Bicycle travel, how safe/ practical is it?

xealot · Mar 3rd, 2005, 14:48

wow i'm overwhelmed by the number of replies .... thanks to everyone for the responses

Neomad: thanks very much for the ideas ... everything i have looked at so far has been regarding the south so i was really excited to hear that there are great opportunities in the north too! haven't looked at the sites but wil do so straight after this post.

crvlvr: if i end up taking on this challenge i will definetely to a lot of research! there are some people who havve done longish bicycle trips and documented the road conditions so i'm planning on being prepared for what i'll face ... but then again i hear india always has a habit of surprising people

and the areas i'm looking at all towns are within a days ride so i'm going to rule out staying out in the open as an option.... and lol i can handle being looked at like i'm from another planet, i almost am

thankyou for the info!

trvl_in... i liked the story and hopefully it applies to me as this is something i would really love to do, i will however take your caution into account as i'm sure its warranted. I have amny months to plan my trip so hopefully i'll come up with one that it doable

william lol ... i'm an adventurous kinda girl

... but yes i will spend some time in india before i
attempt this mission (gosh i'm starting to sound like i've alread made up my mind :{)

traceyam: that sounds terrible! hopefully peoples reactions will be more surprised than critical in the less populated areas ... what do you recon?

thanks for the encouraging anecdote bij ...i love it

machadinha: sounds like Jodie Dew is must read .. i'll definetely check it out

kanbe: thats a rad site ... i read through it this weekend ... thanks for a great link

And in regard to all the cautious comments ... i'm listening, really i am, i want to know the risks beofre i make up my mind about this.... and i have many months to do so.

Thanks again everyone!

Georgie

mountaingirl · Mar 3rd, 2005, 15:14

Hi!

Here some more suggestions:

1. DO NOT DO IT!

2. IF YOU DO INTEND TO DO IT then know that it is NOT IMPOSSIBLE but more difficult thanusual.

You also need to have a checklist for what to expect, what & how to prepare etc but I am sure that you are already working on it.

Some areas are SAFER than others. Write down the areas that interest you and then strike out the ones that see a lot of traffic, areas where people are perceived to be too conservative leading to saftey risk.

I would suggest going to the mountains or hills.

As far as sleeping is concerned - it will be difficult to just put up a tent somewhere and sleep. You might wake up and find being stared at by thousands of people. They do not necessarily intend to harm you of course.
In the hills, you will come across a lone restaurant etc - where it is easier to find a bed to sleep. A lot of them are nomadic settlers and will therefore appreciate your sense of freedom!

Your clothing is important.

I agree with what Crvlvr has to say.

If I were you, then I would cheat a little bit and get a ride in those trucks through rough areas!

As long as you are prepared - mentally and physically and also have completed (tired to complete) your checklist - you will survive and will probably have a great story to tell us all! :thumbsup:

In a nutshell, it will all depend on your attitude and aptitude!

xealot · Mar 3rd, 2005, 15:32

thanks for the tips mountain girl ... ran across your 'ask mountain girl' thread the other btw ... cool thread ... had to stop after a few pages though, there was so much to take in! Where do reckon would be good as far as hill destinations go?

Does any one know of any specific areas which are good? someone mentoined one link (mrpumpy) which has a route for the coast of Tamil Nadu and then up to Goa, but i don't really know where to start looking for information about most other places. Any tips for good general areas i would appreciate as i can do the hard yards of research myself (if i must

) but i need to know where to start!

Went and bought Rough Guides to India today .... my first investment in my India trip; Apart from joining this forum of course which is probably far more valuable!

Smailes for all

mountaingirl · Mar 3rd, 2005, 15:38

Hi again!
Can you fill me in a little more about the trip - (you may have mentioned it already) but please repeat.
When (month?) do you intend to go. How much time (duration)? How long do you intend to bike everyday? I guess you do not intend to sleep in cities unless there is no other option.

I take it that you are taken by South India. I prefer Kerela to other states (it's a MATRIACH society! highest literacy rate!).

