Congratulations to Amit Samarth for his new WUCA record!
Riders Narrative Summary
Record Attempt: Golden Quadrilateral Highway Network, India- Circumnavigation (Anti-clockwise) Name of the rider: Amit Samarth, India
Start Date: 15th February, 2021
Start time: 04:10 hours. (rounded off to nearest minute from exact start time with seconds 04:09:54 AM as per WUCA rules)
Start location: Vashi Toll Bridge. The exact start location was after the Vashi Toll Bridge. If a rider is approaching Vashi from Mumbai and heading towards Pune, then the start point is after crossing the Vashi Creek and after crossing the toll gate (on the Navi Mumbai side of the toll gate and not towards the creek). See photograph No. 1 below showing the toll gates.
The actual start point described here is about 300 meters (approx.) from the North most point of the Vashi Bridge (on the creek). As we were not allowed to start from the bridge as its narrow, we chose to start from the Vashi Toll booth which is a major and easily recognizable landmark.
Lat / Long of Start Location: 19.06479 o, 72.98091o
What the conditions were like:
Approximately 55% of the road was through flat terrain while the other 45% was rolling / hilly / mountainous terrain. We passed through the mountains of the Western Ghats (Between Mumbai & Pune), Parasnath Hills (between Dhanbad and Aurangabad) and the Aravallis (Between Delhi and Mehsana, Gujarat). We also passed through the region of the Eastern Ghats (TN, coastal Andhra, Odisha) but the Golden Quadrilateral Highway passes through the flat terrain that lies between the hills of the Eastern Ghats and the coast.
Most of the road was 4-lane divided carriageway with either cement top or bitumen/tar. Over all the road condition was good, but due to road widening / expansion of the roads in many places the road surface was bad or traffic was diverted to one side of the road resulting in confusion and very dusty conditions.
Traffic conditions were also very heavy resulting in traffic jams at the toll booths or at intersections. We lost almost 6 hours while stuck in a traffic jam near Mehsana. Crossing cities on the way was tedious due to heavy traffic in the cities, especially during the morning and evening rush hours. We were very slow and lost time in traffic in cities such as Bhubaneswar, Visakhapatnam and Kolkata & at Delhi-Gurgaon.
Overall, the weather was very hot in the day as we were already towards the end of the winter season in India. During the ride from Chennai to Kolkata, it was very humid due to proximity to the coast. The additional humidity made the heat even more intolerable. I experienced cold weather near Varanasi / Delhi during the night hours.
Overall, the wind conditions were opposite the direction I was riding in, this was an artefact of the anti-clockwise direction (Mumbai-Chennai-Kolkata-Delhi-Mumbai) which I had chosen for my ride. If I had chosen to ride in a clockwise (Mumbai-Delhi-Kolkata-Chennai-Mumbai) direction, then I would have had more favorable wind conditions.
Why did you want to do a record?
At a strictly personal level, I wanted to do this record as a symbol of my individual ability as a sportsperson to excel at the world level and to explore the limits of human endurance. My other larger objectives were to aid in the promotion of cycling as a means of transport and to inspire others that cycling is also a way to achieve physical fitness.
Apart from the above one of my major goals to attempt this record was to raise funds for charity. I have been a philanthropist and donated money in the past to the Lok Biradari Prakalp (LBP), a project in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra. The LBP nurtures tribal children hailing from an underprivileged
background and trains them in various sports. Through this record attempt, we raised a sum of approx. Rs. 9,00,000/- Indian Rupees for sustaining the activities of the Lok Biradari Prakalp.
What equipment did you use? Anything special?
Bicycles: I had planned to use a total of 4 bicycles which we carried. These were a Scott Addict RC 2020 model, a Scott Addict 2016 model, a Scott Foil and a Scott Plasma.
I used the Scott Addict RC 2020 the most, followed by the Scott Foil and then the Scott Addict 2016 model. I considered using the Scott Plasma a couple of times, but did not use it considering the traffic on the roads in the first few days and my fatigued status on day 12/13.
Communication: The crew communicated with me using a Terrano Bluetooth radio which was mounted on my cycling helmet and used the radio for important communication regarding my nutrition and navigation. I also carried a cellphone in my cycling jersey back pocket which was a backup mode of communication in case I got separated from my crew / car in case of some unforeseen situation especially in the heavy city traffic.
Sensors: I had a few biometric sensors to record data on my biological parameters continuously.
1) I was wearing a Garmin Heart Rate monitor mounted on a chest strap.
2) I was also wearing a core body temperature sensor mounted on the same strap as the heart rate monitor.
3) Apart from this I had a muscle oxygen saturation measurement sensor which was fixed on my thigh under the cycling shorts that I wore.
4) I had Vector power pedals from Garmin which could measure my power output on the bicycle.
5) All the sensor data was collated on the Garmin watch and a cellphone that I carried in my back pocket most of the times
Apart from the above biometry equipment, I had a Garmin Edge cyclo-computer mounted on the handlebar for recording data and I also used a Globalstar SPOT tracker which was recording my location at regular intervals. This was kept in the back pocket of my cycling jersey.
