Manchanabele Dam

Backwaters and hills just an hour out, with mist on the water if you're early enough. Carry your own breakfast; there's nothing much on the dam itself. The road in is good for a relaxed ride.

MTR, Lalbagh Road

A hundred years of rava idli. Silver tumblers, ghee on everything, and a dining room that hasn't changed in decades. Do a loop of Lalbagh first, then come in hungry. Order the rava idli and the badam halwa.

Nandi Hills sunrise

Riding up the hairpins in the dark, then the sun comes up over a sea of clouds. Everyone goes quiet for a minute. The gate opens at 6. Leave the city by 4:30 to beat the queue, and carry a jacket.

Maddur vada at Maddur Tiffanys

Crisp, onion-loaded Maddur vada, eaten in the town that named it. Worth the 80 km on its own. Eat two there and pack a dozen. They're still good when you get home.

Dodda Alada Mara (Big Banyan Tree)

A single banyan tree that's become a forest, 400 years old. Riding in at sunrise, there's no one else there. Combine it with breakfast on Mysore Road on the way back. Easy, flat ride for beginners.

Hesaraghatta Lake

Grasslands, birds, and a wide-open sky, 30 km from the city. Feels like you rode much further. Bring binoculars after the monsoon. Stop for a darshini breakfast in Yelahanka on the way back.

Bidadi thatte idli

Plate-sized idli, fluffy and steaming, with a dollop of butter, eaten next to the bikes on Mysore Road. Leave by 6 and you'll be eating before the traffic starts. Get the butter, always.

Vidyarthi Bhavan, Basavanagudi

Waiters carrying twenty plates of masala dosa stacked up one arm. The dosa is crisp, golden and swimming in ghee. Go at opening on a weekday to skip the wait. It's closed on Fridays.

Kamat Lokaruchi, Ramanagara

Village-style North Karnataka breakfast on banana leaves, with the Ramanagara rocks (yes, the Sholay ones) behind you. Try the ragi rotti and the jolada rotti meal. The parking fills with bikes by 8.

Skandagiri night trek

Climbing by torchlight and reaching the top just as the clouds turn pink. The best sunrise near Bangalore, and I've tried them all. Book the forest department slot online, then go with a group for the night climb.