As a backpakcer, I do recommend RG to LP. Good start!

xealot · Mar 3rd, 2005, 16:23

thanks for taking an interest mountain girl!

i'm planning on going during peak season, if i can get all the money together i will leave this october. i'm planning to spend 5 months in india total so i want to spend time in both the south and the north.... and yeah i'm not planning on spending much of it in cities. I will probably stay in Chennai to begin with as I have a friend (in Australia) whos family in Chennai i will apparently be very welcome to stay with... but apart from a week to aclimatise there i don't think i'll want much to do with the cities, although the craziness of it i'm sure is part of having a full India experience

I should be comfortable riding up to 150 km per day in the relatively flat areas but wouldn't want to push myself in the more hilled parts of the country ... so about half that if its intense riding. I'm flexible though and not afraid of a challenge, if i find a good route but it involves some longs days of riding i can handle it! (I can't think of anyhthing better than watching the sun rise as i ride across india so i'll just start early

) ... i'll stop and relax for a couple of days wherever i end up for the night before i get going again anyway.

Considering my plans are still in their infancy there's not much else to say 5 months Oct/Nov - Feb/April and no set itinerary. Hell i'll even change th etime of year if someone convinces me its a good idea. Cheers!

my rough guide is already developing pencil lines of possible routes and such

kaushiks · Mar 3rd, 2005, 16:27

Traceyam, I think choosing what to believe and take at face value, and what not to, is an art. Particularly for the media centric americans.

1) India is not a country where women will get pushed around because men disapprove of something. The stuff about dowry and women harassment that you read in papers are all true incidents but not representative of the culture here. Its just that the country is so diverse with unimaginable variations. Some bad.
2) Watch out for this friend of yours. A Delhi girl gets pushed around by men for driving a bicycle. Come on. Give me a break. Delhi girls are smart enough to rip their balls out. There is no way any girl Delhi will have to or will put up with this kind of thing.

What kind of girl is this?. An NRI, an ABCD?. I know my ABCD cousins just made up stories to play down India. This girl may be one such exceptional specimen. Why didn't she complain to police?. If she is a part of an organization or college or something, those guys will be made to wish they were never born, if they are caught. If this had happened in Madhyapradesh or some obscure part I wouldn't have raised an eyebrow. In Delhi of all the places, come on. You will not understand India even if you visit India but you will atleast realise you can't.Get out of your country and see the real world for yourself.

mountaingirl · Mar 3rd, 2005, 16:30

Hey, just came to think of it. Are you taking your own bike? or are you going to buy one in India? I think they are pretty cheap in India and easily repairable! and chances of getting stolen are less! It will be fun to ride those standard ladies bike. I had one in my senior secondary - I was afraid that people would make fun of me - but it was a really cool one!

Just for your info, the bottom rung people in the society ride bycycles here. so, that is why it generates more curiosity than lady motorbikers!

xealot · Mar 3rd, 2005, 16:35

being on the lowest rung sounds like a great level to be on when experiencing india ... and yeah i'll probably just a buy a bike over there ... sounds by far the easiest option.

xealot · Mar 3rd, 2005, 17:05

hey Mountaingirl the Kerala section of the route i've been looking at involves biking to Kollam then taking a cruise up to Alappuzha, biking to Cochin .... but then taking the train to Mangalore. If i was to take this route would you reccomend any changes, eg is there anything to see that is worth skipping the train between Cochin and manglore for.... and is there a route that is doable to see them, or other transport that could accomodate a bike? Its a pretty specific question but that doesn't mean it needs a specific answer (nothing is set in stone so there's no reason to rule info out because it sounds like it might not fit into my plans or whatever

)

kaushiks · Mar 3rd, 2005, 17:06

Even guys should buy the standard ladies bike. Its less heavy and I never saw the necessity for that rod anyway.

kaushiks · Mar 3rd, 2005, 17:09

Xeal, if you are fit, why don't you go bicycling up to Munnar. I found cycling on mountains absolutely amazing. And in mountains nobody would stair at you. You can even roam after dark. You would merge with the surroundings.
You should have one leg up in the hills.

kaushiks · Mar 3rd, 2005, 17:11

I mean one part of your trip up in the hills

.

mountaingirl · Mar 3rd, 2005, 17:14

I don't have my map here so difficult to say.
But from Cochin, I would head to the hill station at Ooty, then to Hasan, Mysore, Bangalore and then train/ bus - getting to Goa from here is a bit difficult to figure out.

