Night riders: Bengaluru’s bikers beat the heat with time tweaks

Bengaluru: Bikers across the city have been facing challenges in scheduling their annual biking trips due to record-high temperatures.

While some have deferred their trips to the end of May, a few have opted for night rides and early morning starts to stay away from the mid-day sun.

Riding enthusiast Vishal Agarwal, founder of the Bangalore RD350 Club, told DH that extreme weather conditions and heatwave forecasts have forced them to cancel several trips. However, they are compensating by organising night rides instead.

“In March, we were supposed to go to Yelagiri. Because of the news on heatwaves and increasing temperatures, we kept postponing the plan. Even if we start early in the morning, sometimes as early as 8 am, the temperature gets too hot to ride, especially with our riding gear, pants, boots and gloves on,” he said.

He added, “Riding long distances like 300 to 400 kilometres in the heat becomes very difficult. For the last one month, we have only been doing night rides. If we start by 5 pm, we try to end the ride by 11 pm.”

The highest temperature, recorded in Bengaluru city last week, was 39.2 degrees Celsius, with the average heat ranging between 35 degrees Celsius and 36 degrees Celsius.

Deepti Jacob, a city-based rider, vowed that no heatwave will force her team off the roads. She told DH that they prefer their monthly rides on mountains and hilly regions instead of coastal areas. Starting early morning and breaking in the afternoon till sunset is one way to beat the heat, she added.

Karna Joseph, another rider, refuted fake social media messages about bike fuel tanks exploding in extreme heat, clarifying that tanks have air outlets and explosions are unlikely. "The full limit specified by the manufacturer is applied to all seasons,” he noted, adding that bikers generally park their vehicles in shades.

Precautionary measures

While taking a break every 60 km is essential while riding long-distance in the summer, keeping the body hydrated with water, tender coconut, buttermilk and electrolytes at regular intervals are paramount to the rider’s health.

Riding enthusiast Vishal Agarwal said carrying hydration packs are advised since riders can drink water on the move.

Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that rains are not expected till April second week.