RTMC

Awesome Announce Ride, MelKote - June, 2010

deep$hit — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 09:11:37 +0000

Saturday 12June: It was a sleepless night for me. The responsibility of making the announce ride was full in my head.

Sunday 13June: Woke up at 5:00 by the alarm sound. Manage to steal a small nap again & woke up at 5:15

Got ready, geared up & saddled up. Reached Town hall by 6:00. There were already some 3 bikes waiting, including Junk Pussy.(I think)

Was surprised to see Veedol, who came to send us off. Other kept coming. Papad mama, as usual came for the send off.

Hopes started raising when I saw Balls, & Karna in full gears for the ride. Called Tampon, as he had confirmed for the ride, but he did not respond.

Message to Tampon saying we are starting & will stop for breakfast at Kadu Mane. But then after some discussion, breakfast point was changed to McDonalds / Kamat.

Then after a small briefing, the group started the ride by 6:20. Some newbie’s bike stopped at Kengeri & wont start and he gave up the ride. Reached McDee by 7:45. In the meanwhile Tampon had messaged that he is in Kadu Mane. Then I realised I forgot to inform him, called him & asked him to come to McDee. But by the time he had already finished with his fasting. Madurai Wanker now joined us at McDee. Kamat (near McDee) service was very slow & we wasted almost an 45mins there. Next re-grouped before Mandya town. Heard another newbie had a flat. (Remembered the old Mandya stories). MaduraiWanker helped him to get it fixed.

We reached Melukote by 11:30. It was slightly drizzling after Mandya, but was manageable.

Gathered at RayaGopura, some photo shoots. Then we had the catch up session at a small abandoned temple near the Akka-Thangi Kola.

Here again we started off with the Point(me) & ended with the Sweep(Junk Pussy).

Started back by 12:30 & reached Taj Residency at Madya for some briyani belting.

And as usual in true RTMC shtyle, the group rode together till we reached NICE rd intersection.

Said bye to the riders & reached I home by 16:30

Thanks Balls, JunkPussy, Karna & Tampon for making the ride complete with your support.

-KnickerLess

Riding to The Cloud - ride plan

deep$hit — Wed, 26 May 2010 15:12:57 +0000

When- 29^th May 2010-onward

30^th May -return

Onward journey Ride plan

Meet at Bangalore university Gate at 6.00 am

Start at 6.15 am sharp with the no of people available (maybe raining and make progress slow so can’t wait for people before start)rest to catch up at breakfast point (As decided in Health Check only ppl riding with the group will be considered as riding with RTMC)

Route –Bangalore-Bidadi-Ramanagaram-channapattana-maddur-mandya-srirangapattana-hunsur-periapattana-kushalnagar-madikeri-cheambane-clouldvalley

Regroup points –

Mc Donald’s & Kamat (approx 80kms, its on the left side while heading towards Mysore)

Srirangapattana @hunsur turn off –Regroup

hunsur@ bypass-stick right –Regroup

periapattana before town –Regroup

Kushalnagar -Regroup

Madikeri –general thimmiah circle-Regroup

Cherambane @Mitra wines – Last Fuel point

Some points to note-

· may be raining please carry rain gear .

· carry a sleeping bag if you have one.

· Basic ride please don’t expect anything fancy

· Stay is at 3 places really close by, two one next to each other and one more a lil far may not be walk able will work on some transport to cart the “high” ppl.

· Very big group of people may need to fragment ourselves into smaller groups, based on riding styles (But all need to regroup at all regroup points).

· Please do update your phone no’s on the groups database, if not yet done and carry a copy of everyone’s nos.

· Mandatory riding gear, helmet and a jacket with proper shoes at least.

· Please ensure you have basic spares like a tube and some cables, with necessary tools. And a roadworthy bike.

How to get there(cut paste from the site)- If driving from Bangalore, when you reach Mercara town limits simply continue down the road till you reach General Thimmaiah Circle. There is a pedestal there with a black stone statue of the General Thimmaiah on top of it. You will see a petrol bunk behind the statue and to your left. Now look further to your left and you will see a road descending down past another petrol bunk. This is the road to Cloud Valley.

