[Closed] SS, towel rail, steel but not niche...my Indian ride for the next few weeks.

I cant believe they still use cotterpins

That wok's smaller than Tollahs.

harrisphil - Member
I cant believe they still use cotterpins

You can remove a crank beside the road without special tools with cotterpins. Possibly a useful quality in India?

Looks nice. What's the weight frame/whole bike?

Zoom thingy gone a bit doolally, is that a rod-brake?

Nice. Bikes like that last forever in places like India. I wonder how a modern fangled bike would fare?

Tang; have you not considered taking your own bike? Or too much hassle?

I visited Bangladesh as a child. My dad's village was about half an hour's walk from the 'main road'. Well, the only tarmacced road in the area. Bikes weren't generally used much due to the relatively high cost, and the unsuitability of bicycles to the terrain. The MTB has been developed since. Can't help thinking what a blast it would be to have one in such a place, and how much of the surrounding area one could see.

can't get one of those with that funny looking suspension on the forks?

[i]Bikes weren't generally used much due to the relatively high cost, and the unsuitability of bicycles to the terrain[/i]

Is this true? Whenever I see developing areas I see bicycles. All my Indian friends who come from small rural villages swear blind that bicycles transformed the dynamics of the area because they're cheap, simple to maintain and are great for getting around on, especially for those people who's skills are in high demand like medical staff.

Well where my dad's from is very flat, yet also quite boggy, because it's mainly paddy-field. Bicycles are used, yes, but they aren't particularly abundant in that area. Go to the towns, and you'll see loads, including the tricycle rikshaws. Not so many out in the villages though. There was a 'village bike' (steady..), which I remember was a large creaky old thing not unlike Tang's pic above. And yes, they are rod brakes!

Bicycles in such places are of course for utility, not leisure. In the more outlying areas, the paths simply aren't really suitable for anything but fat-tyred MTBs, which weren't around when I was out there. I mean, you could ride them just about, but it'd be bloody hard work and not at all enjoyable. And there's simply no chance you could use them when it's wet.

In the rainy monsoon season, the tarmac road was regularly washed away, as there were no proper foundations, just tarmac on earth really. So, no transport link with the nearest town for weeks on end.

The mountain bicycle would provide a reasonably capable form of transport in such areas. Sadly bicycles are relatively very expensive to people with very little money indeed.

It's a shame that all those associations mean that generally when people from those countries come over here they wouldn't be seen dead on a bicycle. Around my way it has to be the Mercedes or Chelsea tractor.

Elfin- my grandfather is begali, infact i shall be staying with my family(not in bangladesh anymore, post '71 no one has been back)

I had thought about a ss mtb to take and the other place i go (m.p./orissa border) which is all jungle with dry singletrack connecting villages, it would be great. parts put me off and flats, so much of the ground cover in India is very thorny. Indian bikes can be fixed anywhere and you are never far from a bike shop, 99% are a shack about 6x6, but a shop never the less.
I met an english guy with a moulton and in the town situation it was great plus he traveled with it no probs. He did get howls of derision from locals, but in true British style had no qualms about making a fool of himself.
I think a roadster is about £45 new over there and for many thats a months wage. the aspiration is a scooter and who can blame them; 20 mile commutes in 40-50 deg heat in the summer or the monsoon floods.

When my parents lived in East Africa when I were a baby they used to move to the village with the stuff they needed (pots, pans etc) and when they moved to the next village they always left the stuff behind as a present to the village.

It would be nice of you could do similar with a bike but I am not sure how practical that would be, or if the area you are going to needs more bikes.

For sure, we have bought bicycles, scooters, helped people start small businesses and rebuilt houses, in reality at very low cost but due to the sheer size of the poverty situation in the area we know, my step mother started a charity which runs a school and a small hospital. I volunteer for another local social project.

Woah Tang - sounds like you are doing your bit plus some. Top fella

Eat Africa (Congo) we saw Wooden "Bikes". The only metal was the axles. They were scooters really but some times they added a seat

One morning we woken by squeaking. It was "bikes" trundling down the hill laden with produce.

In West Africa I did a day on local bikes (Niger think). It was great fun

I hope you have a great trip

Nice one. I'd love to travel through India.
We're planning to keep a couple of bikes in the compound at our place in The Gambia. Its nice & flat there, & although the temp is av' 30c, its very dry (unless you go between Jul-Sep). A few years ago I looked at sending some old bikes over, to distribute to the local kids, but they tax them for some reason. Oddly its actually cheaper to ship new bikes in.

this charity does cycle related stuff
http://www.88bikes.org/
$88 being the av cost of a new bike in the 3rd world.

these are great for disabled users, a friend of ours who is crippled from polio does miles on this every day to collage and back. he can ride over pretty rough terrain.
[img] [/img]

a friend of ours who is crippled from polio

Puts things into perspective, dunnit? 🙁

It's a shame you din't tell us earlier, Tan. Maybe we could've done a 'build a bike for India' with a load of donated parts, for you to take over there and give to some deserving soul. Maybe next time eh?

Enjoy your trip, and get loads of pics!

those bike wheelchairs are great and we found a charity in India that makes them, gives them away and services them also. My friend used to support his whole weight on one bamboo stick(still does when not on bike). i once did a 8 mile walk with him like that. the bike has really helped his commute to sanskrit college. pics a plenty i hope ive just got a sony tx5 in the sale, so many compacts have died in the dust.
and for those who need steel and smaller wheels plus a bit of colour matching parts:
[img] [/img]
note the pedal covers, ideal when you want to pop to the shops on your flats but not chew your shoes.

Different World, innit? I saw stuff in Bangladesh, as a child, that made me realise how truly lucky I really am. There are some things you never forget.

Stuff like that could help give people vastly increased mobility and independence. Considering all the spare bits and junk we have in our sheds and cupboards, surely something could be sorted out?

I am aware the logistics and costs are probbly prohibitive. 🙁

Such a shame that we in the West are so spoiled that we just take stuff for granted, and often don't realise how unresourceful we are. A trip to somewhere like India or Bangladesh can really open your eyes and mind.

So, you taking a bike over then?

no, ive got wife, 2 kids and associated baggage. ill be riding the towel rail in the first pic. i have in the past bought a new bike then handed it on to someone on leaving. i did live there for 3 years from 21 to 24 but i owned nothing then! theres a 142 mile pilgrimage im going to do hopefully when im 40(5years time) which is usually walked bivi style, might ride that with some sadhus i know who ride everywhere.

evening ride in the jungle, hot chai time and a bidi on the veranda(well i used to)
[img] [/img]