1. Thinker
2. Egg Carrier
3. Cotton Weaver
4. Bicycle Courting

I’m submitting four of the photos I collected in my 2 1/2 months in India.

As I spent time there it became apparent to me that our thinking about bicycles is very different… it’s exercise, recreation, sport, hobby, passion, and an interest community in the U.S. In India it’s a fact of daily life for millions. I never did see a “good” bike, one that I would really even want to ride here in the U.S. I saw several knock-offs of modern design and features (mountain bike frames, large tires, multispeed, bar extensions, etc…) yet none of them did much but put on some western bells-and-whistles for the purpose of marketing something new, and all were low quality.

Meanwhile the workhorse Indian bikes (Hero, Atlas, and Hercules – retail for $75 new w/ rack) are knock-offs of Raleighs and remain more or less unchanged in a generation or two. I saw these bikes brand new and I saw them with amazing patinas of rust that can only have come from years of use. While there are little bike shops scattered about, there are many shade tree mechanics who simply set up on a street corner and fix bikes for whoever rides or pushes one in. Brake adjustments, and tire and chain repair are readily available. The bikes are used for everything from basic transportation—including an extra passenger on the rear rack or handlebars—to hauling produce, raw materials, re-bar, pots and pans, eggs, cotton, potatoes, you name it. It’s humbling to see how much people can accomplish with a bike when they need to. I never saw a trailer the whole time, and never saw a bike carrier on a car.

As tempted as I was, I never chanced trying to ride in the Bangalore traffic. It would be deadly for a western-trained rider who depends on others obeying some semblance of rules or protocol that we understand. All bets are off in the traffic… they have their rules but I was never able to decipher them. As one fellow told me, “People on bikes get no respect from drivers. Bike riders are either poor and lower class or they are a Nut of some kind. Neither will be respected by drivers – it is too dangerous to ride here.” Sad but true.

—Dick

Related posts:

1. The Streets of Bangalore
2. More on the Rolling Stop
3. An Argument for Separated Facilities, Slow Cycling, and Fewer Cars
4. Rights and Responsibilities
5. Bicyclists and Other Cyclists: 2008 Data