Century old English Raleigh bicycle to grace the roads of Kodungallur yet again

Thrissur: An English Raleigh bicycle, which is over 100 years old, is set to hit the rural roads of Kodungallur once again, after undergoing a series of repair works. The bike which was lying unused for the past decade following a brake failure, is now making a strong comeback, with a considerable makeover.

UT Premnath, a social worker in Kodungallur is the current owner of the century old Raleigh bicycle.   It was his grandfather Kochamman master who managed to bring the iconic bicycle into Kerala. At that time there were almost eight Raleigh cycles in Kodungallur. The bicycle was later on handed over to Premnath’s uncle UK Sachithanathan. 

At a time when there were no auto rickshaws or other facilities, Sachithananthan, who was a social worker, used to rally on the country roads of Kodungallur on the Raleigh cycle - the bicycle indeed has a great history behind it. Notably, all its contemporaries have vanished from the roads. 

Premnath had a tough time repairing the bicycle as he approached mechanics inside and outside the state until he met Mohanan, a cycle mechanic hailing from Thrissur. With his skillful hands, Mohanan restored the grandeur of the bicycle. The vehicle is expected to steal the limelight as it hits road, giving a tough competition to the modern day bicycles.