How to travel light

[Dayvo]

Just seen a mate's entry on facebook.

He's a cyclist, too, and is spending his winter in Goa (India) and I'll be meeting up with him in January.

Whilst out on a ride yesterday, he encountered an Indian fella who's cycling 4,500 km around India for his cause - Ride bicycle save earth - on this bike and NO gears! He manages 100 km+/- a day, which is mightily impressive given the quality of the roads, lots of long steep hills, and a very low standard of driving by all road users, not to mention the heat.

 

[ianrauk]

Fair play to him. That looks a fair old hefty bike too.

 

[mmmmartin]

Chapeau - my only comment would be that his bike looks absolutely ideal for such a venture. Strong frame, easy to fix. Parts can be found all over India.

 

[Dayvo]

Chapeau - my only comment would be that his bike looks absolutely ideal for such a venture. Strong frame, easy to fix. Parts can be found all over India.

That's correct. In almost every town and village there's a motorcycle sales and repair shop (known as Two Wheeler shops) and the mechanics are highly efficient at fixing virtually everything made out of metal.

 

[mjr]

Good lad.....I'd have to get off and push it up every hill I came to.

Only the uphills?

 

[steveindenmark]

Big heavy bikes and Royal Enfields. It sounds like heaven.

 

[greekonabike]

That bike came from the factory with two rolls of duct tape and a pack of cable ties. I don't suppose you found out what the writing on the side pannier says.

GOAB

 

[Gravity Aided]

That's correct. In almost every town and village there's a motorcycle sales and repair shop (known as Two Wheeler shops) and the mechanics are highly efficient at fixing virtually everything made out of metal.

Sounds like the States, almost any settlement or village has an agricultural welding shop or a motorcycle dealership or a radiator repair place that has the capacity to fix bicycles. But most folks just get a different bike. I'm getting to a radiator shop after the holidays as I need a new dropout brazed into an Olmo I got after the damage was done.