diff --git a/content/post/bike-touring-india-beginner-guide/index.md b/content/post/bike-touring-india-beginner-guide/index.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..681f8b7 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/post/bike-touring-india-beginner-guide/index.md @@ -0,0 +1,252 @@ ++++ +title = "Planning Your First Bicycle Tour in India: A Beginner’s Guide" +date = 2025-04-27 +categories = ["Guides"] +tags = ["bike-touring", "india", "cycling", "guides"] +slug = "bike-touring-india-beginner-guide" +image = "bike-touring-india-hero.jpg" +description = "Thinking of riding across India? Here's your complete, soulful guide to planning your first bicycle tour — in the only way that truly matters: one honest kilometre at a time." +keywords = ["bike touring India", "beginner's guide cycling India", "bicycle tour planning India", "how to start bike touring India"] +draft = true ++++ + +It doesn’t always start with a map anymore. +Sometimes it starts with a scroll. + +A flash of a rider carving through misty hills on Instagram. +A reel of someone pushing their loaded bicycle across a high mountain pass. +A YouTube thumbnail promising: *Freedom. Adventure. Simplicity.* + +And there you are — hunched over a laptop, tabs open, notifications blinking — feeling something stir. +Maybe you’ve seen it too — a lone cyclist threading a dusty road, somewhere you can't quite name — and for a moment, the noise inside you went quiet. + +A question, quiet but insistent: +*Could I do that? Could I ride across India?* + +If you're here, reading this, that question has already taken root. + +>Touring India by bicycle isn’t just about distance. +>It’s about learning how to live lighter, move slower, and see more. + +This is your first roadmap — not for the kilometers, but for the way your world will change. + +--- + +## The Country That Refuses to Stay Still + +You can read all you like about India’s "diversity," but words don’t do it justice. +On a bicycle, India is a living, breathing thing — changing not just from state to state, but hour to hour. + +The smell of the earth after rain, heavier and sweeter than anywhere else. +The sudden shift from Hindi to Bengali to Assamese, without a border post in sight. +The way sugarcane fields give way to coconut groves, then to alpine pines, in the span of a few rides. + +The country doesn’t just offer you landscapes. +It offers you contrasts — stitched so tightly together you can feel them humming through your wheels. + +Some days, you’ll taste the dust kicked up by overloaded trucks, feel potholes rattle through your spine, and still find yourself smiling at the sheer aliveness of it all. + +--- + +## Choosing Your First Patch of Road + +India is too large to "complete." +It’s not a country you conquer. It's a country you enter, the way you enter a river — slowly, respectfully, with open hands. + +Where you choose to begin will shape your first story: + +- **Ladakh and Spiti**: stark, magnificent, humbling. High passes, thin air, endless silence. +- **Rajasthan**: ancient forts, desert highways, shimmering heat. +- **Western Ghats**: lush green folds of monsoon-drenched hills, coffee estates, lonely temples. +- **Northeast India**: wild rivers, hidden valleys, the feeling that you’ve stumbled into a secret. + +**Reality Check**: +If you're new to touring, start with regions at lower elevations first. +High-altitude routes like Ladakh and Spiti are breathtaking — and brutal. +Building up strength and experience on easier tours will make those dream rides even more rewarding when you're ready. + +It doesn’t matter where you go first. +It matters that you *listen* when the road speaks back. + +--- + +## Your Bicycle: A Companion, Not a Machine + +Your bike is not a weapon. +It’s not a trophy. +It’s a companion — a stubborn, loyal mule that will carry your weight, your hopes, and sometimes your doubts. + +Look for: + +- Strength over speed: steel or solid aluminum frames. +- Comfort over aggression: geometry that lets you look up at the mountains, not down at your toes. +- Simplicity over flash: a drivetrain you can fix with basic tools, tires you can patch at a tea stall. + +You don’t need the world’s lightest bike. +You need a bike that, when things get rough, simply grunts and keeps moving forward. + +--- + +## What You Carry (and What You Learn to Leave Behind) + +Packing for a bicycle tour is a study in honesty. + +Every item you add is a question: +*Will I carry this up every hill? Will I curse it on every broken road?