Cycling in Mysore: Trin Trin Bike Share, the Chamundi Hill Climb and L’Étape Mysuru

Why cycling in Mysore works

Mysuru has three things many Indian cities lack for cycling: mild weather, a compact layout, and a big hill on its edge. At about 770 m above sea level, the city’s average daily high stays between 28 and 34 °C all year, according to India Meteorological Department normals for 1991–2020. It was also an early adopter of public bike sharing. This guide covers the bike share, the main routes, the events that bring riders to the city, and how to train for them.

Trin Trin: Mysuru’s public bike share, then and now

Trin Trin began in 2017 as a docked bike-share scheme run by the Mysuru City Corporation. The Better India reported in February 2017 that it would start with 430 bicycles, funded through a World Bank Global Environment Facility grant, with the project costing ₹20.5 crore, and that the first 30 minutes of each ride would be free. Riders used a smart card to unlock a cycle at a dock and returned it to any other.

The scheme was then rebuilt with electric help. In July 2023 Star of Mysore reported that the new operator, Greenpedia Bike Share of Ahmedabad, would relaunch it with 500 pedal-assist bicycles and 46 docks, enrolled through the “My Bike” app with keyless unlocking; each bike has health, commute and turbo modes and runs up to 50 km on a charge. By June 2024, the paper reported, the corporation had added 500 more pedal-assist bikes, the docks numbered 48, and users could subscribe for a single day, three days or a month in the MYBYK app, which shows docks, available bikes and battery levels.

For exercise, a pedal-assist bike is still exercise: you pedal, and the motor adds to your effort. Ride it in “health” mode, or with the assist low, if the point is fitness rather than getting to work cool.

Cycling routes in Mysore: Chamundi Hill, Srirangapatna and the KRS loop

Mysuru’s routes are short and varied, which makes the city good for a mix of hill work and steady riding. Distances are from the sources listed; ride times depend on you.

Chamundi Hill is the ride Mysuru cyclists measure themselves on. The road climb, logged on FastestKnownTime as Mysore’s favourite hill run, is about 6.5 km with 250 m of ascent, a steady gradient that suits repeats: climb at a hard but even effort, descend carefully, and go again. The road is shared with temple traffic, walkers and two-wheelers, so ride it early, before about 7 AM, and stay alert on the descent.

Srirangapatna, the island town on the Kaveri, is about 15 km from Mysuru, which makes a flat 30 km round trip, a good first longer ride. Carry on past it to the Krishna Raja Sagara dam and the Brindavan Gardens below it, and the outing becomes a half-day loop.

Can you cycle on the Bengaluru–Mysuru Expressway?

No. From 1 August 2023 the National Highways Authority of India barred two-wheelers, three-wheelers, tractors and other slow-moving vehicles from the main carriageways of the Bengaluru–Mysuru Expressway, Swarajya reported. If you are riding between the two cities, plan your route on service roads and older state roads, and check it on a map before you set out. For a ride with company, a group transfer by car or bus to a start point beyond the city is often simpler.

Cycling events in Mysore: L’Étape Mysuru by Tour de France

Mysuru got its biggest cycling event on 4 October 2026: the first L’Étape Mysuru by Tour de France, organised by NEB Sports with Karnataka Tourism. Riders raced on closed roads winding through Chamundi Hills, starting and finishing at Chamundi Vihar Stadium in Nazarbad, with an expo there the day before. The official site lists four formats:

The 2026 edition sold out. The organisers call it the inaugural edition but haven’t announced whether it will return, so watch the official site. If it does, the 50 km Ride is a realistic target for a regular rider with three months of training; the 100 km Race asks for much more.

Is there a cycling velodrome in Mysore?

Not yet. In May 2025, News Karnataka reported that the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports had proposed a multi-sport complex on 25.2 acres of MUDA land at Hanchya-Sathagalli, near the Outer Ring Road, with a velodrome first proposed in 2023–24 planned on 10–15 acres, including pump and dirt tracks. The complex is meant to ease the load on Chamundi Vihar Stadium. We found no report that construction has started.

Mysuru’s riding weather, month by month

Strength work for Mysuru riders

Chamundi repeats build climbing legs, but they also find the weak links: knees that ache on steep pitches, a lower back that tires after an hour, tight hips. Two short strength sessions a week fix most of it. The reasons and the full programme are in our guide to cycling for weight loss; the essentials:

• Step-ups and split squats, 3 × 8 each leg, for steady power out of the saddle on Chamundi’s steeper bends.
• Hip hinges: Romanian deadlifts 3 × 8, to share the load between glutes and hamstrings rather than only the quads.
• Core endurance: side planks and dead bugs, 3 rounds, so you stay stable when you stand on the pedals.
• Mobility: hip-flexor and chest stretches after long rides, to undo hours of being bent over the bars.

A 4-week Chamundi Hill progression

1. 1

   Week 1: one climb

   Ride to the foot of Chamundi Hill, climb once at a pace where you can still speak in short sentences, and roll down. Note your time.

2. 2

   Week 2: two climbs

   Climb twice with a full easy descent between. Add one strength session that week.

3. 3

   Week 3: three climbs

   Three climbs, the last at a slightly harder effort. Two strength sessions this week.

4. 4

   Week 4: test

   One climb, all out but even, and compare with week 1. Then ride on to Srirangapatna for a longer, flat finish.

Mysuru is a yoga city too, with students from around the world practising in Gokulam, and plenty of people do both. They fit together well: yoga keeps the hips, hamstrings and upper back mobile, and cycling adds the endurance yoga doesn’t. What both tend to miss is loaded strength work for the legs and back, which is what the steps above add. Two 30-minute sessions a week are enough, on days you don’t ride hard.

Riding safely in Mysuru

• Festival traffic. During Dasara, roads around the palace and the procession route fill with visitors and closures. Ride early or take a break that week.
• Dusk and dawn. Use front and rear lights on the ring road and highway sections, where traffic is fast.
• Descents. Chamundi’s descent has bends and slow traffic; brake before corners and keep your speed down.
• Health. If you have a heart condition, high blood pressure or a joint problem, check with your doctor before hill repeats.

More for active people in Mysuru

Find out how live coaching works in the city on online personal training in Mysuru, or compare personal trainer fees in Mysuru before you choose a coach. The same hill is a trek too: see treks near Mysore for the 1,008 steps. For food that fuels a long ride, see healthy food in Mysuru, and to estimate what you burn, try the TDEE calculator.