This episode is brought to you by www.thebikeaffair.com
If you are in search of a one-stop destination that caters to all your cycling needs, our today’s sponsor, The Bike Affair, is the perfect place to check out! With over 14 years of experience, The Bike Affair has established itself as a trusted source offering honest advice and exceptional service. They are offering a special treat for the listeners of this podcast. You can enjoy a 10% discount on your first order by using the code ‘BIKEYVENKY’ on their website. Visit their bike store in Hyderabad or shop online by using the link www.thebikeaffair.com
In this episode, we talk to Sathish Marathe Rao. Sathish is a celebrity chef who has hosted the likes of Dr. Abdul Kalam as well as who’s who of the Bollywood. He is also the Karnataka State Cycling champion back in the 70s and toured the world on his bicycle before settling down in the US. He was part of Tour of Nilgiris this year along with his close friend Wheelsports Venky and I took this opportunity to sit down with him to talk about his cycling days back in the day. It was so fascinating to hear about Bangalore cycling back in the 70s and the stories from his tour around the world on a bicycle. I had a blast and I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.
0:00 Intro
0:05:05 How he got into cycling out of necessity
0:07:10 The accidental champion of Karnataka State
0:11:01 Freak accident putting an end to his cycling career
0:12:37 Cycling around the world to find himself
0:26:37 Losing the bags and passports in Belgrade
0:30:31 Getting sponsored by PUCH bicycles out of serendipity
0:32:00 Starting a new life in the US starting with washing dishes
0:39:00 Hustling and the opening of Udipi restaurants
0:41:10 Losing bike in NY and restarting cycling after a break
0:45:20 Bangalore cycling back in the 70s and now
0:49:25 His riding nowadays
0:51:10 Tour of Nilgiris
0:54:40 Tips for a Working Athlete
0:55:00 Closing
About the podcast:
The working athlete podcast is a podcast with and for working athletes from all walks of life and various sports. The goal is to provide inspiration, training tips, mental hacks, time management and life-style advice through conversations with some of the best in sport, from athletes to coaches. If you think you can benefit from this, please consider subscribing and hitting the bell icon so that you don’t miss the weekly episodes in future.
Who is a working athlete? Someone working fulltime/part-time, entrepreneur or anyone who has to work to make ends meet and doesn’t let being busy to stop him/her from pursuing an active lifestyle is a working athlete. I consider stay at home moms/dads who pursue a sport, as working athletes because homemaking is a full-time job.
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A bit about myself:
I’m Venkat/Venkateswara Rao in my work avatar, working as a Chief Data Analyst in the IT industry in Bangalore. I’m Venky/Bikeyvenky for my friends in the cycling community.
All through my life I struggled with weight and health issues. After multiple failed attempts through the life to get fit and healthy, in 2008, I managed to lose 16kgs. My motivation was to be able to take care of my unborn son with the thought that “if I’m not able to take care of myself, how am I going to take care of my family?”. When my son was 6 months old, having lost 16kgs, I picked up a bike to keep that weight off and stay fit. That became a passion and lost more weight and became better at it. I continue to train myself not just to stay fit but also race competitively in races in and outside the country. I also have been coaching a few riders to get stronger and faster at cycling since 2016.
With ‘The Working Athlete Podcast’, I have a bit of a selfish motive. That is, it will provide me an opportunity for me to meet and talk to many people from all walks of life across different sports to learn how they manage an active lifestyle while doing well at work. I hope to share those learnings with all of you. That way, it will help both you and me to keep learning and keep growing.
And not knowing the ratio no cranks and no cassette nothing all I knew one single speed ride come back the practice was from Bangalore to birdi from birdi to ramnagar one day from Bangalore to kanakpur those are the practices we used to do then the first race was for me was in
1976 after when we started finding out how people friendly the way they look at you the way they treat you it was it was it was unbelievable you know un believable yeah Africa is one of the best country I would say I travel I am wiy a working professional
In it as well as an imature Master’s athlete and a coach for Endurance Sports you are listening to the working athlete podcast here I talk to working athletes from all walks of life and experts from various Sports to provide you with inspiration training tips and lifestyle advice if this is something that that
Interests you I have a small request from you please subscribe to the channel on YouTube Spotify Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast from you can also let me know what you like and what you would like to listen to more of by commenting in the comment section on
YouTube I promise to do my best to improve with each episode and bring you the best content that helps you and me get better each day in this episode we talk to Satish marate ra Satish is a celebrity chef who has hosted the likes of late Dr Abdul Kalam as well as who’s
Who of Bollywood film personalities he’s also the Karnataka State cycling Champion back in the’ 70s and toured the world on his bicycle before settling down in the US He is 65 years young now and still rides his bike like a champ he was part of the tour of neilg this year
Along with his close friend wheel sports Winky and I took this opportunity to sit down with him to talk about his cycling days back in the day it was so fascinating to hear about Bangalore cycling back in the’ 70s and the stories from his tour around the world on a
Bicycle I had a blast and I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did this episode is brought to you by the bike Affair if you are in search of a One-Stop destination that CS to all your cycling needs our today’s sponsor the bike Affair is the perfect place to
Check out I have known the founders of the bike Affair Krish and Gokul personally for nearly 15 years now in fact my first century ride was with Kish back in 2008 they are both exceptional human beings and entrepreneurs that believe in providing exceptional service to their customers and it shows with
Over 14 years of experience the bike Affair has established itself as a trusted Source offering honest advice and exceptional service they are offering a special treat for the listeners of this podcast you can enjoy a 10% discount on your first order by using the code biky Wy on their website