I would also try to put in Periyar. There are a lot of volunteers around this area. On this route, there are lot of nice getaways (homely getaways) coming up. So, if you can find one - you can use it as a base to go biking to some interiors.

machadinha · Mar 3rd, 2005, 23:55

Hi again, this thread has grown too long for me to read it all so I'll probably cover some stuff already brought up, but:

For Josie Dew's books get her name right, it's not Jodie. (And wouldn't she have a website of her own too

: http://www.josiedew.co.uk/ )

One thing of concern might be that you seem a young and eager person and possibly a first-timer at a bicycling trip like this, let alone in India. If not, disregard this; if so, you might want to consider doing an extended bicycle tour in your homeland first, and perhaps doing a non-bicycling trip to India first just to see what it's like. Many have gone before you though and probably many single women and perhaps first-timers too so don't let it put you off; just read up as much as you can and talk to others who have done it if possible. Where I live travel book stores for instance often host get-togethers of all kinds of travellers, ask around or check out their ads.

Sleeping outside, as others have noted, I'm not so sure about it. I guess bringing a light tent for emergencies might be an idea but other than that, apart from any potential dangers you might just draw more attention than you can handle. Stray dogs are very much a matter of concern too (not just when camping but on the road as well for that matter), Josie Dew has some anecdotes on that. Even in the smaller towns a guesthouse of some sorts will usually be available, they may not have a permit to take in foreigners but my impression was if there's no alternative around no one minds you staying there (hospitality would probably demand *someone* takes you in, leaving a lone woman outside at night would probably be unthinkable). And as has been noted, in villages you might find a place at a restaurant or a dhaba (roadside canteen) or even a villager's home. Sleeping outside on a charpoy (stringbed) at a dhaba is *not* recommended for women as far as I know, what with drunken truckdrivers and what have you. Bus or train station masters might be another resource for impromptu accommodation; running into trouble is of course never unthinkable and the police for instance do not necessarily have a good reputation regarding their attitude towards women, although most of them would be helpful I'm sure. I don't know, just keep your wits about you but if you hadn't thought of that already then reconsider the whole plan. (Mrs. Dew again, who is not my guru, has an interesting anecdote about her being besieged by the village kids throwing rocks -- a favorite pastime of many youngsters, don't ask me why precisely -- at her and her travel party while staying in someone's shack.)

The major roads can be sheer hell. Remember (there's no way you'll forget it once you get on that bike) that might is right, that is to say truck goes over bus goes over car goes over bullock cart goes over moped goes over bicyclist goes over pedestrian, with stray animals of different sizes somewhere inbetween these. With you almost at the bottom of that ladder this means you'll often find yourself simply having to ditch by the roadside when being overtaken. The stress of dealing with this will also impact the distances you can cover per day, I have no idea what a realistic distance might be though. (I've only done daytrips and it was usually good fun if a little hectic perhaps.)

You mentioned buying a bike over there. I don't know how the current market for mountain bikes is, but the trusty ol' Indian type of city bike won't get you very far afield let alone uphill. It's probably best to bring your own mountain bike, unless that market has changed significantly. (And yes you can trust it drawing a lot of attention and being felt up and down on many occasions, I think it was Dew again who mentions a group of men gravely discussing the fuelling properties of her state-of-the-art water bottle.) Bringing essential spare parts would make sense, don't forget that an Indian mechanic will work wonders to fix just about anything with the proverbial matchbox and an elastic band, it just might take a little longer but patience and a sense of humor will be of the essence anyway.

Dress: forget about the spandex suit, wear something that's both comfortable and sensible and decent. Long sleeves, a scarf and a hat may seem sweaty but they'll also help against sunburn of course. Rain would probably not be much of a concern outside of the monsoon season, in which case roads might become impassible. Like you say though India is full of surprises and you can count on having the occasional shower thrown against you I'm sure.

Travelling at night, apart from the obvious dangers, would also be risky because of the aforementioned traffic hierarchy which becomes much more tricky at night, not least because many people tend to drive wihtout their headlights on and/or use them to blind any traffic coming their way, amidst much honking of course. Potholes and stuff (missing bridges for instance) would also be much harder to spot.

Well so much for today's good advice. Just try to go well-prepared, extra medical considerations spring to mind too, maybe some extra shots and water purification concerns etc.

traceyam · Mar 4th, 2005, 02:35

kaushiks, I seriously doubt my friend was lying. All I can do is pass on her experience.

