Ditch the Spandex, Grab a Guide. Biking Jaipur, India

Woman carrying produce in market in Jaipur, India. Copyright Mel Prax 2014.

Woman carrying produce in market in Jaipur, India. Copyright Mel Prax 2014.

As I sift through the few thousand photos I took while I was in India, I can help but feel joy and fond memories. I miss it terribly, and freezing temps here in the states seem to be a sign to go back.

Most of my blogging during my trip was about running and yoga. This post is long called for, but I wanted to share bicycling opportunities to my fellow workout addict travelers.

While I was in Jaipur I signed up for a bicycling tour of the “Pink City” via Cyclin’ Jaipur. The tour starts early in the morning, and if you are traveling to Jaipur during the winter months, it dips into the 30s and 40s (Fahrenheit) over night, so come prepared. I wore 3 layers I could take off as the day time gets to be pleasant and moderate in winter. While Jaipur is traditional, it is used to tourists gawking over it’s handicrafts and vegetable markets, so I sported a long sweater and pair of thick, running leggings.

Biking culture is prevalent in India, but obviously in a different way than America or even Europe. There are no spandex clad bikers getting a post-work ride in. There are no Di2 shifting or fat bikes trending in India. New bikes are accessible, but typically single speeds, and not the hipster kinds of Chicago or Portland. Bikes are used for transportation, to carry goods to market or to sell on the street side, and yes, to carry passengers. Marathons have hit India in larger cities, including Jaipur, but not really a strong bike racing culture.

If you thought avoiding potholes and venturing up hills on narrow roads in the US was fun, I dare you to excite your senses further. Yes, I almost got hit by a Jeep. The great thing about India’s traffic is that while there is a ton of it, everyone is going slow, predicting people to weave in and out, and for slower travelers like me on my bike!

I had two guides on my bike tour, one a native to Jaipur, and one from France who co-founded Cyclin’ Jaipur. Apparently, they have a similar type of tours in Delhi, if you are going to north India.

Here’s a map of my tour (Pink Royal) which I would say was at least 6-10 miles. I happened to be the only one of the tour, so we were able to speed up the pace a bit. Yes, it is not my normal mileage when I’m pounding it out on the bike for a training sesh, but overall I did not lose any fitness in India. I was able to maintain it and go back to running the same mileage and lifting the same amount when I came back home.

What my tour included:

-Bike (and Helmet)

-Guided, historical tour of Ramganj Chaupar (Karnot Mahal Hotel), Badi Chaupar, Hawa Mahal, Jal Mahal, Gaitor King’s cenotaphs, Talkatora Tank, Vegetable market, Govind Devji Temple, Jaleb Chowk, Ishar Lat (panoramic view), Tripolia Gate. (List of sites from Cyclin’ Jaipur’s website)

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-Chai break

-Lassi break

-various photo opportunities

-Breakfast at this awesome place:

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1 Comments

  1. Awesome & Beautiful!!

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