#keepkickingass

BOTS Pune, A new place where I learnt to advance my skills not just at the bike shop but on the trails as well.

Been riding trails for about a year, Getting the Specialized Camber mid year of my madness helped me up my game. Never felt so connected to the trails that well through a bike ever before. Thought I really new my shit till I got to Pune.
Things changed, The trails were gnarly and steep! I caught my self asking is this what you guys ride here!  It was insane, scary and kickass!!
It was a challenge, To up my game again.  ate a good amount of dirt along the way... still do today. just a lot more faster n the lines this time.

Its not every day that you get up to a hill right behind your house, unless you live here in Pune.
Totally mind blown by the varies tracks on this one hill with varied skill level!
Have never been to a place where city and nature co existed with respect. Much required in this day and age.


Needless to say  commuting to work (BOTS PUNE) via the hill was more then ordinary. A nice climb to start up the ride and a flat out rush to the other side and a gnarly rock section to bomb through.

 The people I met here have thought me alot and have pushed me to ride faster as well to many names to shell out right now but thank you to the Pune mountain biking club who have also turned this xc rider obsessed with DH all the sudden!. Still have a way to go but will get there nun the less.

Days off were always fun. Would rush to the hills as soon as it starts to rain.

Its something about the rain falling down a your rushing down this section hell bent to improve your lines on this consistently changing (evolving ) track.
In the zone moment! pure addiction.

4 months have past  and its time to say my goodbyes to the hill. i will be back to shred some more,This is not a goodbye.

Now back in Bangalore where my craze for mountain biking started. It may not have the hills or the varies tracks that Pune does.
But they are bikers here who are looking to improve their game! I wish i had that person when i got into the game.
Have watched this "hobby" turn into a sport in India. Super excited to share what i have learnt in pune  to the Bangalore mountain biking club And help grow this sport!

Always remember keep kicking ass
photo credit - Nagesh wagh 

Cycling....the only thing that makes sense anymore

I have been cycling for about 6 years now,riding geared meant I could go faster and with more ease while I climb those ridiculous hills or descend down them in breath taking speed that no engine powered vehicle could gift you that essence of awesomeness.
Started of with a simple 7 speed  Downhill bike i got from a friend,changed it to semi-slicks to roll much smoother.As hard as it was to push my self to get up that hill on a heavy ass DH bike with slicks. I stayed with that bike for years,during that time did some insane long distance ridding and trails. even started a group with a few friends called chain adventures on facebook to get more people cycling and feel the same rush we do.On that firefox bad attitude. till it couldn't do anymore and had to retire.
Time to start saving up for that new bike!.....that took awhile! tryed keeping the group alive as well slowly died out.
Almost a year but during that time i jumped from friend to friend to borrow their cycles.Sadly spent most of my time commuting around the city more that seeking adventure.
Till mysterious circumstances lead me to join a theater group called Space Theater ensemble.which was based in Goa! A place i have never been too but have heard a lot of... actually ! too much about, through friends who constantly tell me what an insane place. we have been in those discussions.
This was me starting a whole new adventure in a whole new place with people actually creating a change in this sheep's ruled world.
More on that later...
days leading up to my send off was filled with confusion,tears,pride,beer,running around trying to spend time with everyone everyone i loved and to pick up my new bike!
The one i have been dreaming of for along time. Mum finally got me the mongoose tyax sport i have been drooling over for the past year!.
Three days before i left we went picked it up.Still boxed sitting there in my living room, i would stare at that box for hours day dreaming on whats to come.
The day came! where i would have to say my goodbyes and look to the new adventure ahead with my bike by my side and not to mention meeting new people and learning a form of art that i hadn't tapped in yet or even knew if i even had one.
 Reached Goa early in the morning and went to a meet up spot which was the house of one of the members of the theater group,over there after some tea, breakfast and day plan on how we are going to get to the house where we will be saying. finally got the chance to un-box and set up that mongoose that i have been waiting so long too.
that bike was ready to be ridden and that i did,Across Goa towards old Goa side which is a place where i would love to call home!
to a old Goan Portuguese  house in the woods over looking the back water's of Goa.
After hours of intense rehearsing at my free time would blast of to explore the woods around the house on my bike. found some crazy trails over looking the back waters from the hill side as your blazing through.
Getting back home filled with mud all over the bike and i.Then spending an hour or two washing up my bike making it good as new.
Time passed and we had to set out on tour around India performing and doing workshops. its during that time i had to leave my bike behind. as time went along I started to missed the moments spent at that old house and that bike still waiting to be ridden.
through shit luck i got back home to Bangalore with out my bike.Times change,situations as well. The pressure of having to earn for the family,girlfriend and the future!. Falling into the ''sheep's rule'' was demanding but tempting nonetheless. As it repeated it self over and over again in my head partly brainwashing me into joining any job! even if i hated it! i even felt i was doing the right thing at that moment.
losing the person who i was and not really turning into what i wanted to as well.this was the time where going and getting my bike was not at option because there was no time for that!.
I think a month of this madness went on till i was slapped into place by loved ones each telling to ''seek out something you love doing''.A whole new adventure
Took me awhile to get back into my senses and was i ever glad i did.
Dont get me wrong its just not who i am! i cant do a desk job, never even looked at being a doctor or an engineer.
a deep breath and after getting my self back together took some time but i was glad i was back! and knew what i wanted to do!....CYCLE! everything that had to do with cycling actually. I knew why and i knew where! just needed to know the when so applied for a job.... at a bicycle shop
Bums On The Saddle, what a name for a bike shop i thought as i walked in there years back to service my firefox more then a few times. The ''Why'' is that i always loved taking things apart and putting things back together as i did with all my toys when i was a kid. that's why i wanted to be a bike mech  with a little knowledge from taking apart my firefox to repaint it. I wanted to know everything there is to know about a cycle.Its ether the rush or that zen moment you get while your working on something that you absolutely love!
I did get that job and its been six months now. Also got the time to pick up my bike and service it my self to make it brand new. Got a fixed speed bike as its a whole new culture into cycling that i wanted to tap into
the purefix -juliet with glow wheels. Dame right!
Its a whole new adventures now! im a different person from when i started out.i grew up a little okay!!
nowadays its back to the trails here, the long distance rides and for bring back chain adventures to life again not to forget working in a bike shop!
back to what i always loved doing.
A simple pedal rotation years ago has turned my life around.