A Hero's Diary
The first time I saw (or even heard of) the Hero Jet bicycle was at an Indian Cash and carry. I stopped in for a sack of rice but was confronted with an army of black iron bicycles instead.
I was enthralled. The size was the first thing I noticed. They were a little bigger than the typical american bike. Not much, but enough to notice.
Then I saw the rod and lever actuated brakes. No cables here - if there's a heavier way to clamp two pieces of rubber onto a bike rim, I can't imagine it. There was no screwing around here. These brakes were all steel. Pushrods and pivots, locknuts and levers. No games. Then I looked at the frame. All steel. I doubt it was even chromalloy, no this was dead soft mild steel. The luggage rack was next. wrought iron, no less, sitting above the rear wheel begging to be loaded with burlap sacks of rice and bins of paneer. Even the stand on this thing meant business: no whimpy kickstand, this bike doesn't lean over, it sits up straight and proud on a twenty eight pound welded steel centerstand that stuck out behind the rear wheel.I told myself then and there that if I were to ever go and buy a bicycle, this would be the one.
That night my dreams were filled with visions of pedaling through the crowded streets of Ludhiana, perched high atop a two hundred pound steel throwback to the engineering of the second world war.
I wanted that bike.
The next two days I was driven to distraction thinking up ways to justify the purchase to my wife. I need more exercise? Spend some quality time with the kids? Give the neighbors a reason to laugh at me?
I reasoned that if she saw the bike in the flesh, she'd understand why I wanted it so bad. She'd maybe even encourage me to get one. Maybe she'd get as caught up in the romance and mystery as I did and want one for herself? The first step was to get her in front of one. So we packed the family in the car and took a trip to the Subzi Cash and Carry for a date with destiny.
We walked in and I casually strolled over to the twenty or so bicycles all lined up side by side, standing tall on their flat tires and wrought iron center stands. Wrapped in strips of cardboard and packaging tape. "Is this really what you want?"
"Yes," I replied. Perhaps a little saliva was escaping my mouth at that point.
"If you're sure, go ahead and get one I guess. I'm going to go buy some vegetables"
She couldn't contain her entheusiasm. She wanted me to have one and it was burning her up inside that there were no womens' models for sale. She was trying to play it off, but I knew better.
I was enthralled. The size was the first thing I noticed. They were a little bigger than the typical american bike. Not much, but enough to notice.
Then I saw the rod and lever actuated brakes. No cables here - if there's a heavier way to clamp two pieces of rubber onto a bike rim, I can't imagine it. There was no screwing around here. These brakes were all steel. Pushrods and pivots, locknuts and levers. No games. Then I looked at the frame. All steel. I doubt it was even chromalloy, no this was dead soft mild steel. The luggage rack was next. wrought iron, no less, sitting above the rear wheel begging to be loaded with burlap sacks of rice and bins of paneer. Even the stand on this thing meant business: no whimpy kickstand, this bike doesn't lean over, it sits up straight and proud on a twenty eight pound welded steel centerstand that stuck out behind the rear wheel.I told myself then and there that if I were to ever go and buy a bicycle, this would be the one.
That night my dreams were filled with visions of pedaling through the crowded streets of Ludhiana, perched high atop a two hundred pound steel throwback to the engineering of the second world war.
I wanted that bike.
The next two days I was driven to distraction thinking up ways to justify the purchase to my wife. I need more exercise? Spend some quality time with the kids? Give the neighbors a reason to laugh at me?
I reasoned that if she saw the bike in the flesh, she'd understand why I wanted it so bad. She'd maybe even encourage me to get one. Maybe she'd get as caught up in the romance and mystery as I did and want one for herself? The first step was to get her in front of one. So we packed the family in the car and took a trip to the Subzi Cash and Carry for a date with destiny.
We walked in and I casually strolled over to the twenty or so bicycles all lined up side by side, standing tall on their flat tires and wrought iron center stands. Wrapped in strips of cardboard and packaging tape. "Is this really what you want?"
"Yes," I replied. Perhaps a little saliva was escaping my mouth at that point.
"If you're sure, go ahead and get one I guess. I'm going to go buy some vegetables"
She couldn't contain her entheusiasm. She wanted me to have one and it was burning her up inside that there were no womens' models for sale. She was trying to play it off, but I knew better.
When I told the guy at the counter that I was interested in one of the bikes, he seemed a little surprised, but was otherwise polite and helpful. He showed ma some of the features that I had overlooked... the integral rear wheel lock, the single speed chain drive, the sprung seat, the inner tubes that had basketball inflators. This guy loved these bikes the way I knew I would.