Mar 3rd, 2005, 23:55	#29
machadinha Not Your Guru Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: yörp Posts: 9,142	Hi again, this thread has grown too long for me to read it all so I'll probably cover some stuff already brought up, but: For Josie Dew's books get her name right, it's not Jodie. (And wouldn't she have a website of her own too : http://www.josiedew.co.uk/ ) One thing of concern might be that you seem a young and eager person and possibly a first-timer at a bicycling trip like this, let alone in India. If not, disregard this; if so, you might want to consider doing an extended bicycle tour in your homeland first, and perhaps doing a non-bicycling trip to India first just to see what it's like. Many have gone before you though and probably many single women and perhaps first-timers too so don't let it put you off; just read up as much as you can and talk to others who have done it if possible. Where I live travel book stores for instance often host get-togethers of all kinds of travellers, ask around or check out their ads. Sleeping outside, as others have noted, I'm not so sure about it. I guess bringing a light tent for emergencies might be an idea but other than that, apart from any potential dangers you might just draw more attention than you can handle. Stray dogs are very much a matter of concern too (not just when camping but on the road as well for that matter), Josie Dew has some anecdotes on that. Even in the smaller towns a guesthouse of some sorts will usually be available, they may not have a permit to take in foreigners but my impression was if there's no alternative around no one minds you staying there (hospitality would probably demand someone takes you in, leaving a lone woman outside at night would probably be unthinkable). And as has been noted, in villages you might find a place at a restaurant or a dhaba (roadside canteen) or even a villager's home. Sleeping outside on a charpoy (stringbed) at a dhaba is not recommended for women as far as I know, what with drunken truckdrivers and what have you. Bus or train station masters might be another resource for impromptu accommodation; running into trouble is of course never unthinkable and the police for instance do not necessarily have a good reputation regarding their attitude towards women, although most of them would be helpful I'm sure. I don't know, just keep your wits about you but if you hadn't thought of that already then reconsider the whole plan. (Mrs. Dew again, who is not my guru, has an interesting anecdote about her being besieged by the village kids throwing rocks -- a favorite pastime of many youngsters, don't ask me why precisely -- at her and her travel party while staying in someone's shack.) The major roads can be sheer hell. Remember (there's no way you'll forget it once you get on that bike) that might is right, that is to say truck goes over bus goes over car goes over bullock cart goes over moped goes over bicyclist goes over pedestrian, with stray animals of different sizes somewhere inbetween these. With you almost at the bottom of that ladder this means you'll often find yourself simply having to ditch by the roadside when being overtaken. The stress of dealing with this will also impact the distances you can cover per day, I have no idea what a realistic distance might be though. (I've only done daytrips and it was usually good fun if a little hectic perhaps.) You mentioned buying a bike over there. I don't know how the current market for mountain bikes is, but the trusty ol' Indian type of city bike won't get you very far afield let alone uphill. It's probably best to bring your own mountain bike, unless that market has changed significantly. (And yes you can trust it drawing a lot of attention and being felt up and down on many occasions, I think it was Dew again who mentions a group of men gravely discussing the fuelling properties of her state-of-the-art water bottle.) Bringing essential spare parts would make sense, don't forget that an Indian mechanic will work wonders to fix just about anything with the proverbial matchbox and an elastic band, it just might take a little longer but patience and a sense of humor will be of the essence anyway. Dress: forget about the spandex suit, wear something that's both comfortable and sensible and decent. Long sleeves, a scarf and a hat may seem sweaty but they'll also help against sunburn of course. Rain would probably not be much of a concern outside of the monsoon season, in which case roads might become impassible. Like you say though India is full of surprises and you can count on having the occasional shower thrown against you I'm sure. Travelling at night, apart from the obvious dangers, would also be risky because of the aforementioned traffic hierarchy which becomes much more tricky at night, not least because many people tend to drive wihtout their headlights on and/or use them to blind any traffic coming their way, amidst much honking of course. Potholes and stuff (missing bridges for instance) would also be much harder to spot. Well so much for today's good advice. Just try to go well-prepared, extra medical considerations spring to mind too, maybe some extra shots and water purification concerns etc. __________________ Reading tips, all picked up at IndiaMike : INDAX's A Comprehensive Guide To India / Dinoj Surendran's Desi Humor / ITHVC on Culture Shock & Travel Health / JetLag Travel Guides For the Undiscerning Traveller / India Travel Links

Mar 4th, 2005, 02:35	#30
traceyam Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 426	kaushiks, I seriously doubt my friend was lying. All I can do is pass on her experience. __________________ "Don't you sometimes wish the arctic was strawberry flavoured?" -- Thermoman