This road is called the Bhagamandala road (it is also the road that leads to Mangalore). Go down this road for about 3 km and at Thalathmane you will come to a steep left hairpin bend. Take this bend to the left and you are on the way to Cherambane. The same road also leads to Talacauvery. Mercara to Cherambane is a 35 minute drive.

The names of the villages you will cross on the way are Appangla, Bettageri, Kargunda and then Cherambane.

The little village after Kargunda is Cherambane, don’t wait to see a signboard.

From Cherambane to Cloud Valley

As you enter Cherambane you will see a red post box and the signboard of the post office, on your right.

Opposite the post office, and to your left, you will see a liquor store called Mithra Wines. Immediately after Mithra Wines is the road that will take you to Cloud Valley.

Drive down this road and you will (in about a minute) come to a fork in the road, take the road to the left at the fork.

A total of 2.5 km from the turn off at Cherambane, you will come upon the Cloud Valley gate on your right. A little shed with a tiled roof is just inside the gate.

This is the entrance to Cloud Valley, feel free to open the gate and drive in.

Return - 30^th May –start after breakfast by 8.30 am –follow the same regroup points-lunch at hunsur or srirangapattana based on the progress.

Thanks,

Deep

9900264843

Melkote - RTMC Announce Ride June, 2010

deep$hit — Wed, 19 May 2010 12:07:54 +0000

RTMC Announce Ride June, 2010

Date: 13th June, Sunday

Destination: Melkote - Raya Gopura, around 140 kms from Bangalore, via Mandya. (remember the ‘Barso Re’ song from Guru.

Padayappa (Rajinikant movie) marriage scenes.

it was all filmed here. source: Melkote citizen) Google maadi to get more info.

Onward Route : Bangalore - Mandya - via SH47 - Melkote

Start : Town Hall - 6.15 AM

First Re-group / Breakfast Point: Kadu Mane restaurant - 7:30AM

Second Re-group : Before Mandya town entrance

(from here take right turn after bus stand, towards Holalu circle, take left & join SH47)

Third Re-group: Mandya outskirts (start of SH47)

Fourth Re-group: SH47 - SH 19 intersection

Destination: Melkote Raya Gopura

Return Route :

option1: Melkote - Mandya - Bangalore

option2: Melkote - Belur - Kunigal - Neelamangala - Blore

Tentatively Reach Bangalore Back by 4:00 p.m ideally.

Map: http://tinyurl.com/2aqsugo

Note: SH47 is a narrower road, which cuts thru rice fields & has 1 or 2 hairpin bends near Melkote.

You will see hay been laid all the way on SH47, so be careful on it.

Traction on hay is almost zero.

Total distance to be covered would be approximately 280 kms to & fro.

Please fuel up before the ride to avoid inconvenience to yourself and to others.

AS WITH ALL RIDES :

- Carry All Required Documents - Vehicle RC, Insurance and Licence (Emission for those who require the same) - Make Sure your bike is ready for the ride, do the mandatory checks before any usual rides. - Full Faced Helmets are a Must for you and your Pillion. Those not wearing, CANNOT RIDE WITH RTMC. - Carry the few basic and required spares. - Adequate Riding Accessories - Jackets, Gloves, Shoes, Knee Pads, etc., are advisable - No chappals, sandals, floaters, etc., Wearing shoes is a MUST. - Travel Light - The weather is unpredictable. - Bungee Cords to fasten whatever that needs to be fastened - A Camera if you are a shutter bug. - Enough money to cover your trip and other requirements - Recommended ARC Insurance Coverage Caution : THIS IS A RIDE AND NOT A RACE. ALL RIDERS ARE ADVISED TO OBEY TRAFFIC RULES AND COMPLY WITH GROUP RIDING GUIDELINES. (There will be a briefing before the ride begins) RIDERS JOINING THE RIDE ARE DOING SO AT THEIR OWN RISK. THE CLUB OR THE MEMBERS ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF THE MEMBERS AND THE BIKES

Interested people can send e-mail confirmations to the below mentioned id before 6:00 PM on Friday 11th June 2010. If you need any clarifications pls contact the below numbers.

