Bangalore Bicycling Championships 2019

The season that was

By Veloscope

February 19^th, 2020

A legacy, 11 years in the making

It all started with a few enthusiastic cyclists racing up Nandi and vowing to make it an every weekend thing. That grew into a cycling sub-culture unique and valuable to Bangalore, with the Bangalore Bicycling Championships acting as the glue that held it all together.

Each year, the effort has grown and blossomed into a many-splendoured thing, with XC races, DH races, 100 mile road races, a race for climbers to have themselves a col de Nandi, Criterium races, what have you.

Up hills and down dales they went

With four cross-country races in the year, the MTB-wallahs had a right party. Between Avathi and Avalahalli, no stone was left unturned by their wheels, for sure.

All downhill

A DH race for them shredders out there wasn't out of place either. Every downhiller this side of the Deccan was in attendance, and a few from far-flung areas too.

Catch them young

A super sweet addition this year was the under 10 and the under 14 categories. As you can see from the levels of style, prep and riding, we can expect these young 'uns to crush it in the coming years.

Live/ love to race

Why do people turn up, at unearthly hours of the morning on lazy weekends, with a support vehicle in tow, often, to do this? For so many weekends in a year? There's no money in it. There is glory, though. And many national champs have cut their racing teeth here, established supremacy, and then gone on to take over the country - and come back to help others learn from their experiences.

CRIT-ter of a rare kind

The highly precise Crit races attract the gung-ho variety of roadies who test their skills around tight corners of the race course. This also sounds the bugle for the official road race season.

The teams that trial together...

A council of volunteers

The council, the Executive Committee - all comprise of folk who do this for the sheer joy of it. None of them have expectations of this becoming a job - Khuram, Suman, Promise, Marghoob and the others are all doing the races in addition to their regular jobs. They've been at this for years, and are driven by the need to give the riders a great season - year after year. They are truly the much adored backbone of the BBCh revolution.

The fold grows

The significant trend in 2019 was not that the number of riders increased or that more women participated or that there was star power... it was that there was a significant increase in new riders.

As anyone who's built a community successfully will tell you - that is almost the signature style of a healthy and growing community. When there is an infusion of new blood, and new folks are keen to start at the beginning, allow to be instructed by the senior statesmen of the craft, and thrive, make friends, learn, get stronger, faster, better... that is what sets the path for the next 11 years.

The Nandi quest

A gruelling race that ends with the finale being duked out atop our local betta, to decide the victor - it has all the elements of drama, right there.

Each year, there are stories that come out of this race - stories of grit, of effort, of the anger of loss, of gains in time and confidence. The people who live out these stories come out stronger, no matter what the narrative.

The 100 miler

The riders aren't happy with the challenge of the 100k race, the Nandi race and ask for bigger challenges. They do say you ask and you receive. And lo, the 100 miler was born. Another feather in the already crowded BBCh cap - this time the longest cycle race in India.

Baba and Badshah on the same podium... surely that podium was feeling it :)

Heroes, all

And some more heroes

Partnerships of pride

A successful season always has well-wishers who show up and do their bit. In 2019, BBCh was supported by Veloscope, Yogabars, Sita Bhateja Speciality Hospital, Spectrum Physio, BOTS, Tour of Glory and VDesign.

2020 beckons

The best way to commit to excellence is by committing to the hard work that leads to it. The race calendar for 2020 is up. It doesn't matter where in the fitness spectrum you are, whether you are new to town or not, whether you are young, old, old at heart or young at heart, whether you live near race venues or not, whether you ride these distances yet, you'll get there. In fact, 2020 is the year of a warm welcome for the cycle racing freshers, with enticing distances and race formats. Actually, it doesn't even matter if you don't have a bicycle. If you like the outdoors, hanging out with fun people and are looking to fill a hobby-sized hole in your life, sign up as a volunteer. By the next year, you'll be inspired to join the ranks of the riders.