Contemplate a Cycle...

So I thought- now that I have the bike(CBZ) done I would probably sell it off and get a Bullet. Maybe an Electra 5s or a Machismo. But soon I started liking my bike. It rode and rode tough. Well sure there are a few problems that keep arising now and then , but again I had left it neglected for so long , these things are bound to happen.

I always had this desire to get myself a bicycle, this being even before I sold my Atlas Rebel bicycle. Bought my red Rebel when I was in 6th I guess. Since then I changed almost every component of the bike on numerous occations, the bike went with me from every house I shifted and finally sold it off to a car mechanic (I really did not want to sell it ..). I did have a great time with my Red Cycle. It was a very sturdy (and heavy too) cycle and the handling was pretty smooth. Having ridden this to every corner of Pune I was very much tied to the idea of cycling around. Then again, since I was not using the cycle for long I was sorta molded into the idea of riding a motorized vehicle and not get back on non motorized stuff. Somehow I could never get this thought off the back of my head to get a cycle.

Its been over 5 years I sold my cycle. Everytime I ride down or happen to cross Phadke Haudh I get those goose bumps everytime I see those line of bicycle shops packed with all sorts of cycles. I always wanted to buy one.

Now the conditions of roads are bad, my general exercise routine is also bad. Being a s/w enginaeer, its sortof comes as a package of being a professional (or related ) in this line. I had had enough of this, I soon started researching the net for the latest in the scene of bicycles. I was stunned and taken aback by the wave of revolution that hit this medium. I read so many blogs and sites (many of Indian origin and some even from Pune).

Soon I came across these brands : Trek, Firefox, Merida, Gary Fisher, Giant,GT etc. Sure none of the out of touch myselves :) had ever heard of these names. Firefox was one of the brands that had set shop in India, they are seemingly a bicycle company from UK who get their parts manufactured from places in Asia before they get here to the bicycle stores. Trek is one of the leading brands in the bicycle market and supposedly even their basic bicycles (ATBs/MTBs) are tougher than their best Indian counterparts.

The problem : :) 2
1. Geting my folks back home to digest the fact -its not impractical to buy a bicycle and
2. The price of this brands.

I mean the least a Trek bike (the 3700) costs is ~13.5 INR, while the topmost Trek costs ~ 2.5Lacks!!!! It sure was hard to digest when I always was acquainted to the fact -cycles cant cost more than 5K. Firefox bikes had their range starting from ~4K -these were ungeared cycles. The top most Firefox costs ~22.5K!!!

The price part was pretty hard to digest , so I started looking for cycles from Indian counter parts. Soon I started to like 2 cycles from the Indian playground. Then Hercyles Omega and the Hero Thunder ATB. Both bike were for ~5K INR. But again looking at the treks and reading all sorts of reviews I was more inclined towards one of the treks. I really felt the trek 3700 was more than sufficient for my needs.

Friends did laugh at me when I told them about my new-born wish, but then one of my friend got his Hero Ranger cycle fixed and used it to go for his morning cricket practice! Aggghhhh... I wanted a bicycle soon.

Well I did speak to some enthusiast about whom I learnt online (http://www.bumsonthesaddle.com), and they were more than willing to help me decide on my cycle. Well so I have it finalized on the trek. Now the only issues that stop me from are
1. Geting my folks back home to digest the fact that its not impractical to buy a bicycle (I dunno will I ever be able to do this ) and
2. Servicing the parts of high price bike (I sure dont want a hammer being rammed on a 10K+ cycle at a lcoal shop:))- so I might even consider the Hercules Omega or the Hero Thunder). Well so a learning curve, maybe, would be necessitated for a do-it-yourself type of servicing.

Maybe I sound like one of those nagging kids - craving for a little toy. But hey I want it :D
Now only time would tell would I ever see a dawn of my bicycle!

My rusty new bike

It was some days and then months to years that took my treasured 2 wheels to get some attention of me. Well I bought the CBZ(eee) some donkey years ago, used it for a couple of years before I let it taste some dust. The bike a pretty spanking new black was left unused in the outer shed of my society now for over 2 years. It braved the heat, the cold, the rains and the dust and rust over the years. Every year I would clean it up on dusshera day and then leave it to brown for the next year. The last time I started the bike was some 8 months back just for a simple round and it simple started in a single kick and went along with no idling :( (what can u expect if there is no trace of oil anywhere in the vehicle).

Many people came along pestering me or my dad for the bike, they were persuading us to sell it off while it still can get good bucks. But I was adament and kept insisting it would be serviced one day and see the good old ride days again. Why was I like this, well..

It was 2000 when I hated this bike called CBZ (the bike with a mask) and an overgrown mismatched clone inspired from superbikes making it an offbeat presence in the current market. Well I owned a CD 100 at that time and loved it. It was one bike I had put through the test of time and rage, had many accidents and easily took it till 80+ kmph in the city roads of Pune. The spleador did not appeal to me and I was always apprehencive of the Bajaj. Yamaha was offcharts for me.. Bullet , I disliked this bike at that time (not any more). So I kept staring at the CBZ for a long time and then eventually bought the same from ~64K from Singh Motors. An amazing bike it was -loved it, rode and rode hard. It sped and flew cool. I was impressed, I really liked this bike. I was sent to the UK for 6 months and this bike did not see its 2nd free service till date. Post six months got it serviced(1st and last free service), used it to break-a-neck speeds for moths before I dorve my car and set aside the 2 for 4 wheels.

The bike stayed there eversince, was awakened once in a while for minor chores. But effectively after 7 years the bike only saw some 6400kms!. I was an apeman with this bike. The city roads got more and more conjested. It took me over 2 hours to get home from office (just a distance of 8kms). It was frustrating- city drive in the car is a mad mans job is what I quoted 7 years back- I was the mad man now. To top it all I had parted with my bicycle (Atlas rebel) too in a rusting state.

I had to get this bike right again. Nachicket- my collegue and friend is a Bullet lover. Mechanical engineer by brains, software and computers by profession. He always kept talking about his 350cc day and over. Bike India- I love this magazine, it gave me all the happenings about the current bikes in the markets, all staistics and also about the avid bike lovers. Nachkiet(Nash) was a bike lover and kept telling me tales about his bike rides. Bike India kept telling me tales about me missing my bike rides. I got frustrated and one day asked Nash to come by and help get my 2 wheels serviced- thats when many of my friends discoved me -a biker. I was scolded and scorned at.

Nash came over one day (saturday)and saw my now spanking and sparkling (I was washing the bike) bike and the scum off his mouth failed to recede. He inspeced the bike and soon we bulleted over to a Hero Honda service station (Monarch automobiles) and narrated the tale of the CBZ. I was asked to get the bike on monday.

So with a rusted engine piston in my mind pushed the vehicle to Monarch at 8am. Soon it was inspected and I was asked to pick up the vehicle by evening with a quote of ~700/-. I was stunned -that cheap! Well eventually I got the bike in 2 days when the service men realized I was not bluffing and the bike was indeed eating dust for 2 long years.

So with a couple of new jets and all rust cleaned bike - I got the bike with a new battery and couple of new componets with a final quote of ~2500/- (now that sorta makes me feel good the bike was serviced after 2 years ).

Its been ~2 months now and I drive the car for barely 20 kms a week.