* + +You’ll need: + +- Water, more than you think. +- Layers for chill, rain, and sun. +- A basic repair kit (because in India, a puncture is just a Tuesday). +- Trust in your ability to improvise. + +You’ll want: + +- A Kindle loaded with books for long evenings under quiet skies. +- A small camera, if you like to capture fleeting light and faces. +- Comfort items: a coffee press, a playlist that feels like home. + +But remember: +The heaviest thing on your bike is not your luggage. +It’s your need for control. +(And maybe, just maybe, that third T-shirt you thought you couldn't live without — the one you'll curse halfway up your first long climb.) + +Travel lighter. Ride slower. See more. + +--- + +## Planning Your Route: The Art of Half-Planning + +You’ll pour over maps. Download offline navigation apps. Trace winding blue lines across the screen. + +And then — you’ll let it all go. + +Because India has its own plans for you: + +- Landslides blocking mountain passes. +- Festivals lighting up small villages. +- Monsoon-swollen rivers turning detours into adventures. + +Leave space for the unexpected. +Plan for flexibility, not perfection. + +The best roads are the ones you didn’t know existed. + +--- + +## Food, Shelter, and the Incredible Kindness of Strangers + +India feeds its travelers. + +Roadside dhabas will call you in with the scent of frying pakoras. +Truckers will wave you over to share steaming plates of dal and rice. +A cup of chai will appear just when you need it most. + +You'll learn to trust small moments. +The old man who waves you into his dhaba just as the afternoon heat crushes your will. +The shopkeeper who brings out a battered foot pump when you limp in with a slow puncture. +The chai wallah who refuses to let you pay after hearing you're riding "only on a cycle." + +They may not speak your language, but they’ll understand something deeper: +motion, fatigue, hope. + +And when night falls: + +- Guesthouses in dusty towns. +- Temples offering shelter. +- Locals inviting you to sleep in a courtyard under a sky littered with stars. + +If you show up tired, dusty, and smiling, you’ll find that India rarely says no. + +--- + +## Staying Safe: Riding with Awareness, Not Fear + +Cycling in India demands a different kind of awareness — a mixture of patience, instinct, and caution. + +- **Ride like you're invisible**: Always assume traffic doesn’t see you. Defensive riding is survival riding. +- **Light up**: Use flashing lights and reflectives even during the day, especially on highways and busy roads. +- **Ride early**: Aim to finish your riding by mid-afternoon. Avoid cycling after dark unless absolutely necessary. +- **Trust your instincts**: If a situation feels wrong — a lonely stretch, a strange encounter — listen to that feeling without apology. +- **Stay visible, stay social**: Choose routes where people are around. In India, safety often lies in numbers. + Think of tea stalls, dhabas, and small towns as your mental checkpoints — safe harbors spaced every 30 or 40 kilometres where you can pause, refuel, and reset. + +**It’s important to acknowledge**: +India’s road fatality rate is among the highest in the world, especially for two-wheelers. +And while rare, incidents of harassment and assault have happened — particularly in isolated areas or late hours. + +Solo riders, especially women, should take extra precautions: + +- Share your live location with trusted people. +- Trust your gut over politeness. +- Stay connected through local cycling communities where possible. + +**Also know**: +Experiences can sometimes differ based on gender, appearance, and whether you're perceived as local or foreign. +Awareness and self-trust matter more than bravado. + +**But know this too**: +The overwhelming majority of people you meet will offer kindness, help, and a smile. +India can seem chaotic, but beneath the noise lies a deep, genuine hospitality — one that cyclists often experience firsthand. + +Ride aware. Ride wise. +But don’t let fear steal the magic of the journey. + +--- + +## The Real Journey Is Internal + +Long before your legs give out, your mind will be tested. + +There