THE LONG HAUL

For self-supported long-distance cyclists, it is more about winning over their body and mind rather than the race

- SHAIL DESAI

While growing up in Alibag, near Mumbai, one of the earliest adventures that Sumit Patil undertook was a seven-day cycling trip with a few friends from school. All that they carried with them was a bag with a few essentials and spare parts for their bicycles.

Over time, the distances grew longer for Patil, as the bicycle became a means to explore different parts of the country. The minimal gear was strapped on to his ride, and while he had a general idea about the route, there was no planned itinerary. The idea was to soak in the adventures that the open road offered and cherish the generosity of the people he met en route.

Last July, Patil lined up alongside five other cyclists in Manali, Himachal Pradesh. And while the idea remained the same—the riders carried supplies on their bicycles to take on the 650-odd kilometres to Turtuk in Ladakh—this time there was a time constraint to be dealt with: Patil was riding his first self-supported race called the La La Land Ultra.

Although the humble bicycle has been around as a mode of transport for a couple of centuries, in the course of time it became a means of travelling over long distances. In India, long-distance cycling grew in popularity when randonneuring arrived around a decade ago. Cycling groups in various pockets of the country negotiated hundreds of kilometres as part of brevets, supporting each other on the route while sourcing supplies such as food and water along the way. The ultimate aim for most was a sense of achievement and the joy of finishing the ride.

“The format is to be self-sufficient and take care of yourself on the ride. At the same time, it doesn’t require much fitness, so it’s accessible to a lot of people of different ages. It’s been a huge part of the growth of long-distance cycling,” says Divya Tate, who founded Audax India Randonneurs and started overseeing randonneuring in India in 2011.