Once, a quiet 12 year old nerd promised her loud crazyass side a trip where she rides away on her favorite bike.
This is to the first dream that came true. To the first time I proved to myself that the madness inside me is real. The first step to all the other crazy trips I am so sure I will be taking.This is to proving being crazy is better than being sensible!
This is me, the nerd, the contradiction, on the hottest bike ever, riding away in a cool leather jacket and a helmet. This is to the high no alcohol, no drug can ever give me. The highest of the highs!
Day #0
Amidst all the office work and the regular mundane office routines, there is this sharp excitement of being in an absolutely unknown place by the same time tomorrow. And what an excitement it was. The confines of the office walls did not confine me any more.An extraordinary evening, running around making last minute preparations, buying last minute stuff and an unnecessary fight. But let’s not mar the following entries with the details of the pointless day zero.
To start with, here are a few tips to all the excited, dreamy eyed biker amateurs from a fellow dreamy eyed amateur!
10 things you need before you go on a bike- road trip:
1. Helmet – Get a good sturdy one and make sure it fits. I spent the first 7 hours in a horrible suffocating, tight old helmet I borrowed from my dad. (My head is definitely bigger than normal)And more importantly, if you wear spectacles, never ever try to put on a helmet while you have them on. The first thing that happened on this trip was this dumb event. Thank god for the old back up glasses I had!
That’s how the helmet played the saviour! (I did not fall for real, I am too good for that:p)
2. Backpack carrier – Your back will run out of all possible tolerance within the first 5 hours of your ride on the bike. Make sure to keep your back free of all that weight that pulls it down, get a carrier. We got one after Day 1, and my back was gone!
3. Ropes and knots – Get a good long nylon rope and go online and get a short tutorial on sturdy knots. The secret to surviving the day 1 without a bike-carrier was the nylon rope we turned into a makeshift carrier.
Don’t let the big bag kill your back!
This is how the ropes saved my back!
4. A small supply of Red Bulls and Snickers – Keep your energy and alertness up. Don’t over do it though!
The red bull Ka dose!
5. A Good Camera – If you don’t get one ready on the highway, you will regret all your life! It is impossible to capture the sights you see or the experience it is. But the best you could do is use your camera to its maximum.
A great camera, thank you Arpit Jain
6. Gloves and layers – If you plan to take this adventure trip during winters like me, better put yourself in a lot of layers while making sure your mobility is not compromised. And never forget good leather gloves. Your hands will start to unbearably hurt if you don’t get yourself these.
I am really not that fat!
Check out the layers on this one!
7. Fluorescent tape – A must have for all your night-time rides if your life is dear to you!
8. A bike-check up and all its paperwork – Though no one or nothing stopped us on the way, including the bike’s health. It is critical to get these things done.
9. Your daily Kilometer target – Once you start, the first few hours is going to test your patience, endurance to pain and concentration to its best. Plan your trip, make a chart and decide your daily km target and do not let anything get in the way. It is recommended to stop when the night falls, it is always prudent to plan accordingly.
Do not start without this one!
10. Madness – Without it, the idea is just too crazy to be executed (believe me, a lot of un-crazy people told me so). And if you are reading and planning this, I know you have this one packed already!
With this, the day 0 ends! Coming up soon more stories and pictures on the journey!
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