/ Cycle / By

How long does it take to do an all-India cycle tour?

An all-India cycle tour could take as long as only 6 months to as many as 3 years and 5 months. The amount of time that it takes to tour the nation on the bike depends on what the interest of the rider is in travelling across India.
 
The least amount of distance that is to be covered to cycle across all 29 states is around 20,000 Kms. That is if you wish to cross each state in the shortest distance possible.
 
The largest distance that can be covered while cycle touring India could stretch up to as much as 40,000 to 45,000 Kms. That is if you wish to cover each state travelling to major centres within the state.
 
The first thing you need to ask yourself before setting out on an all-India cycle tour is why you want to travel across India. If the answer is to test your endurance and enjoy the process of cycling, you could do it in as much as only 6 – 8 months. If your answer is, however, to understand the culture and rich heritage this nation offers, the time taken to cover India can vary anywhere between 2 years to 4 years.
 
Depending on your speed of travel and the major locations charted out on the map that you want to cover, the time can vary between 2 to 4 years.
 
I for myself have charted out a route map to cover the major locations in the country with the intent of riding close to 50 Kms a day. If that is the case I must be able to complete the ride in 2.5 years.
How long does it take to do an all-India cycle tour?
My all-India cycle touring plan

How to decide how long you want to ride across India?

The first and foremost decisive point about how much distance you want to traverse is to question how much time you can afford to explore the country. Most people take the opposite way around.
 
Figure out how much time you can afford for this adventure before pinning down the points on the map.
 
The best way to do this is to divide all the states in the country into two types. The big and the medium. There are 29 states in India of which 15 states are large enough to consume more time than the rest. As you rightly guessed, 14 states are slightly smaller and would consume a little lesser time comparatively.
 
Now that we have figured out the size of the states, assign a value for yourself as to how much time you want to spend in each state for whatever reason you are travelling.
 
In my case, I have kept a minimum of 40 days and a maximum of 45 days for the large states. Also a minimum of 25 days and a maximum of 30 days for medium
-sized states.
 
Based on how much time you will assign for these states individually, the following is the amount of time you will take to complete your all-India cycle tour:
 

Crooked path to cover as much distance as possible:

 
Larger states
Medium states
Distance per day
Total time of the tour
50
35
25 – 30 Kms
3 years and 5 months
45
30
30 – 35 Kms
3 years
40
25
35 – 40 Kms
2 years and 8 months
35
20
40 – 50 Kms
2 years and 4 months
30
15
50 – 60 Kms
1 year and 10 months
25
10
60 – 70 Kms
1 year and 6 months
20
7
70 – 80 Kms
1 year and 2 months
15
5
80 – 100 Kms
10 months

Straight path to cover as soon as possible:

 
Larger states
Medium states
Distance per day
Total time of the tour
50
35
10 – 15 Kms
3 years and 5 months
45
30
15 – 20 Kms
3 years
40
25
20 – 25 Kms
2 years and 8 months
35
20
25 – 30 Kms
2 years and 4 months
30
15
30 – 35 Kms
1 year and 10 months
25
10
35 – 40 Kms
1 year and 6 months
20
7
40 – 45 Kms
1 year and 2 months
15
5
45- 50 Kms
10 months
10
4
60 – 80 Kms
8 months
8
3
80 – 100 Kms
6 months

Additional factors to account for how long it takes to do an all-India cycle tour:

 
Now that you have a fair idea of how long it takes to do an all-India cycle tour, let us discuss factors that may prolong the period.
 

Rest and stay at places you enjoy:

Hoping for a continuous ride on a tour of the magnitude of an entire nation is close to impossible. Several times during the journey you may come across some generous souls who would offer you a stay to clean yourself up and entertain you on the journey.
 
This will offer you some much-needed rest and a vivid experience of touring.
 
Make sure to take breaks often to avoid burnout in the long run so that you complete the journey in the best shape possible.
 
The best way to do this is to find hosts from Couchsurfing who willingly offer you stay and company. Entertain them with your experience and learn from their s. Make sure to spend quality time with the host to obtain good recommendations for your future surfing experiences.
 

Unexpected breakdowns:

A flat tyre is only one of the breakdowns you will face frequently in your journey. You may face other breakdowns such as broken spokes, jumping gears, broken brake cables, and worn-out brake pads. It is important to maintain a healthy drivetrain to avoid these unanticipated breakdowns. Read my article on how to be prepared for cycle breakdowns on an all-India cycle tour.
 
Make sure to carry all your equipment and feel safe than sorry. Take this also as an opportunity to get ample rest and move on with the thought that you got a well-deserved rest.
 