will be days when the sun feels too cruel, the hills too long, the trucks too loud. +There will be mornings when you wonder what you’re doing out here, when a clean bed and easy answers seem a world away. + +And those will be the days you grow. + +Touring India by bicycle isn’t just about distance. +It’s about learning how to live lighter, move slower, and see more. + +It’s about shedding the noise that clutters your head — until all that’s left is breath, muscle, and the bright, beautiful hum of forward motion. + +The Real India Texture: +Some days, your best shelter will be a bus stop roof, your lunch will be a packet of glucose biscuits, and your biggest adversary will be a territorial village dog. +This too is part of the ride — unpredictable, messy, full of small victories. + +--- + +## Getting Started: First 5 Steps + +If you're inspired to begin, here’s how to start gently: + +1. Choose a route that's 3–5 riding days long — not an epic from Day 1. +2. Plan for around 50–70 km per day maximum, factoring in terrain and heat. +3. Do 2–3 weekend practice rides with full gear to get a feel for load and pacing. +4. Pick routes that pass through towns or villages every 30–40 km for food, water, and backup options. +5. Share your itinerary with someone you trust, and leave room for changes. + +Small beginnings grow big journeys. + +--- + +## In Closing: The First Pedal Stroke + +You don't have to be fast. +You don't have to be fearless. +You don't even have to be ready. + +You just have to begin. + +The first creak of the pedals. +The first kilometre slipping away behind you like an old skin. +The first time the horizon opens up and you realize you can go as far as your will can carry you. + +That’s it. That’s all it takes. + +See you on the road, rider. +The best parts haven’t even been dreamed yet. + +--- + +**Next Up**: Essential gear for touring India — what you truly need, and what you can leave behind. +Stay tuned. diff --git a/content/post/forged-for-the-ride-scolarian-mudfest/index.md b/content/post/forged-for-the-ride-scolarian-mudfest/index.md index 73f9dc1..7c06791 100644 --- a/content/post/forged-for-the-ride-scolarian-mudfest/index.md +++ b/content/post/forged-for-the-ride-scolarian-mudfest/index.md @@ -9,23 +9,21 @@ description = "An epic, soul-stirring deep dive into the Scolarian Mudfest: a gr keywords = ["Scolarian Mudfest review", "Scolarian bikes India", "best gravel bikes India", "steel gravel bike India", "bikepacking bikes India"] +++ -# Forged for the Ride: Meeting the [Scolarian](https://www.scolarian.com) - It began, as most good things do, with a quiet longing. In a world drowning in carbon, blinding colors, and brochure promises, I found myself wondering if somewhere, somehow, a bike still existed that wasn't just another fast-fashion frame. A bike that was built, not specced; that was *forged*, not manufactured. -That longing simmered for months, years maybe, until one evening, scrolling past another endless parade of neon plastic and three-letter acronyms, I stumbled onto something different. A name: **Scolarian**. A bike: [**Mudfest**](https://www.scolarian.com/gravelcycles). +That longing simmered for months, years maybe, until one evening, scrolling past another endless parade of neon plastic and three-letter acronyms, I stumbled onto something different. A name: [**Scolarian**](https://www.scolarian.com). A bike: [**Mudfest**](https://www.scolarian.com/gravelcycles). Steel. Simplicity. Soul. It was an old South Indian rider, weathered and wiry, who had ridden his way up into the high Himalayas, carrying the soul of distant coasts with him. We met at a small dhaba tucked between misty switchbacks, where he first whispered the name to me, half between sips of chai and tales of roads long swallowed by the forest. He tapped his ceramic cup lightly against the table for emphasis, the way old hands do when they believe in what they're saying, then leaned back with a contented sigh as if releasing the weight of a thousand unseen miles. Behind us, the clatter of utensils and the low hiss of a sputtering stove filled the chilly air, grounding the moment in the humble, timeless rhythm of mountain life. -"If you're looking for a proper bike, one you can trust anywhere," he said with a small smile, "find yourself a Scolarian." +> "If you're looking for a proper bike, one you can trust anywhere," he said with a small smile, "find yourself a Scolarian." I didn't know it then, but I had just met a new companion. -![First Encounter with the Mudfest](scolarian-mudfest-dhaba-first-sighting.webp) +![First glimpse: the Mudfest leans quietly against a dhaba wall, waiting to be noticed](https://ik.imagekit.io/gearlama/blog/forged-for-the-ride-scolarian-mudfest/scolarian-mudfest-at-the-dhaba-first-look.jpeg?updatedAt=1745733052224) *First glimpse: the Mudfest leans quietly against a dhaba wall, waiting to be noticed.