The Oldest Bicycle Stores of Chennai

The first bicycle, without pedals, was invented by Karl Drais in Germany in 1817 CE. "The Daily News", a newspaper from England, used the word "bicycle" for the first time to define these two-wheeled vehicles in 1868 CE. Many developments and design changes were done on the bi-cycles in all these years. 

When did India get its first bicycle? The Britishers brought bi-cycles in the 1880s. And, our Madras got its first bicycle shop in 1920s. The English Cycle & Motor Importing Company was perhaps the first shop that got started in the 1920s. 

C.T. Shah and N.D. Mehta, who belonged to the Gujarati families who migrated to Madras in the early 1900s, started the Popular Cycle Importing Company in Broadway in George Town locality in 1928. 

The shop does not exist today. However, one of the founders, N.D. Mehta started another shop named "Best Cycle Importing Company" in the early 1930s, which still exists. 

There is a similar story. Bhogilal M. Davey's family too moved from Gujarat to Madras in the early 1900s. He started a cycle shop in Bunder Street in the same locality in 1932. In 1936, the shop was shifted next door to the Best Cycle shop. 

There were a few other bicycle stores located on Broadway, which were started between the 1930s to 1940s. The Bombay Cycle Importing Company was located near the famous Ambi's Cafe on Broadway. At one point, it was probably the biggest bicycle store in South India. Next door, there was the South India Cycle store. Nataraja Mudaliar who produced the first silent movie "Keechaka Vadam" had his own shop, Watson and Co. Manilal Nemchand & Co and The Kathiavar Cycle & Motor Co were other few cycle stores. Unfortunately, they do not exist anymore.

Now, both neighboring shops, B.M. Davey & Co. and Best Cycle Importing Co, remain Madras's oldest surviving cycle shops. 

Happy travelling.