Cycling Under the Stars

Cycling Under the Stars! What an experience!

Miffed by the rising mercury in the daytime, the Bhubaneswar Cycling and Adventure Club (BCAC) came up with yet another unique way to make riding pleasurable, fun and a happy experience. Thus was born “Cycling under the stars”, a one of its kinds cycling event, that gives every rider an opportunity to see, feel and experience the beauty of the night while doing what they are most passionate about, cycling.

Quite unexpectedly the response from the cycling community was tremendous and the turnaround of 36 participants, was well above expected. Few cyclists from Cuttack also joined the event. The event kick started on the eve of April 14, from the club house at 8 PM. The event was covered by the print and electronic media.

The Peloton (a group or pack of cyclists riding together) reached Pipli well on time, by 9 PM. Thereon till Puri the cyclists faced strong, very strong headwind that dipped the per hour average much below the usual standard, but also made the ride exhausting within a short distance.  Worth a special mention are the Barefoot Volunteer guys who waited especially for the peloton to cross Sakhigopal at about 10.30 pm to cheer the cyclists with thunderous claps. The cyclists were applauded and encouraged by onlookers throughout the journey.

Despite strong headwind, the peloton reached Puri by 12 AM, a little later than expected. Dinner was organized at #WildGrass and as always YugabratKar, our very own Bubu Bhai, had made all necessary arrangements and served the cyclists an amazing dinner. After relaxing at the pit stop the peloton headed for Konark, via the 35 km majestic marine drive. This was truly the “Cycling under the stars” part of the entire ride. With a gazillion stars shining overhead and the blinking head and tail lights of the riders down below, the experience was surreal and ecstatic. The carefree shouts, yells, cheers and songs did make the cyclists feels like the king of the roads. The tailwind now did somewhat compensate for the brutal headwind that the team experienced earlier.

The peloton reached Chandrabhaga at about 3.30 am and decided to rest for sometime. Sheets and flexes were laid down. Laying down under the stars and feeling the sand, breeze, the sounds of the waves and the calmness of the surrounding, made the physical exhaustion feel so trivial and non-existent. Day broke at 4.30 am and the team was ready to roll the pedals yet again, for the next destination, Nimapara. The ride to Nimapara was rather steady and the coolness of the morning aided the cyclists.

The cyclists hit Nimapara at about 6.30 am and stopped for the gastronomic delight that the place is famous for, ChennaJhilli. The team resumed their onward journey and reached Bhubaneswar at 9.30 am, thus bringing to close the 160km mesmerizing event that was true to its name “Cycling under the stars”, leaving the cyclists yearn for more such events.

Author: Namrata Giri Patra, (Unconventional, upright, gutsy……hate gossip, choose friends for life….love chocolates! is the introduction about Namrata as per her FB profile. A serious cyclist by passion and Digital Marketing Manager by profession. She loves to explore the world and always ready to be a part of any adventure trip).

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