* --- @@ -40,7 +38,7 @@ Just clean, confident lines. A kind of quiet rebellion in a world that had forgo The frame, made entirely from chromoly steel — *every tube, every dropout* — sat with a weight of purpose. You could feel the thought behind it, like a handmade knife resting easy in the palm. -![Mudfest Frame Details](scolarian-mudfest-chromoly-frame-details.webp) +![Chromoly steel tubing close-up of Scolarian Mudfest frame](https://ik.imagekit.io/gearlama/blog/forged-for-the-ride-scolarian-mudfest/scolarian-mudfest-chromoly-frame-details.jpeg?updatedAt=1745734421386) *Close-up of the chromoly steel frame — clean welds, muted finish, strength in simplicity.* In that first meeting, the Mudfest didn't try to impress. It simply *was*. @@ -60,7 +58,7 @@ Not the Mudfest. **Every piece** of this frame — top tube, down tube, seat tube, stays, dropouts, head tube, bottom bracket — is chromoly. **Every tube** is seamless, drawn not welded. -![Seamless Steel Tubing](scolarian-mudfest-seamless-steel-tubing.webp) +![Seamless chromoly steel tubes used in Scolarian Mudfest construction](https://ik.imagekit.io/gearlama/blog/forged-for-the-ride-scolarian-mudfest/scolarian-seamless-steel-tubing.png?updatedAt=1745735921532) *Seamless steel: the hidden strength that defines the Mudfest.* This matters more than most realize. A seamed tube is weaker at its welded line. Seamless tubes offer unbroken strength — the same kind of integrity demanded in racecars and serious engineering. @@ -72,9 +70,9 @@ Here, Scolarian chose to walk the harder path. ## A Builder's Philosophy -Founded in 2015 in Coimbatore, [Scolarian](https://www.scolarian.com) started with the simplest form of cycling — single speeds and fixies — bikes free from expectation and full of soul. +Founded in 2015 in Coimbatore, [Scolarian](https://www.scolarian.com) started with the simplest form of cycling — [single speeds and fixies](https://www.scolarian.com/fixedgear-singlespeed) — bikes free from expectation and full of soul. -Over the years, they evolved into builders of [gravel bikes](#) and touring frames, but their spirit stayed the same: engineering over marketing, rider-first philosophy over trends. +Over the years, they evolved into builders of [gravel bikes](https://www.scolarian.com/gravelcycles) and [touring frames](https://www.scolarian.com/touringbikes), but their spirit stayed the same: engineering over marketing, rider-first philosophy over trends. They could have simply ordered Columbus, Reynolds, or Dedacciai branded tubes, picked a size and grade off the catalog, and entered the world of boutique small-batch builders — building frames with price tags far beyond the reach of most riders. @@ -86,7 +84,7 @@ Because their dream wasn’t just to build great bikes. It was to build great bikes **for riders who needed them**, not just those who could afford them. -![Scolarian Workshop Spirit](scolarian-workshop-craftsmanship.webp) +![ Inside Scolarian Coimbatore workshop - bicycle framebuilding](https://ik.imagekit.io/gearlama/blog/forged-for-the-ride-scolarian-mudfest/scolarian-workshop-craftsmanship.png?updatedAt=1745735761617) *Inside the forge: where ideas, steel, and stubborn dreams are shaped.* --- @@ -99,7 +97,7 @@ The half-built ones. The ones where tar melts into gravel. Where a dhaba and a h Mudfest is built for *that* world. -![Mudfest on Broken Roads](scolarian-mudfest-on-broken-road.webp) +![ Scolarian Mudfest bicycle on broken Himalayan gravel road](https://ik.imagekit.io/gearlama/blog/forged-for-the-ride-scolarian-mudfest/scolarian-mudfest-on-broken-road.jpg?updatedAt=1745736231315) *The kind of road the Mudfest calls home — where the adventure begins.