Till three months back I was cycling almost daily. Almost, because my 'daily' translates into 3 times a week to work. Then it happened - the seat nut refused to take my abuse and it snapped - not once, but twice. When it happened first time, I was happy - confident that new nut makes me safe for almost next one year, but it didn't take 15 days or 10 rides to happen it again. It is dangerous if not just bad when you are riding on a busy road. So, I was made to shun this healthy practice of cycling to work by myself, and by my family as well. I had to start an on-line hunt for a perfect solution - perfect, as well as inexpensive. Finally, I found not a solution, but a temporary "jugad" that I could just use a steel nut which I may get for 10 bucks from local hardware shop, but still I lacked faith on this mechanical contraption. It was 3 months that I mustered enough courage to be back on the road - I rode to work this morning.
Today it was like first time again - except the fact that I knew the distance, the effort it takes, and I was familiar with the terrain, road and was fairly confident that my workplace is not that far. But it was tough - 3 months were enough to make me lazy. I was expecting a cool breeze in my hair kind of feeling, but instead it was slow and unsteady me, constantly huffing and puffing, who almost felt at times that it is not possible. But yes, I did it, would do it again in the evening, and in the coming days as well.
PS - It took around an hour and 10 minutes for me to cover 13.8km. It was not time - I would have saved at the most 15 minutes had I been cycling constantly from past 3 months - but it was the effort which I felt that it took too much this time.
PS-II - My on-line buddies form BBC - the Bangalore Bicycling Club, a Google Group - have told me tha it is a fairly common problem with my riding machine - a Herculeus Act Rider 110. It is a design defect and happens to the most of cycles. Even the manufacturing company acknowledges it and if you go to some designated dealers, they do provide you a replacement. But having said that none of them said that they will buy anything again from Herculus.....I can understand that- when a monstrous bus trying to touch your backside on road - it doesn't take seconds for brand-loyalty to vanish in such cases - replacement or no-replacement, Indian-brand or foreign brand - it is better to shun the sub-standard items / companies like these.
