Vintage vignettes on two wheels

CHENNAI: On a sultry Thursday noon, a ‘kring-kring’ at varying decibels welcomes us into Prabhakar V’s residence in Anna Nagar. Over 22 vintage bicycles are parked at the verandah. ‘Check the seat position, adjust the brake, look into the chain stay’... Prabhakar instructs the three helpers who are busy oiling and servicing the different parts of the cycles under his watchful eyes. “Thirty years of hard work and passion. I bring out my collection once a while from the garage and ensure they’re well-maintained so that they remain for a lifetime,” he shares. 

Pedalling into the past
Prabhakar’s craze for bicycles began in childhood. “My first cycle was a Humber gifted to me by my dad. It was called the gentleman’s cycle and I used to ride it to school. Unfortunately, somebody borrowed it and it went missing. Then, I again bought the same cycle. As a sentiment, I went on a cycle to my first day of work. The charm continues,” he beams, while looking at the BSA Airborne Cycle — a prized possession — from the 1940s and manufactured by the Birmingham Small Arms Company.

“These bicycles weighed around five kg and travelled with paratroopers on airplanes in war zones. When the soldiers jumped off the planes in parachutes, the bicycles were dropped down with the help of smaller tailor-made parachutes; in a way that the handlebars hit the ground first. Soldiers would carry it and run on all terrains. It came even with tool kits so that repairs could be fixed instantly and was manufactured exclusively for military use,” narrates Prabhakar, while folding the bicycle into two halves, demonstrating its purpose and flexibility. 

This cycle is just one among his many best bets from several scrap shops across the country, and some even from abroad. Pointing at another treasure from the lot, he explains, “The high-wheeler you see is a Penny-Farthing bicycle. It’s also called a bone rattler because once you slip from the seat, your skull will break into pieces. Imagine, there were people who dared to ride it.

Post-independence, Indians manufactured Raleigh cycles and it was given to servicemen of those days. But not much information is available on the Internet to completely understand the history of bicycle manufacturing in our country.” Besides this, he owns Rudge Whitworth 1950, Humber Sports 1955, BSA Roadster 1950, and Raleigh Roadster 1950 among others. The cycles have some of the finest brake hubs, dynamos, oil lamps, drum brakes on wheels, and steel handgrips. 

The cycle of change
“From the paint to the parts, everything you see is original but for the tire tubes and stands. Even the oil lamps burn to date. Spare parts are picked up from shops. Some are imported for dollars. It’s an expensive hobby. I was surprised to find cycles of those days that even had automatic gears. They were of great quality and stood the test of time but that’s not the case with the lightweight, fancy cycles of today. Splitting and selling parts of the cycle fetch more money. Higher the metal rate, the higher the price of the cycle. So it’s hard to find complete cycles,” explains Prabhakar, a member of the Madras Vintage Bicycle Club that was started a few months back.

As part of this, cycle collectors from the city host exhibitions to educate people on the evolution of bicycles. Apart from bicycles, Prabhakar has an enviable assortment of tool kits and saddle bags of different cycle models, repair manuals, bicycle licenses, danger lights used during the war, bells, and kids’ tricycles. “The cycles used by soldiers in war zones had dynamo cycle lights that would turn red in areas of danger.”

While it may be common to witness a vintage car or bike exhibition, the fact that bicycles too revolutionised transportation must be reiterated, he insists. “There are many like-minded enthusiasts who’ve restored cycles that otherwise would’ve made it to the scrap heap. Back then, we also had a good number of markets and dealers to get these spare parts from. It’s becoming tougher by day. All of us are doing our best in preserving them for posterity,” he assures.

An avid artifact collector, he has copies of the New India daily dating back to mid-1915, vintage 8mm cameras and dip pens, ivory strikers, pawns and coins, betel nut chopper, perfumes, coffee grinder, meat mincer, and ink tablets and boxes. All of them are neatly stacked in his storeroom. “I have Sachin Tendulkar’s limited edition pens and I’m one among 1,000 buyers across the world who own it. People who know me and have seen my collections have been asking for it. However, I don’t intend to sell any of them. Every piece has a story and was procured with difficulty. Some came to me by luck from well-wishers. Luckily, my daughter Moksheetha has shown interest. She even displayed my coin collection at her school exhibition. I’m counting on her to keep this legacy alive,” he sums up.