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Mar 3rd, 2005, 14:48	#16
xealot Longing for India ... Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Canberra Australia Posts: 195	wow i'm overwhelmed by the number of replies .... thanks to everyone for the responses Neomad: thanks very much for the ideas ... everything i have looked at so far has been regarding the south so i was really excited to hear that there are great opportunities in the north too! haven't looked at the sites but wil do so straight after this post. crvlvr: if i end up taking on this challenge i will definetely to a lot of research! there are some people who havve done longish bicycle trips and documented the road conditions so i'm planning on being prepared for what i'll face ... but then again i hear india always has a habit of surprising people and the areas i'm looking at all towns are within a days ride so i'm going to rule out staying out in the open as an option.... and lol i can handle being looked at like i'm from another planet, i almost am thankyou for the info! trvl_in... i liked the story and hopefully it applies to me as this is something i would really love to do, i will however take your caution into account as i'm sure its warranted. I have amny months to plan my trip so hopefully i'll come up with one that it doable william lol ... i'm an adventurous kinda girl ... but yes i will spend some time in india before i attempt this mission (gosh i'm starting to sound like i've alread made up my mind :{) traceyam: that sounds terrible! hopefully peoples reactions will be more surprised than critical in the less populated areas ... what do you recon? thanks for the encouraging anecdote bij ...i love it machadinha: sounds like Jodie Dew is must read .. i'll definetely check it out kanbe: thats a rad site ... i read through it this weekend ... thanks for a great link And in regard to all the cautious comments ... i'm listening, really i am, i want to know the risks beofre i make up my mind about this.... and i have many months to do so. Thanks again everyone! Georgie

Mar 3rd, 2005, 15:14	#17
mountaingirl Mother Goose Join Date: May 2003 Location: underground Posts: 416	Hi! Here some more suggestions: 1. DO NOT DO IT! 2. IF YOU DO INTEND TO DO IT then know that it is NOT IMPOSSIBLE but more difficult thanusual. You also need to have a checklist for what to expect, what & how to prepare etc but I am sure that you are already working on it. Some areas are SAFER than others. Write down the areas that interest you and then strike out the ones that see a lot of traffic, areas where people are perceived to be too conservative leading to saftey risk. I would suggest going to the mountains or hills. As far as sleeping is concerned - it will be difficult to just put up a tent somewhere and sleep. You might wake up and find being stared at by thousands of people. They do not necessarily intend to harm you of course. In the hills, you will come across a lone restaurant etc - where it is easier to find a bed to sleep. A lot of them are nomadic settlers and will therefore appreciate your sense of freedom! Your clothing is important. I agree with what Crvlvr has to say. If I were you, then I would cheat a little bit and get a ride in those trucks through rough areas! As long as you are prepared - mentally and physically and also have completed (tired to complete) your checklist - you will survive and will probably have a great story to tell us all! :thumbsup: In a nutshell, it will all depend on your attitude and aptitude!

Mar 3rd, 2005, 15:32	#18
xealot Longing for India ... Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Canberra Australia Posts: 195	thanks for the tips mountain girl ... ran across your 'ask mountain girl' thread the other btw ... cool thread ... had to stop after a few pages though, there was so much to take in! Where do reckon would be good as far as hill destinations go? Does any one know of any specific areas which are good? someone mentoined one link (mrpumpy) which has a route for the coast of Tamil Nadu and then up to Goa, but i don't really know where to start looking for information about most other places. Any tips for good general areas i would appreciate as i can do the hard yards of research myself (if i must ) but i need to know where to start! Went and bought Rough Guides to India today .... my first investment in my India trip; Apart from joining this forum of course which is probably far more valuable! Smailes for all

Mar 3rd, 2005, 15:38	#19
mountaingirl Mother Goose Join Date: May 2003 Location: underground Posts: 416	Hi again! Can you fill me in a little more about the trip - (you may have mentioned it already) but please repeat. When (month?) do you intend to go. How much time (duration)? How long do you intend to bike everyday? I guess you do not intend to sleep in cities unless there is no other option. I take it that you are taken by South India. I prefer Kerela to other states (it's a MATRIACH society! highest literacy rate!). As a backpakcer, I do recommend RG to LP. Good start!

