Sauvik Biswas

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How useful can an app made in 3 days be? Some background # A few weeks ago, I was fooling around with Flask framework. I loved it. As a consequence, I had this strange itch of creating something useful using the framework. My goal was not to write a production ready, industrial level software, but something that would give me some experience in dabbling with a modern toolkit for writing webapps. I had also mentioned in an earlier blog that the last time I had tried building any form of webapp was nine years ago, for Dark Project’s website and in PHP. (Can’t believe how archaic that language even sounds!) New brakes on my Hybrid Inventory: Deore T610 Trekking V-brakes # Two weeks ago, I had received a pair of Deore T610 brakes. They were sitting idle in my toolbox just because I did not have grease. I got a tube of Park Tool polylube for some decent price at bikeme.co.in and while I was at it, I also placed an order for a set of Allen keys. I find a multitool cumbersome. They are great as a part of mobile toolkit, owing to their compact nature, but it’s much easier to use full size ones. A day off and a ride to TVS plant 26th January was a holiday. It was also a Thursday. I decided to take the Friday off and wander around. (I did some more random stuff that weekend, but that’s for another blog post.) I had never cycled beyond Silk Board, towards the Tamil Nadu border. So, I decided to cycle to Hosur and pay Mogit a visit at the TVS factory. I wanted to start early but low visibility, early in the morning, delayed my plans. Eventually, I started at around 8:00 am. Mogit had advised me not to take the Electronic City expressway. Instead, I used the regular, traffic-signal regulated road that runs beneath it. The traffic wasn’t as bad as I had thought it to be. The route was relatively traffic free. One of the reasons that I can think of would be people taking a day off just to get an extended weekend - just like what I had done. Experimenting with Flask micro-framework A few months ago, I had asked Mogit if we can up with a simple collaboration system similar to Basecamp. The objective was not only to come-up with a set of tools that we could use ourselves but also learn the newer tricks-of-the-trade. Let’s face it, the last time I had programmed any real website was in 2007; and compared to any piece of code in a modern scripting language, my old codes in PHP look really ugly. Replacing brake shoes unearthed a can of worms Replacing some worn-out brake shoes # The brake shoes on my hybrid bicycle had worn off. It was way past its wear limits. These Tektro pads had an embossed line on the rubber. When the wear reached this line, I should have changed the pads. Sadly, it was way past that point. I kept tightening the brake cables to bring the pads closer. At least, this ensured that there was a somewhat working brake system. Thoughts on decluttering It took me some time to assimilate my thoughts after last year’s physically and mentally taxing adventure. I think I have hit that point where I can ponder over the question, ‘What do I want to do with my life?’ without having an existential crisis (or what people often refer to as mid-life crisis). Over the years I have developed varied interests. Each time, I had picked these hobbies quite seriously and put a lot of effort individually to elevate them from the status of some silly ‘hobby’. Painting, music, programming, comic books, travelling, cycling and writing. I think it’s a problem with me that I am not easily satisfied with banal stuff. However, no matter how I look at these, I can’t call them as anything other than a hobby. If an activity doesn’t pay, it is foolish to call it anything other than a hobby. Day 9: Epilogue: Back to Bangalore Today, I woke up with a sore throat. I am happy that it happened after TfN was over. Most of us are leaving for Bangalore at 10 am. I will collect my bike at Taj, Yeshwantpur and go home. Here are my thoughts on the whole experience. A note about the organisers and volunteers # I am yet to see a tour better organised than this. If the notion of a guided tour springs to your mind, please throw that notion away. The organisers and volunteers worked day and night to make sure that our rides are safe (there was an ICU on wheels and doctors on patrol), signs on the road were painted to help us out at the crossings (so that we do the Tour of Nilgiris and not a detour of Nilgiris), extra hydration and electrolytes were stocked with with official motorbikes and four-wheelers, food, water, drinks and physiotherapy support were available at each support station, and we had prepared food and shelter (with our luggage all ready) once we had exhausted ourselves to reach the day’s destination. Also, there were the camera guys and girls who went around shooting innumerable photographs and videos. Day 8: Valparai to Pollachi (and then to Coimbatore) One final luggage drop, one final briefing, one final climb # We were asked to get ready for breakfast and drop our luggage by 7:00 am. Satish gave the day’s briefing and sang a song. Siddharth packing his bags for one last time. This had become our daily routine. Satish briefed us about the day, the cut-off times at each support station and stuff we had to do after we reached Pollachi. Day 7: Palakkad to Valparai A constant uphill # Palakkad heat was uncomfortable even at 7 O’Clock in the morning. The temperature wasn’t that high but the humidity made me slightly uneasy. We had a challenging course ahead. After dropping off my luggage and having a sub-par breakfast, I patiently waited for the trip to start. I did not want to bear the brunt of the heat. Riders getting ready for a long day. Day 5: Ooty to Thiashola and back Before the round trip # I woke up quite early and felt rejuvenated after the much needed rest day. The weather was also very good and the sky was clear. The beautiful sunrise in Ooty Yesterday, Amit Goyal, a fellow rider had lent me his spare bottle. It was one of the most useful things somebody had lent me in the entire ride. I need at least one and half litres of fluids in forty kilometres, roughly the distance between two support stations.