* Slim front triangle tubes, just enough compliance. @@ -112,9 +110,9 @@ A bike that doesn’t survive roughness — it dances with it. It wasn’t a sunny ride that baptized the Mudfest. -It was a grim, grey morning outside Shimla, with clouds hanging low and the roads treacherous with half-fallen boulders and slick corners. +It was a grim, grey morning near Jalori Pass, with clouds hanging low and the roads treacherous with half-fallen boulders and slick corners. -![First Ride Struggles](scolarian-mudfest-first-ride.webp) +![ First ride of Scolarian Mudfest near Jalori Pass in misty conditions](https://ik.imagekit.io/gearlama/blog/forged-for-the-ride-scolarian-mudfest/scolarian-mudfest-first-ride.jpeg?updatedAt=1745736370109) *Mist, mud, and faith: where trust was forged between rider and frame.* At first, every loose patch felt like a gamble. @@ -141,9 +139,9 @@ Up front, the wide [SCW Mud Alloy Adventure Handlebar](https://www.scolarian.com Could I upgrade? Maybe. But honestly, I haven't felt the need. -From the very first ride, [Ketchup](#) — my red, delicious Mudfest — felt like it was made for my roads, my mistakes, my dreams. +From the very first ride, *Ketchup* — my red, delicious Mudfest — felt like it was made for my roads, my mistakes, my dreams. -![Ketchup, My Red Mudfest](scolarian-mudfest-ketchup-custom-build.webp) +![Custom Scolarian Mudfest build nicknamed Ketchup, red paint with gold leaf detailing](https://ik.imagekit.io/gearlama/blog/forged-for-the-ride-scolarian-mudfest/scolarian-mudfest-ketchup-custom-build.jpg?updatedAt=1745736494624) *Ketchup in its natural habitat — red, ready, and built for the long road ahead.* Custom steel doesn't just fit your body. @@ -167,9 +165,9 @@ Entirely seamless chromoly steel — including the rear triangle and dropouts. Coimbatore, India — engineering, prototyping, and building everything in-house. -### How does the Mudfest compare to the [Kettlexpress](https://www.scolarian.com/gravelcycles)? +### How does the Mudfest compare to the Kettlexpress? -Mudfest is lighter and quicker for exploration; Kettlexpress is stiffer for heavy loaded touring. +[Mudfest](https://www.scolarian.com/gravelcycles) is lighter and quicker for exploration; [Kettlexpress](https://www.scolarian.com/touringbikes) is stiffer for heavy loaded touring. --- @@ -182,8 +180,8 @@ Scolarian is waiting. ## Image Credits -All images of the Scolarian Mudfest, Ketchup custom build, and workshop details were photographed by Gearlama. -© 2025 Gearlama. All rights reserved. +All images of the Scolarian Mudfest, Ketchup custom build, and workshop details were photographed by Scolarain bikes / Gearlama. +© 2025 Scolarian / Gearlama. All rights reserved. For permission to reuse or feature images, please contact [gear.lama@gmail.com](mailto:gear.lama@gmail.com). diff --git a/content/post/forged-for-the-ride-scolarian-mudfest/mudfest-intro.webp b/content/post/forged-for-the-ride-scolarian-mudfest/mudfest-intro.webp index d4f6c8d..751deae 100644 Binary files a/content/post/forged-for-the-ride-scolarian-mudfest/mudfest-intro.webp and b/content/post/forged-for-the-ride-scolarian-mudfest/mudfest-intro.webp differ diff --git a/content/post/posst-oberon-review/index.md b/content/post/posst-oberon-review/index.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..26eee85 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/post/posst-oberon-review/index.md @@ -0,0 +1,182 @@ ++++ +title = "Meet the POSST Oberon: India's Expedition Machine, Built for the World" +date = 2025-04-26 +categories = ["Gear"] +tags = ["bikes", "expedition", "world-touring", "India", "rohloff", "belt-drive"] +slug = "posst-oberon-review" +image = "oberon-hero.jpg" +description = "Introducing Roci — an Indian expedition bike built to stand with the world's best, and to ride the wildest roads on Earth." +draft= true ++++ + +There are bicycles that promise adventure — and then there are bicycles that are built for it, bolt by bolt, weld by weld. The POSST Oberon belongs firmly to the latter tribe. Designed, tested, and assembled in India, the Oberon is not merely a machine for riding; it is a companion for journeys that test your endurance, your faith, and your spirit. + +With its Columbus steel frame, Rohloff Speedhub, and Gates Carbon Belt Drive, the Oberon stands proudly among the great expedition bikes of the world — but it carries something more: a soul forged for Indian realities and a price that refuses to turn