Here is the link https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=3d2&doc_id=24772&v=Ai.

Haz also made a very nice youtube video of their Mumbai to Kochi ride https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUKshNwQxp0&t=7s

This coastal route between Mumbai and Goa is spectacular for cycling. There is a lot of climbing, stunning views, completely un-commercialized beaches, very little traffic, and a feeling of remote rural Maharashtra. For navigation I got some good advice from the YHAI guys and locals. Although I love the magic of GPS I use it very little for navigation these days. Part of the way arrows had been painted on the pavement, remnants of some previous event. Thanks to whoever- sometimes that was very useful. The second day of my tour, from Murud to Harnai I have rated as probably my best day of cycling ever. The countryside was beautiful, roads great, no traffic, What more can you ask for? The route I took this time had 4 ferry crossings and in total took me 6 days. One thing I did differently this time was from Malwan, instead of going down through Vengurla, I took a beautiful road east and caught NH 66 at Kudal. From there it may be a boring 4 lane road but sometimes that is nice too. .

4,600 some kilometers and I didn’t have a single punctured tire! Can you believe that? Luck ……. But should I be taking an extra tube, plus puncture kit?  Somehow I don’t think so.  There are places and times when a puncture would be inconvenient and demoralising, but maybe an extra tube and the patch kit is too much, considering that any cycle shop that could repair a punctured tube would not be too far away.

I take with me 1 pant (lightweight and wrinkle-free), one shorts for sleeping (jockey), 2 tshirts- 1 nice for going out in public, and one for sleeping etc.    2 cycling jerseys (must be washed along the way)  and 2 cycling shorts.     One pair of flip-flops, and toiletries.  I never carry a towel or soap and even in some of the dives I stayed in it was always found.

Very important…….I take my ipad, along with my samsung galaxy phone.  The ipad is essentially for evening entertainment.  If I have arrived at my destination, bathed, done my navigation studies, had a drink, and it is only 7 or 8, and even if there might be a tv there are no English channels, I have tv shows uploaded on my ipad!  Foyle’s War, may not be culturally relevant, but ir is good!  And I sleep early…..

I love my Apidura bikepacking gear.  Brilliant design.  I really love it. 

Things can be bought, and discarded along the way too. At Champawat in Kumaon, in the morning, the first thing I did was shop for a sweater. To my surprise, at this stall I found a zip sweater that I really loved, for about 650 rs. In Pokhara, Nepal, before the Annapoorna trek (cycle) I had to buy about 10000 rs. Of cold weather gear for the Thorung La pass (5,500 meteres).  I was glad I had that,  and afterwards I could give the stuff away.

What to listen too?

Frankly, sometimes it is boring…. it is after all many hours on the bike.  I have one playlist that I listen to over and over, over the years.  I don’t know who I got it from –jyoti says not from him-  it is 1200 film songs from the 1940’s, superhits of the time, but forgotten now when Laxmikant-pyarelal is consiodered old.  These songs that I really love are sung be Kursheed, Saigal and orhers.  The magic of these songs are the beautiful melodies and the emotive singing.  It is perfect for cycle touring.  This playlist is quite a revelation because it predates by years my previous favorite songs of Naushad, Madan Mohan, Roshan, Shankar jaikishan. Besides Kursheed (who went to Pakistan in 1947) I don’t know who the female singers are, except for the ocassional distinctive voice of Noorjehan, or even of Lata Mangeshkar who started singing in the late 40’s. It is great music…

I wish I had a good novel to listen to, but I don’t. Podcasts are good, but I could prepare better with audiobooks. Next time…..

Starting with navigation, I still do not have what I really would love- the perfect app for cycle touring.  I am still on free apps.  I tried biking.com (free for a week) in Spain but didn’t really like it.  I always use and consult maps.me (for cycling) but have found the hard way that it cannot be trusted.  The advantage of it is that all the maps you might need can be easily uploaded and stored in your phone.  I am also slowly trying out komoot which seems a pretty good app but I am not yet able to judge on it. 

Google maps remains the most essential eventhough they only have the cycling function in some Europian countries.  These maps, whichever ones you might need, can also be uploaded which negates any network connectivity issues one might have in remote places.

When you do have network connectivity the google maps function of “hotels near such and such a place” can be very useful and almost a life saver when travelling in remote places. For example coming now down the Konkan coast from Mumbai to Goa, in Ganpatphule I saw that there didn’t seem to be any hotels until Devgarh and that meant that the next day’s ride would have to be about 125 kms.  which, if the roads were bad could be a very long ride.  As it was the roads were mostly good and it was not difficult arriving well before dark.  Google was right though- there was no lodging whatsover before Devgarh.

Another useful feature of google maps is the walking navigation directions that they have even when they do not have cycling directions.  This, combined with google car navigation is really what I use most.  I only like to plan my route the night before and I spend hours trying to get a good idea of my route the next day. 

