I wanted to go for a long ride. I could not join Krish and Anil on their ride to Osmansagar the other week as the kid was not doing well. I had to miss a couple of rides that a few of the friends here were undertaking as well. So, I was itching for a long ride. A long ride for me is anything that took more than 2 hours/40km as it was the longest I rode previously. I did not call any of the friends to join me because I was unsure whether I would go or something will come up on that morning again. I thought I will go if on the morning I felt like going. But, where to go? Undecided, I slept on Saturday. Sunday morning, I woke up at 5:30 am and got freshened up and was on the bike at 6:15am. I was still undecided. Reached the main road and just turned left towards Lingampally. This side, I can go towards, BHEL, Patancheru or I can take left further and head towards Osmansagar and move further to Chilukur. So Chilukur it will be then.

The winter breeze was chilling and friendly. It felt fabulous forging ahead on the newly laid tarmac up until Lingampally. Then I had to take left and move towards Osmansagar. The road here is not that bad either. Everything was silent but for the constant creaking noise from my left pedal. I made steady progress. New residential villas and apartments coming up gorging up the paddy fields and surely this serene atmosphere will not remain so for long, I thought. Good that we are able to enjoy whatever serene beauty left now. Our kids have to look hard and far to find similar trails.

The sun was just waking up and but is still covered in white sheets of mist. I can see him reluctant to get out of those sheets. May be he wanted to doze off for some more time on this Sunday morning. 😉 As I moved towards the villages the misty morning’s breathtaking beauty is begging to be captured and be shared with all who are enjoying the warmth of their beds still. Alas no camera to do that. Its time to buy one I told myself. The camera in my N72 would not do justice to this beauty.

I moved on and came across Wipro building in Gopannapalli and the SOS children village. I made steady progress, and reached Osmansagar/Gandipet in exactly an hour’s time. There were baboons crossing the road and playing on trees there. I just wished my Hawk and the bald stranger on it did not grab their attention making them grab some part of me. 😀 They must have seen stranger things though. ‘Cause they blissfully ignored me. One baboon was drinking some leftover Frooti very skillfully. This group obviously adapted itself very well to this tourist spot.

Here I stopped for a couple of minutes. I took a couple of sips from my water bottle while wondering where the other end of the lake was. It was covered with mist and looked like an ocean. The ‘sagar’ in its name ‘OsmanSagar’ felt apt at that point. It was a beautiful view. I started off again now towards Chilkur Balaji Temple. A group of teenagers were sitting there at Gandipet and one of the guys was showing the others my Hawk as I was riding off. As I drove off, I guess he could not get a satisfactory view and he started his bike and whizzed past me and stopped at some distance and was looking again. I smiled and waved to him and moved on.

The roads are quite and serene with lovely green vegetation on both sides. The creaking pedal was pestering for attention but I was adamant on enjoying the beauty around. But I am sure if some one was to accompany me on the ride the creaking noise would have drove them crazy. I had to get this fixed I thought.

I reached the Chilkur Balaji Temple by 7:45am. 90 minutes after I got on my bike. I did not go into the temple itself but stood outside for a while. Called my sister and told her where I was. The next question she asked was, ‘is it on your bicycle??!!’ She was unable to believe that I went all that distance on a bicycle. I thought I should show the ride reports of this forum. She may then say, ‘Is that all’?

I started back and stopped at Osmansagar again on my way back. I ate a couple of bananas and drank some water. I was good to go again. Was back on my bike and was on my way back. I stopped at Chandanagar and got the pedal fixed. I reached home around 10am contended and thought may be I am good to try 100 km next time. Let’s see. 😀

Total time : approx 4hrs
Time on wheels : 3:0:0 approx
Distance : 60 km approx
Avg : 20.0 kmph approx

All the stats are approx because I don’t have a cyclocomp yet. I am planning to take this route again by motor bike when I take my mom to visit the temple. I will be able to give the exact distance after that trip.
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More in this ‘Relook-3 Years Hence’ series. 
My first ride on my Hawk.
My first commute.
My first century ride.