Tour of Nilgiris is a cycling tour organized by Ride a Cycle foundation in December every year. This yeas it was around 1000 KM tour spread across 8 days (7 riding + 1 rest) with 2 major climbs to Ooty (Day 3) and then to Sultan Bathery (Day 7).

I was super excited about TFN last year (2009) and was preparing well for it. I didn’t get an invite from the famous Jack Lee I got busy with work and couldn’t get on the saddle for a few months. I registered within the first 25 seconds the registration opened this year and I was in

I had around 4 – 5 months to prepare and I thought I would train as hard as I can, get in shape and do the tour as if I was doing Tour de France All I did was plan to train and couldn’t get to training… There were a lot of opportunities to train, a couple of really long rides, back to back Bangalore – Mysore (150 km mostly downhill) & Mysore – Bangalore (150 km, steady uphill I guess and strong head winds I have heard) but I couldn’t take the time out. So my first long ride this year was Day 1 of TFN.

I replaced my office chair with a gym ball a month before TFN (in order to strengthen my back) and it helped a lot! (Actually, I have switched to gym ball permanently now)

I bought a couple of riding jerseys & shorts, spare tubes, brake pads, puncture kits, sipper bottles, I had a cut on my rear tyre so I replaced both front and rear tyres, got the handle bar tape on my BTwin Sport 1 changed from white to black, bought enough electral and gluconD, bought a water proof video camera and changed my pedals to platform pedals for TFN.

Bike Clinic

TFN organizes a bike clinic (in association with BSA, BSA is one of the major sponsors of the Tour) where they service your bike and get it in shape for TFN. I wanted to get the handle bar tape changed, FD & RD adjusted and chain degreased and lubricated. They did a good job on the FD & RD adjustment, but I guess they used a bad lubricant (My chain was squeaking on Day 2) Also I thought, they would check the wheels for trueness, which they didn’t and I had to pay the price on Day 4! The tape came off on Day 4 too

Next year, no leaving the mechanic’s work on anyone else, I would do it myself…

I have started preparing for Tour of Nilgiris 2010 (TFN 10) which starts Dec 15. For those of you who do not know what it is and why do I need to prepare for it…

“On TFN, I would ride 1,000+ Km in 8 days It is not a flat route, it has 2 killer climbs Ooty and Sultan Bathery”

Why am I doing it ?

I guess for the same reason every endurance athlete does what he does – To explore my boundaries… To challenge myself for something out of my league and then, do it.
I want to finish an Ironman one day. I guess after TFN I would be ready at least for the 180 KM cycling bit

How am I planning to prepare?

In short:

1. Quit smoking – done (It has been around a month since I last smoked. I would write another blog about it in sometime…)
2. Get the weight down to around 80Kg
3. Ride as much as I can !

(Still need to figure out If I am missing something. Maybe I will ask someone who has done TFN’09 and update here)