What did you eat or drink?
I had instructed my crew to ensure that I consume approximately 10,000-12,000 calories in a day. My crew aimed to feed me something approximately once every 20 minutes. Detailed logs were maintained regarding the food given and its quantity consumed. A back end team kept track of the
approx. calories and instructed the active crew of the intake and any changes to be made. Fluids consumed and urine output were also logged in.
Macronutrients: Proteins, carbohydrates and fats:
My crew aimed to feed me enough protein so that my body had enough protein to repair the muscles. Carbohydrates were also consumed so that the body had a steady and regular supply of carbohydrates for fuel. We also aimed to ensure that my food intake had an appropriate amount of fats, as fats are energy dense foods and the body can metabolise fats as well to fuel the muscles.
Slightly watery ‘Khichdi’ (a mix of rice, green gram (moong dal) with clarified butter (ghee)) and boiled potatoes (with salt) and eggs formed the most important components of my diet. Potatoes were consumed after boilingthem with salt, or as French fries or as a cooked potato patty. The khichdi and potatoes gave me enough carbs for the ride. Another key component of my diet was 2-3 scoops of a commercial protein supplement (Fast & Up Plant Protein) dissolved in water (spiked with some honey) which ensured that I got adequate protein (>1 gm per kg of my body weight per day) to support muscle repair and that my body did not end up burning protein for energy. Items like ‘Gulab Jamun’ were also consumed because they were energy dense foods. Peanut butter sandwiches, ‘paranthas’, Sandwiches with butter and chutney, banana chips, potato chips, Snickers bars, Bounty bars, energy dense homemade laddoos were part of my diet everyday. Regional specialties such as rice ‘idli’ (with sugar/chutney), ‘upma’, ‘venn pongal’, ‘dhokla’, ‘litti chokha’ etc were also consumed based on their availability as many volunteers and well-wishers used to bring food when we passed through the cities. Fruits that were available and consumed were oranges, banana, apple, watermelon. Fresh fruit was mostly consumed in the form of a juice by blending the fruits with additional sugar and a pinch of salt. I consumed watermelons for the maximum time as it was widely available and sugarcane juice when available.
Most foods were consumed in rotation (alternated between sweet and spicy food) so that I did not get bored of eating the same food and there was adequate variety to ensure a change of taste as it is difficult to consume food at frequent intervals (thrice an hour on an average) over a 14 day period.
Hydration, micronutrients and electrolytes: I used to drink plain water (bottled water) to ensure that I stay hydrated. Coconut water, both fresh and bottled, were another widely available and regularly consumed drink. At regular intervals, the crew mixed a commercial energy / electrolyte powder ‘Enerzal’ with additional rock salt, dissolved in water, so that I had adequate electrolytes to replace the loss due to sweating. Vital-Z was another electrolyte brand which was regularly consumed with water. I also used ‘Fast & Up Reload’, another electrolyte supplement dissolved in the water.
I also consumed multi-vitamins, anti-oxidants, minerals, calcium and iron supplements in the form of tablets/capsules twice a day.
Stimulants: I used to have a cup of coffee on most days in the morning hours when it was available. I drank Redbull which has a lot of caffeine and sugars which help to keep me alert and awake during the long periods of sleep deprivation. I drank a maximum of two cans of Red Bull / day. Towards the last five days of the ride, I also consumed one portion / day of another caffeine drink, ‘Five Hour Energy’.
On an average, the daily intake was maintained at approximately 9500-10000 calories per 24 hours.
The nutrition ensured that I did not lose much body weight during the ride. My body weight was 82 kgs at the beginning of the ride and at the end of the event record attempt I weighed just 2.5 kgs lesser at 79.5 kg.
What was the best part?
The fact that we managed to complete the ride between two waves of the COVID pandemic and that the entire team members safely reached home was the best part. COVID could have caused us to abandon the ride, or we could have been stuck in a remote location in case of an imposition of a lockdown, however none of these contingencies arose.
Support from the people for their generous donations towards the charitable cause was another highly encouraging factor.
Another unique aspect was the use of biometry technology, never used previously in India, to collect data which will help further the science of sports physiology was another factor that I felt privileged to use and be a part of.
What was the hardest part?
The road conditions in India were the hardest part as compared to my previous long road riding attempts in the Race Across America and the RedBull Trans-Siberian Extreme. Traffic, bumpy road conditions, passing through densely populated cities with heavy traffic, dusty, hot and humid conditions and dealing with unsupportive wind conditions made the ride very difficult.
Did anything particularly unusual happen?
Nothing particularly unusual happened.
