Cycling to Galle!

So we went to Galle; via mountain bike. Most of you probably know by now since we surrounded it with as much fanfare as we could, when we weren’t forced to take our bikes into the nearest winkle because parts kept falling off. Surprisingly enough, it wasn’t as taxing as we expected, and Sri Lanka really is that small.

Preparation

First and foremost, bikes. We had regular 21-speed mountain bikes. But the other, cruiser type bikes are easier to ride long distances. Alas, we couldn’t get our hands on a couple. Make sure your bikes are up to the task. Ninety percent of bikes we encountered in the last few months had something broken. Most bikes had problems with the gear system, either not switching gears or having worn out cogs and chains.

For cycling long distances, the higher gears are essential. Take your bike out for a run and check that the chain doesn’t slip when going faster. Most repairs in these parts are cheap. The front cog-wheel set is about Rs. 450 for a new one, and a rear cog-wheel set is around Rs. 280. The chain retails for 200 bucks. Fitting shouldn’t cost much either.

Other areas to check are of course the wheels. If your tires keep going flat by the end of the day, you aren’t going to be able to make it past Kalutara. There are plenty of other things that can go wrong but you’ll just have to use your common sense.

Carry a few tools, like a suitably sized box spanner and wrench. Flat head and Philips head screwdrivers will also be useful. And if you have one, take a properly sized Alan Key for that screw dead in the middle of your handlebars that keeps the steering intact.

Apart from this, take the usual things like a bottle of water each. As for fitness, if you ride regularly, or are at a decent level of fitness, you should be able to make it. We aren’t exactly fitness buffs and we weren’t exactly worn out by the end.

The Route

We took the Galle road, since it was the most direct path to Galle. We were told there are many smaller roads running parallel to it, but those would likely have hindered our progress. The Friday that we set off on was a poya day. But since it made a long weekend, we’re doubtful about it alleviating traffic. We didn’t come across any life-threatening situations, but it would be wise to always keep an ear out for maniac bus drivers racing up behind you.

If you’ve ever ridden a bike in the noonday sun around here, you can probably relate to how it feels like you’re riding a unicycle through melted butter. We set off at 6 AM from Ratmalana so we’d have a few hours of cool air to get as much distance in as possible before the noonday sun hit.

Around Moratuwa, we were passed by a horde of cyclists who were practicing for the races due in the Sinhalese and Tamil new year season. A few of them slowed down to talk to us, and assured us that Galle is quite an achievable target. They also imparted this nugget of wisdom; it’s not a good idea to ride long distances on the highest gear your bike has. It may provide speed but it’s much more taxing to the body than the lower ones. They recommended the middle gear on the front and the highest(smallest) gear on the back. This provided a good balance of speed and ease of riding. Some checking on the internet proved this to be common knowledge among cyclists. We switched to the higher gear whenever we were cresting a hill and the extra speed wasn’t too hard to get.

There are many things to see along the Galle road. It passes right next to the beach for the most part and takes you through many different kinds of beach. From dry, windy stretches of sand to lush green lagoons surrounded by plants, there’s always something to catch your eye. Then there’s always the breakneck speed traffic to keep you alert.

After breakfasting at Payagala, we kept up the pace for about half a kilometer when one of our tires got punctured. In two places. Thankfully you’ll find repair shops in nearly every town you pass. After that setback, we continued through all the way to Hikkaduwa, only stopping for the occasional drink of water, thambili, sugary cool drink or offer of being shown a perfect spot to take a dip in the sea.

Our speed was slowly but steadily reducing as noon approached and by about 1PM, when we were in Hikkaduwa, we decided to take a dip in the sea about a kilometer before Hikka town. There was a bunch of boys already wallowing in the sea there so we assumed it safe. When we got in, we discovered the roughest patch of water we’ve ever been in that wasn’t out at sea. Big waves came in quite regularly, tumbling all in its wake and leaving you sputtering on the beach if you didn’t watch out for it. Of course you could always get up and pretend that it was your intention to be swept onto the sand like that all along.

After that refreshing little washing machine of a beach at Hikka, we continued on to Galle and as we passed the cement sign saying “Galleh”, a new energy coursed through us, possibly insanity, making us race each other the last bit to the fort. Unfortunately for us, the fort was a surprising distance away from the start of Galle and as such, we were nearly winded by the time we crested the hill in front of the Galle Fort Hotel.

But the realization that we had actually made it was enough for a big grin to fix itself on our faces as we pedaled through the suddhas at the fort in our grimy, sweaty state.

Try it, it’s fun.

Total distance covered – ~100km. Total time taken ~8hrs.