HAMMY TESTER , PRAYING

Morning Pilates

Still trying to nurse the hammy back to full strength! 🤗

Pilates for Tom as hamstring twingey , no cycling for now sad face

Went on a long walk

What a day—easily my best on the bike so far!

Everything just clicked today. I felt completely in tune with the ride, and my energy levels were solid all day.

The day started well—I slept great too and hotel last night was best yet.  After leaving, I went hunting for breakie. Today I realised something: part of why I’ve struggled with energy levels here is because I haven’t been able to find a proper breakfast to set me up for the day. In other places I have bikepacked, i have been able to fuel up with a big, hearty meal at a cafe or loads of decent bakery goods, but here,the options have been pitiful 😂 the bakeries are usually selling dry, tasteless cardboard 💩 . Most of the time, I’d take a few bites and put it down, and just get on with it.

Today was different. I found my first decent cafe stop—bread omelette, chips, and a decent iced coffee (only my second coffee of the trip!). It was exactly what I needed! 

I loved darting down rural lanes as I made my way around Coimbatore. I always wonder what the locals think as I zoom past on my carbon bike through their unassuming basic village haha today I’d expected suburban  vibes, but instead, I got farmland, cute little villages, and a route full of turns that kept it interesting—never a dull moment.

Once I reached the dam/water, I had a decision to make: call it a day or tackle the big climb ahead. It was only 1 p.m., I was feeling strong, so I decided to go for it. That is when I hit a small snag—turns out the climb was part of a tiger reserve, and bicycles aren’t allowed… I was kinda happy at the same time cause it meant I didn’t have to do the climb 😂 although I still did most of it in the end !  

To overcome this,  I waited by the car queue hoping to hitch a ride. A tuk-tuk pulled up, and after some negotiations with the driver, I was on my way. He didn’t take me all the way up—just “past the animals” (a spot I’m pretty sure he just made up, but whatever😂). Also, I couldn’t help but think if there was Tigers-a-plenty just roaming free then surely people wouldn’t be stopping on every bend and getting out to take a photo haha. From there, it was back to climbing.

The cheers and thumbs-ups from locals passing by kept me going, honestly 99% of people (no exaggerations!) look at me as if they have never seen a man cycling like me before. Complete curiosity and interest. When I reached the top, it was like stepping into a dream. Lush green tea plantations, alpine scenery, and pepper trees stretched out as far as I could see. One of those golden moments - the reason I signed up for this game - it will stay with me—just magical ✨

I flew down the descent into Valparai Tom Pidcock style, and grabbed some fried rice (my safe meal!) before deciding to press on for another 10 miles in the dark. In hindsight, that was totally unnecessary. There were plenty of hotels where I’d stopped, but I got cocky, wanting to bank extra miles.

It turned into a potential stress-fest—pitch dark, tired, and getting turned away from two places. There is a regional festival here in Tamil so all the rooms are booked up. Thankfully, through word of mouth (not my own planning), I found somewhere to stay.

Today will be etched in my mind for a long time. Truly magical from start to finish. Loved every moment!

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Tom Willi 🦥⚡️🇬🇧

Bikepacking India: Mettupalayam → Valparai

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HAMMY TESTER , PRAYING

Morning Pilates

Still trying to nurse the hammy back to full strength! 🤗

Pilates for Tom as hamstring twingey , no cycling for now sad face

Went on a long walk

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