Lonavala ride-my first 150 kms ride!

On Sunday, 28^th February, I, along with my group of cyclists from #Mulund, took a ride to Lonavala from Mumbai (Mulund). This was my attempt for the longest ride till date and I decided to take this plunge since I had practiced quite well in the month of February clocking 80-100 kms each weekend.

Having said that, the ride to #Lonavala is different from the point of view that there is a ghat climb which is quite challenging. Having weighed various options, including whether or not to take this ride at all, I took the plunge. We gathered at 5 am to begin and started off. The group was around 15 odd cyclists but not all of them were to go till Lonavala. Some of them were aiming for a 100 km ride minus the ghat route. So in effect, we were 8-9 of us doing the entire Mumbai-Lonavala-Mumbai ride.

Since it was early morning, the weather was pleasant and with a few halts to regroup and to hydrate ourselves, we cruised smoothly till about 60 kms. We took a food break few kms before the ghat began to replenish our energies. We took care not to eat too heavy but at the same time good enough to feel strong. From the base of Khopoli the ghat till the table top of Lonavala is about 8 kms. Maximum elevation is 560 metre or 1837 feet.  If one has travelled via the old Mumbai-Pune highway, one would get the drift.

The climb started on an easy note with  little elevation but as it progressed, the ascend increased with many curves and other vehicles passing by. Fortunately, it was about 10 am so the heat wasn’t much then. The ride was slow and steady with rising elevation, drawing a lot of strength from the legs. To gain some momentum, I tried rising from the saddle but mostly it was sitting on the saddle. There is not much relief on the ghat since most of it is elevated barring minor flat spaces. One needs to take few breaks to hydrate oneself at few points and although the distance isn’t much, it does feel a lot. The last leg of the ghat passes from Khandala’s tourist spot, Sunset point and as one sees visitors assembled in various places, one gets a sense that the arduous journey is about to end. I think the end of the ghat section is at the Ekvira Maa temple and after that its flat or slope towards Lonavala town. Our pit stop was at Kamat’s restaurant and the group refreshed with some snacks and drinks again making sure that only what is necessary must be consumed and not a lot. After a break of about 45 minutes, we started on the return journey to Mumbai. As we rode on the ghat, it was a complete descend and not requiring much of pedaling. In fact, I reckon, some of the points are a bit dangerous due to the fast slopes converging at sharp turns making it a bit difficult to manage the ride. However, the trick is to keep your grip on the brakes, maintain a normal speed with a firm view of the road. The ghat ride on the way back was quick and one reaches the base of the ghat, Khopoli in few minutes. The temperature was rising and we could feel the heat since it was around noon and getting hotter. A bit unusual for the last day of February but it felt like the summers have begun.  We took few stops to hydrate ourselves and I poured some water on my head and my back to escape the heat emanating not only from the top but also from the concrete roads. When we checked the temperature it was hovering around 37 degrees Celsius and at one point touched 39 degrees. Averaging about 19 kms per hour, we rode slow and steady. At around a point called Morbe dam, we reached in excess of 100 kms and from here onwards every kilo meter, I rode would be above my longest ride. Earlier, I felt I should progress gradually from 100 kms but didn’t really think I would jump to a 150 km plus ride with a ghat section included.

Within a couple of hours, reached Panvel and now that Mumbai was within sight, it felt like completing the journey was a matter of time. Slowly, the heat stared abating which was a slight relief but also the energy was draining. Fortunately, I kept hydrating myself at regular intervals which meant that the heat wasn’t getting on to me much. I could see the last stop before Mulund, Airoli and was feeling triumphant about the ride and in some time, touched Mulund.

When I checked my Garmin, I had clocked 158 kms and the total ride time was 8 hours 6 minutes with an average speed of 19.6 kms per hour. Overall, an experience to cherish and great support by fellow riders from my cycling group!