long-distance dreams into distant fantasies. + +Soon, our Oberon will roll into our hands — a green machine ready not just for smooth roads and showrooms, but for the broken, beautiful, unpredictable heart of the Indian Himalayas. After a month of slow local riding — across forgotten fire trails and battered village lanes — we’ll set our sights higher. Much higher. Across the perilous ledges of the Kishtwar–Killar road, through the barren splendour of Spiti, over passes brushing 5,000 meters, the Oberon will be tested in the way only true expedition bikes are: by trusting them with your life. + +Somewhere along the way, it will stop being just the Oberon. +It will become Roci — a quiet, steadfast companion, humming under a mountain sky. + +_(We call it Roci now — after the faithful steed of a dreamer in old stories, and a ship that carried explorers across the stars. Every journey deserves a companion that rides a little beyond reason.)_ + +--- + +# Why True Expedition Bikes Matter (And Why They’re So Rare) + +A bicycle close to home is convenience — a way to chase errands, catch sunsets, carry morning coffee. +But once you lean into the great silences, a bicycle becomes something else: +Your shelter. Your lifeboat. Your bridge back to the known world. + +Expedition touring demands a different breed: +- A machine that shrugs off 30 kilograms of life and gear. +- A frame that doesn’t flinch when the road becomes rubble. +- A drivetrain that keeps moving long after grease, grit, and gravity have conspired against it. + +Most "adventure bikes" today wear the costume but miss the calling. +Gravel geometries turn twitchy under load. Featherweight frames forget how to carry real weight. +Shiny group-sets fail in places where failure has a price. + +Expeditions aren't about riding 100 kilometres fast. +They’re about riding 100 kilometres **after everything goes wrong** — and still smiling around a small fire under a big sky. + +--- + +# The Oberon's Design Philosophy: Strength, Simplicity, Soul + +Not every bike needs a soul. +Some are made for shop floors and smooth tarmac. +But when your wheels need to speak the languages of frost, dust, and silence, you need something more. + +Oberon was not designed for afternoons. +It was built for seasons. For mountains. +For the long, slow accumulation of miles that outlive the map. + +## Steel Bones: The Frame That Remembers + +Steel remembers things. + +The first bite of frost lifting off a river valley at dawn. +The hollow thud of a hidden rock striking a loaded pannier at speed. +The slow flex and forgiveness when a trail demands more than speed — it demands mercy. + +Columbus Zona steel isn't glamorous. It's timeless. +Where carbon might betray you quietly, and aluminum may whisper its fatigue, steel simply rides on. +It flexes with the road, not against it. + +Oberon's geometry — long chainstays, a calming trail number, generous standover — is tuned to the realities of riding loaded across uncertain lands. + +📖 *Out on the broken roads of Pangi, when a stray stone throws your balance off at the edge of a drop, it's not twitchiness you want. It's calmness that seeps into your hands through the frame. Calmness that Roci will carry.* + +## Rohloff and Gates: The Art of Forgetting Your Drivetrain Exists + +The Oberon hums with the quiet genius of the **Rohloff Speedhub 500/14** — +14 gears hidden behind a weather-sealed casing, impervious to dust, snow, sleet, and sand. + +📖 *Climbing away from a frozen river crossing beyond Polokongka La, while others wrestle frozen chains, you simply twist your Rohloff grip. A muted click. A silent gear change. The world tilts, and you move upward without a second thought.* + +Paired to this is the **Gates Carbon Belt** — a drive that asks for no oil, no prayers, no apologies. +Carbon cords spin where chains would clog. Silence hums where rust would screech. + +📖 *Three days into a dust storm near Tso Moriri, where sand eats chains for breakfast, Roci hums forward — the belt unworried, unhurried, unbeaten.