So if you are in Hyderabad visit their tour in Kapur or if you are anywhere else in India shop online by using the link the bike affair.com I will leave the link in the show notes now enjoy the podcast hi Satish welcome to the working adlet podcast a pleasure having you on
The show thank you so much weni it’s my thank you so much wki it’s my pleasure to be part of your show that is um um what I wanted to speak to you about uh is you know you come with a rich experience of uh cycling uh back in the
Day then I was maybe like one or two years old yeah so I I I’ve seen some of the photos from photos of yours from back in the day and I was like it was mindblowing to see so I was always curious to know more about that P um and
Uh you know what went on how would the you know what were the kind of training meths you guys used what were the you know what was the sighting scene like back then and all that and I mean I’ve been chasing you for a while finally
Here on TF and I cornered you thanks for thanks for cornering me I appreciated that yeah thanks for agreeing to do this and let us start by talking about uh you know how and when you got into cycling okay cycling I started as an hobby uh as an HBY as well as a
Necessity because those days uh my father was a catering contractor I had to go places from one place to other place just look at the catering so the mode of transportation was a bicycle so I started riding bike here and there and I met few bike riders uh since my father
Owned a small cafeteria in Cana stadium so I used to see all those bike was coming up there and I was so fascinated with all those racing handlebars and and never even rode a bike up until then about the racing bike and uh finally got one bike begging for my father uh bought
Atlas bike and got all the handlebars from different places and made it look like in a racing bike and started going with the guys riding riding riding and somehow somebody found out that I can ride a little faster than the regular bike so I was selected as an Karnataka
State cyclist uh after riding for almost like in a year then I started u riding practicing here only in Karnataka uh the let timeline to this it was 70 I was about 76 75 76 those are the days uh that time I would say I was about 15 years old you
Know so uh I didn’t know about nowadays you have that uh the FTF and all of the stuff we didn’t have nothing just write the fastest you can write you know how fast as you can climb that’s what it is nothing else to biking I didn’t have no
Knowledge at all and not knowing the ratio no cranks and no cassette nothing all I knew one single speed ride come back the practice was from Bangalore to biry from biry to ramnagar one day from Bangalore to kanakpur those are the practices we used to do then the first
Race was for me was in 1976 that was from Bangalore banata you know where the Christ colleges by milk di P it was sponsored by Neon company and that was to go to banata and come back and that was the first race I won it wasn’t a
State level it was just a race sponsored by nion later on I found out it was a state level oh when I went Road I wasn’t selected to ride that ride so I happened to be there with my bike and they said you want to ride I said yes because we
Had few people came from chamra ped and we come actually to look at the race and the guys asked you want to ride I said yes so I won that race first wow so you went to watch the race race on your bikee and you happen to be on the bike
So they asked you to participate right they asked me do you want to ride I said yes and you won the race I won the race yes I won the race and the participant was bjur Ki was there andat was there harar was there they were all surprised
To see a guy from Chet winning a race and it was it was a big deal for me since uh my father father was very disappointed not putting too much uh interest in school I was right riding bike bike bike all day and when came on
The newspaper that was I was a state champion without knowing I was a state champion that took me back and I was surprised then I put my mind into it I said I can do something that I never thought I will do it so and back in the
Day even then jamandi the Riders from Jami all the guys guys balot jamandi bjur raichur jamandi Riders were the fastest Riders those days uh I used to ride with those guys during the dasra race we used to have a I don’t know whether they have it now those days we
Have a dasra Mur dasra race starts from kppa Circle in Miki come to myour Palace ground and that that’s where it ends and I rode with them few Rises but never one because all the hills and and I wasn’t prepared to you know uh those are the
Things I rode with them so Nationals after that I I was selected after the neon race I was selected as an official Karnataka Rider since I won it then I was trained by the coaches used to train in I I used to do Co they used to coach
Me for a v drum as well as the road so then it wasn’t one right one ride you take a one bike change the wheels and just ride then you change the Cs for the fixie or do the free wheels so that was the thing the frame is same the bike is
Same Rider is the same only the cassette in the back the car from the fix becomes a freeer free BEC for Road it be like free right for track it will be C fix fix it yes so when you when you won that race and you know it came uh in the
Papers as a state champion and it kind of you know was a waterers shed moment where you realized I could do something right what was the reaction of your dad my dad was uh I would say if he is taken back uh he couldn’t believe himself the
Guy come from a poor family my father was a caterer and my picture was in the the first page of Dean haral and prani newspaper and um he from then he started supporting me you know so then I never looked back it’s went on till today I
Right right amazing so that was 76 you said right so uh from then on how did your riding training coaches yeah then I was selected as an Indian they selected me as an Indian team cyclist then myself Ki harnal and a few other writers from here theya sagayam Arthur Rodriguez we used to
Write together then they sent us to paala for our practices the H was coming in 82 then we were already started practicing 79 78 to Asia so they had sent us to paala to practice in order to select few Riders to ride in as so I was
One of the luckiest from Bangalore and the few of them from bapor and went trained there for almost five six months in paala and uh went down the hill one time and broke my ankle uh the chain came off and rolled the chain on my
Ankle and I broke my ankle so I was in the hospital for almost 2 month in paala and that disqualify me from Asia oh yeah so that was sad I couldn’t keep up with the speed I was very much disappointed you know so cycling was I always thought
