As a mt bike destination, Bangalore is second only to Moab. OK, that is a bit of a stretch, but we would both strongly recommend biking around the outskirts of Bangalore. It might quite possibly be the highlight of our entire trip to India.
To be ready to bike in Bangalore, we had to bring a lot of metal in our carry-on baggage. It turns out that most airport security could care less and, of those who did, they let us pass even though they remained perplexed as I tried to explain what “clipless pedals” are used for.
A neighbor of James and Rebekah, Phil, has managed to scout out miles of mountain bike trails just outside of Bangalore. Mind you, his discovery took 5 years of getting lost and encountering countless dead ends. His ability to guide us through small towns and fields by memory was impressive. (watch video)
Besides trying to avoid large mud puddles and thorn bushes, the “trails” were not technically challenging. We mixed it up between riding through rice and palm tree fields, local foot paths, and small towns. (watch video)
We rode about 38 miles, which probably provided the most eyeopening and authentic view of rural Bangalore we could ever have. (watch video)
In one small village, Phil befriended a local who gave us a tour of the towns silk factory. In another village, Annie became the talk of the town when she ran into a dog that darted out in front of her. (The dog is OK and the locals are still laughing about it.) As we made our way home, we biked through a street parade celebrating Lord Ganesh. (watch video)
While its wasn’t a very technically or even vertically challenging ride, we would do it again in a heart beat.
Thanks for posting the photos and videos. I really enjoyed it and hope you make it back to Bangalore again. We’ll go up and down Nandi Hill a couple of times if you want verticality.