Mar 3rd, 2005, 16:23	#20
xealot Longing for India ... Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Canberra Australia Posts: 195	thanks for taking an interest mountain girl! i'm planning on going during peak season, if i can get all the money together i will leave this october. i'm planning to spend 5 months in india total so i want to spend time in both the south and the north.... and yeah i'm not planning on spending much of it in cities. I will probably stay in Chennai to begin with as I have a friend (in Australia) whos family in Chennai i will apparently be very welcome to stay with... but apart from a week to aclimatise there i don't think i'll want much to do with the cities, although the craziness of it i'm sure is part of having a full India experience I should be comfortable riding up to 150 km per day in the relatively flat areas but wouldn't want to push myself in the more hilled parts of the country ... so about half that if its intense riding. I'm flexible though and not afraid of a challenge, if i find a good route but it involves some longs days of riding i can handle it! (I can't think of anyhthing better than watching the sun rise as i ride across india so i'll just start early ) ... i'll stop and relax for a couple of days wherever i end up for the night before i get going again anyway. Considering my plans are still in their infancy there's not much else to say 5 months Oct/Nov - Feb/April and no set itinerary. Hell i'll even change th etime of year if someone convinces me its a good idea. Cheers! my rough guide is already developing pencil lines of possible routes and such

Mar 3rd, 2005, 16:27	#21
kaushiks Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: don't live anymore Posts: 445	Traceyam, I think choosing what to believe and take at face value, and what not to, is an art. Particularly for the media centric americans. 1) India is not a country where women will get pushed around because men disapprove of something. The stuff about dowry and women harassment that you read in papers are all true incidents but not representative of the culture here. Its just that the country is so diverse with unimaginable variations. Some bad. 2) Watch out for this friend of yours. A Delhi girl gets pushed around by men for driving a bicycle. Come on. Give me a break. Delhi girls are smart enough to rip their balls out. There is no way any girl Delhi will have to or will put up with this kind of thing. What kind of girl is this?. An NRI, an ABCD?. I know my ABCD cousins just made up stories to play down India. This girl may be one such exceptional specimen. Why didn't she complain to police?. If she is a part of an organization or college or something, those guys will be made to wish they were never born, if they are caught. If this had happened in Madhyapradesh or some obscure part I wouldn't have raised an eyebrow. In Delhi of all the places, come on. You will not understand India even if you visit India but you will atleast realise you can't.Get out of your country and see the real world for yourself.

Mar 3rd, 2005, 16:30	#22
mountaingirl Mother Goose Join Date: May 2003 Location: underground Posts: 416	Hey, just came to think of it. Are you taking your own bike? or are you going to buy one in India? I think they are pretty cheap in India and easily repairable! and chances of getting stolen are less! It will be fun to ride those standard ladies bike. I had one in my senior secondary - I was afraid that people would make fun of me - but it was a really cool one! Just for your info, the bottom rung people in the society ride bycycles here. so, that is why it generates more curiosity than lady motorbikers!

Mar 3rd, 2005, 16:35	#23
xealot Longing for India ... Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Canberra Australia Posts: 195	being on the lowest rung sounds like a great level to be on when experiencing india ... and yeah i'll probably just a buy a bike over there ... sounds by far the easiest option.

Mar 3rd, 2005, 17:05	#24
xealot Longing for India ... Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Canberra Australia Posts: 195	hey Mountaingirl the Kerala section of the route i've been looking at involves biking to Kollam then taking a cruise up to Alappuzha, biking to Cochin .... but then taking the train to Mangalore. If i was to take this route would you reccomend any changes, eg is there anything to see that is worth skipping the train between Cochin and manglore for.... and is there a route that is doable to see them, or other transport that could accomodate a bike? Its a pretty specific question but that doesn't mean it needs a specific answer (nothing is set in stone so there's no reason to rule info out because it sounds like it might not fit into my plans or whatever )

Mar 3rd, 2005, 17:06	#25
kaushiks Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: don't live anymore Posts: 445	Even guys should buy the standard ladies bike. Its less heavy and I never saw the necessity for that rod anyway.

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Mar 3rd, 2005, 17:09	#26
kaushiks Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: don't live anymore Posts: 445	Xeal, if you are fit, why don't you go bicycling up to Munnar. I found cycling on mountains absolutely amazing. And in mountains nobody would stair at you. You can even roam after dark. You would merge with the surroundings. You should have one leg up in the hills.

Mar 3rd, 2005, 17:11	#27
kaushiks Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: don't live anymore Posts: 445	I mean one part of your trip up in the hills .

Mar 3rd, 2005, 17:14	#28
mountaingirl Mother Goose Join Date: May 2003 Location: underground Posts: 416	I don't have my map here so difficult to say. But from Cochin, I would head to the hill station at Ooty, then to Hasan, Mysore, Bangalore and then train/ bus - getting to Goa from here is a bit difficult to figure out. I would also try to put in Periyar. There are a lot of volunteers around this area. On this route, there are lot of nice getaways (homely getaways) coming up. So, if you can find one - you can use it as a base to go biking to some interiors.