Slice of life: ‘I have seen cycling grow into adventure sport’

My father passed away when I was four. It was my mother who worked for long hours to make ends meet. In 1985, I came to Chennai from Nellore in search of a decent job. I worked at a tea shop where I’d wash glasses and serve customers. I always fancied buying a cycle. But I didn’t earn enough to buy one. In 1993, I landed a job in this shop called Balaji Cycles. I started with fixing chains, breaks and other parts of a bicyle. The place was a perfect training ground for me. 

Over the years, I have seen a shift in cycling trends. Earlier certain basic models from national brands were used to move around the city. Now people buy international brands for adventure sports. I have seen the cycling community grow. From weekend rides to Mahabalipuram to long rides across the country, cyclists are pushing bars. To do this they need a bike that they can trust. 

I now operate from Pro-bikers on OMR. Initially I only repaired the basic cycles but now I even work on sport cycles that start from the range of Rs 20,000 and go on upto Rs 2,00,000. One has to be very careful when it comes to dealing with such bikes. The owner of my store sent me to Taiwan for training in repairing high-end bikes. My customers say that I am the best and I have some celeb clients, who like their bikes to be fixed by me. I have always loved cycles and am lucky to be surrounded by them.