Exact finish date: 28th February, 2021
Exact finish time: 13:59 hours (rounded off to nearest minute from 13:58:36 / 01:58:36 PM as per WUCA Rules)
Exact finish location: Vashi Toll Bridge. The exact end location was after the Vashi Toll Bridge. If a rider is approaching Vashi from Mumbai and heading towards Pune, then the end point is after crossing the Vashi Creek and after crossing the toll gate. (on the Navi Mumbai side of the toll gate and not towards the creek). The end point was on the opposite lane as compared to the start point. See Photograph No. 2 below showing the toll gates
Lat/Long of end point: 19.064433o, 72.98126o
Note: Please note that the geographical co-ordinates (GPS locations) recorded during the ride will have an error of 3-5 meters. These errors are inherent in all GPS systems used by non-military usage / civilians. We did not have access to more accurate GPS systems such as WAAS etc.
Preparation:
As an athlete and a fitness coach in my hometown, I have been maintaining a high level of fitness preparation with my daily workouts which consist of a mix of runs, strength training, flexibility training, indoor cycling, outdoor cycling and swimming.
My specific preparations for the Golden Quadrilateral ride started approximately in September, 2020, both for the logistics as well as my own physical preparedness for the long 6000 kilometer ride.
On the logistics front, I worked with my crew chiefs who had significant experience in ultracycle crewing having been on my team in the Race Across America and the Trans-Siberian Race. They started working on the route, vehicles, equipment and the fund-raising elements of the larger plan.
We also worked on putting together a crew who would need to be drilled in the intricacies of ultra cycle crewing. The newer members of the crew started accompanying me on my practice rides to get practical experience.
Apart from my regular training, I increased my training tempo from the 1st week of December, 2020 till 31st January, 2021. I started going on longer rides of which I did about 10 long rides ranging from 135 kilometers to 480 kilometers. I mixed my outdoor rides to get exposure to nighttime as well as day time rides and also get varied exposure to the weather (sun, winds). I also put in a couple of indoor rides on my trainer in this period. I tapered off the training from 31st January, 2021 and started focusing more on recovery and also putting on weight as I expected to lose a lot of weight during the GQ ride.
On the 14th February (a day prior to the start), I focused a lot on sleeping as I knew that the next fortnight or so, I would not get adequate rest.
Details of some of the the longer practice rides are summarized in the table below:
| Id | Title | Date | Distance | Time |
| 1 | Biking | 05-12-2020 07:20 | 45.83 | 07:16:45 |
| 2 | 200 km Night Ride | 13-12-2020 16:32 | 200.01 | 06:25:43 |
| 3 | Endurance Running | 16-12-2020 08:03 | 8.03 | 07:01:37 |
| 4 | Nagpur Pachmarhi Nagpur | 19-12-2020 06:22 | 479.01 | 00:48:54 |
| 5 | Nagpur Khawasa Nagpur | 21-12-2020 16:11 | 204.29 | 20:00:43 |
| 6 | Jalwaa Ride | 28-12-2020 08:36 | 150.25 | 04:20:42 |
| 7 | New Year Ride 200 km | 01-01-2021 07:04 | 202.56 | 06:02:01 |
| 8 | Zwift Ride- 6 Hours | 02-01-2021 17:03 | 213.47 | 04:39:30 |
| 9 | Nagpur-Amravati Ride | 09-01-2021 14:52 | 135.09 | 04:01:40 |
| 10 | Nagpur Chandrapur Ride | 10-01-2021 08:39 | 135.05 | 10:21:03 |
| 11 | Chandrapur Jamtha Pench Nagpur | 11-01-2021 16:10 | 302.03 | 06:46:41 |
| 12 | Ride Across India Training Ride | 16-01-2021 06:25 | 200.99 | 01:10:55 |
| 13 | Pace Run | 17-01-2021 08:39 | 14.01 | 06:35:38 |
| 14 | Nagpur-Khavasa-Nagpur 204km | 18-01-2021 17:06 | 204.06 | 01:34:14 |
| 15 | 55 km Time Trial Test Ride | 20-01-2021 08:25 | 55.13 | 02:02:43 |
| 16 | 2 hrs low and high intensity ride | 28-01-2021 09:15 | 72.07 | 01:29:52 |
Day wise description
Day 1: 15th February, 2021:
Total time: 19 hours and 51 mins (Considering a start time of 04:09 AM from Vashi Toll Gate) Start Point: Vashi Toll Bridge, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra
End Point at midnight of 15th February, 2021: Bagewadi, 489 km distance marker. Distance covered: 489 kilometers
I woke up at 1 AM and reviewed all preparations and some final discussions with the crew who were preparing for the ride. We proceeded to the Start Point at about 2:30 AM.
After a symbolic start at the iconic Gateway of India (Mumbai) at 3:00 AM, we rode till Vashi and started the actual record attempt from the Vashi Toll Gate (following the WUCA directions) at 04:09 AM.
My internal target for the ride was to accomplish this in 12 days.
