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🚴 Asia · India

Tour of the Nilgiris (TFN)

RIDE a seven-day supported cycling tour through the Western Ghats and the Nilgiri hills on your own bicycle.

Team entry
6–12 Dec 2026Next date
None listedNext deadline / key date
DecemberUsual timing
Mysuru to Ooty, India (Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu)Where
01 ¡ How to take part

Your way in

Register as a rider with the organiser and bring your own bicycle (any human-powered cycle; some road and gravel bikes can be rented); the tour is supported with luggage transfer, meals, accommodation, medical staff and a sweep vehicle.

Team entry

Ride the supported tour

Seven days of riding from Karnataka through Wayanad in Kerala into the Nilgiri hills, finishing in Ooty. You bring your own bicycle; the organiser provides support stations, medical staff, mechanics, luggage transfer, meals and accommodation. Daily stages on the route page run from 67 km to 111 km, with about 1,600 to 2,800 m of climbing.

You build or use
RIDE a seven-day supported cycling tour through the Western Ghats and the Nilgiri hills on your own bicycle
Participation
Team entry (rider)
Entry and deadlines
Riders must be fit enough for long hilly days and able to fix a flat tyre; the sweep vehicle collects riders who miss a support-station cut-off; no riding after dark
Where
Mysuru (Karnataka) to Ooty (Tamil Nadu), via Wayanad (Kerala), India
02 ¡ Dates

Dates and deadlines, Jan 2026 to Dec 2027

Usual timing: December. Dates are only shown where a source publishes them; everything else is marked TBC.

  • 6–12 Dec 2026Tour of the Nilgiris 2026 (TFN, 17th edition): riding daysOrganiser: flag-off 6 Dec, last day 12 Dec 2026 in Ooty; pre-tour briefing 5 Dec; hotel check-out 13 Dec. ¡ sourceTeam entry

See it on the calendar →

03 ¡ Skills you'll need

Skills you'll need

What to learn and practise before you go. Each resource is marked Official or Community-accepted and names its publisher. Difficulty and prep time are our estimate.

Core skill

Multi-day hill cycling: pacing long days with sustained climbs

Also useful:

  • Basic bicycle repair: fixing a flat tyre, a chain slip and brake issues
  • Riding in a supported group: support stations, cut-off times and the sweep vehicle
Difficulty our estimateSkilled
Prep time our estimateseveral weeks of regular long rides plus a few evenings of reading

Difficulty and prep time are Curiosta editorial estimates for a first-timer, not organiser figures.

Refresher

  1. TFN is a supported tour, not a race: the organiser provides support stations, patrol motorcycles, a sweep vehicle, an ambulance with medical staff and a physio, mechanics, luggage transfer, meals and accommodation.
  2. Bring your own human-powered cycle; the organiser does not provide bikes for riding, but some road and gravel bikes are available for rental or as spares.
  3. Riders are expected to know basic repair, including fixing their own flat tyre.
  4. Each support station has a cut-off time; riders who miss it, or who are still riding at sundown, are taken in the sweep vehicle. Riding after sundown is not allowed.
  5. One bag per rider, at most 65 litres. Daily stages on the route page run from 67 km to 111 km with about 1,600 to 2,800 m of climbing.
  6. TFN 2026: pre-tour briefing 5 Dec, flag-off 6 Dec, last ride 12 Dec in Ooty.

Practise before you go

  • Build up to back-to-back long rides with climbing in the weeks before.
  • Practise fixing a flat and adjusting your brakes and gears yourself.
  • Read the FAQ and the route page so the daily routine, cut-offs and baggage rule are familiar.

Safety notes

  • Do not ride after sundown: the sweep vehicle will pick you up.
  • Follow the sweep and support team's instructions; they can stop you for fitness or medical reasons.
  • Know how to fix a flat tyre before you go.

Resources

Officialofficial tour site

Tour of the Nilgiris

The latest tour dates and registration entry point.

Publisher: Tour of the Nilgiris, Breakaway Sports Unlimited Pvt Ltd (organiser)

Officialofficial FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Support on the road, baggage, repairs and spares, bike rental, sweeping and riding after dark.

Publisher: Tour of the Nilgiris, Breakaway Sports Unlimited Pvt Ltd (organiser)

Officialofficial route page

Routes and stays

Day-by-day route through Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, distances and climbing.

Publisher: Tour of the Nilgiris, Breakaway Sports Unlimited Pvt Ltd (organiser)

Officialofficial page

A day in TFN

How a riding day runs, from the briefing to the finish.

Publisher: Tour of the Nilgiris, Breakaway Sports Unlimited Pvt Ltd (organiser)

All skills guides

Sister site: Sport context, safety and where to learn: Kinetic on cycling and mountain biking

04 ¡ Check before you go

What we could and couldn't confirm

Before you book

  • TFN 2026: pre-tour briefing 5 Dec, flag-off 6 Dec, final ride 12 Dec in Ooty. It is a supported tour, not a timed race.
  • You must be able to fix a flat tyre yourself, and riders cannot ride after dark: the sweep vehicle picks up riders who miss a cut-off.
  • One bag per rider (up to 65 litres). Some road and gravel bikes are available for rental.
  • Costs are not listed on Nomad. Check them, and the latest dates, on the official site.
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