Cycling going to take me to the next level wherever I uh nobody believed me uh my parents believe didn’t believe me and uh when I was I found out that I wasn’t qualified for a I was so disappointed I I don’t even want to come back to Bangalore that’s because Bangalore
People had high expectation even chief minister then was a gundur he was thinking then we had a sports minister gaj alwa they were all hoping that one guy yeah from Bangalore will come uh I was disappointed I’m get little emotion here yeah and uh I thought my life was
Ended right no that I can still see the emotion in your eyes all these years later um that that must have been quite a disappointment but how did you take it from there well uh I I don’t want to come home from patal I took my bike started riding to Bangalore I supposed
To come on the train I didn’t took the train I said I’m going to ride I I had some backpack little close my and didn’t have no money and for cash so people on the way helped me so I traveled pretty much half India that time to come to
Bangalore then I decided to go on the World to because I had read about few people who had gone on world to not knowing I needed the passport I didn’t knew that they needed a Visa I didn’t even know what visa was so you know decided to plan everything planned and
Got the passport then it was I think uh Josh Fernandes was the minister so he helped me get cuz I was in the national team so I had little connections here and he got me a passport then went then got the letters from rotary club or sponsored me liance Club sponsored me
Hoping that I will ride only in India but my whole idea was traveling around the world you know not knowing good English broken English here and there and I wasn’t sure I’m going to do it but the behind my mindset I will do it you know so got all the sponsorship from
YMCA youth hostel just name it I got letter from everyone and um went to Delhi all the consulate got visas for Iran Iraq Saudi Arabia Qatar all these closest countries I didn’t even know how to get there but I plan to get a visas
And uh the day came in and I met a good friend of mine is a moan from alur he was a rider as well he wasn’t a state level Rider but he was a local like we call weekend Warriors nowadays so he came and joined me and he said I want to
Join you so then we had a Raja cycle shop not the Raja on Town Hall there was a guy right in by Commercial Street other side he used to he was a national team cycling mechanic you know so he helped us to put all the bikes together and bags and everything then we
Officially started from uh vishara Museum but then used to be UB Factory and we flagged up there um we started from there went to Delhi uh gave a momentum to Mrs Gandhi prime minister then then we started down to Bombay and meanwhile we come to Bombay we found out
There was a war between Iran and Iraq okay so there wasn’t no we can’t go Pakistan was out of the question that we cannot ride so we our first Target was go to Iran Iraq and Iran start from there and go down to Turkey and all stuff and it didn’t happen so again
Disappointed stayed in uh Bombay for about 2 3 weeks then shipping Corporation of India was great enough to give us a free passage to Egypt M from Bombay to Egypt so the by su Canal while the ship was moving the basket dropped us to the small ship which was arranged
By the Consulate General of Egypt they came and picked us up because we were already had a diplomatic passport because Inda Gandhi help us to get the Diplomatic so we both had a diplomatic passport so culate knew we were coming they AR they picked up then we went to
Uh Fort Sayad from there we started our African Journey right okay before we proceed further it’s quite interesting yeah but I want to kind of go into a little bit of detail and Jog your memory on okay um so when you started from um
The U Factory in B and you rode to Delhi right how many days did it take to uh if my memory is right at least about 15 to 20 days 15 to 20 days you used to ride maybe 100 200 K yes it depends on some
Days we might reate 5050 to we didn’t have no Garin we didn’t have mile say we say example we live Bangalore to go to Hyderabad so we plan to three stops we to stop okay then we look for a YMCA or we going to look for a rotary club
Member someone to sponsor for dinner or the lunch or night St that’s how we went to Delhi we we didn’t have much money we had that $500 which was collected in Bangalore by then it was a Police Inspector I think he was a circle inspector called
Um uh I can’t even remember his name uh very well known uh officer Circle inspector he collected the money for us he’s called a tiger kataka tiger officer now he’s called a tiger because he was involved with catching V and everything yeah yeah so with that money kind of
That was your pool of money yeah 5,000 rupees we had so then it was like a 9 rupees for for a dollar mhm so we went to Bombay to because Bangalore uh by the time the passport came in they would not give us a dollar because we did not have
A visas in the passport so we were in Bombay when we had all collected the Visas so we get uh we bought $500 US for Thomas Cook so that was like a oer so we kept it that until I reach us never spend a penny on that it’s I kept do
5,000 from me all the way to us I had the $500 so you rote to um Delhi got met prime minister prime minister IND Gandhi and moment then road to Mumbai Mumbai from there yes another another about 15 days yeah 15 days and then it was already spread in the newspaper every
Town knew we were coming so there was a warm welcome there was a reception uh then we don’t need to look for food the food was at your disposable so it was a different experience you know once you were recognized once they know you are that is totally a different experience
Yeah amazing we felt like a VIP for a couple of days uh so from then from Mumbai uh Bombay at that time um where was the next up you said so by the shipping Corporation of India then Mr Gandhi he’s also happened to be a Gandhi and the Mr
Ra they helped us to get a ticket I mean it’s a free so they put on the that was Kalinga the tanker big tanker so then kalingan Asoka was the biggest tanker for Indian government so they put us on the tanker we were put in the presidential s sweet so we were sitting
Up there it’s a rough sea instead of 4 days trip to Egypt it took us almost 15 days on the ship because it was a bad weather and we were all crying never sat in the ship in my entire life first experience the ship was rolling like a
Ball on that you know it’s a world’s biggest ship and pitching like a tennis ball so we made it to Egypt that’s where all my journey began yeah the inter so how how is touring in the Egypt uh you know like because India is still like