In big cities I like to turn on audio navigation.  Even that can be problematic- I had so much difficulty entering and exiting Spanish cities. Sometimes I ended up being on busy roads I most definitely should not have been on.

Coming into Mumbai the other day on Western Express Highway is also an experience. At least I knew the route bt heart, but it certainly is a challenge that requires full alertness. Hat’s off to you Mumbai cyclists who do this regularly….

Besides all the gps apps there remains the tried, true, and tested traditional Indian navigation system and I still love it and use it- stopping and asking someone at the side of the road. Gps can be ambiguous and as we all know there are no useful signboards. People are always ready to help. I am most grateful to all of them. Without this advice I don’t think I would have found this ferry crossing

A friend at Keni’s shop in Mumbai had predicted that it would take me about 4 days to get to Goa. It took me 6 days and it couldn’t have taken me less unless I had been in a race or I had had a mountain bike for all the horrendous roads.

I arrived home around 2 p.m.

The entire ride? That is a big question……I would say Nepal, great (but limited roads), Uttarakand, difficult outside of specific tourist places- best beach I’ve ever been to though- Rishikesh- and you can drink the Ganga water there, it is so pure.

My limited view of Harayana was positive.

Rajasthan. I think Shekhawati region has a huge tourist potential-thus far mostly by French tourists- the most sophisticated imho. and Churu so incredibly un- touristy it is hard to believe in this day ad age.

I hope noone is offended by my views about Gujarat, but I did not enjoy Gujarat! I tried, but….all men, no matter what age, seem to have a pot belly. Not friendly, curious people……yes, the constant attention (as cycle tourist) can be annoying and/or overwhelming, but it is also natural. I always tried to interact (esp. as an American) to the interest in me which usually started with the cost of my bicycle (necessarily a white lie- the truth they woyld never believe) and always with my age. It was sobering when as a joke I said 80 years- and it was accepted blandly. I guess this cycle experience has not cut off years from my physical appearance but I have to say that I am feeling SUPERB, except for my ass which suffers from the coastal humidity plus the hours in the saddle. Nothing that requires an m.d. thank goodness.

“Jingle Bells” would you believe? Richard and Belinda have left, for their early a.m. cycle rides tomorrow, and I remain writing this, the cream being the Ronettes singing Phil Spector’s “Santa Claus is coming to town”- a masterpiece! Only in Goa ……

Instead of that, I am having another drink, revelling in being in Goa. I love it here.

I am getting closer to Goa! This was one of the very best cycle rides. The roads were mostly excellent with very light traffic. As you can see from the strava stats there was a lot of climbing. I had originally thought I would spend the night at Vengurla but by noon I saw that I would be able to go farther and thus find myself in Shiroda (Maharashtra) and thus in better striking distance of home tomorrow.

I saw on google maps (“hotels near such and such place”- a useful feature) that there didn’t seem to be any hotels on today’s ride up until Devgarh which was a 124 kms. distance. That is a long ride if I encounter terrible roads. As it is there is a lot of climbing- that is the nature of this geography. There were patches of very bad road surfaces but less than the preceeding days. The wind coming from the east was furious and there were even some drops of rain from a threatening sky.

I made it well before dark to Devgarh and stopped at the first hotel I saw (hotel diamond) and had a very nice room at 1,000 rs. The meal at the restaurant there (veg. thali with fried surmai (kingfish) was outstanding.

through this coastal belt of Maharashtra was on pleasant quiet roads and for the most part good roads. There were long stretches along the plateaus then dips down into rural villages or ferry crossings. The villages and small towns are very quaint, cheerful and clean places.

I was glad to find this launch crossing to Kelshi (google maps would have none of it) but it worked out very well thanks to the advice of locals (“find the mining (bauxite) jetty”).

Eventually I got to Dapoli where I was hoping to get exactly what I have found, a hotel (not resort) with good wi-fi etc. A Comfort Inn, the Emerald, at 3,100rs. breakfast inc. To tell you the truth, at this point today I was not in any state to look around for something cheaper.

It may have been an early start but it is still a good ride from Mahim to Gateway. There was already a sizeable crowd for the ferry to Alibaug (mandwa) but everything went smoothly with no hassle. Sometimes I really love this city.

It was really quite a pleasant day of cycling except for some really terrible road conditions. I met some cyclists from Mumbai going in the opposite direction and they mentioned a place where they had stayed the night before, Solitude, and at 45 kms. it seemed like a sensible place to stop for the night. It was on the beach and i had a swim (bath to be honest) in the sea, but I was the only guest. Food was great though and I had a very good sleep.

“Resorts aren’t that cheap (this was 2,500 non ac) and cater to a different clientele.

Good roads, bad roads, it really is a mix. To tell you the truth I would be happy to never see another pock-marked road. Wish me luck.