great extent.
• Except for when you are riding a cycle, don’t eat foods that are high in sugars (high Glycemic Index).
• While riding, eat once in 60-90 mins and that too only small portions of high energy food
• All the sweating will help in detoxing the body and this means you have to keep pumping your system with water all the time. Drink lots of water throughout the day
• If you are riding for around 60 mins, at any intensity, you do not need any food or energy drink. You want to force your body to use the fat reserves. At lower-endurance intensity, you can easily go for 90-120 mins without any food
• Post workout, have your protein rich food, preferably a shake, as soon as possible. Within 30mins is the best time. This is when the body craves for replenishments and most efficiently ingests the food. Remember at this point that you must get into the habit of pumping your body with premium, high-octane fuel. Gone are the days of junk food

Prolong your workouts
If you want to lose weight, you must make sure that you don’t eat anything in the last 30 mins of your workout. This enables your body to use the fat reserves efficiently. The best way to remember and implement this 30 min rule is by prolonging your workouts.  There are quite a few ways to do this. Gokul, for instance, swears by lifting his bicycle up 3 floors of his apartment building after his commute and this adds to his upper body strength as well. Only after you have done 30mins of work without eating or drinking sugars, should you proceed to have your post workout meal.

Don’t forget the zZzZz

You have done all your workouts in the week, so it’s time to reap the benefits. But do you know that sleep is as important as riding? Good sleep will allow your muscles to recuperate and be ready for another ride another day. Resting every 3 days (meaning no cycling) is also important so your body recovers and you are ready to burn more the next day. Strict adherence to the above workouts and strict adherence to continuous, unbroken sleep will allow a weight loss like you have never seen before.

Plan, Do, Check & Adjust Cycle(PDCA)

Fitness is a long term goal and you need to have realistic intermediate goals to tick off frequently to keep you motivated. You could use anything from a simple notebook or an excel sheet to websites like trainingpeaks.com to plan your routines and track your personal milestones. Do log it in whatever way you like.

Keep your Bike & Posture Healthy

If you intend to spend long hours on the bike, it is important you get the right bike, have the right fit and ensure your bike is well maintained. Take care & have fun!

A Sunday at Work

4.00 AM:Trinnnggggggggg! For a moment I struggle to locate the source of the sound, and then the familiarity struck me. I reluctantly get out of the bed. It is a Sunday morning and I have to lead the TBA Sunday Leisure Ride. I had called riders who were renting out bikes from us the previous night and asked them to be on time, so I got to be at the store by 5 AM to avoid any embarrassment!

5.07 AM: I reach the store and saw a few riders already there and waiting for me! After an apology, we get to the drill. People get their bikes, more participants join in and everyone went through an orientation (yours truly being the instructor :P) 

(Info for the uninitiated: Our Sunday Rides are  leisurely and easy and are designed specially to encourage more people to take up biking).

8.30 AM: The first timers had an especially great experiance. We stop for our customary breakfast , getting to know each other better. Over the last one year, the sunday ride breakfast has become as important as the ride itself.

9.30 AM: Back at the store. I  take a shower, change and get ready to take on the day!

10.30 AM: A rider drops by to leave his bike for servicing. Some new apparels had arrived the day before. I help out Anil to enter the stock and put them on display.

12.30 PM: I had dozed off. I get up and make myself a cup of  filter coffee. Couple of new guys walks in to enquire about bikes. And soon they are followed by another bigger group.A few of of our old customers drop by as well to pick up some accessories. Did they smell the coffee? The store is suddenly busy.

2.00 PM: One of the visitors picks up a bike. He was super thrilled and so were we. We love it every time someone gets a bike – it signifies a bigger riding group! We help him load the bike  and prepare for a late lunch.

3.00 PM: More customers drop by. They want something cheaper with rear shox and disc brakes. I offer them a cup of coffee, and explain why it is not a great idea to go for cheaper discs and suspensions. And how the frame, crank and hubs play a significant role in ride quality. I also mention that at that price point, it is better to go without any kind of suspension and disc brake. The usual blabbering that I do, you know. They left with a promise of getting back. I guess I confused them!

