Bikes

There are very few cars here in Koraput.  Most people walk to wherever they need to go and there are many motorbikes and bicycles.  I spotted a small boy on a very big pushbike a few days ago and wished I'd had my camera to hand.  He was probably around 7-8 years old and was riding a large, adult sized bike with a crossbar.  His legs were too short for him to be able to sit on the seat and reach the pedals - I reckon his feet would have been suspended about a foot above the pedals.  So how was he riding it?  His left foot was on the left pedal, as you might expect.  His right leg was thrust underneath the crossbar, through the frame to the reach right pedal at a sideways angle.  He was leaning his body out around 45 degrees to the left and had the bike at a similar angle leaning to the right to counterbalance his weight.  He was bombing at full speed down the hills, weaving round the holes, dogs, cows and people then pumping away at the pedals to ride up the hill on the other side of the stream.  Who said you need to make sure your bike is the right size?

A few days later I saw a man on a bike carrying a second full-size bike.  He was slowly pedalling along the same road where I'd seen the boy with the spare bike strapped sideways onto the back of his bike, making his load as wide as the rickshaws also weaving through the road users.  I must learn to carry my camera with me at all times.