On June 5, a motley group comprising a cab driver, an artist, a security guard, an agriculturist, a banker and a few retired professionals assembled at a house in Anna Nagar West to celebrate the bicycle: It was a display of vintage and classic bicycles. Some of participants worked the vintage and classic pedals while heading to the venue just to illustrate these machines are sturdy and built to outlive generations of people.
They are members of Madras Vintage Bicycle Club that held its first in-person meeting-cum-exhibition after a two-year hiatus caused by the pandemic.
Nostalgia is not the sole binding factor for this group, but also the knowledge required to keep these pedals moving.
And many of these cycles are familiar with what it takes to commute to work in these times.
Ten days in a month, N Sachidanandam, working as a security personnel, pedals a 22-inch Humber, 48 kilometres each way, between his workplace in Poes Garden and his home in Thiruchendur. On the way, he and his Humber lap up the generous attention that comes their way. “Some take pictures of my bicycle,” he says with pride.
At home though, his hobby hardly draws any brownie points, only arguments.
He believes the cycle has a lot to do with the fact that at 56, he does not have hypertension or diabetes.
Driver V Jothiramalingam says wherever he goes, he is on the lookout for old spare parts for his Rally, Humber and Robin Hood, hand-me-downs from his father.
“It is not easy to find these spare parts in the city, and networking with vintage bicycle lovers helps,” says Jothiramalingam.
The Humber, he says, is what he often uses while shopping in and around his house in T Nagar.
T Rajendhiran, who retired from Heavy Vehicles Factory in Avadi, reveals that he has two rooms in his house dedicated to his vintage bicycles, which number around 10. Rudge-Whitworth brand of 20, 22 and 24 inches are his favourite.
Banker Naveen Narayanan unwraps the exciting aspect of owning a vintage bicycle.
“To find information about the bicycle, you browse websites and contact the company, if it still exists,” says Naveen, who has 20 vintage bicycles including two children’s bicycle of 1890 and 1910.
RR Rajan, a Tanjore artist based in Villivakkam, says: “Most of the heritage bicycles are more than 20 kilos but unlike the modern bicycles, they do not wobble.”
Since the Club was established in 2018, it has not had any new members.
V Prabhakar, who cobbled together this group, says they are clear that one should own a bicycle older than 1970. “Besides, one needs to have real passion for such bicycles to be part of the Club; we are quite selective about who joins the group,” says Prabhakar, a businessman and resident of Anna Nagar. A mechanic in his 70s is also part of the meetings and he is the go-to person for repairs.
The Club members plan to have a meeting next month.