On the first day, 15th February, 2021, we covered a distance of 489 kilometers when we reached a town called Bagewadi at midnight of 15th February, 2021. On the way, we crossed the massive Western Ghats Mountain Range via the Lonavala and Khandala Ghats, crossed the towns of Pune, Satara, Karad, Kolhapur, Belgaum before we reached Bagewadi. Being the first day, I was feeling good and rode almost non-stop with just three small breaks, (13 minutes, 17 minutes and 10 minutes).
Day 2: 16th February, 2021:
Total time: 24 hours
Start Point: Bagewadi, Karnataka
End Point at midnight of 16th February, 2021: Devanahalli, Bengaluru, Karnataka (972 Kilometers marker)
Distance covered: 483 kilometers
Post the mid-night mark, I continued riding for another 90 minutes, when I decided to rest as I had not slept for more than 24 hours. We took a break of 4 ½ hours at a petrol pump with the objective of resuming to ride at dawn. I slept well on a bed at the petrol pump, before continuing to ride at the break of dawn. It was extremely foggy and I continued riding in thick fog which lasted till about 9:30AM. Towards the late morning and afternoon, we continued riding in strong crosswinds while riding through the plains of Davangere and Chitradurga before reaching Tumkur around 9 PM when the winds died down. The route was mostly slightly uphill till Chitradurga. I continued riding till mid night when we reached Devanahalli near the Bengaluru International Airport. We had to take a diversion in Bengaluru, as the Golden Quadrilateral stretch near Bengaluru is an access controlled expressway on which bicycles and slow moving support cars were not allowed due to safety reasons. The diversion turned out to be longer than the original planned route and was much slower as the road was a narrow single lane road as compared to the broad 4-lane Golden Quadrilateral. Over all during the day, I took five small breaks totaling 56 minutes, with the longest being 28 minutes.
Day 3: 17th February, 2021:
Total time: 24 hours
Start Point: Devanahalli, Bengaluru, Karnataka
End Point at midnight of 17th February, 2021: Tada, Tamil Nadu (1417 Kilometers marker) Distance covered: 445 kilometers
Post the mid-night mark, I continued riding for another 100 minutes, when I decided to rest for the night and take a longer break to sleep with the objective of resuming at dawn. We took a break of about 4 hours and 15 minutes (in a village, where I slept outdoors but had to shift to sleep in the crew car due to mosquitoes) and resumed riding at approx. 6 AM in the morning. I faced a small episode of low blood pressure during my sleep and consumed extra electrolytes.
We crossed Bengaluru city at about 7 AM, and then it was mostly downhill, from the Deccan plateau towards the coastal plains of Chennai, for the next 200 kilometers.
In the afternoon, near Vellore, it became very hot and I took my first afternoon break (1 ½ hours) and slept for an hour or so inside the crew car.
Post this break, we continued riding towards the next major town, Chennai. However as we approached the coast, I had to face strong headwinds, slowing me down. We reached Chennai at around 8 PM which was peak rush hour traffic time. I had developed a saddle sore sometime during the day, and we stopped after crossing Chennai city for a 30 minute break when I applied some ointment for my saddle sore. I continued riding past mid-night as the road was flat and the winds had reduced a bit. Overall during the day, I took three breaks, one long and two small breaks (11 mins & 36 mins)
Day 4: 18th February, 2021:
Total time: 24 hours
Start Point: Tada, Tamil Nadu
End Point at midnight of 18th February, 2021: Bapulapadu, Andhra Pradesh (1846 Kilometers marker) Distance covered: 429 kilometers
I continued riding past mid-night as the road was flat and the winds had reduced. I took a small break and decided to continue riding to take advantage of the conditions as I knew that my anti-clockwise direction of the circum-navigation will have a lot of opposite wind conditions. However, around 3 AM I decided to break for sleep as my crew was feeling tired and sleepy. We made an unplanned break, and my crew could only find a roadside ‘dhaba’ for me to sleep. I tried sleeping by the roadside, however there were too many mosquitoes and it was very noisy due to traffic from the highway. I moved inside a crew car and my crew allowed me to sleep for a longer time than usual, as a result I resumed riding at 7 AM instead of my targeted 6 AM start the previous two days. However, I was able to have a hearty breakfast before starting for the first time in 2 days. I continued to ride in hot and windy conditions and my saddle sore was still troubling me. I took two small breaks, but by afternoon it was very hot. Considering the weather, we decided to change strategy and decided to again take an afternoon rest break and compensate for this by reducing the duration of the night breaks. I slept by a lake under a tree for a couple of hours. It was pleasant and silent as the chosen spot was at a slight distance from the road. We resumed riding towards evening and I continued riding past mid-night with just a small break in between. The developing saddle sore problem continued to
trouble me on this day too and we did some changes to the bicycle saddle. Overall, during the day, I took 6 breaks two longer breaks and 4 small breaks (27, 7, 10 and 12 mins)
Day 5: 19th February, 2021:
Total time: 24 hours
Start Point: Bapulapadu, Andhra Pradesh
End Point at midnight of 19th February, 2021: Budumuru, Andhra Pradesh (2280 Kilometers marker) Distance covered: 434 kilometers
As we had changed strategy of taking two sleep breaks in a 24 hour period, I continued riding past mid-night until 3:30 AM, when we decided to stop. The crew had found a large petrol pump and the staff allowed us to halt there. I slept on the bare ground of the pump, however, my crew had sourced a mosquito net after the previous few night’s experience and I refused to sleep in a hotel bed as I was paranoid about oversleeping. I slept for a couple of hours and we resumed riding at dawn. I took a small break for coffee and breakfast before continuing to ride till afternoon. As we were closer to the coast, it was becoming very windy and humid. Again in the afternoon, the crew found a mango orchard with a hut which was very shady. I slept on the ground of the hut for a couple of hours and resumed riding in extremely windy conditions till the city of Vishakhapatnam. We crossed the city of Vishakhapatnam in peak evening traffic hours with traffic jams. After crossing the city, I continued to ride till mid-night with a couple of breaks as the road conditions were excellent for the next 100 kilometers or so. Fortunately, the saddle change had worked and I was no longer as badly troubled by the saddle.
