Whether you are participating in the
Indian Adventure in 2012, or have some plans to cycle independently in India, here are 3 excellent online resources to get you started.
1.
Indian Cyclist Network About: Share rides, pics, blogs. Interact with fellow cyclists from across the country. Take part in discussions and more!
This highly active and friendly online Indian cycling community is a great place to meet friends for a ride, find out what the best routes are, or chat about cycling.
2.
IndiaMike We want you to enjoy your time here and have fun and enjoy travel.
Each and every person is always full of fear and trepidation while venturing into the world of travel and we would like to make it easier and lend you a helping hand.
We have a community that supports it's member and encourages the need to travel and to seek out new experiences and to open our minds to the world out there.
3.
Burrp! Current event listings (in print and online) for several major India cities. Find bars, restaurants, and shopping spots all in one place. The oddly named resource is well worth checking out. An excellent and popular general travel forum to ask any and all questions you might have on travelling in India.
Do you have some other suggestions of places to research your next Indian cycling adventure? Let us know.
For those about to embark on our 2nd annual Indian Adventure, or for those considering it, here are three wonderful and inspiring items we found this past week online.
1. The 'Cycle Sister' 
This is a wonderfully written article by the Globe and Mail's Asia correspondent Stephanie Nolen. It's the story of a nun who has worked with female children born into the lowest of the low caste in a small village in a poor state in India, and how she has given them hope against the odds.
2.
FlashMob Mumbai
This entertaining 'sponteaneous' dance mob took over
CST train station in Colaba, Mumbai. The beautifully designed UNESCO World Heritage building where it happened used to be known as Victoria Terminus and was changed to honour Indian hero
Chatrapati Shivaji. It was also one of the scenes of the terrible Mumbai attacks in 2008, and the producers of this video staged the event close to the
three year anniversary, turning the sad day into a joyous one. Enjoy!
3.
Cyclewaale Calender
The humbling Cyclewaale Calender (meaning 'Cyclist' Calender) has popped up online from
SUM Net India. It features everyday labourers and students in India and their bicycles, and short descriptions for each - how old they are, how long they have been using their bicycle, and for what work it is used for. For those of us on the Indian Adventure, it is impressive and hopefully inspiring to see what is achieved everyday in India by so many. Our 100 km / day on our lightweight multi-speed bikes should be easy in comparison to these hard working cyclewaale.
On our Indian Adventure cycling trip, you can always expect the unexpected. Nothing is ever predictable. Like
this.