You know Home Country even if it is a different language you would manage with Hindi or whatever right right so how how was it touring in a foreign land foreign land that was my first you know other than we had went to for during my cycling period in Bangalore I traveled
To Sri Lanka Singapore uh for a Race So so I had little knowledge about how foreign land going to look how people are going to act looking at you once they see the sign on the says satis R cycling around the world on a bicycle and everybody was interested very
Friendly nice talking to us offering their houses to stay food and most of our contact was a consulate general so every time we go we register there and say we are from India and most of the time they knew we were coming and either they do the fundraising or Rotary Club
Will do the fundraising give us little money for the next trip so that’s how it traveled the experience was excellent whether it is in Egypt or Kenya or Uganda uh any other countries we were received very well and we never had any bad experience like people always to say
You get robed you get H this never in Africa we got one of the the best reception though the Indians or the blacks it doesn’t matter who it was the tribal people they openly invited on their hearts the house or the Palace of the hotel you know so we really uh we
Really enjoyed and we couldn’t even believe what we are doing and how we were received uh it is like a dream come true I thought we were in a f land you know like never even thought about it that’s how it was Egypt and traveled in
Africa and good from Egypt you said you went to yeah Uganda Kenya Tanzania then we came to zote Somalia to Libya from Libya we took a ship to Greece whilea Cyprus and CR Island you know so it was like going around coming back close to Egypt so that’s uh you know that was
Also shipping Corporation of India wanted to help us but there wasn’t ship available to go then there was a some local ship people gave us a free ticket from Libya to they wanted us to go to Italy but we wanted to go to Greece so that was a little longer trip
So there was two Island which K and Cyprus so we stopped there we did not ride you know ship was docked there we get out and look at the town like a side seeing people then our European travel started from Greece peros that’s where we landed at the peros is the harbor
Small town close to Athens yeah before we get into the European so of your journey what what was you know riding in Africa uh around that time right because yeah we were a little scared we were a little scared because you know the the stories we heard about it is a
Totally different and we we were a little scared mean we even if some good friend good people come approach and talk to you nicely we behind my head thinking oh they are they going to rob us are they going to you know hurt us you know these are the things we had in
Behind you know that’s the the the looking at other people the color people we so call it you know that was totally a different uh feedback we had when we went there when we look at those people that were the one of the best people openly called us to even whether they
Are very well to-do people or from a tribal areas like Tanzania and everything on the roads you literally you say tribal people and they will call you to the Hut you know once they found out that we are riding they come on they could speak the language we could speak
Our language but it’s a know science sign language and we were we were very much blessed I can say it you know so that is one of the best experience uh even if I go to I don’t think I’ll get that experience that’s how it the roads were worse than here and the
Infrastructure was totally different even those days Indian roads are not good but here it was worse some of them are gravel some of the but we had a bike which is Indian tires Indian bike and I’m sorry I had an Balon an Italian bike I had my other friend had a track bike
And we were received very well we never even thought in a Wildest Dream that we will get hurt up there after when we started finding out how people friendly the way they look at you the way they treat you it was it was it was unbelievable you know unbelievable yeah
Africa is one of the best country I would say I traveled so far you know not counting the Europe and all stuff the Europe I expected it’s going to be friendly people seen it everything is white is bright you know that’s that’s kind of a and that’s how we felt corre
You know those days we looked at the Texas wild pictures here you know you know good bad ugly movies clean T wood and all stuff we had a different kind of thinking you know but in Africa I never seen all I thought Africa as elephant and camels and you see tigers it’s not
You know just like the other people thought about India you have only camel and bull snake chers yeah so it it wasn’t like that it was totally different it was um uh I was so innocent those days being 18 19 years old bo I didn’t know what to expect didn’t know
How to see it how to express it we were like innocent and somebody calls your house you just go you know by the time you are leave they said God damn they give us their own living room for us to sit down they gave the new blanket for
Us to sleep they did not even give a used one they get us a new blanket for us to sleep and they look after a bike outside you know they ask do you want to wash your bike I mean forget about the loop you know this was this was this was
The experience money cannot buy you know I will cherish that my life yeah and and then you got to Europe yes and started you know riding around touring in Europe Europe was a different experience than Africa uh Europe was the roads are much better uh the people were you know
Depends on we were mostly uh invited by the rotary members of the liance club whereas Africa didn’t had much even if they had we didn’t know where it was here we were received by the locals whereas here re by the organizations you know uh it was a different experience
But it was a good experience uh when we were in Athens uh we were met by a Olympic director you know he had come and gave us a momentum and he found out that we were riding then uh Yugoslavia then it was a Yugoslavia we now there’s no longer Yugoslavia and Yugoslavia we
Had a bad experience that was the we someone stole our passport and the bag and except our bike everything was gone in Yugoslavia so we rode from Athens to peros peros to Tel noi we crossed the Yugoslavian border so we had to wait those time is a communist it’s Army
There’s no police how did you manage when everything stolen yeah what happened was uh we reached Belgrade it was late because we were delayed in the border and we knew the next stop was a Belgrade in between there’s nothing all the apple farms and houses and it was
