I am an active proponent of WBC…that is,Walk, Bus,Cycle…and avoid the car! Here’s an email I wrote today to the Bangalore Bikers’ (as in Bicyclers’) Club:

This morning, Nikhil called me up and said that a lady who was my namesake also wanted what I call a “workhorse” (as opposed to “sport”) cycle, and could she talk to me? I said yes, and she came over home. She wants a cycle to do her daily chores on, which is much the same purpose that I cycle for. I showed her my LRT ( TI Ladybird, with uncool basket and rear-view mirror….no fancy bells and whistles.) She rode it around a little. She too, like me, seems to enjoy cycling!

I am fairly sure she’s going to be getting herself a cycle..and I rejoice at the thought of another woman choosing to cycle over driving her car.

I want to share certain inputs that she gave me:

She is a little intimidated by what she calls the “high end” cycle and seemed to be comfortable with me and my LRT mainly because it is such “common-or-garden” variety of bicycle… the usage and the cycle both being non-cool, non-glamourous, and very utiliatirian. I told her that I ride wearing either trousers or salwar kameez. She also felt a little discomfort with “special cycling clothes”.

So I think that when you guys go out to meet people, if I can just come along and tell people that I cycle regularly without necessarily having a glamour quotient attached to it, who knows, maybe more women who feel that they cannnot afford high-end bicycles, will also take to the activity as a regular way of getting about!

The best thing was that she is introducing her daughter to birdwatching as well, so we sat for a couple of hours talking about birds, too! I have asked her to join the birdwatching egroup, too.

So thank you, , for putting her in touch with me. She left saying that she felt both comfortable and encouraged about buying a cycle...that's a very hopeful sign!