One day cycling tour to TK falls,Thottikallu from Bangalore

TK Falls or Thottikallu Falls is one of the most accessible and beautiful cycling locations around Bangalore.

How to reach?

Just search on Google maps for the Thottikallu falls or TK falls and follow the motorable road. Please note that you might not be able to cycle on the NICE ring road because they do not allow cyclists so you might have to follow some other road.

Safety & Tips

  • There have been some cases of snatching around the Falls. So, try to go in a group with at least 3-4 people and also during the enough day light remaining.
  • Use nice Cycling pants with pads to avoid sore asses.
  • Carry at least a puncture kit or two for the group
  • Carry energy bar and water or electrolyte water for re-energizing yourself

TK Falls Parking and Gradient

Last few KMs of the track is through rugged road and through nature. Also the track is little steep. So, be prepared for that.

Our Journey to TK falls

5:30 AM: D-Day, Electronics city

9 two-wheeler beautiful beasts, tested and checked firmly, were ready to leave their tyres’ screeches over NICE ring road early morning. And you guesses it right, those beautiful beasts were MTBs (Mountain Bikes). Well! Longing for kick starting the paddle was over and we were out in the dark alike marine recons troop out in to the wild, for our own planned mission of conquering TK falls. While on the highway-

– The silvery moon was still high
– Roads, pitch black
– Sullen sky, covered with dark grizzly lumps of clouds
– We, paddling through the muzzy weather
– Chain cranking in symphony with whistling thick air across our ears
– Sky, gradually turning into bitten metallic hot copper
– While sun was yet to mark its presence with orange smile across dark blue sky

Early morning at NICE ring roadWe hit the road before sun could hit the sky

En route, when a truck driver sparklingly glances at you and waves to show his felicity towards your dare-devil act, some butterflies cut and run inside your belly:

– The moment of pride then boils up and never let the dregs of happiness settle down getting lost in the gloomy pegs of mundane life
– Eyes glazes more than ever
– Adrenaline rushes faster than anytime ever
– Paddles kicks in and a smile spreads across your dry lips.

“Next stop! near Johns institute, look at left hand side, you would notice a big board”

At nice ring road, bangaloreWhile we had turned into flying saucer, the smooth and buttery highway seemed similar to a damsel’s curvy humps – A perfect beauty (This comparison got inspired from social networking)

Like a perfect humps of a 36-24-36 lady, anyone will enjoy the ride.

Nice ring roadCurvy Humps of Nice ring road

6:30 AM: Bannerghatta Road

Soon, the trance of spellbound moments of curvy heaps of beautiful damsel was broken over by a road cutting away from the highway.

Oh! I would miss you freeway girl.

12 Kms covered, a few more hours yet to go. We were then, cruising on Bannerghatta road.
This lady was Mexican: rugged and tough.
– High humps. you need to pump in more flexes to reach the apex.

Bangalore was well left behind and Bannerghatta reserved areas was in front of our eyes- like a virgin bride, wrapped in her green shawl, just waking up from her last night sleep with lazy and dozy eyes.

400 feet of free ride:

According to Google terrain map, our journey was heading from 3020 feet (Bangalore) towards 2620 feet (TK falls). Scientifically we had a free ride of 400 feet.

TK falls road cyclingThe rolling free fall on Bannerghatta road:

Free yourself from all the miseries of this physical world
Take a plunge into nature where life never comes out of the vicious circle of birth and death but the body gets mixed with five elements eventually (If I am not preaching too much of abstinence)

Let the cool air brush through your hair
Let the tiny drops of water wash the dirt off your eyes
Let the lips didder in air
Let the heart thump at the curves
And let yourself get a heavy atonement breath at the end of each curve

Sigh! finally I am safe.the world was running behind so fast.

