Congratulations to Santosh Gupta for breaking the current record for the – Indian Golden Quadrilateral – CW course in the following categories: men 18-49, Unsupported, fixed gear upright bike.
Santos also set 3 embedded records during this record attempte:
| Embedded record | start | end | Time in Hours | Dist Miles | mph | Dist Km | Kpm |
| Delhi to Kolkata | India Gate, New Delhi, India | Howrah Bridge, Kolkata, West Bengal, India | 132.150 | 898 | 6.79 | 1445 | 10.93 |
| Kolkata to Chennai | Howrah Bridge, Kolkata, West Bengal, India | Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India | 160.850 | 1033 | 6.42 | 1662 | 10.34 |
| Mumbai to Delhi | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India | India Gate, New Delhi, India | 154.233 | 877 | 5.69 | 1412 | 9.15 |
Rider’s Narrative Summary
New Delhi to Kolkata
This highway connects two of India’s most important metropolitan cities — New Delhi, our national capital, and Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal State, famously known as the “City of Joy” and also regarded as the cultural capital of India. This is the only GQ (Golden Quadrilateral) highway between these two major metros. Along this route lie many towns, cities, and states that I had previously known only through books, but on this journey I experienced them closely. This highway also links several cultural and historical heritage sites of our country.
This journey was not as easy as I had imagined. In the beginning, the bicycle gave me a lot of trouble. The carrier was originally made of aluminium, and I had to replace it with a sturdier alloy one. The seat post broke twice, and each time I had to replace it. The bicycle also suffered two punctures. There was a steep hill in Aurangabad, Bihar, and because I was riding a single-gear bicycle, climbing it became extremely difficult. The weather remained pleasant throughout the route, but entering Kolkata brought heavy traffic, which created quite a lot of difficulty. Despite all the challenges, I thoroughly enjoyed tasting different regional foods at various stops along the way.
Kolkata to Chennai
The ride from Kolkata to Chennai—India’s largest industrial metropolitan city, formerly known as Madras—was a memorable experience. The entire route is connected by GQ National Highway 16, which links these two major cities.
There was a lot of humidity along the way, and strong side winds often made riding difficult. In Andhra Pradesh, I had to cross many hills, which added to the challenge, but the overall road conditions were excellent. Riding near the coastline offered beautiful views of the sea. Throughout the journey, I came across many Hanuman temples, and the local people were very warm and appreciative.
Since it was a national highway, vehicles were moving very fast, so I had to be careful. I found fresh tender coconut water almost everywhere along the route, which helped a lot in the humid conditions. As I travelled farther south, the language and food completely changed. The food was simple, healthy, and delicious.
During this ride, I listened to many different languages and witnessed a variety of cultures—things I had only read about in books before. I tasted many unique local dishes along the way. Overall, I didn’t face many difficulties and truly enjoyed the entire journey.
Mumbai to New Delhi
Mumbai—India’s largest metropolitan city and financial capital—was the starting point of this challenging stretch. The traffic was extremely heavy, and it took a long time just to get out of the city. As soon as I crossed Mumbai, the Western Ghats began. The terrain was very hilly, making the ride extremely difficult. During this time, my mobile phone also got damaged. I tried to get it repaired, but it would have taken too long, so I had to buy a new one.
Throughout the route, I faced strong headwinds, and the elevation kept rising continuously. Several sections of the road were in poor condition and the traffic was heavy. I saw many accident sites, with broken glass and wreckage still lying there, which caused my cycle to get punctured repeatedly. I even had to replace the tube. So many problems came up that I felt like giving up many times.
As this was the last leg of my entire ride, my body was already exhausted, and I had to deal with sudden changes in weather. The climb to Udaipur was especially tough because of the high elevation, and after crossing Udaipur, the cold increased so much that riding at night became impossible. By the final day, the combination of cold weather, bad roads, and extreme tiredness made me feel weak, and I even began to worry whether I would be able to reach home safely.
This entire journey along National Highway 48, which connects Mumbai to New Delhi, exposed me to a blend of diverse languages, cultures, and landscapes. But it also tested my limits like never before—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Overall, this was the toughest segment of my ride.