Solo Ride to Shettihalli Church, Hassan

Riding to Shettihalli Church was supposed to be my first ride with Bajaj Avenger Club - Bengaluru. At the last moment, the organizers changed the destination anticipating heavy rain. Before that I had googled about it and was very eager to visit the place. Though a few of my relatives live in Hassan, I never happened to visit there after that.

Thankfully my cousin's wedding was scheduled in Hassan and I was compelled to go. After getting my motorcycle, I don't prefer bus/train for a sub 200 KM destination. I left my office at 6.45 PM on Tuesday. Somehow rode with great difficulty till highway. Monsoon and peak hour traffic made it worse. By the time I crossed Yeshwanthpur it was already 8:00 PM. 2 things were running in my mind: My parents were already waiting for me at the marriage hall where the wedding would take place the next day and I did not have enough fuel. I was already on Bangalore-Mangalore highway and did not know in which fuel station I can get real value for money fuel. (A lot of highway fuel stations cheat). I quickly stopped for water and asked my obvious doubt to the shopkeeper. He directed me to the fuel station after Solur near gas factory. The fuel filled there fetched me a mileage of 45 kmpl. (Got to know later)

It was already 8.15 PM. Rode as fast as I could. The newly bought LS2 helmet kept me warm and safe. The visor gave me clear visibility. I reached Hassan by around 10:45 PM. Slept there peacefully, Attended the wedding the next morning and did my part of the rituals. The moment the lunch was over, I asked for directions and started riding towards Shettihalli. At the point where there is a deviation towards Gorur, I started feeling sleepy. I stopped for tea there. Since I was fully armored, people looked at me like I belong to some different planet. The moment I spoke Kannada, their fear decreased. After knowing that I am heading towards Shettihalli, the tea stall guy suggested me an alternate route; a narrower country road closer to civilization. I opted to ride on that road instead of the highway.

First, the tractor drivers and the mini bus drivers looked at me and wondered. I opened the lower half of the helmet and passed them a smile. They too smiled back and gave me way. I saw green and only green till the horizon in whichever direction I looked.

The pleasant breeze hitting my face made me happy as I rode. I did not even feel like opening the throttle too much. Rode at a speed of 40 kmph. I started feeling peace. It started seeming like that was the moment which I needed to calm myself down. It almost worked like a therapy.

Then I rode through another vibrant village of which I don't remember the name. Students were returning home from schools and colleges. Women were returning after fetching water from public taps and men were returning from fields. Amidst this, I spotted a very beautiful girl walking with a friend. I quickly left the accelerator and downshifted the gears. That moment, I wanted it to stay, stay forever. She was not dressed great but she was dressed neat. Her conversation with her friend seemed a light one. Both laughed, totally unaware that I am secretly admiring her. I could relate with that cloud of Meghadoota who thundered while passing over Ujjain just to get the glimpse of girls drying their hair on rooftops. I honked twice which diverted their attention towards me. Now I had to strike a conversation. I asked her if she can take my photograph while riding. She gave her friend a shy look, looked down and said yes. I gave her my phone and showed her how to take picture. I pushed my motorcycle backwards. After seeing my struggle, she said that she'll only walk a little ahead. I asked her if she is ready and showed thumbs up. Her thumb was up too. I slowly rode towards her while she clicked three pictures of mine. I liked this one the most

I said "Thank you" took back my phone and rode ahead while I saw both of them in my rear view mirror laughing loudly.

After about five minutes of riding I saw submerged Shettihalli Church from road. A car already parked there helped me to take the correct deviation. After reaching there, I spoke to the fisherman and convinced him to take me around the church for Rs. 100. Though I could easily google the information about the church and the dam, I preferred asking him. He was not much aware of the history of the church. He believed that the church was built by the British.

Due to the construction of Gorur Dam, the village got flooded. The entire village was relocated by government. As per the fisherman, the government provided only lands to people who lost their homes and they themselves built the house. A lot of tourists visit the place, consume alcohol and make the place dirty which the fisherman disliked. While he took me around the ruins of the church, I kept on wondering who built this church, how it looked when it was built and many other questions kept on passing my mind while I clicked photos on my phone [...Continued after the pictures]

The fisherman brought me back to the bank. I appreciated his rowing effort and paid him money. He seemed more happy because of the appreciation. I asked him and his another fisherman friend to pose for a group selfie too! (Now don't ask me what's a group selfie)

Fishermen Narayana and Krishna with me

I rode back to my aunt's place in Hassan, happy and contented. The next day I started to Bangalore during day time. 

Weather was pleasant again and hence I rode peacefully and took good four hours to reach home, Unloaded my bag and put clothes for washing and started packing for the nex day's ride to Gandikota with Bajaj Avenger Club - Bengaluru

Links:
http://www.travelwithneelima.com/2011/02/rosary-church-shettyhalli-as-it.html
http://www.tripadvisor.in/Attraction_Review-g503696-d4139063-Reviews-Shettihalli_Church-Hassan_Karnataka.html
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travelogues/123211-2-bhpians-their-photo-trip-150-year-old-rosary-church-shettihalli.html

PGS motorcycle armor review (PDM armor review)

http://bikegear.in/guards/body-armour-online
This is where I bought it from.

I had read a few bad reviews about bikegear.in on mouthshut.com. Thankfully, the product was delivered to me on time. The armor was in good condition and hence no complaints about the shopping experience.

This is how it looks like

I ride a Bajaj Avenger 220. Going by the style of motorcycle, leather should have been my 1st choice but I had a tight budget. Mesh jackets were okay but were too mainstream. Armor seemed interesting enough. I had earlier tried fox armor however, I was not satisfied with its build quality

PGS body armor comes with all the protection integrated. It is quite sturdy, looks like it can take impacts and protect you well. None of the parts can be detached. The cloth material does good breathing. The armor has shoulder, elbow, chest, stomach and spine protection. The belt is adjustable and comes with velcro. I would have liked a buckle instead to ensure tightness throughout the journey.

These armors are meant for motocross and stunts but can be used for touring as well. The armor makes you confident enough to open full throttle. It shields 70% of the upper body. The armor is as comfortable as a full face helmet ( By this I mean that a full face helmet is not very comfortable when worn for the first time but when you get used to it, you cannot ride without it. The armor will also share the same chemistry with you)

The armor is best worn inside t-shirt/jacket. Wearing it outside will make you look like power ranger or a wannabe robo. But if you are hairy, wear a vest and then this armor and then the t-shirt. This is what you will end up looking like

clicked by Sagar Acharya

The armor will make you give an impression that you are a man on special mission and a guerrilla warfare expert. :D

The 2 strips connecting the chest protection and spine protection will obstruct your head movement if you wear a full face helmet. I removed it for my convenience. If you want to keep those strips, using a modular helmet will be convenient. Also, the spine protection tends to get stuck in low waist pants. Wearing normal or high waist pants or proper motorcycle pants will make it much easier to carry. When seated, the chest protection bends a little to form V shape. When seen from side, you will look like you have grown a pair of boobs. But i guess this V shape bending helps you cut through the wind better. I do not know if it was meant to be that way.

The armor does not protect you from rain or winter So you will have to carry additional jackets for the same.

I have worn this armor during 3 rides and I have faced no issues apart from the need to adjust it every time I get up (like a tight t-shirt).

All in all, I would say, for Rs 3700 it is a good investment to ensure safety when riding a motorcycle.