Overall, I took two longer breaks and four smaller breaks (8, 30, 9 & 7 minutes)
Day 6: 20th February, 2021:
Total time: 24 hours
Start Point: Budumuru, Andhra Pradesh
End Point at midnight of 20th February, 2021: Panikoili, Odisha (2715 Kilometers marker) Distance covered: 435 kilometers
Over the previous few nights, I had not slept well. Therefore, just after mid-night, I took a decision to catch up on some sleep. I slept at a roadside dhaba under the mosquito net and got good sleep after a massage. We made an early start to the day as I was worried about the cross winds and the sun later on in the day. However, overcast conditions proved to be a boon and kept the temperature low. We crossed the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack in the peak traffic time at evening. Due to the previous sleep break which was of better quality, I felt rejuvenated mentally. I did not take the planned longer afternoon break on this day, I rode through the day with only three small breaks (20, 31 & 3 mins). I intended to ride through the night as well and not stop until we reached Kolkata.
Day 7: 21st February, 2021:
Total time: 24 hours
Start Point: Panikoili, Odisha
End Point at midnight of 21st February, 2021: Burdwan, West Bengal (3152 Kilometers marker) Distance covered: 437 kilometers
At this point, I encountered heavy truck traffic and bumper to bumper jams caused by traffic diversions due to ongoing road expansion work. As I was wasting time in the traffic jam, I decided to sleep and the crew found another roadside dhaba at mid-night. As we decided to sleep for a short while, it was a much earlier start at about 2 AM, and therefore much colder than the previous days when I woke up. I decided to ride non-stop till Kolkata. I continued to ride till morning and took a small half an hour break at dawn, and continued to ride until afternoon when it became very hot. We took a break so I could sleep and we could only find a roadside dhaba. I could not sleep well due to the heat, humidity and the noise. I started again late afternoon after a crew change and rode past Kolkata in the evening. I however realized that I was behind schedule as per my internal target, I should have covered 3000 kilometers, the halfway mark, in 6 days, which I had missed by about half a day.
Fortunately, it was a weekend and traffic through the city was lighter than expected however traffic at the toll booths was heavy. I continued to ride non-stop till mid-night as the road conditions had improved after Kolkata.
Overall, during this day, I took two long breaks and just one small break (37 minutes).
Day 8: 22nd February, 2021:
Total time: 24 hours
Start Point: Burdwan, West Bengal
End Point at midnight of 22nd February, 2021: Aurangabad, Bihar (3555 Kilometers marker) Distance covered: 403 kilometers
I continued riding past mid-night till we reached Durgapur. I was tired and decided to take a break. The crew found a quiet place by the roadside in a closed market. The lesser nose, a new sleeping mat and the mosquito net helped me get good quality sleep. I started, refreshed, again in the morning and continued riding till late afternoon when it became very hot. I continued to ride till midnight and the road conditions again turned bad due to ongoing road expansion work.
Overall on this day, I took two long breaks and three shorter breaks (31, 26 and 54 mins).
Day 9: 23nd February, 2021:
Total time: 24 hours
Start Point: Aurangabad, Bihar
End Point at midnight of 23nd February, 2021: Sauran, Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh (3975 Kilometers marker)
Distance covered: 420 kilometers
Past mid-night, I wanted to ride continuously till we reached Varanasi. However, poor road conditions with lot of mud and silt on the road made the riding on a road bike very difficult. We decided to therefore break and around 2 AM we stopped at a roadside hotel, my crew found a place for me to sleep in the parking lot of the hotel. It was very cold when I woke up and we started again in the
morning. Crossing the city of Varanasi and the Ganges was tedious due to heavier traffic. The road conditions improved significantly and I continued riding till Prayagraj (previously Allahabad). In the afternoon, it was again very hot and I stopped at a roadside petrol pump to sleep. I started again in the evening and road conditions were good and the weather was pleasant and I wanted to ride till Kanpur.
