Back in those days, having a bicycle used to be a big deal. If it had a carrier and was fitted with a dynamo, it was a feather in the cap. Every Sunday morning, it was routine to clean and lubricate the bicycle. I was not allowed to ride a bicycle till I reached class eight for three reasons: the branded bicycles then were expensive, my height was only up to the seat, and I hadn’t proved that I could handle it without aid. But to my rescue, marts for renting bicycles used to be prevalent in our town. It cost sixty paise for an hour and thirty paise for half an hour.
My first riding experience in class seven was phenomenal. One of the cycle marts had a cycle that was my height. I accumulated sixty paise from my pocket money and rented it. Our town college ground, which was situated beneath a mountain, was where all cycle learners went. I reached the ground and mounted the cycle using the football court bar for support. I started pedalling, balancing on wheels without any support. My adrenaline rush made me cycle continuous rounds of the ground. When I realised that I only had 10 minutes to reach the mart before I’d have to pay extra, I quickly started cycling down the slope, causing the cycle to go faster. The banking of the track is the only thing that saved me from a great fall.
At present there are many attractive designs and styles of bicycles. I wish we had such models, but the speed of the present generation on roads is terrifying. Kids as young as middle-schoolers ride gearless scooters. Perhaps this lack of physical exercise has contributed to obesity in society. Last year, while I was on a walk, I saw a group of six to eight children, seemingly from well-off families, riding their bicycles happily in a disciplined way, chitchatting among themselves. It was a treat to my eyes and I was glad to see them. I watched them till they dwindled into a dot down the long road. With a content smile I started walking, thinking that if different organisations would have introduced bicycle clubs to enhance bicycle riding among teens and tweens, then certainly the society would have been much better off. Let there be more self-propelled, vintage style two-wheelers on the road, for health-conscious people as well as for general commuters. Let our mother nature take a deep breath and say, “Thank you.”
ANIL KUMAR PATNAIK
Email: anilpatnaik8@gmail.com