For cycling enthusiasts who’re tired of biking on dusty, unsafe roads in whichever city they live in, here, literally, is a breath of fresh air: The 4-day Tour De Malnad ex Mysore and Bangalore, that will cover more than 430 km across the scenic Western Ghats. The cycling tour is organized by Sunil PV of LifeIsCalling Sports. If you love cycling, you won’t want to miss this.
The biker population across cities has increased – Mumbai alone saw a 35% growth in the year till June 2021, but while cycling enthusiasts are astride their bikes, they don’t have the cycling infrastructure essential to their morning or evening rides – and the constant fear of traffic coming up behind you take away from the exhilaration and peace a cycle ride can always, and easily, deliver.
But if you love cycling – whether with a likeminded group perhaps united by any of the dark social apps like Whatsapp, FB Messenger, Telegram or Signal, or you like to cycle by yourself, here’s some good news for you.
If you’re looking for extending your love for cycling into an exciting experience of a longer, even slightly challenging, tour that will take you away from Mumbai, Delhi or whichever major or smaller city or town you live in, to an exciting and adventurous tour across 4 days in the scenic country side of Karnataka, that will have you cycling in a friendly, mutually supportive group of cycling lovers… well, you’ve come to the right place.
Meet Sunil PV, a former engineer with Infosys, and who, 10 years ago gave in to his deep love for marathon- and cycling-and-other-sports-driven fitness cravings to make a mission out of them. Today, apart from working as a software consultant, Sunil runs LifeIsCalling, and is working to organize an exciting four-day cycling tour, the Tour De Malnad, that will take cyclists across scenic countryside guaranteed to brace ones soul. Now that inviting thought would become even more appealing to the lover of cycling, particularly those who’ve been cycling on dusty, noisy roads and pavements in whichever city they live in.
Tour De Malnad, which will set out on 28 January 2022 and return on 31 January, and cycling lovers would want to embark upon a tour like this with their cycling buddies. There’s still 6 weeks of time for cyclists to practice and up their conditioning and stamina, and for those interested in this passion activity, I caught up with Sunil to find out more about the Tour De Malnad, and LifeIsCalling Sports. Excerpts from our catch-up.
Tell us about the Tour De Malnad. The itinerary, highlights…
It’s a premium Cycling close to 430 kilometers, spread across 4 days. As for the itinerary, Day 1 will cover 116 kilometers from Mysuru to Madikeri; Day 2 we cycle from Madikeri for Kukke Subramanya, which is a 97-km stretch; Day 3 we set out from Kukke Subramanya for Kalasa, which will be the longest strength of 130 km, and Day 4 we leave cycle 83 km from Kalasa to Chikamagalur.
Malnad in Karnataka is a land of forests, hills and flowing rivers. Malnad is our pristine green western and eastern slopes of the Western Ghats that are ecologically very rich and counted amongst the Top 10 biodiversity hotspots in the world.
Tour de Malnad is a Cycling tour to the Coffee Country. This tour is an experience for a limited set of riders who would like to experience biking and the challenges of the rolling hills. It’s going to be an adventure and a challenge that one will start looking forward to annually: Sunil PV
The longest stretch on the third day; that’s going to test your cyclists’ endurance. What’s the average number of, let’s say, saddle hours a day for the distance?
Cyclists would need to be on the saddle for many hours to cover the distance and the altitude of these locations; I’d say an average of 6 to 8 hours on the saddle, which would demand reasonable endurance and strength of the riders. So yes, the cyclists who want to join us would need to practice in the interim – they must factor in average runs of 75km to 100 km once a week in the 6-odd weeks that are left for the Tour De Malnad to begin.
But it will be a really interesting and exciting adventure. Because while touring on a bicycle can be a rewarding experience for health and fitness, the mystical mountains too will provide great visual treats for the cyclists.
In fact, with the Tour De Malnad, we also aim to raise awareness of the beautiful biodiversity of the Western Ghats. As you’re aware, UNESCO has listed the Western Ghats as a World Heritage Center, and our tour with cyclists from several cities would highlight the need to conserve this biodiversity and its benefits.
Active sports and wellness are good engagement platforms for brands to associate with. There are several association avenues that we can offer brands to promote them as part of the tour.
In fact, in the past, we have associated with brands like Kotak Mahindra Bank, LIC, Ajmera Developers, Decathlon, Hatti Kaapi and many others, spanning from real estate, financial services, Sports and wellness, and Food and Beverages: Sunil PV
See, Malnad in Karnataka is a land of forests, hills and flowing rivers. Malnad is our pristine green western and eastern slopes of the Western Ghats that are ecologically very rich and counted amongst the Top 10 biodiversity hotspots in the world.
Tour de Malnad is a Cycling tour to the Coffee Country. This tour is an experience for a limited set of riders who would like to experience biking and the challenges of the rolling hills. It’s going to be an adventure and a challenge that one will start looking forward to annually.
The ride will challenge cyclists for elevation, endurance and tenacity — to only push their limits. In fact, with practice, and together with the group, with everyone egging the rest on, there’s always great camaraderie and friendship, which should help everyone across the finish line. But for me, the moments in nature and all its pristine beauty are always the biggest takeaway.
