Vintage bicycles, dating back to 1869, on display in Bengaluru

Ajewellery store is displaying vintage bicycles in Shivaji Nagar, the oldest being 154 years old.

C Vinod Hayagriv, managing director of C Krishniah Chetty & Sons, says the display is a tribute to the founder of the group, and also an attempt to remind viewers of the “old Bangalore charm”.

Among the seven bicycles on display are The Boneshaker (1869), Penny Farthing (1886), Hetchins Tandem (1930s), Rudge Whitworth Ltd (1940), and the BSA Airborne Paratrooper Bicycle (1944).

Vinod adds, “We are trying to locate the details of the other two bicycles. We haven’t been able to find their origin stories yet. We have written to various museums and associations to get more information.”

The bicycles belong to Dr Ravi Prakash, a city-based cardiothoracic surgeon, and his daughter Rupali Prakash.

“It’s a coincidence that we have a bike from 1869, our founding year. The Boneshaker as it is called refers to the first type of true bicycle with pedals, which was called Velocipede by its manufacturers, the Michaux family of Paris. The name refers to the extremely uncomfortable ride, caused by the stiff wrought-iron frame and wooden wheels with iron tyres,” he tells Metrolife.

Penny Farthing, also known as a ‘high wheel’ was the first machine to be called a ‘bicycle’, he shared.

The 1944 BSA Airborne Paratrooper is another interesting item on display. It was used by British troops during the Normandy Landings in 1944 and many other conflicts during World War II.

“Imagine gripping the 23 ½ pound contraption preparing to leap out of a plane into a war zone!” quips Vinod.

“The bicycles feel like an appropriate addition to the store, given our link with rare collectables,” he adds.

In 1869, founder Cotha Krishniah Chetty set out on the streets of Bengaluru on a bicycle, selling coloured beads to British residents, says Vinod.

An original collection of beads sold by the founder in 1869, a replica of the key to Russell Market from 1927, and a replica of a British medal of honour are among other vintage objects on display.

*On view till February 28, at C Krishniah Chetty & Sons, The Touchstone Building, Shivaji Nagar.