* + +### 📊 Why Expedition Riders Choose Rohloff + Gates + +| Feature | Rohloff Speedhub 500/14 | Traditional Derailleur System | +|------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------| +| **Gear Range** | 526% with 14 evenly spaced gears | Varies; overlapping ratios | +| **Maintenance** | Oil change every ~5,000 km | Regular cleaning, tuning | +| **Shifting Capability** | Shift anytime, even stationary | Requires pedaling | +| **Exposure to Elements** | Sealed, impervious | Vulnerable | +| **Wheel Strength** | Symmetrical, stronger | Dished, weaker | +| **Cost** | Higher upfront, lower over time | Lower upfront, higher maintenance cost | + +## Certified for Expedition + +Not every frame can tame a belt-driven Rohloff system. +To qualify, you must pass a brutal stiffness test — ensuring that your frame can carry loads without throwing the system out of alignment. + +✅ **The Oberon passed.** + +📖 *Meaning: Roci doesn’t just wear its gear. It earns it.* + +## Handmade Dutch Wheels: The Quiet Strength Below You + +Strength doesn’t end with the frame. + +It turns beneath you with every spoke of the hand-built **RAD15 Storm26 wheels** — +balanced tension, stubborn resilience, the kind of build that doesn’t advertise itself until you're crossing a scree field at 4,500 metres with the nearest village two days behind you. + +📖 *On the shattered switchbacks of Shingo La, as loose stones hammer your tires and gravity conspires against your will, it’s not luck that keeps you upright. It’s the unspoken strength stitched into every spoke.* + +## Built for Distance, Not Display + +Every Oberon choice answers a single question: +"When things get ugly, will you still trust me?" + +- **SP Dynamo Hub + DS-4 Light:** Ride when the sun fails. +- **TRP Hy/Rd Brakes:** Hydraulic power, cable simplicity. +- **Tabor Leather Saddle:** A platform that grows into you, shaped by every mile, every bruise, every dawn. + +📖 *At a frozen dawn high above Spiti, as you heave a frost-slicked Roci upright and hear the saddle creak like an old friend stretching before the day, you'll understand why materials — and choices — matter.* + +--- + +# How the Oberon Stands Shoulder-to-Shoulder with the World’s Best + +Around the world, a handful of bikes carry the real expedition lineage: +KOGA WorldTraveller. Tout Terrain Silkroad. Santos Travelmaster. Surly Disc Trucker. + +Now, quietly, proudly, an Indian name rolls into that circle: Oberon — Roci. + +### 📊 World Expedition Bike Comparison + +| Feature | POSST Oberon | KOGA WorldTraveller | Tout Terrain Silkroad Xplore II | Santos Travelmaster 3+ | Surly Disc Trucker | +|------------------------------|------------------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------|--------------------| +| **Frame Material** | Columbus Zona Steel | Aluminium | Steel | Aluminium | Steel | +| **Drivetrain** | Rohloff + Gates Carbon Belt | Rohloff + Chain/Belt | Pinion Gearbox + Belt | Rohloff + Belt | Derailleur Chain | +| **Wheel Size** | 650B | 28"/29" | 27.5"/28" | 27.5" | 26"/650B | +| **Included Accessories** | Full racks, dynamo, fenders, stand | Racks only | Rack integrated, lights optional | Racks, lights optional | Frame only | +| **Warranty Certifications** | Rohloff + Gates Certified | Rohloff Certified | Pinion Certified | Rohloff Certified | None | +| **Price Range (India)** | ₹3.1L (loaded) | ~₹5.5L+ (partial) | ~₹7L+ (partial) | ~₹6L+ | ~₹2.5–₹3L (bare) | + +--- + +# Proof, Not Promises: Our Upcoming Journey + +Easy words vanish on hard roads. + +In three weeks, Roci arrives. +We’ll ride locally, listening to it, learning its rhythms. +And then we’ll ride into the silence: + +- **Kishtwar–Killar:** One of the world’s most dangerous roads. ([BBC article](https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20160401-a-perilous-ride-to-a-remote-valley)) +- **Sach Pass:** Avalanche debris and broken dreams. +- **Spiti Valley:** Where the sky empties itself onto rock and ice. + +📖 *When the roads forget they're roads, you don't think about marketing. You think about trust.* + +--- + +# A New Chapter for Indian Adventure Cycling + +There’s a quiet revolution happening. + +A belief that Indian craftsmanship can forge bikes not just for Ladakh or Spiti, +but for the Andes, the Outback, the high plateaus of the world. + +The Oberon doesn’t make noise. +It hums. +It rides. + +Roci rides — carrying a simple promise: + +**Adventure isn’t where you go. +Adventure is how you get there.** + +And now, +an Indian expedition bike rides out to meet the world — +steel in its frame, dust on its wheels, +and a new chapter stitched into every crank turn. + +**We are ready.**