Congratulations to Amit Samarth who set the record from New Delhi to Nagpur, India during his attempt on Nov 27-28 2021

Riders Narrative Summary

Record Attempt: City to City: India Gate, New Delhi to Zero Milestone, Nagpur in India

Name of the rider: Amit Samarth, India 

Title of the ride: IndianOil Xtragreen Mile by Mile Mission Zero Mile

Start Date: 27th November, 2021 

Start time: 00:59 hours (1 minute before 1 AM on 27th November, 2021). See photograph taken at start location (India Gate in the background is not visible due to fog and heavy dust due to ongoing construction of the Central Vista)

Start location: India Gate (at the intersection of Rajpath and India Gate Hexagon; see map below for start location). Due to ongoing construction work, debris and dust, we were asked to start off from the main road in front of the India Gate.

Lat / Long of Start Location: 28.613028o, 77.227309o

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Exact finish date: 28th November, 2021 

Exact finish time: 16:01 (rounded off to nearest minute from 16:00:33 / 04:00:33 PM as per WUCA Rules) See photograph with time stamp. 

Exact finish location: Zero Mile Stone, Nagpur

Lat/Long of end point: 21.149730, 79.0806920 (See map showing end location)

Note: Please note that the geographical co-ordinates (GPS locations) recorded during the ride will have an error of 3-5 meters. These errors are inherent in all GPS systems used by non-military usage / civilians. We did not have access to more accurate GPS systems such as WAAS etc. 

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Time taken for creating record: 39 hours and 2 minutes (to be confirmed by WUCA)

Table showing On-saddle and Off-Saddle time. 

 Sr. No Garmin Connect Activity Name Distance (Kms) Total Ascent Moving Time Elapsed time Avg Moving Speed (Kmph) Max Speed (Kmph)
1 Mission Zero Mile 1.0 Part 1 (https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/7884333832) 672.17 2260 23:28:18 24:46:55 28.6 46
2 Gap between end and start of new track 0.112* NA NA NA NA NA
3 Mission Zero Mile  1.0 Part 2 (https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/7884359319) 359.32 1504 13:24:40 14:14:37 26.8 49.5
  Total 1031.602 3764 36:52:58 39:01:32    

Above data as measured by Garmin Edge Cyclocomputer. The first activity was ended at 672.17 kms as the livetrack feature stopped after 24 hours. We decided to start a new activity on the cyclocomputer as a precaution which was ended at Zero Mile Stone, Nagpur. There was a gap of 112 meters between the two tracks which has been added to the distance measured by the cyclocomputer. 

Time of 39:01:32 rounded off to 39:02:00 (HH:MM:SS)     /     Total Off-saddle Time: 02:08:34 (HH:MM:SS) 

 

Units

 

 Distance Average Speed
Kilometers 1031.60 26.43 kilometres per hour
Miles 641.01 16.42 miles per hour

What the conditions were like:  

Road type: The entire stretch was of minimum 4-lane divided carriageway standards with either surface made of either cement or bitumen/tar. The first 175 kilometers till Agra was a six-lane divided carriageway (we did not take the newer and wider 8-laned Taj/Yamuna Expressway). Almost the entire route was the National Highway 44. 

Terrain: The first 250 kilometers (approx) were mostly through flat terrain with a slight decline towards the Chambal Valley. The next 650 kilometers is mostly rolling terrain with long gradual climbs followed by small declines and again a long gradual climb. The last 100 kilometers was downhill from the Highlands of Central India (over the 5-kilometer-long Kurai Ghat) followed by flatter terrain in the plains of Vidarbha. Another feature of modern Indian roads is that every few kilometres, there are long ramps to climb the flyovers at every intersection of roads and in smaller towns. 

Total ascent during the ride was recorded as 3764 meters

Road condition: Over all the road condition was good, but due to road maintenance in many places the traffic (Between Gwalior and Narsinghpur) was diverted to one side of the road, as a result traffic in both directions was restricted to a single lane and one had to be careful in such confusing conditions. 

Once we exited Delhi, the highway bypasses most towns (except Morena) and we did not enter any major town/city except Nagpur in the end.     

Traffic: There was heavy truck traffic from Delhi to Agra, even at night. From Agra to Gwalior also, traffic was heavy and frequently we encountered traffic approaching us from the wrong side. After Gwalior, the traffic conditions were better with lesser traffic. The last 20-25 kilometres, (once we entered the city limits of Nagpur Urban area) there was heavy city traffic. 

Weather: Overall the weather was cold due to the ongoing winter season. Due to overcast skies, Delhi was not as cold as expected. Visibility was less in the first 100 kilometres due to fog / smog that afflicts this part of the country in the winter. Visibility at the start point was minimal due to dust from construction and aggravated by the typical Delhi fog.  