Hills, hills, and hills!

Much of the Himalayan belt and the northeast of India hold a terrain that could be brutal. A whole day of cycling might make you feel as though you haven’t covered any distance at all.
 
It is important to remain patient and wait for the downhills. Make sure you plan well to conquer these hills and find a stay before it gets too late in the night to find one!
 

Roads, road breaks, and detours:

It would be too much to expect travelling on butter-smooth roads when it comes to cycling in India. Even when roads are flat, there could be ‘n’ number of reasons why you can not accelerate much. Even the tailwinds will not save you if the roads you plan to cycle on get blocked.
 
Plan early and speak with the localities about the route you plan on travelling. Even under the worst come situations, be ready to dismantle your bike and hitch a ride.
 

How much time will I be delayed during the journey?

This entirely depends on your luck per se. Hold your fingers crossed and expect that you do not face many delays. At the end of the day, everything may not go as smoothly. Try to have a 30 days minimum buffer period from your chalked-out plans.
 
The best way to do it is to add a few days extra to each state as a buffer zone. This should take care of all the unanticipated events that come your way.

Conclusion – How long does it take to do an all-India cycle tour:

 
Based on what reason you are covering India on cycle, it could take as little as only 6 months to as much as over 3 years and 5 months to cover India on cycle.
 
In my case, I have planned in such a way that I cover the entire country in 2 years and 8 months.
 
As I am okay with a small extension, I wouldn’t mind completing it in 3 years. That will give me all the rest I deserve and the buffer zone that won’t make breakdowns get to my nerves.
 
Given below is the entire India cycle touring plan I have chalked out:

List of states and the expected time to be covered:

State
Number of days
Entry date -1
Entry date -2
1. Karnataka
40…45
March 22nd – 23
March 22nd – 23
2. Goa
10…15
May 1st – 23
May 6th – 23
3. Maharashtra
40…45
May 11th – 23
May 21st – 23
4. Madhyapradesh
40…45
June 20th – 23
July 5th – 23
5. Gujarat
25…30
July 30th – 23
August 19th – 23
6. Rajasthan
40…45
August 24th – 23
September 18th – 23
7. Haryana and Delhi
25…30
October 3rd – 23
November 2nd – 23
8. Punjab
25…30
October 28th – 23
December 3rd – 23
9. Jammu and Kashmir
25…30
November 22nd – 23
January 2nd – 24
10. Ladakh
40…45
December 18th – 23
February 1st – 24
11. Himachal Pradesh
25…30
January 27th – 24
March 17th – 24
12. Uttarakhand
25…30
February 21st – 24
April 16th – 24
13. Uttarpradesh
40…45
March 17th – 24
May 16th – 24
14. Bihar
25…30
April 26th – 24
June 30th – 24
15. Sikkim
25…30
May 21st – 24
July 30th – 24
16. Assam
40…45
June 15th – 24
August 29th – 24
17. Arunachal Pradesh
40…45
July 25th – 24
October 13th – 24
18. Nagaland
25…30
August 19th – 24
November 27th – 24
19. Mizoram
25…30
September 13th – 24
December 27th – 24
20. Manipur
25…30
October 8th – 24
January 26th – 25
21. Tripura
25…30
November 2nd – 24
February 25th – 25
22. Meghalaya
25…30
November 27th – 24
March 27th – 25
23. West Bengal
40…45
January 6th – 25
April 26th – 25
24. Jharkhand
25…30
February 15th – 25
June 10th – 25
25. Oddiaha
40…45
March 12th – 25
July 10th – 25
26. Chattisgarh
40…45
April 21st – 25
August 24th – 25
27. Telangana
40…45
May 31st – 25
October 8th – 25
28. Andra Pradesh
40…45
July 10th – 25
November 22nd – 25
29. Tamil Nadu
40…45
August 19th – 25
January 6th – 26
30. Kerala
40…30
September 28th – 25
February 20th – 26
Break
20…30
November 7th – 25
March 22nd – 26
Total
965…1115…1270
November 27th – 25
April 25th – 26
I have marked the dates of when I am expected to reach the next state on my Google calendar. That way I will have a reminder of how much I am lagging or ahead in my journey. The plus or minus scale for the entire journey is based on the number of days I might take to cover a large or a medium state. 40 – 45 days for a large state and around 25 – 30 days for a medium one. 
 
If you found my article useful, kindly comment below and let me know why you intend to travel India on your bicycle. If you are interested in knowing how much it costs for an all-India cycle tour, you can read it here.