Taj Pedal Yatra : Logistics etc.

old stuff: original notice for participation

Get bragging rights to a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

270 km of bicycling. two days in the saddle. taj at sunset.

we leave early morning on the 12th, pedal 150 km to etawah.

next morning, we do 120 km to agra, reaching by 4pm. After an early dinner, we take a bus to Kanpur, getting back late Sunday night.

while this is an informal trip, we will be having a truck to pick you up if you get too tired or have a breakdown. travel light since your luggage goes by bus. don't worry about the overnight hotel.

on the ride, get to mix with a different group of (interesting) people - students, staff, faculty. and see the "true" india as you pass by villages and talk to fellow-cyclists on the road.

all campus residents in good physical fitness welcome.

however, fitness is not enough. you WILL need to train for the event, and we INSIST you do at least one 80km training trip before the ride. we will be organizing trial runs as follows:

27 Feb, sunday: 60km ride to Bandimata on the ganga. Starts 6AM at SAC.
5 Mar: 80km: Akbarpur
other dates to be announced.

Also, you can go in your own group along any of the routes linked at the bottom of this page.

NOTE: also, all riders must wear a bicycle helmet at all times.

Costs

Base cost: Rs. 1500 (includes low-cost helmet)
if you already have a helmet: Rs. 1200

costs include:

a "broom wagon" [bus] so that slower riders can reach the end point on time
mechanic support for bicycle problems
comfortable accommodation on shared room basis at Etawah
transport back to IITK for riders and their cycles (overnight on 13th night).

Note:

Owing to limited support infrastructure, we cannot accommodate more than 20 people.
Accommodation is gender segregated. Couples are welcome to join, but may need to stay in separate rooms.
Owing to the risk involved, UG students are required to have parental permission (a physical letter, not email).
Safety first. This is a tour, so no honours for reaching there first.

how to join us

In order to get the helmets, book the transportation and hotel, we do require you to confirm your participation. you will need to pay the money to mr. santosh at cse dept office (ph: x7638). Also, UG Students will need to fax / submit a physical letter (not email) from your parents by Mar 10.

Postscript: To simplify the logistics of collecting your information, we have set up this registration page:

[http://drpg.iitk.ac.in/bumpytrail/]

Please register at this website, take a printout of the screen that appears, and bring it to Santosh when you come to register.

we can accommodate at most 20 people. it is first come first serve, or by mar 2, whichever is earlier.

things to checkup before the ride...

bike repair

brakes: should stop well within a bike length at normal speed
tube: if tube is > 6 mo old, or has had even one puncture, just replace it.
tire: check tires for ruptures and other weak spots.
wheel: look at the wobble on the rim. if more than 1-2 mm, get it trued.
hubs: are wheels sticky? should spin so long that you get bored.
seat height: raise the seat so the leg nearly straightens out at the bottom of the stroke.
noise: sometimes you may need to get rid of the chainguard.
chain slip:does the chain slip often? check the wear on the chain. if not worn, adjust rear wheel.

water

at least a bottle

sunglasses

for the dust

stretch

stretch before you start, and stretch at breaks.

energy

eat well the night before

amitabha mukerjee mar 2011 mukerjee [at] gmail