Ride Captain : Prasad S Ph: 98869 45336 Email - prasads.rtmc@gmail.com

Ride Co-ordinator : Deep$hit Ph. 9900264843 (tentative ???)

Thanks & Regards Prasad S / KnickerLess

Trip Log: RMX: The Mother Of All Rides

deep$hit — Wed, 19 May 2010 11:39:44 +0000

Trip Log: RMX: The Mother Of All Rides

Author: ATM

Publisher: Deep (trying to hog the limelight

Lead up to the ride

Usually trip logs are penned down within a week or two of culmination of the trip, but then this wasnt just another ride. I am referring to Rider Mania- an annual pilgrimage that we crazy riders embark on (That said each ride is special and I fondly remember each and everyone of them.) The week long ride that I was going to embark on would start from Delhi

Pay a visit to the mechanic-thorough check up of my Std 350

Saddle bag packed- some spares(tube,sparkplug,chain link,throttle and clutch cables), documents,woolens and some trivial stuff.

By late evening, the excitement levels had reached a crescendo. Never before had I set out on a ride of this magnitude in terms of the sheer distance. Add to it the possibility of riding in the fog. A cursory glance from my window at 5 in the morning confirmed that(heavy fog).

Day 1: Ghaziabad-Gurgaon-Manesar-Jaipur-Bhilwara

Got ready, saddled my steed, called up Saurabh from Royal Beasts. (I was riding with the Beasters, the Bullet club of Delhi). The assembly point was Iffco Chowk off the Gurgaon Delhi expressway.The poor visibility slowed the progress and I caught up with Karan(Beaster) around Manesar(rather he caught me up :D, he does 100-110+ consistently). Even at eight there was no letting up - be it the fog or the cold. Despite the gear and woolens’ inside, we were all cold. Stopped for a late breakfast at a dhaba and we were off again. The roads were in great shape as one would expect from the Golden Quadrilateral.

By the time we had reached Jaipur the fog had lifted and the sun was out. The group’s speed picked up and we were crusing at 80-100 clicks.

Crossed Udaipur, Ajmer. The plan was to do a night halt at Bhilwara. By the time we checked in the hotel at Bhilwara, it was past 8.

A sumptuous dinner followed by deep slumber- a good riding day given the fog and cold. Covered distance of 400 odd kms.

Day 2: Bhilwara-Udaipur-Ajmer-Ahmedabad-WIMWI

Got up early in the morning, had breakfast; by eight we were on the highway. As the day got on and with the mercury rising,we could no longer do 200kms at a stretch. Had to break at every 100 kms or so to cool the engines down. The plan was to be in Vadodora by nightfall. By evening, we were close to entering Gujrat. The searing afternoon sun had taken a toll on my contact lens and my progress was hampered. Not wanting to slow the group down, I asked them to go ahead. Then it struck me that I could meet my brother at his IIM-A campus. At 7, we were sitting in his hostel dorm chatting away animatedly. (Ofcourse, my folks back in Doon didnt know a word. I was supposedly in my campus at IMT then!!). Was super spending quality time with my bro; we were lucky that his next day was relaxed which is an exception there for the ‘fucchas’ and my eyes got the much needed rest.

Day 3: WIMWI-Vadodara- Dahanu

To catch up with the group, I left the campus at six. With the heat of Rajasthan behind me, I caught up with the group after Vadodora around eight or so.

As we got closer to Maharashta the arid landscape gave way to denser vegetation with the occasional coconut tree popping up in the eyeline. The plan was to be in Dahanu by nightfall. Its a village some 30 odd kms from our destination-Vikramgarh. The evening was beautiful.

The ride off the NH-8 towards Dahanu was kickass- plenty of curves - a rider’s road. We reached the hotel before it got dark without any incident or so we thought. Just as we were unsaddling, a police constable walks up and demands- who are we, where are we headed and why were we “riding so fast” . Apparently a few villagers got “scared” hearing the high decibels levels and had tipped off the police. The constable maintains he had blown his whistle to stop us , but we didnt( who would hear a whistle when you have a horde of 20 enfields thumping away After a half an hour long explanation, the constable let us off after verifying our documents. We werent terrorists afterall Dont blame them for being vigilant. Republic day was around the corner. Anyway, we checked in, relaxed, gorged on good food and hit the sack.