Like just like oty muggy foggy road we made to uh Belgrade but we couldn’t find find a place to stay so we chose a place to stay was a church so we put our bike we had a chain so we chained the bike both together and we chain backed into
Our leg so that was the practice we did all the time in case somebody takes it so at least wakes up because we ride a we tired you know you might not know it so we woke up in the morning and we looked around our bag was missing in
Despite of chaining everything and that was the bag we had my passport and that bag was below my head and maybe I was in so sleep and my other buddy he was also sleeping both of our bag was gone no passport nothing once we found out we started don’t we are panicked communist
Country and we don’t know what to do no language then we knew where was the consulate so we found the consulate we went and told them then within 15 days from the Indian government we got our passport but what happened all the previous visas were the passport were
All gone so we did not I had few of them zerax copy back in Bangalore so to call Bangalore and get all the copies back here and go to the local consulate up there in Yugoslavia as we moved to Austria wherever there was a cons we got
The Visa we showed them a copy and it was easy right uh but that one month period in Yugoslavia instead of 10 days we end up staying a month because of the passport and the Visas and it it was different experience I wouldn’t say all the my bike Rod was smooth sale there
Are sometime the you know the winds went to the other direction right so this is an experience who to trust who not to trust so it didn’t happen in Africa it happened in Europe and you know so it doesn’t mean that it happened in Europe means Europe is bad correct you know
Everywhere you go there’s one incident so you cannot finger point at everybody it was our bad luck and it was our good luck we got an experience and we got our passport because Consulate General was uh right there and they work hard to get our passport and they gave us
Accommodation to stay consulate you know every employee will say come to my house today stay other will say come to they didn’t have a budget for guest so I we go and stay in somebody’s house that was a different experience yeah so um and then from Europe how uh
What was your next uh Europe I TR pretty much uh everywhere except Spain from Norway Sweden the Ben like Belgium Luxembourg uh stayed in Germany I Ro in stly you know in German I it will be spent about 3 month just in German because German Switzerland and Austria
Is like all together one like one continent in itself only three countries and it was very friendly very you know the bike roads are very nice they had a shoulder where you can ride nothing to worry what cars are coming you know it was it was nice uh from there we reached
The kalai in France from there we took a ship to London from kalai to do from London we started riding to Scotland the the A1 I guess if I’m not wrong the highway from London took me to SC land where maxbo Birmingham Manchester R and uh to Adam Boro we went
To the Landon Southampton Hall London and uh we went to adenor came back to London and flew to New York and then that was also sponsored by someone else uh it was a People’s Express but then it’s a London’s cheapest flight $110 for both of us with the bicycle so we landed
In the US yeah the meanwhile I forgot to tell you when we were in Austria it it was a heavy snow we couldn’t ride so we found a job selling newspaper on the street in Austria so 3 month we stayed there and one day the guy you know we
Are a freezing cold I can put my hand I can’t give I can’t even give them a chain so everybody will give a you know Shilling is so they will say keep the change and they go they thought I was acting because it was freezing cold I
Can’t even take the cash back to give them changes so one day happened to way one gentleman came in a Mercedes and the Mercedes bench was a common car up there it’s like we had a Fiat and Ambassador that’s everyone is this guy comes and I said what are you
Doing here where you from I said I’m from India you are the guy who came in a bicycle I said yes so he said where you leave I gave him the address next day I came to my apartment and I I found out then he was a president of P Bicycle
Company pu wow so he took both of us to his bicycle was in sturg so on his car now the first time I sat in the Mercedes bench so from his car he took it to his company measured all and built two custom bike for us and
It was sponsored by him two new puke bikes for us wow so that was uh aming amazing not approaching anybody we went to colago approach they could give us B ital but in Austria this was a two bike was given by him I met him on the street
And he took us and got us two bike beautiful bike you know it was nice with the pump custom made our name everything was on it yeah and from then you were riding back uh we were riding all the way to New York that’s same byad yeah
Okay so you landed in uh the US and then what was the journey did do to I I was wanted to do KY ride KY ride starts from New York all the way to Washington then go to Virginia what does KT say k it’s called KD uh I I I don’t
Know idea what St but we still call it a Kat right it crisscrosses the America certain of the bike routes right you know it is espcially made for those backpack Riders who goes on the gravel bike even until today they do it we thought about about it but during the
Winter we called off and we didn’t have enough funds and the US was very expensive so we decided to a small round trip in New York itself go to Albany Buffalo Rochester and uh you know New Jersey and come back because in the winter time we were there like June July
And the winter started so we could not even ride bike we stopped it I worked in a small Indian restaurant as in a dishwasher my buddy went work for some other grocery store and it’s a mean job and this is what was allowed so I worked
There then the as was coming we wanted to come to India to see a 81 so we came back to India so not planning that I’m going to go to us or settle down or no idea at all right and my friend he said
I’m not going to come you can go so he settled down there I flew to the India India and I came here I wanted to see Asia went to the government Pap here there they arrang me a ticket then I went to what theya say saw all the
Cycling event in Asia the road the track you know then came back to Bangalore then um I don’t know I didn’t know what to do so I said I’ll go back to visa to get a visa from the American Embassy I went to Delhi that time me a Visa I went
