1. http://bicycledesign.blogspot.com/

It’s only after seeing this website that I realised how much of stuff we guys are missing out on in India. The type of cycles available abroad is absolutely mind blowing, and what I find most interesting about bicycles, is their attention to detail. It’s awesome what can be done with such less metal, while looking so dam good.

2. http://www.sheldonbrown.com/

Basically, bicycle gyan (supergyan actually).

A few months ago, while I was walking down a road I saw a boy beaming from ear to ear astride a brand new bicycle, which had a spaghetti-like frame and stickers randomly splattered all over the little area, that metal tubes can offer. I went home and googled to delightfully find, that bicycle manufacturers were up to date with neat websites – neat implying a clear picture along with the features of the bicycle. I decided that I was going to buy a bike with gears and probably suspension too as I had never owned one like that before. I zeroed in on the model and went to the BSA shop in Velachery. It’s a powder-coated black and silverish grey colour camouflaged by some multi-coloured labeling. And it’s more spaghetti-like, standard triangles like my first cycle seem less common now.

The shops was pretty good but what I find most hideous is that they didn’t give a test ride. How can you buy a bicycle without knowing if you are going to feel comfortable on it? I solved this quirk, by riding one of the cycles that had been left there for servicing. We stuffed the bike in my car, after folding the rear seats flat and went home.

I called up Kumar, “Mama! Guess what! I am now the proud owner of a HERCULES RYDER ACT 104 WITH 18 GEARS AND FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION!” (with chest out and shoulders high speaking in a tone akin to a 1960′s commentator in a horse race). My friend by the way does not particularly prefer any type of transport, so he wasn’t particularly enthused when I was describing my bicycle in superbike-humbling fashion. However, the bicycle is neat, though the gear shifting is not niggle free as it is not possible at times to engage each gear. Also, if you plan to buy yourself a cycle, may I just add not to expect any bum-cosseting ride even though you might talk about the front and rear suspension with great gusto, especially if you are accustomed to using motorised two-wheelers, whose seats can cover at least half your ass print. The last two-wheeler I rode was an Enfield, which has a seat wide enough for a Sumo wrestler. So my knowledge of comfort or the lack of it was irrelevant when riding my new bicycle. But it is a fun and uncomplicated experience which you must re-discover, if you have been out of it for years like me.

Another thing that I have realised is that, bicycle marketing seems to have learnt a lot from car and bike marketing. Their idea of customer centricity has almost amused me. I just got off the phone an hour back. On the other end was a woman who was calling from TI cycles asking me if she could send a mechanic home tomorrow to complete my second free service .

In the 5.5K that I spent on the bike, I got a warranty card with two free services in the first 90 days. Appreciable and amusing in the same breath I guess, considering it’s just a cycle but I feel it’s showing a good effort on their part. If there is anything short now, then it is the need of a test ride in the show room. Does it not sound rudimentary that you should be allowed to ride a bike before buying it to find out if the frame size, riding position etc. suits your needs? I would definitely not like to go through physical exertion in an uncomfortable position!

We registered after waiting in a long queue. After waiting in another long queue and then yet another one in the pits to gear up (helmets and pads provided), I finally got my turn on a sexy blue R15. Before I could drop dead and marvel at the superb attention to detail, I had to get the bike started to be with the pack that would have one of the cannot-overtake-me Yam officials in the lead. I sat, got it straight, turned the key and pressed the ignition button expecting an enchanting burbling growl but instead heard a timid and slightly shallow sound that was a bit disappointing (and too close to a standard 150 cc bike). I expected more, because this bike has a spec sheet that can embarrass any other bike in the country (ok, leave out the Dukes and bigger Yams). Delta box chassis, liquid-cooled engine, six-speed gearbox, front and rear disc brake, 4-valve per cylinder head, fully faired body and a 10,500 rpm redline, just a few things that I remember from the top of my head. We lined up and then rode out of the pits. The riding position was pretty different for me but my 5 foot 7 inch frame was extremely comfortable with butt on saddle in this sporty stance, a first for me. The first thing I did as we headed out of the track was to wait for the snakey trail of bikes in front of me to leave a stretch of clear tarmac. Taking the right and then picking and dropping it to the left while brushing the curve, I revved it in second as the bike took the twitching & turning with aplomb leaving a smiling face under my helmet. I continued to do so in the following turns until I hit a road block. The econo-cruncher of a rider in front of me resisted tiliting the bike more than 2 degrees off the vertical. I had to straighten the bike in the middle of a curve to break speed with the reassuring yet beautifully progressive front and rear discs, to avoid hitting him. Then I got down to my devious antics again and the guys behind me were screaming in disgust as I slowed them down. Then I throttled up, ran through a series of curves, braked, second gear then third gear and then braked again and repeated this with unexpected thrill for what was my first outing on a race track. The straight was closed (sob), we were directed through the pits and much to my delight got a second lap too. This time it was better as there was more space to stretch the machine. The handling is undoubtedly beautiful. You don’t have to do much. You simply think and the machine does, like there’s an instant umbilical chord struck up between you and the machine. The engine feels very smooth and it revs superbly. The gearbox too – which I made sure to gear up to number six and back down to check it out – was as smooth as a Yam’s can get.

In short, I loved the experience and the event was organised pretty well. The bike is absolutely stunning for a 150! Looking at it from the rear I felt it was a tad disproportional (primarily because of an aesthetically thin rear tire). Overall though, it’s definitely amongst the best looking bikes in the country and although at a lakh+ on road I would have ideally preferred a 175 cc 20 bhp engine, the current one is still pretty good what with the bike being an awesome all round package.

Muthuramalingam too (no, the name is not changed, that’s the local Joe Average) has got a run of the mill 100 cc 4-stroke bike that he uses to travel 25 km a day (cut short from 30 thanks to the convenient usage of one ways & footpaths). He works with a monthly salary that has him craving for more zeros with which he supports his wife and one and a half kids – some wives don’t like calling canines by common names, they usually reserve those exclusivities for the husband. So he is obviously finding it pretty painful when fuel prices are increasing by around 10 percent while his bike is performing well below the advertising claims. The tactic has become so stale now, no buyer these days is expecting mileage to be anywhere as good. Standard Test Conditions have to be redefined, because for all they know I might be expecting to get 102.768 kmpl perched atop my bike with an unaerodynamic round tummy that has just been treated to Sarvana Bhavan’s finest. A slightly tall task I think. So kindly tell me I will be getting 60 kmpl in the city so that I know before buying a bike what 55 bucks can get me. Diesel up by 3 too. And if you don’t own a vehicle, you won’t feel left out because lpg is up by 50 too. I think suddenly everybody is going to become environment-conscious…