Day 4: Dhanu-Manor-Vikramgarh

The morning sun was bright and this was the day we were riding for - RMX was to kick off and as we zeroed in on the destination, stopped for one last time for breakfast. The breakfast talk centred on the entry strategy. The newbies of the club(Royal Beasters) were shown how to get the beat right 1-2. 1-2-3-4 Beasters’ style. I missed my club here and just watched the guys do their rhythm opening their throttles all in sync. And thereafter we entered Vikramgarh.

By the time we got there, we were a little late and most of the clubs had already made their entry. It was nice to meet folks from RTMC upon reaching the venue. We were all staying in a dorm and it was fun to listen to the stories of the riders. There was a gamut of events spread across the two days(Saturday and Sunday). Events need to be read as motorcycling events and anything else would amount to slander! From assembly wars to dirt track race, from beer drinking competitions to arm wrestling, it was one carnival atmosphere that can be found only in an RM. The last night had the club presentations(basically its what the club is about) and it was good fun participating in the RTMC skit. Great script and acting Deep $hit, Anubami & Co. The message was clear- Caman the Enjaiment all the way.

Day 5: Vikramgarh - Manor - Vadodara -Ahmedabad -Udaipur

Monday morning and it was time time to bid adieu. (I had to get back as soon as possible to avoid grade losses for being absent during classes) I set off early morning with with a couple of Beasters who had to get resume office duties earlier than others. The plan was to cover the entire distance(Vikramgarh - Delhi) in two days with the night halt at Udaipur. That meant we had to do 700+ kms on each of the two days. Being a small group, there were fewer stops and we did good consistent speeds and I say we with a hint of pride. Here I was riding with the two Thunderbirds and my Std 350 kept up throughout and sometimes even setting the pace. It was only when Amy decided to open the throttle after crossing Ahmedabad and went patrang at over 120 clicks did I fall behind. The late evening ride on NH 8 was fantastic. By the time we checked in a hotel at Udaipur it was past 10. We had done over 850 kms in he day. Personally I prefer riding in smaller groups. The bonding that develops is great The discussions over meals at dhabas; you have to be part of a ride to experience it.

Day 6: Udaipur- Ajmer- Jaipur- Fog(40 kms off Gurgaon)

Day 2 of the return leg was another long riding day. There was a stretch on NH-8 that was under construction enroute to Ajmer. We missed the NH 79 turn (which would have been faster) and average speeds dropped because we were no longer on a six lane highway. We reduced the stoppages and we were nearing Jaipur by 4 in the evening. We stopped by for a bite and cup of tea at a dhaba. We could almost smell Delhi from here -250 odd kms to go. We were back on the highway and as the evening gave way to darkness, we still did good speeds though traffic was considerably more given the proximity to Delhi.

As we got closer to Manesar, we encountered fog on our way and that slowed down our speeds to below 40. It was too thick to see the vehicle in front of me. There were traffic jams.(Incidentally that evening had more fog than any of the nights in that week when I find out later). Jaypreet, my fellow rider was going to halt at Gurgaon at a friend’s but I had to go all the way to Ghaziabad (additional 70 kms from Gurgaon). I decided to call it a night and stopped by at a dhaba. Told Jaypreet about my decision and he asked me to stay with him at his friend’s place. But I didnt want to continue in the fog and he had to be in office the next day, so we parted here. It was super riding with both of you-JP and Amy. Had dinner at the dhaba and the dhaba owner was nice enough to give me a bed behind his counter where I could crash.

Day 7: 40 kms off Gurgaon- IMT Ghaziabad

Next morning when I offered to pay him for the bed, he refused to accept the payment. All the skeptics who talk at length about missing Indian culture, egalitarian values, need to look beyond the cities to get a wider perspective. They will find that the virtues still remain, people are still warm; kindness is not totally gone yet. Anyway, while leaving, the fog was still there at eight in the morning but much lower in intensity. I thanked the dhaba owner for his warmth and saddled my steed and I was off. Reached my hostel at 10 in the morning. Felt surreal to get back to reality.

3000+ kms of hardcore riding.

By far the craziest week of my life!