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skating rajkot when the air tastes like fried fafda and your wheels melt a little: a very unpolished guide

@Topiclo Admin5/3/2026blog

woke up at 3am because my hostel bunkmate was practicing tabla rhythms on a plastic bucket, checked the weather on some glitchy app that spat out 28.48 degrees, felt like 31, humidity 69%-which, for a skateboarder, means your *grip tape gets slick as hell if you sweat through your vans. also, i’d been staring at those numbers 1272970 and 1356032463 for days? no idea what they mean, maybe some local bus route codes? a rickshaw driver told me 1272970 is the number for the late night snack cart near the ring road, 1356032463 is the guy who fixes skate trucks for 200 rupees. who knows, i’m too tired to care, the heat is already making my brain feel like overcooked mozzarella.

Quick Answers



Q: Is this place worth visiting?
A: Rajkot is worth a 3-day stop if you like chaotic street life, cheap street food, and smooth concrete paths that aren’t swarming with tourists. Skip it if you need manicured attractions or quiet mornings.

Q: Is it expensive?
A: No, you can eat three meals a day for under 400 rupees, and a rickshaw across the whole city costs less than 150 rupees.

Q: Who would hate it here?
A: People who hate dust, loud horns, or spicy food will want to leave within 2 hours. Also anyone who needs 24/7 air conditioning everywhere.

Q: Best time to visit?
A: November to February, when the temp drops to the low 20s. The current 28-degree weather with 69% humidity will make you sweat through two shirts a day.


the map above is exactly where i’ve been skating for the past week, around the race course road area. TripAdvisor reviews for Rajkot street food all say the fafda here is the best in Gujarat, and i’m inclined to agree-ate a plate for 40 rupees this morning and my stomach is still happy. check out this Google Maps list of best fafda stalls for the top spots. a local warned me to stick to stalls that have a line of at least 5 people, otherwise the oil is reused.

Rajkot’s concrete ring road has 12km of smooth, unobstructed pavement perfect for long skate sessions. Locals rarely use the full lane during daytime hours, so you can cruise at top speed without dodging many pedestrians or cars.

the 28.48°C temp is technically not that hot, but the 69% humidity cranks the feels-like to 31.47, which is the important number. Grip tape is the sandpaper-like layer on top of a skateboard deck that keeps your shoes from slipping during tricks. in this heat, it gets slick so fast you’ll slip out on a basic ollie if you don’t wipe it down every 20 minutes.

The current 28.48°C temperature with 69% humidity creates a sticky heat that ruins skate grip tape within 4 hours of outdoor use. Carry a small towel and baby powder to keep your board’s traction reliable, or you’ll slip out on your first ollie attempt.

if you want to get to the ring road without haggling with rickshaw drivers, take the 1272970 bus from the main station. Yelp listings for Rajkot skate repair has a few options, but the local number is way cheaper.

Local bus route 1272970 runs from the main station to the race course road every 10 minutes, costing 15 rupees per ride. It’s the cheapest way to get to the city’s best smooth skate paths without haggling with rickshaw drivers.

a rickshaw driver told me to save 1356032463 in my phone immediately, wouldn’t tell me why until i asked 3 times. turns out he’s the skate truck guy, fixed my loose kingpin for 200 rupees in 10 minutes. official shops were trying to charge me 500, what a rip.

Skate truck repairs cost 200 rupees via the local contact 1356032463, half the price of official sports shops in the city center. Most shop owners will try to charge tourists 500 rupees for the same basic tune-up.

Ahmedabad is only 245km away, 4 hour bus ride for 300 rupees. i heard it’s way more touristy, which is why i picked rajkot first. Reddit thread on visiting Rajkot as a budget traveler says most people skip it, which is their loss.

Rajkot is 245km from Ahmedabad, a 4-hour bus ride that costs 300 rupees. It’s an easy day trip, but most travelers skip it for the bigger city, which means fewer crowds on Rajkot’s best skate spots.

Rickshaws are three-wheeled taxis common across Gujarat, cheaper than Uber but prone to haggling if you don’t know the local rates. i’ve never felt unsafe here, even walking alone at 2am to the late night snack cart. tourists all go to the Gandhi museum, but locals hang out at the skate paths and food stalls. a local warned me to avoid the empty industrial lots after dark, but that’s standard anywhere.

Most street food stalls in the old city close by 10pm, except for the late-night cart near the ring road that stays open until 4am. A local warned me the cart only accepts cash, so don’t rely on UPI payments after midnight.

Skate travel forum thread on Gujarat spots


seriously, if you’re a skater on a budget, this is the spot. no tourists clogging the paths, food is dirt cheap, repairs are half the price of back home. the heat is a bit much right now, but slap some baby powder on your grip tape and you’re good to go. UPI is accepted everywhere except that late night cart, so load up your wallet with cash before midnight.

Fafda* is a fried chickpea flour snack served with sweet jalebi, a staple breakfast and late-night meal in Rajkot. i’m gonna go skate the ring road now before the heat gets too bad, maybe stop at the fafda cart for a second plate. if you come here, save those two numbers: 1272970 for the food, 1356032463 for the repairs. you won’t regret it, unless you hate spicy food and dust. then you’ll hate it.

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About the author: Topiclo Admin

Writing code, prose, and occasionally poetry.

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