Do you remember the time when anything Goan was cool, getting drunk was fashionable, and chicks smoking cigarettes were considered rebellious. Those were the days in times when Guitar ruled as the ultimate symbol of ‘coolness’. A vice that made everything in its vicinity revered and mortal holding it was considered as wise as the hippie. Every second TV ad, a baggy film hero and the next-door dude with crooked teeth would parade around with a guitar on the shoulder even though he could only play ‘happy birthday’ on it. It was the quintessential prop of pop, a vice of Venus (not Williams, the love goddess), and the axe of … slash (guns n’ roses).
But gone are those loony days of dudes, these are the times for the chick brethren of manicured bros. Goa is passé and nobody mature bloody gets drunk. Instead every lad and every lady smoke-up like they were given shots of ganja as children.
But some new I n f o r m a t I o n has come to light Dude… bro… the millions of millennial have found a new mojo of ‘O!someness ‘ – ‘The cycle’, it is back from the dead in a whole new avatar. Though I loved the old velocipede designs, it made a statement. The modern multi-geared, terrain specific cycle has become the wheels of the wise, the every gully start-up generation and the adventure seeker with a Viking beard and a monthly pass to LEH.
This generation lives for experiences and to be seen with an eco-friendly, bodacious object worthy of 50 facebook is having lived a purposeful life.
The super intelligent brands want to target these customers and don’t mind associating with any number of inane objects as long it helps them sell.
And because we Indians love the phirangi style so much we incorporate them before blinking twice.
Exhibit A: A financial company in association with a English new channel ad marketing online content/ on ground experience that will attract customers towards their financial services.
Exhibit B: John players overdoing it with the violin and a yellow cycle.
Exhibit C: A film poster design with certain familiar art props.
All this showoff is well and good but it’s more like a hyped political campaign talking about having found the ocean of pure water, when the reality is flooded with droughts and farmer suicides.
We have all the major cycle brands from across the world, but hardly any roads to ride. There is no driving ethics and only a handful of people can ride to work because in the space crunched offices there isn’t room for a fully functional shower. Another biggest problem is security of these expensive cycles. The malls and offices do not want to invest in providing cycle stands. That’s the reason these beautiful vehicles breathing freedom are locked inside confided houses and buildings most of the time. They are taken for rides only early in the morning or very late in the night or on weekends.
Having said that the wheels are turning for sure. Cycles have made way to India. And we are more in numbers than cycling capitals Amsterdam, Sweden. There is a need for a revolution – cyclolution. It’s time to change the gear.
rajikhatri 