To us not I’m going to go to work I said I have to do something let’s see what’s going the life going to take me to the next level uh some I stuck in the industry of restaurant and that’s the only job I knew watching dishes doing
Things so I learned from there and never look back but that that Journey itself is also you know quite inspiring right I don’t know inspiring but it was it make it looks very easy it wasn’t easy you know working hard hours Hotel industry itself hospitality industry itself is a quite hard feel to
Be and for someone uh who did not have any connections anywhere to you know start from scratch yes uh you know from washing dishes right to to you know however many years it took to the uh position you are in right now yeah it is
Uh quite a journey it is quite a journey I didn’t even expect and um the things I have in my life to I don’t think I I I think I I I got more than I deserve I can put that word uh I was very lucky enough I worked in the restaurant I
Learned pretty much basic things then I happen to go and um join the college where I can learn things of hotel management oh so I did go to CIA it’s a c of America it’s like going to Harvard and that was helped by a gentleman in
New York uh his Dr Shetty and he looked at me he said you speak very good English I mean then I was speaking English so I said you should go to college and I’ll help you so he took me to the college and second thing I was
Enrolled wow and I got a scholarship and how many years that was five years course five years course I did two years course and I couldn’t do the other three because I had to pay my bills I didn’t come from a family where I can I had to
Work day and night had art four art jobs to pay my bills then I had to take care of my family back in India right but they wasn’t expecting anything but behind my mind I have to do something right you know so it was a lot of commit
Ments so I couldn’t do the 5 years course I did the twoe course and the college told me I will pay for it come back you know the dean of the college called me Mr V said Satish come I’ll pay for you then I couldn’t do it I stayed
Back I did the valet parking in New York where the mcon lived mcon Paul Saro and uh Kelvin Klein they lived in the same building so I did the Val parking in that build so I’d see mcon every other day she’ll come for a car and I’ll bring
Her car back I used to to the Val parking Park the floral designing with the shibui company New York and I used to do floral designing at the Donald Trump’s house so it’s like you know Mr H Donald Trump uh Charles Bronson’s house I did a lot of houses because this
Company where I work they had all the highend flowers that do the their clients was highend right so I used to go to those houses you know so not something to brag about I don’t have a pictures with myal those days I had taken a couple of pictures yeah yeah so
From then um what was this um you know when uh what was the transition like from then to like uh starting your restaurant okay uh I was in New York then um I got my green card in 1989 87 I’m sorry I got my green card 87
Then I could come to India and go back then that the five years period I couldn’t come and once I got the green card then I said I have to do something you know and now I’m legal right so I didn’t know what to do uh I started
Working the airlines I went to the airlines picking up the baggage throwing bagage and they also sent me a college there so I become a aircraft engineer aircraft mechanic wow okay so I worked with then that is called Eastern Airlines so they hired me they sent me
School it was like a seven Monon course so basic things you know looking at the radar in rers in the back and the landing gear flaps so I work for almost uh 18 years wow with the airlines while I open my restaurant right I mean that the thing gave me my
Breaden the kind of capital yeah so I worked in Airlines started the Eastern Airline then I it become a Continental Airlines so Continental Airlines head office was in uh in Houston so I was working for Airlines then I met my wife got married and uh she was working for
JP Morgan after her certain AG certain years she has to take it move for a different state for you know transfer and come back so we decided to go to Texas Houston so I followed her and I had gone to Texas many times for the aircraft problems then I lowed it Texas
And I said I got to do something here so I had little money here and there collected and I had a little experience working the restaurant while I working at the airlines I was still doing the part-time jobs cuz I needed a little money to build something so I work 8
Hours Airline then come back work in the restaurant part time here and there I’m already married no no kids that time so I had to said I got to save some money to do something right so I opened my first restaurant uh in Houston it was 1999 wow yeah that was
My first restaurant I started as a UD UPI Udupi and U some of the you know I believe in those horoscopes what of horoscope guy happened to be in that restaurant he said why don’t you change to UD II I said why because your bir thing and you
Know I’m very suting I I believe thing I went to change from Udi to UDI now my restaurant is called Udi be uh I had one restaurant 1999 then by 2003 I had eight restaurants in the span of four years wow wow I mean the the
Kind of U you know you mention that um you you got more than what you deserve but uh you know the hardworking nature behind everything is evid like working you know not just working one job but working jobs to kind of save up and all that and that energy I’m sure went into
The restaurant business when you started and that kind of helped you grow that’s that’s true but my whole mentality was like this uh if I came to this country with $500 okay even if I make 5001 I’m a winner right yeah beautiful yeah true and that was I thought and
Everything when I took it as a challenge I never took it anything as a easy I always thought what happens if I close down what happens I lose money I always had a plan A and B you know that’s so I had eight restaurants I couldn’t manage
All of them eight then I made a mistake I think I my opening Eight restaurant but um you know the the experience I got by opening one next level the third at the beginning of the restaurant I used to ask help to from the people uh how to
Get a permit how to do the you know environmental certification the hotel management certification everything El now once I start one two three then I had so much knowledge that I don’t needed no help from nobody so that saved me almost $3 to $40,000 here the fees
Itself for the consultation fees so that was easy for me to go out to open the next restaurant right it was an experience yeah so during all these years what what were uh I mean were you kind of cycling how how was that cycling okay cycling is a bad ending for me when
