An Indian Hero?

Tuesday, 22 January 2013

I like bicycles and every time I go to India I contemplate bringing back a Hero bicycle. It could join my small (just three bikes) collection in Australia or my London bicycle – which I rode London-Paris a couple of years ago. Although in London I’m often out on Boris bikes.

Hero are the big Indian bike manufacturer, they also make Hero Honda motorcycles, but it’s the absolutely traditional Hero bikes I admire. Solid, steel, any-colour-you-like-as-long-as-it’s-black, old fashioned rod-operated brakes. I dropped in to a bike shop near our Jodhpur hotel and priced them – ride away on a new Hero Jet for 3000 rupees, say US$60. ‘Ready to go, complete with stand, lock and rear carrier.’ One day when I’m flying straight home from India I’ll take one with me.