5.00 PM: A few of our riding buddies drop by and we start discussing about the next long ride - Srisailam, Araku Valley, Lavasa, etc. The conversation was interrupted by a curious customer whose one question was – “Why are these bikes so expensive?” I spent some time explaining things and also offered a test ride. He seemed part convinced.

6.30 PM: The live screening of the spring classic is on. Riders drop by to watch the race. There's a lot of banter and gyan-transfer about the races, about the peleton, the brakeaways and the team strategies.

9.30 PM: The race ends with a thrilling finish. Conversations continue about the race analysis and how it as won . Suddenly someone suggests beer and dinner. I guess I am going to skip the invite and head home now!

Buyer's Guide - Bike Lights

With multiple options available in bike shops these days, picking up a bike light is far from easy. Most new rider make the mistake of judging an headlight by how bright the beam is, but they ignore very important other factors like runtime, mount quality etc. We strongly suggest you go through our tips on selecting the right headlight before going ahead.
In this article we  review some of the headlight options available in the local bike stores, and hope this helps you to make an informed choice. We have 2 broad categories for these lights – Battery Powered and USB Rechargeable.

A comparison of all the available headlight options:

Max Light Output

Battery

Charge Time

Run Time

Suitable for

Price

USB Rechargeable or Battery Powered

TBA Tested?

Akslen HB 112

1000 candella/10 lux(at 10 metres)/100 lumen

NA

NA

Full Power: 10 hrs (1000 cd) City Eco : 20 hrs (500 cd) Flash: 40 hrs

Urban Riders , Commuters, Casual, Cross Country Riders and Randonneurs

Rs 1650

Battery Powered

Yes

Akslen HB 122

1500 candella/15 lux(at 10 metres)/150 lumen

NA

NA

Full Power: 5 hrs (1500 cd) City Eco: 18 hrs (550 cd) Flash: 54 hours

Urban Riders , Commuters, Casual, Cross Country Riders and Randonneurs

Rs 2150

Battery Powered

Yes

Niterider Mako 200

200 lumen

NA

NA

Full Power: 5 hrs (1500 cd) City Eco: 18 hrs (550 cd) Flash: 54 hours

Urban Riders, Commuters and Randonneurs

Rs 2300

Battery Powered

Yes

CatEye Volt 300

300 Lumen

Li-ion rechargeable battery (3.7V-2200mAh)

Approx  6 hrs  (USB 2.0 recharge),  3 hrs via  optional fast-charging cradle

High: 3 hrs Med: 8 hrs Low: 18 hrs Hyper Constant: 11 hrs Flashing: 16 hrs

Roadies, Urban Riders, Commuters and Cross Country Riders and Randonneurs

Rs 3390 for the stand alone light; Rs 4590 for the complete set with extra battery cartridge and quick charging cradle.

USB Rechargeable

Yes

Niterider Lumina Micro 220

220 Lumen

1300 m/Ah x 1

3.5 hrs

High: 1.30 hrs (220 lumen) Med: 2:45 hrs (120 lumen) Low: 4 hrs (80 lumen) Walk: 14 hrs (15 lumen)

Roadies, Urban Riders, Commuters , Cross Country Riders and mountain bikers.

Rs. 4800/-

USB Rechargeable

No

Niterider Lumina 700

700 Lumen

1X Li-ion

6 hrs

High: 1.3 hrs (700 lumen) Med: 3 hrs (350 lumen) Low: 5.5 hrs (200 lumen) Walk: 18 hrs (40 lumen)

Roadies, Urban Riders, Commuters , Cross Country Riders and mountain bikers and randonneurs

Rs 7800/-

USB Rechargeable

No

Cateye Nano Shot Plus

600 Lumen

Li-Ion rechargeable battery  (3.7V-2800mAh)

Approx 8 hrs  (USB2.0 recharge)   80% full recharge in 5hrs

High: 1.3 hrs Low: 4 hrs Hyperconstant: 2 hrs

Roadies, Urban Riders, Commuters , Cross Country Riders and mountain bikers and randonneurs

Rs 7490/-

USB Rechargeable

No

Battery powered

Akslen HB112

The light is powered by 2 AA cells and is a good option for commuters and starters. You can find the specs of the light here -http://www.akslen.com/HB_112.html

