The monsoon this year has been pretty intense in Bombay. While most of the important roads are concrete, there are still enough left for the rains to wreak havoc on. Yesterday two of us went riding and took a route we had not ridden for a couple of months. The road was about three kilometres of potholes.

But that said, road conditions are a lot better nowadays which is why I can ride a regular road bike. I have a Gios steel bike. The photograph is a little old and a little big- sorry if it bothers with opening the page.


I also ride an Olmo road bike, converted to fixed gear.

Human powered rickshaws are not used in Bombay, but then we have the motorised version, called the auto rickshaw or the auto, and these can make life hell for any road user, particular the car driver. These autos are not very fast moving, and have trouble rushing past you when you are riding at a fair pace. Not the big red buses though. With us, it has become second nature to keep a watch for bus stops that we approach, and listen over the sound of other vehicles, for the sound of the approaching bus. These bus drivers terrorise other cars- cyclists are fly-**** on the map.