51/ 100 Pink Ribbon Dog
Where are the New Bicycles?
I really love cycling, even though I don’t get out on my bike anywhere near as much as I’d like to these days. I practically lived on my bike until my early 20s – it was my only mode of transport, it was my most enjoyable hobby and, best of all, it kept me very fit. Even when I bought my first car I still cycled several miles back and forth across North Yorkshire every morning and evening because I couldn’t afford to pay for the fuel.
As much as I enjoyed the activity itself, I also enjoyed the mechanics. A good bicycle is a beautiful object. The efficiency of the design and the craftsmanship that can be applied to these machines is wonderful. Whilst there are new designs and ideas being developed all the time the basic fully-functioning bike was developed many years ago and has remained fairly unchanged ever since.
In India, bikes are still a hugely popular form of transport and they are everywhere. I only wish there were even more of them, and fewer cars and motorbikes, so that some of the pollution might be alleviated. Despite their popularity I have always been a little perplexed by the distinct lack of new bikes there. It’s as though everyone bought a bike in the same era, and only those bikes are still in existence. I don’t ever recall seeing a nice new bike anywhere there.
One reason for the prevalence of vintage cycles that I came up with whilst mulling it over on a long train trip might be that the general population have become slightly richer and can now afford to buy a motorbike instead. Those that can’t afford it are stuck with a bicycle, and are probably so poor that they can’t afford a new one. Fortunately for those on ancient steeds there are plenty of workshops who can keep your bike running with salvaged and repurposed parts.
The main picture above is of a man resting upon his ancient three-wheeled cycle rickshaw. He was parked alongside several others, in the middle of Delhi, outside a school because his job was to ferry the schoolchildren. His rickshaw was small but we saw an impressive number of children packed onto it which is mildly terrifying considering his bike almost certainly has terrible brakes and is held together with string.