• The beam pattern is wider than most other light in the category. This of great help when you are riding through rural potholed streets and need to change your line every now and then.
• The Akslen clamps are rock solid – the light doesn't move at all when you are riding through dirt trail or bad roads at high speed.
• The light can be panned as well, meaning you don't always need to mount it close to the stem, making it easier if you have other gadgets on your handle bar.
• The light comes with a steady state circuit. This means, unlike several other lights, it remains equally bright until the prescribed run time is reached. Beyond it, the light intensity fades away very quickly
• The light is also compatible to the Akslen’s Fork Mount(CF 10) giving you additional mount options.

Akslen HB 122

This shares the same features as Hb112, but is 50% brighter in full power mode! The full specs can be found here - http://www.akslen.com/HB_122.html

Nightrider Mako 200

This one is a popular commuter light from Niterider.

• Powered by 2 AA cells, it has 3 modes – High, Medium & Low.
• This headlight has side “gills” that emit red light, making it more visible at intersections
• Compared to the Akslen HB 122, the light has a narrower beam pattern with a central bright spot.
• This is good for riding fast on good roads, but a wider beam pattern does help on suburb or country roads where road conditions may not be great.
• The new lights come with a better clamp design and the light can be panned partially .

USB rechargeable :

Cateye Volt 300

This is an interesting light from CatEye. It runs on a USB battery cartridge that is swappable. This means if you have an extra cartridge, you can swap it middle of your ride. You can buy the light stand alone or buy the bundle which comes with an extra cartridge and a quick charging USB cradle.

We tested this light over a couple of weeks. The test consisted of a few long night rides as well as a short but technical trail ride.

• The light throws an impressive amount of light on the High Mode. The beam is neither too wide, nor too focussed. In fact, the beam pattern is perfect for road riding.
• Since the beam pattern is optimised for road riding, this may not be your perfect trail light where you would expect a wider beam.
• The Medium Mode is much lower in intensity than the High Mode. On country roads, even where the surface was good, we had to switch from Med to High.
• The Flextight bracket (mount) is equally impressive, and even on a hardcore trail ride, it felt rock solid. The bracket allows panning the light on the go as well.
• The light has a conventional Flash Mode and a Hyperconstant Mode. The Flash Mode is the regular one that you see in most lights. The Hyperconstant Mode is a continuous low power illumination punctuated with flash. The idea is to be able to see the road while getting noticed by the oncoming traffic. However, in our limited amount of testing, we were not comfortable using this mode more than a few minutes at a stretch as it puts some strain on the rider's eye.

Niterider Lumina Micro 220 

Niterider describes the Lumina series as 'Smaller…Lighter…Brighter'. The Lumina Micro 220 runs on Lithium ion USB rechargeable cell. There is no separate battery pack and the battery is integrated with the light.

• The Light comes with a handlebar mount.
• Though on paper it is only 20 lumen more than the Mako 200, it is actually twice as bright as the Mako, plus has an excellent wide beam pattern.
• The mount is pretty solid and the light can be partially panned.
• One downside is the relatively low run time because of a smallish battery.

Niterider Lumina 700 : 

 

Like the Lumina Micro 220, the Lumina 700 also runs on a lithium ion USB rechargeable cell. The battery is integrated in the light.

• The light comes with a handlebar and a helmet mount. This makes it a very good trail ready light.
• The beam is wider than the Micro 220, again making it a better trail riding light. It is also much brighter, but thats understandable with the increase of lumen
  
• It has a bigger battery than the Micro 220 making the runtime also better.
• The handlebar mount is same as the Micro 220.

Cateye Nano Shot Plus

• The CatEye Nano Shot Plus emits 600 lumens of light and has 3 different modes: High, Low and Hyper Constant (Flashing).
• It uses the same flextight bracket that is used by Volt 300, and is pretty solid.
• Like the Niterider rechargeable lights, this also comes with a battery which is part of the light unit.
• The beam pattern is circular like the Volt 300, but wider and brighter. 
• The beam is slightly narrower than the Lumina 750, but very bright neverthless.