Ajay
Guesthouse [website] Delhi 06-10-07
Completely sikh of it all
- one last chance
(Chandigarh to Delhi: 2 cycle days; 264km; 170 m)
Chandigarh to Kurukshetra (96 km; 74 m)
Kurukshetra to Delhi (168 km;
96 m)
The next couple of days
almost do it for us in India and there's some serious
thinking to be done when we finally make it into Delhi.
The road is flat all the way. The weather is hot and
dusty. The traffic is appalling and the people impatiently
unfriendly. Again, we have to fight for our lives with
every single vehicle that passes us, be it from the
front or behind. Not one person on the way to Kurukshetra
lets us in, gives us precedence, even when we have the
right of way. They incessantly honk on their horns,
which is infuriatingly deafening. Some guy runs me off
the road with his four wheel drive on a dirt track detour
and I ball him out big time, though it makes no difference
what you say, how much you yell, what sort of names
you call them, they just laugh at you. Even the police
do sod-all. We've actually caught them spinelessly hiding
behind their police car, while screaming at some inconsiderate,
life threatening stunt driver...
Tip of the month: Take your spares to India!
Although we only travelled
in the north of India, we imagine that finding
specific parts is difficult all over the
subcontinent and even though there is a
bike shop to be found in the smallest of
villages. Any of the cycle bazaars in the
bigger towns had only kit bikes and everything
was of a pretty poor quality or completely
different sizing to our mountain bikes.
No car tyre or French valves on their tubes
either, so if that's your fancy then bring
them along with you. As consolation, there
is a chain of Firefox
Bike Stations throughout
India, stocking Trek bikes and associated
parts, so this could be an option in the
future.
Chandigarh - Agra (India)
Kilometres: 1065 kilometers and 520 meters
Riding days: 11 days only
Alti meters: 2033 meters
Weather: sun, haven't seen a cloud yet
this month!
Best accommodation: The Cocoon in Jaipur. Clean,
helpfull and the best food so far.
Special thanks to:
All those drivers of cars, trucks, buses, tractors
and motorcycles who didn't try
to push us off the road... • All citizens of Gangapur, but especially Shahid
Ahemed, who offered to help us when we needed
it most • Doctors Lelit Pathak, Mohit Kumal, C.M.O. R.L.
Sharma and all the staff at SN Medical College
in Agra for taking such good care of us.
Breakdowns:
02: flat tyre (Son)
11: 3 spokes (all at once...)(Son)
12: 2 spokes (1x Son, 1x Ali)
13: 5 flat tyres (4x Son, 1x Ali)
17: flat tyre (Ali)
26: spoke (Ali), flat tyre (Son)
