As a teenager, in 1970s Calcutta, my default mode of transport was a bicycle. To be specific, it was a stylish BSA SLR, inherited from an older cousin. Calcutta was a) a small city in physical area and b) it had overcrowded public transport and c) permanent traffic jams. I could actually travel faster and more comfortably on a cycle than on a bus or tram. Cycling was also one of the few activities, thoroughly approved of by my father and his generation. They all cycled.