– Did you realize you were almost parallel to a Bajaj Pulser when wheels were on the roll?
– Was not it scary when you saw a truck heading towards you with double the speed of yours while you were on free roll?
– I thought of taking a break but the mellifluous screeching of Vinit’s cycle (Vinit! your cycle rocked dude) and skidding of my own cycle (Death roll and ride) momentarily took my breath away and I hit Jatin (You are rock solid so you did not move).
Somehow, things were back on track. (Thanks to my subconscious mind)

Byataryana DoddiWhile ascending:

Ahead lied a big curve!
RPM increased

Muscles stiffed
Gears adjusted (I still have no clue, who rode on what gear)
Heaps hanged up in air monetarily and life was moving in slow motion

“See, put 1 on 1 and you paddle pretty easy”, Yogesh! you were damn easy at ascends. Kudos!!

Byataryana Doddi

Because of bumps;
Because the MTB seats are structured over iron base and only rocks can sustain the iron feasts
Because Darwin’s theory of survival will fail without balls of rocks (If you know what I mean)
And, most importantly, because you need them.
When boulders are hitting us indirectly down below the spine with utter strength, standing over paddles is not a permanent solution.

TK falls roadBoulders on the way

“Amar! we left the path leading to falls behind. I think we overran than path”- calls Yogesh
“Nope, we are here for breakfast, keep on following the same road,you are almost there” (Credit goes to Jatin, the Breakfast-buff)

Vadas of suburban Karnataka are rare in main Bangalore.
– Big; fluffy; three are more than enough to overfill an empty belly and, adding a cold drink was a cherry topping over the cake.

9:00AM: Time to move on and hit the target

Soon, we were cycling on TK falls road.
A stretch of 3-4 Kms of bouldery, lonely and scenic single road through reserved area.
The hillock was popping out of the trees like a Giraffe looking out for predators in African forest.

The penultimate hurdle: A rivulet

Crossing water poolThough we reached but we were on wrong path so we were supposed to cross a rivulet before we could reach the fall.

What to do?
Lift the bicycle and cross it across.

Can hear the gushing waters?
Dirty gushing monsoon water sliding down the rocks making heavy roar echoing and withering like a dying Spartans. But still had got the hawk’s claw to hold your attention.

Although rushing waters were making gushing sound nonetheless the sound of the dhaar that Vikarant made, almost outst it.

walk away from TK fallsTK Fall in the background

Vineet and Anand decided to climb up the hill and explore more.
–Kudos to two bravehearts!!

The view from the top was nice. Rural Karnataka was hidden behind coconut trees on one side and on other side were the hills.

11:30 AM: One hour of fun and Time fur Auf Wiedersehen

Every sweat we dropped marked our territory
Every shout-out-loud of a kid, we did, remained there
What we brought back from there: sweet pains and sweet memories that would never fade away.

Returning back to our college was filled with fun.
We were sharing laughter; sharing time together. It was nice to see amateurs in true sportsmanship.

Energy picked up, when we were certain that we were just 10 km away from our destination.
Everyone got winged up (Especially Abhishek after having special sugarcane juice), almost flied through the high traffic of Bangalore. Rough rides on the pavements and crisscrossing through dirty traffic. You reminded me of spider man.

In a nutshell:

Our journey was about 8 soar asses
Almost 8 hours of Cycling
9 bravehearts
20 times of chain slipping down
20 bottles of cold drinks
60+ Kms of odd distances
And, thousands of paddles.

Monsoon water of the TK falls If you think this writing was helpful to you, leave behind your suggestions/comments 🙂


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3 Replies to “One day cycling tour to TK falls,Thottikallu from Bangalore”

  1. Anargha

    I went for cycling to this place. its a nice place. Though more of people in bikes come over here and u will find broken glass bottles over there place. thats bcoz its a hot spot for drunkards.
    The ride was enjoyable. lots of ups and downs.

  2. Ananda

    I was a part of this adventure and I must say I had awesome experience. More over the way you have described this adventure is just mind blowing. Keep writing, it makes me feel I am still alive.

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