OK so I guess I am going to take my mountain bike to India

Tenletters

This will be my first trip to India, my first trip out of the US in fact. I have done quite a bit of reading here and would like to thank everyone for all of the informative contributions.

It has always been a dream of mine to ride a fat tire bicycle in the Himalaya, and I have recently been removing some of the last obstacles to departing on what I hope to be the journey that both fulfills this dream and gives me the experience I need to plan further Garhwal bicycle adventures. Today I sent off my 10 year Visa application.

I have read this forum and around the net and I have not read of anyone doing what I have in mind, perhaps there is a reason that I am unaware of...

I am going to take a customized 26" mountain bike that is a single speed style frame with an 8 speed internal hub. On top of that I will have very little baggage and gear. Just small panniers, a small handlebar bag, and a small backpack. Maybe 20 kilos tops in addition to the 10-15 kilos of bicycle. The idea is to be able to go up steep hills while carrying everything.

American airlines will apparently take my bicycle as checked baggage so I can show up in Delhi with it. Step one.

Then I plan to either get some sleep in a hotel and then jump on a sleeper train, or just jump directly to a train for somewhere in Uttaranchal, probably Haridwar. I am assuming that with patience and funds I should be able to find a taxi from the airport. I don't know for sure if I can take my bike with me on the train, but it could still be boxed at that point, and from what I have read Indians travel with large baggage and "anything is possible in India", so it looks likely. If not possible I am willing to take a bus or taxi but from what I gather a sleeper train might be the best option.

Then I will probably spend a day resting and sipping tea, gentle cycling around the city maybe.

Then I plan to ride in a jeep or bus up towards Kedarnath or Gangotri, riding up the last bit of the way on the bicycle. If I go to Gangotri I might stay at Harsil for a few days and ride around a little to get used to the altitude. From pictures and video there seem to be footpaths everywhere that would be great for a mountain type of bicycle.

From there I would spend some time riding around, possibly above the the temple towards the glacier. I know the terrain is very rough and steep, I will be prepared to carry the bike when needed. Is this allowed?

Then I will take my time on the return trip to Delhi, riding the bicycle if I have time, hopefully returning to Delhi with 3-5 days or more left to see the sights and sample some food. I might even go to Agra if I felt up to the travel. This time will be my margin of error in case I were to get caught behind a landslide or some other unforeseen delay. As far as the total time of my trip I am thinking of three weeks or just under. I wish it could be more but the sooner I am back the more prepared I will be for the next trip, which will be longer and won't be my first trip, so I should have a better idea what to expect.

If for some reason I can not go as far up into the mountains as I had hoped I will simply explore whatever area I am in. It seems as though there are many areas in Uttaranchal that would be wonderful places to bicycle using an off road type of bike.

I have many questions, I guess I can start with: Is there any major reason why this will not be possible? I am generally hardy and adaptable, I am a strong cyclist and have gone directly from near sea level to above 3000 meters before so I know what to expect as far as the altitude. I am used to having to dive off of the road for crazy drivers, although I think there may be more of them in India. Hopefully at some point I can find some places to ride other than the major thoroughfares.

Thank you all so much for all of the info!

vko

Welcome to IndiaMike!

Carrying your bike in train? Simple. If the luggage is bulky or over the stipulated limit of 40KG per passenger, you can easily book it in the train luggage car. Just reach the station early and ask any coolie how to book it. You can book it even if it's been unpacked and assembled. Motorcycles get moved around like that all the time. The coolie will cover it up well enough so that it doesn't get damaged. If, while still packed, its not very bulky/heavy you can slip it under the lower berth- no booking required.
Is it allowed to take the bike into the Gangotri National Park? I doubt it. There are some threads on Gangotri-Gaumukh trek, try asking there. There are permits involved for trekking in that area too, may be bikes need some special permit. Not sure.

Didn't you just say "anything is possible in India"? If biking is what you want to do, then stop worrying and go for it! Don't hesitate to ask any question you come across. And above all have a great time!

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-Vikas