The power of the people... literally

We're in the US for a couple of years longer, but I've already started closely watching happenings in the hometown. I'm excited to see the development of a cycling community in Bangalore: groups of people who cycle to work, or go on biking trips out of town.

Some of these are even forming loose advocacy groups, trying to change the perception of cycling, or lobbying for bike lanes and parking stands.

Cycling in India is largely seen as something done by people too young or too poor to own motorised transport. On India's city streets, the vast majority of cycles are single-speed designs from the 1940s that are ridden for business - rarely for exercise or recreation.

In recent years, more of these have been replaced by motorised two-wheelers, and cycles are acquiring an aura of being from a bygone era.

As a result, many bicycle commuters (often wealthy IT workers) report being asked by concerned office guards if they aren't paid enough to buy themselves cars.

They are sometimes sneered at by colleagues, and finding safe parking spots is always difficult - not just to guard against theft, but against people curious about gear shifters and quick-release wheels.

And while you might see affluent older people playing tennis or jogging in the park, you rarely see them on bicycles.

Most don't get on a bicycle again after their teens (except for five minutes in the middle when they take their teenager's new bike for a spin), and some would be deeply embarrassed to be seen doing so.

Traffic is now so bad in most cities, the media has shown great interest in white-collar workers who commute by bicycle. These riders report that it takes them far less time on a cycle than in a car, and slightly less or the same amount of time than on a motorcycle.

Today, the 18km drive into town from our house just outside Bangalore takes about 80 minutes at rush hour. When I left Bangalore eight years ago it took 40 minutes, and when I was a child, it took 20 minutes.

You can see why it's so tempting to get out of the car and leave that honking, smoking mess behind. Even with the fumes (some cyclists wear masks), I'd choose an hour of cycling over an hour of operating a perfectly nice car in first gear and second gear alone.

Rohan Kini and Nikhil Eldurkar must feel the same way. When Rohan, a computer science engineer, and Nikhil, a mechanical engineer, wanted to buy good bicycles in Bangalore, they found so little passion and so much bad advice that they decided to open their own shop.

'Bums on the Saddle' operates by appointment on Saturdays, and sells UK-designed, Indian brand Firefox, and Trek -the US brand Lance Armstrong rides.

Selling cycles that cost over Rs20,000 (Dh1,670) in a market that expects them to be less than Rs5,000 (Dh425) is challenging work. But these guys are not in it for the money. They look at each bike sold as one more convert on the streets, one more advocate on a saddle.

Developed radially

Bangalore is a relatively small city and has developed radially, so it is the ideal place in which to promote an active cycling culture.

I say "active" because I'm thinking of Raju the postman who has cycled around for years, and dreams about buying a motorcycle and resting his aching knees. What do you say to him?

It's probably best to say nothing, and in a few years, when cycling becomes something only very rich people do, he'll dust off his ancient Hero Jet and cycle proudly to work... by choice.

Gautam Raja is a journalist based in the US.