Yesterday's ride

A French couple in Puducherry customise the humble Indian bicycle to give it a vintage feel. The author talks to the designer duo

Fiona Guerra and Idriss Madir both hail from France, but it was in Alleppey, Kerala, that they first met and fell in love over their shared passion for travelling and cycling. Guerra used to cycle to work back home, while Madir was a cycling enthusiast, regularly cycling over weekends. Once the duo landed up in quaint Puducherry in 2012, it wasn’t long before their love for the bicycle caught up with them. They named their concept My Vintage Bicylette.

While Harley “Hoggers” and automobile junkies rule the roost in most metropolitan cities, the French pair’s service is intended to help people rediscover their love for cycling. My Vintage Bicylette lets you have your pick from a completely personalised new cycle to a charmingly re-hauled second-hand one, depending on your need and budget. You can even order accessories ranging from hand-stitched leather saddles and seats to leather grips for handlebars , whimsical locks and colourful cycle bells. Within their collection, there is an electric blue and orange combination, a parrot green and sunshine yellow combination and a particularly attractive bubblegum pink and blue ride with its own vintage horn bell. Guerra and Madir speak to each customer about the customisation so that he or she gets a product that bears a signature style.

The two saw no reason to import bicycles as the vintage Indian bicycle is “light, yet sturdy with good mechanics”. They don’t have a workshop but work in collaboration with some local artists. “We design the cycle on our computers, and offer pre-visuals before the order is placed,” says Guerra. Depending on the individual customer’s request, they buy a new cycle or pick a second hand one from cycle shops, change the parts that need to be changed and then add the colours and accessories. “There is a leather craftsman who does the seats and grips, a body car painter as well as an artist to hand-paint the cycle in specific designs. So in total, five of us work together to create a unique vintage product.”

Most of their design inspiration comes from within the country itself, be it a hand-painted Ganesha bell, the festive marigold-inspired seat and paisley embroidered saddle, or the intricate detailing in the sky blue coloured pedals. All their accessories are up for sale at the Tadpole online store, but prices for the bikes can only be obtained on request — they come for between Rs 5,000 and Rs 20,000.

Guerra and Madir also arrange vintage cycle tours around town in collaboration with a local cultural centre. “Pondicherry is a very cycle-friendly city, it’s very enjoyable to cycle here with the calm and flat roads, the green and quiet surroundings,” say the two. Having sold around 25 bicycles since they started business last year, they say the customers range from people who aren’t serious pedalers but are drawn to the pop colours and quirky designs to cycle geeks who seem to know exactly what they want. “We’ve seen brightly coloured, retro bikes with eye-catching designs all over the world. We wanted to bring them here to India,” conclude the two.

Check out their collection at www.myvintagebicyclette.com