I landed in the US the first day when we finished traveling I find a friend of ours and he gave me place to stay and uh he we we rode from Brooklyn Railway Station to his house we parked the bicycle both of us we went upstairs with
The bikes to come back and pick up the bike as the bike was gone wow that was almost 10 minutes not less than less than 10 minutes our both bike was gone W right so we couldn’t find went to the police station gave a report everything
Was there and um and be never found out by so that was a bad experience in New York for US in US yourself and um I thought new is it’s a very bad place you know when you get that kind of experience you everything you look at is
Bad yeah you know look at the people can I trust him who’s the thief here you know you always look your back who’s behind you especially New York City and anything can happen you know that’s why they call the the city never sleeps so it it was a bad experience and I would
Say it was a good experience same like uh when I was telling someone if I would have selected for Asia I don’t think I would have gone to us maybe it is happened for the good reason because I wasn’t selected for H that’s what my mom
Told right she said if you would have elected for Asia that time I don’t think you would have gone to us and today who we are when she came to us right and she saw what I was and she told me that word I still remember right yeah I mean uh in
A way everything happens for a reason for some reason for good reason for a good reason and if not for that freak accident that you had where you broke your rank right right I mean there there would have been a good chance I would have been selected yes so yeah and
Coming back to you know cycling as you were um so you lost your bike yeah then when did you kind of pick up because you still ride a bike all that how when did you pick the cycling okay 2002 my first son was born and uh no I’m sorry the my
My son is now 29 so 1995 some he was 5 years old so I bought a bicycle for for him right then I said I have to buy a bike myself so I can ride with him to just encourage him you know swimming biking riding and all the stuff so when
I see all these Riders every time I drive in Houston I see a lot of riders riding I said I got to get into it so I I had few friends who come to my restaurant vegetarians and they said man I see all your pictures up here why
Don’t you come and ride with us so I said yeah sure I will try then I went and bought one my bike swin bike it the cheapest bike I can find it’s about $800 bike so so I went started writing with them then after that I never turned back
It brought my all Memories Back looking at the Bangalore rights and all the friends now you know what cycling family is totally different you know one cycling family is different you know everybody looks our look after everybody everybody is so friendly something happened they come to you talk to you so
That got that gave me happiness that my business did not give me end of the day so much problem having the business or any any other personal issues I take a bike and ride I forget about everything and I said this is the best thing you
Can do in life is do what you love to do the the bicycle is the one I always love and the bicycle is the one who got me where I am today because that is the one got me to us that is the one took me I
Didn’t ride for almost 20 years I come back to ride and you know I’m still I’m 65 now I’m still riding I got many bikes which uh as I told you before it’s a midlife crisis but I like it my wife is very supportive she wakes up in the morning
Hey you want to write today weather is good no B yeah and my son writes my son s he wres he wres for a big pycho group in Houston yeah so from uh how how was U again taking you back a little bit um how was the riding in Bangalore how was
Uh paint as a picture how the roads were how the like what were your usual Roots riding Roots like and I lived in chamra fifth main road right there in the corner so most of the bike riders will come to CH P or we meet them at it’s called blue a blue club
Club or something or something in nalapa circle so we had few bike riders then I met most of them Ling Raju was a state level Rider the other than bujur Riders we had about about Bunch handful of riders here in chamra P from and from Cox toown and Fraser Town Riders will
Come or we go with ride with them or ride with the roads were very nice those days no traffic it was so it’s like riding was like a breeze you can close your eyes nothing to worry not pth holes nothing with the crack no trucks coming
Front of you no buses Crossing you you just ride you know stop everywhere you want even the tender coconut guy would not take money from us that’s how nice those days and uh it was very nice get up in the morning 4:00 every body will come uh once we got serious about riding
Then we choose which road we have to ride when the race is coming so we have to get ready our normal Road was mostly was bang because we stayed in s Bangalore so Bangalore chamra to bir uh the short run and the some days to Ram nagar that’s it and the weekends is
Always kanakura always kanakura and because that was always most of the races in Bangalore those days was Bangalore kakura race oh yeah so it always we had couple of M Riders then we had some Riders from Sakura they all used to come to Bangalore used to ride
With them you know on the racing day when race comes up like 10 days before they all come you know so we ride together it was it was so fun you know we didn’t have much money we didn’t have much equipment we had those helmets from
The in the Army store go get the helmet you know the the no clip I mean slip on uh Clips those kind of no cycling shoes just a sneakers B sneakers you know those are days um I mean uh money can’t buy those experience the happiness what we had those that even we
Didn’t had much we felt we had everything you know that’s how it was yeah amazing so and now um now you write in Bangalore when you are here yeah and U what what are the primary things that kind of strike you as different and what are the things that still remain kind of
I really don’t want to B is scary now I go I did couple of Rights I tell my Wy so in his car took me down to heal from heal I ride all the way to nand and come back that is the safest one uh one day I
Rode from habal to chamra you have no idea I I thought about all the God name I can think of just to reach I was so scared I was so scared mean the people will come right over you I mean those days are different than today uh I would
Not even recommend someone to write it B with the cleats the traffic yeah traffic is very bad and it’s not mean drivers maybe the circumstances like that the people just don’t look at you just ignoring the right it’s scary Bangalore is very scary it is not I wouldn’t say