The following night we were passing through Madhya Pradesh and it was colder than Delhi due to clear skies. 

The entire day light hours of 27th November were windy with a slight opposite wind that affected my speed.

Health: When I started, I had a slight allergy, most likely due to the smog and dust pollution in Delhi. As a result, I had a runny nose in the first 7-8 hours which alleviated in the day. Towards the last 12 hours, I had a sore throat which may have been due to the dust and smog and prolonged exposure to cold over two consecutive nights.

 

Why did you want to do a record? 

At a strictly personal level, I wanted to do this record as a symbol of my individual ability as a sportsperson to excel at the world level and to explore the limits of human endurance. I have done multiple long rides such as the Race Across America, the Red Bull Trans-Siberian Extreme and the Golden Quadrilateral Circumnavigation (all >5000 kilometers). This time I wanted to do a relatively shorter route at faster speeds with minimal sleep breaks. 

My other larger objective was to aid in the promotion of cycling as a sustainable means of transport and to inspire others that cycling is also a way to achieve physical fitness.  

Apart from the above one of my major goals to attempt this record was to raise funds for charity. I have been a philanthropist and raised money for charity through my previous rides as well and this time as well I wanted to raise money for ‘India Pedals’, an initiative to make Indian cities more bicycle friendly. 

What equipment did you use? Anything special? 

Bicycles: I had planned to use a total of 4 bicycles which we carried. These were a Scott Addict RC 2020 model, a Scott Foil, Scott Plasma Premium 2015 and a Scott Plasma 6.  

I started on the Scott Addict RC 2020 considering a few bad sections in the city Delhi and then switched over to the Scott Plasma after the first 45 odd kilometres. I switched over to the Scott Addict RC 2020 towards the latter half of the ride. 

Overall, I used the Scott Addict RC 2020 the most, followed by the Scott Plasma 6 and the Scott Foil for a little while. 

Communication: The crew communicated with me using a Terrano Bluetooth radio which was mounted on my cycling helmet and used the radio for important communication regarding my nutrition and navigation. I also carried a cellphone in my cycling jersey back pocket which was a backup mode of communication in case I got separated from my crew / car in case of some unforeseen situation especially in the heavy city traffic.  

The cellphone was also useful for transmitting my live position using the Garmin Livetrack feature. My position was being live transmitted on my website www.amitsamarth.com as well as via my Instagram handle, so my supporters could track me live. 

Sensors: I had a few biometric sensors to record data on my biological parameters continuously.  

1) I was wearing a Garmin Heart Rate monitor mounted on a chest strap.  

2) I had Vector power pedals from Garmin which could measure my power output on the bicycle. The power pedal was installed only on the Scott Plasma 6. 

3) Globalstar Spot tracker to record and transmit my position at frequent intervals

3) I had a Garmin Edge cyclocomputer to record my speed and position as well. 

All the sensor data was collated on the Garmin Edge cyclocomputer and a cellphone that I carried in my back pocket most of the times 

What did you eat or drink? 

I had instructed my crew to ensure that I eat at regular intervals. My crew tried to ensure that I eat at least 3-4 times an hour. To ensure that I can eat even if they are not in a position to hand-off food and drink items, the crew ensured I carried enough energy bars in my cycling jersey and bike cockpit. 

Macronutrients: Proteins, carbohydrates and fats:  

We had the following items in the crew car for consumption:

  1. Snickers energy bar
  2. Bounty energy bar
  3. Boiled potato
  4. Boiled sweet potato
  5. Gulab jamun
  6. Khichdi (made with rice, cereal and ghee)
  7. Potato biscuits
  8. Bread with butter and chutney
  9. Coconut water

During my practise rides, I am used to eating the above food and I consumed the same tried and tested menu. 

Hydration, micronutrients and electrolytes: I used to drink plain water (bottled water) to ensure that I stay hydrated. Bottled coconut water, was also consumed. At regular intervals, the crew mixed a commercial energy / electrolyte powder ‘Enerzal’ with additional rock salt, dissolved in water, so that I had adequate electrolytes to replace the loss due to sweating. I also used ‘Fast & Up Reload’, another electrolyte supplement dissolved in the water.  

Stimulants: I drank Redbull which has a lot of caffeine and sugars which help to keep me alert and awake. I drank four cans of Red Bull. After the initial 16 hours, I also consumed one portion of another caffeine drink, ‘Five Hour Energy’. In the morning of 28th, I also consumed black coffee. During the night of 27th, when the weather was cold, I had hot tea twice. 

Other: I ate two pieces of throat lozenges for my sore throat on the morning of 28th to relieve the symptoms. 

 

What was the best part? 

