Well Mumbai bike shops to be more precise…heading there in about 4 weeks and fancy a nosey at a bike shop and see if there are any deals on kit to be had…in my head I’m hoping to find a shop that is selling full XTR groupset for about £500 and that it’ll fit nicely into my suitcase home!!!

I realise that won’t be the case but do fancy having a nosey to see if I can get any bargains.

I was out there for a few months 10 odd years ago, i did a fair bit of road & mtb cycling with a club from Mapusa in Goa but as for Mumbai i i never visited any bike shops in the city – a bike is a great way to get about though and for exploring the unseen areas but definately not for the faint hearted or delicate, if you get upset at folk overtaking close to you in this country then expect to get nudged out the way every 100yards in Mumbai – there is a saying in that country might is right which basically means the bigger you are then the more right you have on the road.

Have a look here for bike shops or check out the Lonely planet india forum for info.

I’ve not been to Mumbai recently, but I’ve visited quite a few bike shops in the south of the country in the last few years. I’d be surprised if you found XTR parts for sale, but what is highly recommended is to watch a mechanic build up a kit-form single speed sit-up and beg bike (rod brakes, etc) from scratch. Seeing a gigantic pile of individual ball bearings, nuts, bolts and spoke nipples on the floor turned into a working bicycle is quite a sight. No instructions, not even a workbench, just experience.
There always seems to be a few bits left over, but how else would a bike shop stay in business, eh?

Saw a well stocked Specialized dealer in Bangalore a few weeks ago, didn’t get a chance to check out Mumbai while there unfortunately.