It was nearly 11 years since I rode my bicycle.  After much of struggle my dad got me abrand new bicycle as my birthday gift when I reached 20 years.  I pulled his leg saying that I am too old to ride a bicycle and rather I prefer a bike.  It was those days when the roads were comparatively free and bicycle was the most preferred transportation and bikes were possessed by the affordable.  I am talking about the days before the Indian markets were openup for foreign investors.  Lifestyle was much smoother and slow-paced.  People had ways and means of saving money.  Productswere purchased for its durability and life time usage.  There were no concept of "use and throw" rather it was the concept of "use and reuse". People survived before free economy on the time tested adage of "Penny wise and Pound foolish" and strict austerity measures.  It was a gadget free world and the bicycle was the only means of transport for me day in and day out.  Learning a bicycle wasthe most tedious and injury prone skill which I mastered.  Initially I learnt the Kathri (Scissor version) of riding the bicycle and slowly progressed to the Bar level of riding and finally graduated to the Seat level which was facilitated by my growth when my toes touched the ground even seated on a bicycle.  There were many a fall and I remember two of the falls which should have been lethal but luck prevailed and I had survived to narrate the tale. Places seemed quite far away for me on a bicycle and nearer on a bike at present.  The expenditure that I incurred on maintaining a bicycle seemed too huge to me then but now it seems quite inconsequential when compared to my bike"s maintenance expenditure.  My eyes are filled with the fond memories of my Dad pedaling me up and down the lanes of school braving through the scorching sun and drizzling rain .  Those days of bicycling with me as a pillion rider accompanying my dad till Magadi road for purchase of sugar cane during Pongal and chicken every Sunday passed through my nostalgic eyes. The number of rides that I frequented the Library remained countless.  My journey with my bicycle continued till I completed my post graduation. 

       Then fell the sudden lull when I rarely had time to use my bicycle anymore.  Need andnecessity demanded a bike on my part.  Progress in my means of transportation led to a revolution in my earning capabilities.  I was able to cover up longer distances which I would have never dared to dream of reaching through the regular bus travel as half of my lifetime would have been spent waiting,
catching and aboarding the bus.  My bicycle was parked at an inconsequential space and it rusted and rusted along with my muscles till it dawned on me that I should bring back the past glory of bicycle into my life.  Suddenly the lights of eco-consciousness started glowing on my countenance. I thought of the distance that I would travel using my bicycle and the savings that I could hit upon with.  I pondered and dwelled on this issue for long.  Fear of embarassment at an age where bikes are being slowly replaced by cars made me reluctant in trying to renovate the bicycle.  After much of dilly dallying I finally thought of putting my thoughts into action. 

        One fine day, I removed the bicycle which creaked and crumbled.  I washed and cleaned it
to a tolerable and presentable level before servicing it.  I was too embarassed to walk with a bicycle all along to Dasarahalli.  Very few bicycle shops had survived the onslaught of change.  Using a bike would never have made me self-conscious because of the speed and also the helmet which hid my face and provided me privacy from the glaring and prying eyes.  I made a shopping spree of all the spare parts required to rejunevate my bicycle.  I was too happy with the rates involved in purchase of the spares which was contrasting to the sore pocket that I experienced whenever I purchased the spares for my bike.  I had my neighbour"s and the streetmates- mocking and taunting eyes focused on me- when I parked my bicycle for the first time.  The bicycle seemed too light-weight that I was quite at ease in not only carrying it but also parking it.  I braved the scorching sun and at last reached the bicycle shop with the spares.  I did not bargain with the service person and just paid the money that he had asked for.  Finally the bicycle was ready for a ride after many years.  I hopped on to it and found that the bicycle was rarely moving under my heavy weight.  The speed of the bicycle was too new to me.  All the conditioned learning of using a bike predominated my usage of bicycle. It took me some time to get used to the hardness of the seat and the physical effort involved in riding it.  Along with the bicycle my muscles too had rusted due to disuse.  The streets were filled with vehicles which was a new scenario that I had to face riding a bicycle.  All my dreams of riding a cycle for 20 to 30 km was shattered because the bitter reality dawned on me that it would take me hours to reach the destined place.  Now I decided to make a pragmatic use of the bicycle - to use it as a health care machine and to make use of it when I have plenty of time at my disposal.  I realised that with passage of time bicycles had survived amidst the student community and the below poverty line population for whom each and every rupee counted and mattered.  I was very happy to see the dwindling fellow mate cyclists all along the way and also appreciated the accessories and ornamentation that decorated their bicycles.  I for the first time after many years saw the world from the perspective of a bicyclist.   

• Be proud to possess and ride a bicycle.
• Be pragmatic in using your bicycles according to your need and necessity.
• Get down from your bicycle whenever you have to cross the main road.
• Avoid using the main road and find a path with lesser traffic.
• If you are thinking of using a bicycle to reach your workplace go for the electric bikes that might cost you 16K with around 200 W which would facilitate your long distance travel a lot
• The best time for riding a bicycle would be the morning and evening hours.  Do avoid the scorching sun which would exhaust you much more earlier than desired.

HAPPY CYCLING!