Overall, I had prepared well for the ride at the physical level. An experienced crew was of great support. Support from the people for their generous donations towards the charitable cause was another highly encouraging factor. Support from the sponsors Indian Oil Corporation, Scott Sports India Pvt Lts, Infocepts and Garmin was encouraging. Logistical support from the title sponsor Indian Oil Corporation Limited at fuel stations on the way was especially encouraging. 

What was the hardest part? 

Completing the ride with minimal sleep (only one 10 minute nap) was the hardest part. The runny nose due to pollution and smog made it a little more difficult. A saddle sore due to an uncomfortable lower garment added to my discomfort. Particularly, I had underestimated the effect of the slight gradient in the latter half of the route which seemed unending at that time. 

Did anything particularly unusual happen? 

Nothing particularly unusual happened. 

Preparation:  

As an athlete and a fitness coach in my hometown, I have been maintaining a high level of fitness preparation with my daily workouts which consist of a mix of runs, strength training, flexibility training, indoor cycling, outdoor cycling and swimming.  

My specific preparations for the Delhi-Nagpur ride started approximately around 6th September, 2021, both for the logistics as well as my own physical preparedness for the 1000-kilometre ride. 

On the logistics front, I worked with a set of crews who have functioned as crew chiefs and have had significant experience in ultracycle crewing having been on my team in the Race Across America, the Trans-Siberian Race and the Golden Quadrilateral ride. They started working on the route, vehicles, equipment and the fund-raising elements of the larger plan.  Other crew members focused on crewing me in the practise rides. 

Apart from my regular training, I increased my training tempo from the 2nd week of September, 2021 till a week before the ride. 

I started focusing on cycling, a mix of outdoor road cycling and indoor cycling on a trainer. I also did a lot of strength training, running and swimming during this period. Details of some of the practice rides are summarized in the table below:

Date Road Cycling (Kms) Virtual Cycling (Kms) Grand Total (Kms)
12-09-2021 206.94   206.94
14-09-2021   36.02 36.02
15-09-2021   65.63 65.63
17-09-2021   120.13 120.13
18-09-2021   37.68 37.68
22-09-2021   70.82 70.82
24-09-2021   75.16 75.16
25-09-2021   111.94 111.94
26-09-2021 196.04   196.04
28-09-2021   36.54 36.54
29-09-2021   20.68 20.68
29-09-2021   19.47 19.47
03-10-2021   10.52 10.52
03-10-2021   10.54 10.54
04-10-2021 87.01   87.01
05-10-2021   75.27 75.27
08-10-2021 62.7   62.7
09-10-2021   120.11 120.11
10-10-2021 200.22   200.22
14-10-2021 62.66   62.66
14-10-2021   21.72 21.72
14-10-2021   21.63 21.63
18-10-2021 153.13   153.13
20-10-2021   36.85 36.85
23-10-2021 63.1   63.1
25-10-2021 95.05   95.05
26-10-2021   34.99 34.99
27-10-2021   15.98 15.98
27-10-2021   16.1 16.1
28-10-2021 40.07   40.07
29-10-2021   50.15 50.15
30-10-2021 100   100
31-10-2021 210.24   210.24
03-11-2021   36.85 36.85
06-11-2021 90.06   90.06
07-11-2021 120.77   120.77
09-11-2021   54.96 54.96
11-11-2021 74.42   74.42
12-11-2021   50.11 50.11
13-11-2021 150.07   150.07
14-11-2021 200.32   200.32
16-11-2021   22.69 22.69
16-11-2021   22.66 22.66
16-11-2021   40.82 40.82
19-11-2021   41.53 41.53
22-11-2021 45.08   45.08
Grand Total 2157.88 1277.55 3435.43

 

   Route: The complete planned route taken can be viewed in detail using the below hyperlink

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37998238

Sponsors

Title Sponsor: Indian Oil Corporation Limited

Bicycle partner: Scott Sports India Pvt Limited

Equipment support: Garmin

Website development and maintenance: Infocepts

Crew & Support Team:

  1. Advait Yamsanwar
  2. Arushi Nayak
  3. Bhavesh Patre
  4. Bhushan Deosarkar
  5. Milind Pariwakam: Crew Chief 
  6. Mukul Samarth
  7. Rajasi Kane Sengupta: Doctor
  8. Vivitt Walve
  9. Vishwas Naitam

Media team cum Crew:

  1. Aditya Divekar
  2. Ankush Kulal
  3. Sachin Samuel Pawar (Bootpolish Talkies)

WUCA Officials cum crew

  1. Dilip Warkad
  2. Sheetal Kolhe
  3. Sudhir Baldota

Backend support team

  1. Aarya Sinha
  2. Atul Bhojraj
  3. Jeetendra Nayak: Crew Director
  4. Mohsin
  5. Minesh
  6. Mahadev
  7. Ravindra Paranjape