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I rode a bicycle after God knows when. Some kids were cycling around in my building compound and I got tempted by one of those MTBs. If I had a video camera around, I would have recorded a fat me clumsily getting on to the bicycle – I am sure I would have made it to that India’s Got Talent show.
Anyway, the point is after unsteadily getting on the bicycle and finding my feet, as it were, I began to take several rounds of the compound. What a liberating feeling. With barely any friction, noiseless, smooth and light, riding a bicycle again after so many years was a revelation. The cycle and the rider are one – in other words, the cycle becomes the extension of the rider’s body. The more you ride, the more you become one with the machine. The closest sensation of riding a bicycle is of course riding a motorcycle or a scooter, to an extent. But when it comes to most cars, the whole thing is completely deadened.
Not even a Ferrari or Lamborghini Superleggera can give you that feeling of oneness – they are all over-powerful (if one could say that!) and are built to go mighty fast than anything else. Nothing wrong with that, of course, it’s another thrill altogether. But it’s not the same thrill as driving a light, balanced and a basic machine.
Though I have not driven them, I am sure Caterhams, Lotus and Ariel cars are the closest that come to that motorcycle-like sensation. And a lot of classic cars manage to do that, and that’s simply because legislation governing safety and emissions were yet to catch up; the cars were light because they were unburdened by the law! So a classic first-generation E-Type is like a motorcycle on four wheels and so’s a post-war MG TC. But a modern-day Audi TT or a Mercedes-Benz SLK? No way.
The Porsche Cayman/Boxster are great when it comes to handling, but it’s the mid-engined layout that grants them this ‘being one with you’ feeling. On the other hand, the Nissan GT-R is a terrific driver’s car which is not over-engineered, but cleverly engineered. It is not exactly light, but weight has been carefully used.
But the one car that I have driven and gives you that feeling of oneness is the Mazda Miata. It is practical, useful yet super fun to drive. Not many of us would get a chance to drive these cars often, but the Miata is somewhat accessible – even if you get a chance to drive the first-generation model, don’t miss it for the world. It may look like a car for a wuss, but it’s one of the greatest cars on earth to drive. Its engine output is perfectly measured and adequate, the gearbox is super-snappy, the body is light and has terrific balance and the machine is one with you. It’s not just a great driver’s car; you can take a companion and luggage along, plus get weather protection too.
Wonder why more manufacturers can’t make cheap roadsters like these so that the whole world can enjoy them? Till then, motorcycles rule. And for the rest of us, there are always bicycles...
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