It is a friendly bike friendly roads here but I see lot of I never seen so much bike riders in my life time I never thought I will see that many bike riders in Bangalore today uh I’m very proud proud for the bicycle facilities age with you you know riding in the city
Is right we find the easiest way to get out of the city and then you know do yeah that’s the only minus Point other than that Bangalore uh I loved Bangalore then I still love Bangalore but it’s not the same Bangalore you know the Bangalore which I seen I wish it was
Here it is still there the charm is there you know the the the culture the people uh it might a little bit change but what Bangalore I seen is is not there at all you know but uh the charm is there the the the the energy the people the friendliness it’s everything is
There so um what what is the kind of riding that you do nowadays and I do mostly endurance riding I I don’t do race or anything I I do ride with most guys who race you know and they feel pretty on me they slow down a little bit
So I can catch up with them I normally ride in us at least five days a week I try to do five for 100% if not four for sure and if I do Austin Austin catering or I have a cing somewhere I’ll take my
Bike with me okay so after the cing I go ride so solo and and my target is at least 15 m a week yeah last year I rode almost 12,000 M this year I again I had anchor surgery and everything because fell down uh I now I think I about 5600
Miles yeah so I ride because it’s like addiction yeah it’s not that you want to write you go to sleep at night maybe I might not write tomorrow morning then get up in the morning I already have my shoes on my you know hydration bottles
Ready my protein ready my gel is in the backpack under my wife go you going to write today I’m on the way so it’s like addiction you know once you’re a cyclist you’re always a cyclist no matter what that’s the one thing nobody can take
Away from you even if you don’t ride you feel like it’s surprise when I see the guys riding said I was doing the same thing yeah it’s something stays with you yeah so now coming to since we are on tfn what you know what are your views on
This tour how do you like it this is always I wanted to do it but not tfn I didn’t know about tfn until last year I always wanted to come here and right because every time I come to India come very often every time I take a car from
The airport home I see bike riders I said wow look at when I was rid never seen a bike riders and I see all these expensive coloro bikes pin specialized that’s work I’m like wow look at this and very uh professional bike riders very disciplined bike riders I see on
The road so I want to come and ride with them once then wki was very good friend and he’s a cyclist he owns a store and I talked to him one day I said man I want to come he said come on anytime you
Don’t need a bike I have a lot of bike so last year was my first ride here now I come every year I always wanted to ride last year was the first ride then um uh I I happened to come for my cousin’s wedding then I called Wy I said
I book The Ticket am on the way he said hey I have a tfn then I said what tfn he said I’m going to send you the link I look at I I have to do this not knowing what the elevation it’s in the meter and it’s the kilometer I get a little
Confused I said I want to do it then I wasn’t sure I’m going to do it uh I’m glad I signed up the organization seems to be very nice so far uh well organized and not to talk about road that nothing to do with organization that is
Something uh and the writers are very professional very courious and I’m I’m I’m enjoying right uh this was the this was for me like a dream come true that I wanted to ride in India and this is one of a challenge I never did this kind of
Elevation for God knows how many years I had done before then no straa no meter nothing I had gone to nandi God knows how many times I don’t know how many times charmar got and shirar G and all of this stuff never even thought in one
Day what is the elevation now I think think what’s the elevation you know because I I want to set my mind am I able to do it those days I never thought about it just take a bike I go to from Bangalore right all the way to Kara stop
There wait for the buses to come and I’ll compet to the buses you know right from there to U downhill you know that’s what I was telling you I put my leg in between the frame and to hold the brakes that’s how crazy riding it was now I
Think this this organization is doing an excellent job promoting cycling as well as tourism bringing to places like this espe I see a few foreign writers are here from Canada some of them from Finland some of them from England you know this bring Ireland yeah they bringing together that that’s really
Good not only right it also promoting a culture showing the people what it is and encouraging the Riders and I see all the Riders from Gujarat and the Bombay I see Riders from Delhi and Punjab it’s very good and I get an experience that I
Never never wish I could get it in India it is very nice I’m very proud that I’m part part of it and uh wish this organization all the very best for the next many more years to come in maybe better uh you know I mean they’re doing
Excellent the hotels are good the food is good you can’t beat the food in India you come here you know every 10 miles the culture changes the food changes the weather changes man this food you know I give up everything for it amazing so um you know it has been a
Fantastic conversation talking to you you and learning about your journey um I want to uh I want you to share a few tips for uh you know working at let day kind of do well at you know sportting well I’m not a mentor who can advise
Someone but all I can say is do the things what you love to do just don’t do because for the sake of it you are on the road you want to ride a bike respect others smile and ride and have a happy miles and a safe rids that’s all I can say
Awesome thank you sa it’s been a fantastic honor sitting with you and you sharing this thank you thank you I appreciate it give me opportunity where I can share my experience and I hope uh someone can make a use of my experience and appreciate having me here thank you so
Much that was my conversation with Satish I hope you enjoyed that if you are enjoying these podcast and are finding them useful please consider supporting the podcast by subscribing to it on YouTube as well as on your favorite podcasting app it really helps thanks again for your continuous support
See you next week with another guest
2 Comments
Amazing!!! Worth a web series…
FYI: The police officer’s name is Tiger Ashok Kumar.