Overall, during this day, I took two long breaks and five small breaks (23, 7, 4, 4 & 18 mins)
Day 10: 24th February, 2021:
Total time: 24 hours
Start Point: Sauran, Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh
End Point at midnight of 24th February, 2021: Dautana, Uttar Pradesh (4406 kilometer marker) Distance covered: 431 kilometers
Due to ongoing road construction work before Kanpur, however, the going was slower than expected and after crossing Kanpur, we stopped at a roadside restaurant (fllor) to sleep. I slept for about 1 ½ hours and got up on my own. I started at dawn, with the realization that I was behind my internal targeted schedule and I wanted to ride non-stop to Delhi and try and make up some lost time. However, as it was hot in the afternoon, I took a break at noon to sleep. Crossing Agra, I continued to ride through the night and wanted to ride till Delhi as planned earlier.
Overall, during this day, I took 2 longer breaks and 4 smaller breaks (12,7,11 & 21 mins)
Day 11: 25th February, 2021:
Total time: 24 hours
Start Point: Dautana, Uttar Pradesh
End Point at midnight of 25th February, 2021: Madhopura, Rajasthan (4837 kilometers) Distance covered: 431 kilometers
I continued riding past mid-night until we reached Delhi early morning. I stopped here to eat ad do some stretching and massages. This turned out costly as after crossing Delhi and Gurugram I headed past Manesar and encountered a huge traffic jam (due to the farmers protests and some accident) that was a few kilometers long and all traffic had come to a standstill. As I could have been separated from the crew car and could not ride in that condition, I decided to rest at a wayside petrol pump. It was difficult to sleep at around 8 AM in the morning and I lost around 4 hours. By the time I started it was afternoon and hot. I continued riding and hit another roadblock due to the ongoing farmers protests. As the carriageway was completely blocked, I had to walk and drag my bicycle through the adjoining desert sand for about 4 minutes. I continued to ride till midnight with small breaks in between.
Overall, during this day, I took 3 small breaks and 2 long breaks and I lost about 5-6 hours due to the traffic jams and farmers protests.
Day 12: 26th February, 2021:
Total time: 24 hours
Start Point: Madhopura, Rajasthan
End Point at midnight of 26th February, 2021: Kagddar Bhatiya, Rajasthan (5244 kilometer marker) Distance covered: 407 kilometers
Just past mid-night, I decided to rest and as I had spent the entire day in the hot sun in Rajasthan, my crew got me a hotel room. It was crucial to rest well now. I had a good sleep in the hotel room. I realized that now finishing the ride in 12 or 12 ½ days was not possible. I resumed riding after a 2 ½ hour break. It was really hot in Rajasthan and also hilly terrain between Jaipur and Udaipur. I continued to ride till noon with small breaks in between. At noon, we stopped and the crew got me a room in a wayside ‘Dharamshala. I took a bath for the first time in the ride and then slept here for sometime. This turned out to be a mistake as it pushed my body into recovery mode and when I woke up my muscles were all tight and sore. I resumed riding and it was pleasant in the evening and I continued riding till midnight.
Overall, during the day, I took two long breaks and three smaller breaks (27, 25 & 9 minutes).
Day 13: 27th February, 2021:
Total time: 24 hours
Start Point: Kagddar Bhatiya, Rajasthan
End Point at midnight of 27th February, 2021: Virwadi, Navsari, Gujarat (5713 kilometers) Distance covered: 469 kilometers
I continued riding past mid-night. The road towards Ahmedabad was not very good. I was tired and my shoulder and neck was hurting badly due to the road vibrations. We stopped for a longer break at around 4 AM to massage my neck and shoulder and resumed riding early morning. We crossed Ahmedabad and I continued riding with small breaks till we reached Baroda. I took a break at Baroda and slept in a hotel room again. I was tired after the continuous riding and the hot sun in Rajasthan and overcame my aversion to hotel rooms. I started again with the objective of reaching the end point in Mumbai the next morning. The highway from this point onwards to Mumbai was super busy at all times including the night. I continued riding till midnight.
Overall, during this day I tok two longer breaks and seven smaller breaks (2, 30, 6, 32, 2, 5 & 10 mins).
Day 14: 28th February, 2021:
Total time: 13 hours 58 minutes
Start Point: Virwadi, Navsari, Gujarat
End of Ride: Vashi Toll Bridge, Navi Mumbai-Mumbai boundary: (5970.2 Kilometer marker) Distance covered: 256 kilometers
I continued riding past mid-night with the objective of reaching Mumbai non-stop from this point onwards. However, I was feeling tired and sleepy and took a break and slept in the crew car from an hour or so by the roadside. With the rest, now I felt I could ride all the way to the end point. I reached the outskirts of Mumbai before noon. The last few hours were difficult as it was hot, we were closer to
the coast again making it humid and the dense traffic of Mumbai city made the going very tough and slow.