I picked out the one I wanted, based mostly on which one had the straightest fenders, laid out my money and off I went, gingerly rolling my new love out to the car, flat tires and all.
Once home, the unwrapping began. Hundreds of pieces of cardboard and packaging tape surrounded the various frame tubes. Shrink wrap everywhere. Most bikes require amaybe a screwdriver and some 10 and 14mm wrenches to get them ready to ride, this one required a utility knife and a scisors.
And an air pump.
Yes, the tires were flat as boards, and required an inflating nozzle from a basketball to get them pumped up. No bullshit schroeder valves here, this bike was built to be maintained on a shoestring budget with duct tape and a hammer.
I was in love.
I picked out the one I wanted, based mostly on which one had the straightest fenders, laid out my money and off I went, gingerly rolling my new love out to the car, flat tires and all.
Once home, the unwrapping began. Hundreds of pieces of cardboard and packaging tape surrounded the various frame tubes. Shrink wrap everywhere. Most bikes require amaybe a screwdriver and some 10 and 14mm wrenches to get them ready to ride, this one required a utility knife and a scisors.
And an air pump.
Yes, the tires were flat as boards, and required an inflating nozzle from a basketball to get them pumped up. No bullshit schroeder valves here, this bike was built to be maintained on a shoestring budget with duct tape and a hammer.
I was in love.
First Ride
First impression: this bike is BIG.
Tall, heavy, solid.
The handlebars fealt awkward at first, kind of a strange angle. Plus the grips are inexplicably small. Way out of scale for a bike this size. Then the brakes: the good news is that they work, anything past that is secondary, really. The lever feel is a little strange, but very functional; the pushrod actuation works well without any fuss, which is more than I can say for a lot of more conventional bikes on the market today. The brake pads contact the inside diameter of the rim, not the edges as is more common. As such they are MUCH more sensitive to the roundness of the rim. Any eccentricity and the brakes pulse and pull badly.
The single sprocket ratio is good for getting going, but a little limiting on the top end. For what it is though, it's just about right.
After going a few feet I noticed a lot of noise coming out of the rear end. Turns out the fender was way off center and was rubbing the wheel. Not a big deal, I just moved the mounting bracket a little and retightened it, While I was at it, I checked the frnt fender as well. It was a little off center, but not too bad.
Handling wise the bike is, uhmm, fine. It's not a racer, nor a mountain bike. The most accurate (or perhaps charitable)comparison would be with one of the 'cruiser' bikes on the market. I haven't ridden any of those so until I do, all I can say is: It's Okay for a 50 pound bike.
The center stand is awkward, but very functional. The locking feature is a necessity; it's all too easy for the bike to 'roll' off it's stand if not locked in position.
Overall the bike IS very fun to ride. The awkwardness and strange proportions are all part of the personality of the machine, as are all of the stickers.
I'll be changing a lot on this bike. Stay tuned!
First impression: this bike is BIG.
Tall, heavy, solid.
The handlebars fealt awkward at first, kind of a strange angle. Plus the grips are inexplicably small. Way out of scale for a bike this size. Then the brakes: the good news is that they work, anything past that is secondary, really. The lever feel is a little strange, but very functional; the pushrod actuation works well without any fuss, which is more than I can say for a lot of more conventional bikes on the market today. The brake pads contact the inside diameter of the rim, not the edges as is more common. As such they are MUCH more sensitive to the roundness of the rim. Any eccentricity and the brakes pulse and pull badly.
The single sprocket ratio is good for getting going, but a little limiting on the top end. For what it is though, it's just about right.
After going a few feet I noticed a lot of noise coming out of the rear end. Turns out the fender was way off center and was rubbing the wheel. Not a big deal, I just moved the mounting bracket a little and retightened it, While I was at it, I checked the frnt fender as well. It was a little off center, but not too bad.
Handling wise the bike is, uhmm, fine. It's not a racer, nor a mountain bike. The most accurate (or perhaps charitable)comparison would be with one of the 'cruiser' bikes on the market. I haven't ridden any of those so until I do, all I can say is: It's Okay for a 50 pound bike.
The center stand is awkward, but very functional. The locking feature is a necessity; it's all too easy for the bike to 'roll' off it's stand if not locked in position.
Overall the bike IS very fun to ride. The awkwardness and strange proportions are all part of the personality of the machine, as are all of the stickers.
I'll be changing a lot on this bike. Stay tuned!
