Four wheels move the body , Two wheels move the soul.. Said a person you and I don’t know , but I like to believe him.Cliched as it sounds you can’t get enough of the wind , the sound of an engine, the road curving ahead and a feeling of awesome that comes with getting out on a ride.

This edition of BYOB had a circuit with different strokes for different folks. The ride started off pleasantly with breakfast at Dravida’s, and by 8 ‘am we were on our way to the town of Lonavala, but before that, what lay ahead of us was an open highway to explore the top-end of the motorcycles we were riding. This time around we were 13 riders and a family-like bond was beginning to form with riders from the previous BYOB’s and new riders getting together on the ride.

As we cruised the highway and twisted the throttle even more , you could hear the rumble of 12 bullets opening up and riding into the horizon. By late morning we were well on our way to Lonavala and after doing some good speeds on NH4 or the iconic ‘Old Pune highway’, we stopped for some chai, and to wait for a rider that got left behind. Over chai we discussed a number of things from the Formula One Grand Prix , sunscreen, riding in the Nilgiris , to the splendor of Ladakh , and as the conversation and refreshments flowed , our rider that was left behind soon arrived.

On reaching Lonavala we found it crowded and teeming with traffic , so after only a stop for a few minutes at the ATM we continued riding further into the hills behind. The road did not disappoint as it curved in and out, and up and down closer towards the lake near ‘Bushi’ Dam. Though the landscape was a bit dry due to the winter , the riding was no doubt good and the weather felt great.

We stopped for a break by an escarpment that overlooked the valley below and the sight was truly spectacular.As usual the tea-stall owners would not leave you alone till you bought something and we settled in for another round of hot chai and brought out the juices and water from the Ice-box in the back -up vehicle. A fun photo shoot soon followed

Soon we decided to leave and started riding further into the forest, for a slice of more interesting roads and also a stop for our BBQ lunch. This time round we included a tasty Biryani with raita and BBQ Chicken wings to go with it. With mouths watering at the prospect of lunch , we set off towards the back roads that connect Lonavala to Mulshi. The spectacular dirt road was definitely fun riding and though tricky in spots , it ran through some seldom used pathways , directly under the forest cover and every now and then cresting a hill top to reveal the blue waters of the Mula river on our side. The shore of the river was to be our spot for lunch and each reveal brought us closer to the thought of a well deserved lunch.

After the challenging off-roading and passing through quaint villages, we finally turned off the main -road and made our way over grass fields to arrive by the banks of the Mula. We pitched camp under two large trees and set about preparing our make -shift barbecue set-up; which would soon be cooking up our chicken wings prepared in a hot and sweet sauce.

As the sun rose higher , we chillled under the cool shade of the large tree and looked out on the resevoir glistening in the sun, as the mountains towered above them majestically. The aroma of freshly BBQ’d chicken soon started to fill our campsite and as everyone dug in for lunch the local pooches also decided to crash the party looking for scraps. After a good meal and some rest we headed towards the waters edge for some photographs and a bit of dirt riding in the open fields.

By evening everyone was well rested and raring to go again. This time the road curved up and down over the small hills just on the outskirts of Pune and though bumpy in parts, they did not disappoint with its views and surprises on the way. As the evening wound on we stopped by the spectacular setting of the Mulshi dam on our right and the slow clam flowing waters of the Mula river on our left.

The day then was a pleasent and realxing one , filled with off- roading, highway riding , a tourist town , a camp style lunch and exquisite scenery all through the way , as a one day getaway then you could not ask for more ….