Overall during this day, I took two breaks, one long and one short break before ending the ride in the late afternoon at Vashi Toll Bridge, Mumbai.
| With
Start at Gateway* |
With
Start at Vashi* |
|||||||
| Day | Date | Start Point | End Point | Start
Point Kms |
End Point Kms* | Corrected End Point | Distance Covered
per day |
Cumulative Distance
Covered |
| 1 | 15th Feb, 2021 | Vashi Toll Bridge, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra | Bagewadi, Karnataka | 0 | 518 | 489 | 489 | 489 |
| 2 | 16th Feb, 2021 | Bagewadi, Karnataka | Devanahalli, Bengaluru, Karnataka | 489 | 1001 | 972 | 483 | 972 |
| 3 | 17th Feb, 2021 | Devanahalli, Bengaluru, Karnataka | Tada, Tamil Nadu | 972 | 1446 | 1417 | 445 | 1417 |
| 4 | 18th Feb, 2021 | Tada, Tamil Nadu | Bapulapadu, Andhra Pradesh | 1417 | 1875 | 1846 | 429 | 1846 |
| 5 | 19th Feb, 2021 | Bapulapadu, Andhra Pradesh | Budumuru, Andhra Pradesh | 1846 | 2309 | 2280 | 434 | 2280 |
| 6 | 20th Feb, 2021 | Budumuru, Andhra Pradesh | Panikoili, Odisha | 2280 | 2744 | 2715 | 435 | 2715 |
| 7 | 21st Feb, 2021 | Panikoili, Odisha | Burdwan, West Bengal | 2715 | 3181 | 3152 | 437 | 3152 |
| 8 | 22nd Feb, 2021 | Burdwan, West Bengal | Aurangabad, Bihar | 3152 | 3584 | 3555 | 403 | 3555 |
| 9 | 23rd Feb, 2021 | Aurangabad, Bihar | Sauran, Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh | 3555 | 4004 | 3975 | 420 | 3975 |
| 10 | 24th Feb, 2021 | Sauran, Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh | Dautana, Uttar Pradesh | 3975 | 4435 | 4406 | 431 | 4406 |
| 11 | 25th Feb, 2021 | Dautana, Uttar Pradesh | Madhopura, Rajasthan | 4406 | 4866 | 4837 | 431 | 4837 |
| 12 | 26th Feb, 2021 | Madhopura, Rajasthan | Kagddar Bhatiya, Rajasthan | 4837 | 5273 | 5244 | 407 | 5244 |
| 13 | 27th Feb, 2021 | Kagddar Bhatiya, Rajasthan | Virwadi, Navsari, Gujarat | 5244 | 5742 | 5713 | 469 | 5713 |
| 14 | 28th Feb, 2021 | Virwadi, Navsari, Gujarat | Vashi Toll Bridge, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra | 5713 | 5999.2 | 5970.2 | 256 | 5970.2 |
Note: The two columns in green are considering the different start points, Gateway of India and Vashi Bridge.
| WUCA Waypoint | WUCA Waypoints | Mileage | Kilometer | Date | Time | Cumulative Time | Waypoint Description |
| #1 | Start: Vashi Toll Bridge, Mumbai | 0 | 0 | 15 February 2021 | 04:09:56 | 0 | Vashi Toll Naka, Sion Panvel Highway, Vashi, Navi Mumbai |
| #2 | Navi Mumbai | 5 | 8 | 15 February 2021 | 04:28:00 | 0 | Near Maruti Suzuki Showroom, Nerul, Navi Mumbai |
| #3 | Pune | 83 | 134 | 15 February 2021 | 09:40:00 | 5 | Near Kothari Toyota Showroom, Bengaluru-Pune Highway, Pune |
| #4 | Kolhapur | 225 | 362 | 15 February 2021 | 18:35:55 | 14 | Panchganga River Bridge, Bengaluru Pune Highway, Kolhapur |
| #5 | Hubli | 349 | 562 | 16 February 2021 | 07:04:00 | 26 | Near Hubli Airport, Hubli Bypass, Bengaluru Pune Highway, Hubli |
| #6 | Bengaluru | 595 | 958 | 16 February 2021 | 23:19:58 | 43 | Near Police station, Dodaballapur, Bengaluru |
| Additional | Bengaluru | 643 | 1035 | 17 February 2021 | 06:46:56 | 50 | Sarjapura, Bengaluru, Karnataka |
| #7 | Krishnagiri | 686 | 1104 | 17 February 2021 | 09:11:00 | 53 | Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu |
| #8 | Chennai | 840 | 1352 | 17 February 2021 | 21:01:02 | 64 | Paluvedu, Chennai Outer Ring Road, Chennai |
