So it's true. I've gone and done it. I went ahead and let the marketing propoganda (above) get the best of me, and I bought a bike. Now, I really couldn't justify getting the milk cart / bicycle rickshaw that is so popular here, but I DID get a sturdy, reliable hunk of steel from the Hercules company:
It's a beautiful ride, loaded with extras. Lemme run down it's feature list for all the bike junkies out there. It's got drum brakes on front and rear, an awesomely comfortable spring seat, flip up spring loaded kickstand (with lock for stand), built-in bicycle lock, spring loaded rack on the back (good for 1 American [2 Indians]), and a bell. I opted out for the generator and lights, as I'm not gonna ride at night for now. Maybe in a week or two once I know the area better.More good news is that this is the model bike that the locals ride around, so besides the shiny paint, there's no reason to swipe it!
Finally, it sounds fairly authentic to say that I bought a "Fancy India" "Big Boss Action Product" steel bicycle from JD Gupta & Sons for a fair 2300 Rupees. (That's US$57, by the way.)
You always did know how to pick 'em!
ReplyDeleteThe photo shows rod brakes. Did you really get a bike with drum brakes? Either way, cooooooool...
ReplyDeleteCan I interview you for Cycloculture (www.cycloculture.com)?
Forbes, are they rod brakes? I thought that since the pads pulled outward (radially) on the metal rim, that those were considered drum brakes...
ReplyDeleteI looked it up on Wikipedia and you're 100% right.
"Rod brakes use a series of rods and pivots (rather than Bowden cables) to transmit the braking force from the hand levers to pull the friction pads upwards onto the inner surface (facing the hub) of the wheel rim. They were often called "stirrup brakes" due to their shape."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_brake_systems (no doubt you've contributed or at least visited this page, Forbes!)
Thanks, Mike and PB for the comments / emails!
DUDE AWESOME BIKE
ReplyDeletetake it off any SWEET JUMPS lately?
We love hearing about all your adventures:) Luke says "nice bike"- but thinks his Radio flyer trike is pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteKeep Smiling:)