CHENNAI : From learning to ride on a highway just two and a half years ago to completing the Saddle Sore Challenge a week back, Tarun Sinha’s journey is one of passion, pain and perseverance. The 26-year-old bike rider is also the first in the Chennai Avenger group — one of the famous biking groups in the city — to complete 40,000 kilometres in one year.
The challenge
A Saddle Sore Challenge is an endurance ride, where the aim is to ride a two-wheeler for at least 1,600 km within a span of 24 hours. For the ride, he had to prepare to withstand heat, cold and rain. So he took three rides — Chennai to Bhubaneshwar in May 2018 to ride in the heat, Chennai to Hyderabad in July 2018 to train in the rain, and Chennai to Bengaluru in November 2018 in winter.
“The temperature was around 48 degrees in May and I learned how to keep myself hydrated. Riding in rain was the most difficult because riding boots are not waterproof. So water went inside my shoes and my skin peeled off. I tied plastic bags around my shoes to prevent rain water from entering inside and the way back was easier,” he says.
A week back, Tarun rode from Ranipet to Belgaum. “It was extremely challenging. To drive solo for so long is not an easy task and the roads at some places were very bad. I met many riders on the way who motivated me and I completed 1,600 km in 23 hours 10 minutes,” he says.“That day I realised, motorbike riding is not about speed. Eighty kilometres per hour is perfect on a highway, you can enjoy the scenic views, spend less energy and most importantly stay safe for the next ride,” he says.
Where it all began
Working as a software developer in Chennai, adventure sports and treks during weekends helped Tarun unwind. But in October 2016, his life changed. “Two of my friends — Bipin and Phanindra Kumar — said that I had to experience the joy of motorbike riding. Though I knew how to ride a motorbike, I never owned one and I never tried riding on a highway. That day, when we rode on the Andhra-Tamil Nadu highway towards Nagalapuram, a new passion was born,” says Tarun.
In December 2016, Tarun rented a motorbike and rode to Bengaluru. “I rode alone and that was the best experience of my life. It took me eight hours to complete 350 km I enjoyed every bit of it...even the dust that hit my face,” he recalls.The first hurdle came Tarun’s way in January 2017, just 3 km before he reached Mahabalipuram when he fell off his motorbike after a truck ahead of him changed lanes without indicating. His hands and legs were torn. He saw fear for the first time.
“Till then, I did not know about riding gears, and only wore a helmet. I did not ride for a month and saved my salary to buy a jacket, gloves, riding boots and knee guard. In February 2017, I rode till Yelagiri, 230 km from Chennai,” he said.
Three months later, he again met with an accident near Karapakkam. “I had rented a motorbike to go to Munnar and was on my way to have dinner at Karapakkam, the night before my travel. This time, a car hit me tearing flesh from my eye to mouth and I blacked out. The fear of death made me never want to touch a motorbike again,” says Tarun, showing the stitch marks on his cheek.
But, that decision lasted only for a couple of days. “I felt defeated and could not sit at my house for more than two days. I still had the motorbike with me, so I wanted to take a small ride and get back home. So I covered my face and went to Tiruchy highway to have coffee. But, the shop only had Ooty special tea. I thought why not have it in Ooty instead, and it was my first night ride. The confidence that I gained when I reached Ooty the next day and parked the motorbike, keeps me going till today,” he shares.
In 2017, the biker rode to Rameshwaram, Madurai, Tiruchy, Coimbatore, Ooty, Kodaikanal, Kanyakumari and Hyderabad — all during weekends. He used to leave on Saturday morning and come back for the night shift on Monday. Each trip cost him around Rs 5,000 including the bike rental.
40,000 km in a year
In March 2018, Tarun finally bought a motorbike — Avenger — and went on the first long ride of his life from Chennai to Mumbai, a distance of 1,334 km. “Till then, I had the capacity to ride 600 km in a day. Because of the enthusiasm, I rode 1,000 km on the first day and was in Mumbai, the following evening. I slept under the stars in Juhu beach and that night I realised I can attempt the saddle sore challenge,” says Tarun.
From March 5, 2018 to March 30, 2019, Tarun rode 40,000 km and became the first person in the Avengers group to have accomplished this feat. He travelled across 10 states and two union territories including Andhra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Chattisgarh, Goa and Puducherry.On all his rides, Tarun spreads a word on safe driving, and plans to conduct a campaign in schools and colleges on the importance of wearing a helmet, and safety gear on long journeys.