What else will Tour de Malnad offer the participants?
Tour de Malnad is a fully supported cycling tour to ensure the participants leave all the logistical challenges behind and enjoy a cycling experience in nature, like none other.
The tour costs would include the personalized jersey, personalized finisher medal, accommodation, travel, physio support, technical support, hydration, nutrition, sweep support, photography, and loads of fun.
To add a competitive element, we are adding an optional race segment to the schedule. An Individual time trial (ITT) for a short distance of 12-14 Kms will be added as part of the days’ schedule. Participants can test their endurance and challenge their fitness.
A daily leader board will be announced, and the winners will be recognized at the end of the day.
Which brings me to an important question. Cost.
One can join the tour ex-Bangalore, or ex-Mysore, and one can opt for twin-sharing or single accommodation. Ex-Bangalore, Twin-sharing is Rs 31,500 and single accommodation Rs 40000. Ex-Mysore, twin sharing is 26,500 and single accommodation is Rs 33,500.
How does one register for the Tour De Malnad?
One can reach me on 9845116505 or the Tour Helpline on 9606622006. Or email us at contact [at] lifeiscalling-sports.com. Or visit our website.
And you will offer group discounts too?
Yes we will.
What kind of training do participants need to have gone through to complete the tour successfully? And what safety precautions have you undertaken?
The Tour is on road bike-friendly terrain and hence can cater to all types of bicycles – road bikes, hybrids of MTBs. And participants can opt to ride their own bikes on their comfort.
We strongly recommend a bike fit before participants decide to buy the right bike in terms of size and individual suitability. So that participants can plan to train well for the tour and enjoy the challenges of the terrain.
It’s important to train for the terrain and distance before the race. We recommend the participants to ride at least two 100Kms distances and back it up with uphill training as a preparation to conquer the ascents on the tour.
What’s the maximum elevation gain?
That’s on Day-3 with 2155 meters, and this would need good training to tame the mountains.
And that maximum elevation gain also happens to be on the day cyclists would need to cover the longest distance – 130 km. What about safety measures?
Safety is paramount, of course, and helmets are mandatory for riding. Equipping oneself with the right accessories is essential for the tour. Riding gloves, eyewear, comfortable footwear, riding shorts, jersey, pouch for puncture kits and tools, small pump, and a hydration bottle or bladder bag would be helpful.
We recommend that participants undergo a medical check-up and get themselves certified before they join the tour.
If the participants would like to rent bikes for the tour, we can arrange the bikes in Bangalore for a cost. The availability of MTBs are more compared to road bikes or hybrids for renting, but our team will check the availability and support the riders with renting options for the tour.
Participants should be insured, and they need to plan their insurance needs personally prior to the tour.
With so many benefits, brands would want to associate with the Tour De Malnad. What opportunities they can leverage?
Active sports and wellness are good engagement platforms for brands to associate with. There are several association avenues that we can offer brands to promote them as part of the tour.
In fact, in the past, we have associated with brands like Kotak Mahindra Bank, LIC, Ajmera Developers, Decathlon, Hatti Kaapi and many others, spanning from real estate, financial services, Sports and wellness, and Food and Beverages.
We promote the brands across targeted opted-in communities that have been associated with our events across the past 10 years now, and would provide the targeted engagements.
Great, Sunil. I’m sure you will see enormous traction. Now let’s talk about LifeIsCalling Sports, which you’ve been running for quite some time now. Give me the elevator pitch to LifeIsCalling Sports? And why you set it up.
Lifeiscalling is an initiative to keep you connected with your passion for sports and wellness. One needs to be energetic, active, and spirited, and this can be cultivated with endurance sports. Lifeiscalling offers participants a platform, and service, to help them run, cycle, and challenge themselves with endurance events and experiences.
Why did I set it up? Well, I’m an electronics engineer and an IT professional with more than two decades in the IT industry. But I’ve increasingly believed that staying active and fit is not an option anymore, and with LifeIscalling, my endeavour is to promote sports and wellness by providing endurance events platforms in both, physical and virtual modes.
How has LifeIsCalling been helping individuals and professionals?
With the current pandemic situation, the corporate workforce is working from home, and there is a need to engage them in team-building and morale-boosting activities.
Collaboration and team-building are key aspects for a productive workforce, and our events offer an excellent platform to build team bonding and collaboration.
To address this need, we have built a virtual events platform called eventzalley.com wherein participants can Run or bike in any location of their choice and have their activity recorded on our platform. This platform would enable them to participate as individuals or as a team and compete and motivate one another to stay fit over a period of time.
We recently organized Celebration Mysuru Marathon on November 14th with around 3000 participants. We are looking forward to hosting Thump! Celebration Bengaluru Marathon on February 13th, 2022 on NICE Road in Bengaluru. We’re expecting around 4000 runners.
And now you’re all set to host the 2nd edition of the Tour de Malnad Cycling tour from Jan 28th to 31st 2022. 430 m over four days. That’s going to be something! Good luck with it.
Thank you Pavan
(For any more information on the tour or for help to register, you can reach Sunil PV, Tour Director, on 9845116505 or the Tour Helpline on 9606622006. Or send an email to contact[at]lifeiscalling-sports.com. Or visit their website.)