| #9 | Nellore | 949 | 1527 | 18 February 2021 | 08:13:00 | 76 | Nellore Bypass, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh |
| #10 | Ongole | 1026 | 1651 | 18 February 2021 | 13:27:00 | 81 | Ongole Bypass, Ongole, Andhra Pradesh |
| #11 | Eluru | 1154 | 1857 | 18 February 2021 | 00:19:00 | 92 | Near Eluru College, Eluru Bypass, Eluru |
| #12 | Visakhapatnam | 1352 | 2176 | 19 February 2021 | 18:46:00 | 110 | Near Vizag Steel Plant Circle |
| #13 | Cuttack | 1641 | 2641 | 20 February 2021 | 20:37:12 | 136 | Near BMW Showroom, NH5, Cuttack, |
| #14 | Kolkata | 1896 | 3051 | 21 February 2021 | 19:55:00 | 159 | NH16, Pakuria, Kolkata, West Bengal |
| #15 | Kanpur | 2504 | 4030 | 24 February 2021 | 03:04:00 | 214 | Near Kanpur Airport, Kanpur |
| #16 | Agra | 2676 | 4307 | 24 February 2021 | 19:47:00 | 231 | Kuberpur, NH19, Agra, Uttar Pradesh |
| #17 | Delhi | 2800 | 4506 | 25 February 2021 | 04:54:00 | 240 | Gurgaon Faridabad Landfill, Gurgaon Faridabad Road, Delhi |
| Additional | Delhi | 2805 | 4515 | 25 February 2021 | 05:46:48 | 241 | Gurgaon Faridabad Highway Police Cowky, Delhi |
| #18 | Jaipur | 2952 | 4751 | 25 February 2021 | 20:39:00 | 256 | Jamnapuri, Dlhi-Ajmer Expressway, Jaipur |
| #19 | Udaipur | 3205 | 5158 | 26 February 2021 | 20:04:39 | 279 | Near Udaipur Airport, Udaipur, Rajasthan |
| #20 | Ahmedabad | 3367 | 5419 | 27 February 2021 | 10:07:00 | 293 | Near Maruti Showroom, Kathwada, Ahmedabad |
| #21 | Vadodara | 3429 | 5518 | 27 February 2021 | 14:23:00 | 298 | Near Vasad Toll Plaza NH8, Vasad, Gujarat |
| Additional | Vadodara | 3447 | 5547 | 27 February 2021 | 15:28:11 | 299 | Waghodia Chowk, Vadodara, Gujarat |
| #22 | Vashi Toll Booth, Vashi, Navi Mumbai | 3709.71 | 5970.2 | 28 February 2021 | 13:59:07 | 321 | Vashi Toll Booth, Vashi, Navi Mumbai |
| Amit Samarth | |
| Distance Miles | 3709.71 |
| Distance Kms | 5970.2 |
| Total Time (Hours) | 321:49:00 |
| Speed KMPH | 18.54 kmph* |
| Speed MPH | 11.52 mph* |
| Total On-saddle Time (Estimated) | 239:14:00 |
| Total Off-saddle Time (Estimated) | 82:34:00 |
Table showing day wise On saddle and Off Saddle time.
| Date | Day | Off-Saddle
Time |
On
Saddle Time |
Total | Kilometers/Day |
| 15-Feb-21 | Day 1 | 00:40:49 | 19:09:11 | 19:50:00 | 489 |
| 16-Feb-21 | Day 2 | 05:28:22 | 18:31:38 | 24:00:00 | 483 |
| 17-Feb-21 | Day 3 | 06:42:27 | 17:17:33 | 24:00:00 | 445 |
| 18-Feb-21 | Day 4 | 07:52:53 | 16:07:07 | 24:00:00 | 429 |
| 19-Feb-21 | Day 5 | 06:14:19 | 17:45:41 | 24:00:00 | 434 |
| 20-Feb-21 | Day 6 | 05:19:34 | 18:40:26 | 24:00:00 | 435 |
| 21-Feb-21 | Day 7 | 06:04:32 | 17:55:28 | 24:00:00 | 437 |
| 22-Feb-21 | Day 8 | 07:11:23 | 16:48:37 | 24:00:00 | 403 |
| 23-Feb-21 | Day 9 | 06:50:43 | 17:09:17 | 24:00:00 | 420 |
| 24-Feb-21 | Day 10 | 07:30:27 | 16:29:33 | 24:00:00 | 431 |
| 25-Feb-21 | Day 11 | 06:59:11 | 17:00:49 | 24:00:00 | 431 |
| 26-Feb-21 | Day 12 | 06:32:05 | 17:27:55 | 24:00:00 | 407 |
| 27-Feb-21 | Day 13 | 05:32:14 | 18:27:46 | 24:00:00 | 469 |
| 28-Feb-21 | Day 14 | 03:35:28 | 10:23:32 | 13:59:00 | 257.2 (440) |
| Total | 82:34:27 | 239:14:33 | 321:49:00 | 5970.2 | |
| Min | 00:40:49 | 10:23:32 | 257.2 | ||
| Max | 07:52:53 | 19:09:11 | 489 | ||
| Average | 05:53:53 | 17:05:19 | 426.4 |
Route: The complete route taken can be viewed in detail using the below hyperlink. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/36547548