For the last five years, cycling enthusiasts Anthony Fernandes and Kunal Sutar, residents of Andheri, have collected old bicycles, refurbished them and sold them at nominal prices to people who cannot afford to buy a new one.
'Cycle Revolution'
With their service, Fernandes and Sutar are not only providing a cheap transportation option for low-income professionals and students but are also helping popularise non-motorised and environmentally-clean commutes in urban centres.
The two, who also run a cycle retail and repairing centre by the name ‘Cycle Revolution’ in Amboli, have sold over 100 repaired and refurbished cycles as part of their community service. “The whole idea is not to allow cycles to go as junk. Not everybody can afford a cycle that costs Rs7,000, especially delivery men, security staff, and students from municipal schools,” said Fernandes.
Repaired cycles sold at subsidised rates
Repaired cycles are sold at subsidised prices ranging between Rs 250 and Rs 2,500. The service is run under the same name as the retailing business. While Fernandes travels across the city, collecting donated vehicles, Sutar works with potential beneficiaries, including corporate companies that work with groups that can benefit from a bicycle donation.
“I collect bicycles by auto-rickshaw, train, or by other modes. The nominal pricing of the cycles takes care of my costs,” said Fernandes, who repairs and outfits them at the retail facility. Cycles that cannot be repaired are broken down and used for spare parts. Sutar said beneficiaries are either institutions like schools or persons in need, such as children in tribal villages. Sometimes, corporates sponsor large donations. One such project involved donation of nearly 50 cycles to children of brick-kiln workers in Vasai. Ketaki Mahadik, a student of pharmacy from Ghatkopar, received a refurbished cycle from Cycle Revolution a year ago. “The pedals move smoothly. What impressed me most was the affordability. I got high-quality fitness equipment at a fraction of the cost,” said Mahadik.
Office-goers prefer cycling
Fernandes said that cycling has picked up in the city after the Covid-19 pandemic, with some office-goers preferring it to commuting by public transport or cars and motorcycles. Before he started the retailing business, he worked at a call-centre and traveled 8km to work from his home in Marol to Malad by cycle.
Sutar, who works with a financial company, uses a bicycle to complete the last leg of his commute from home in Andheri to office in Colaba. He parks his cycle at Churchgate station before taking a train to Andheri.
