Jan 10th’ 2008, when the whole world was busy clicking the pictures of the world’s cheapest car , some people did miss out something, atleast, noteworthy.
So what do you think? $2500 for a bicycle or for a car? Decision is yours
.
Yeah , the firefox bicycles which come with a whopping price of $2500 equates the price of TATA wonder car - Nano.
The Autoexpo ( or TATA expo) showcased these high end bicycles named Madone 5.2, a pedal bicycle launched by India’s FireFox Bikes, claims that it can go where the world’s cheapest car, the Tata Nano cannot.
An official of firefoxbikes stated
Madone 5.2 can take you to places where the Nano cannot and with its 20 high-speed gears, it is much faster than the small wonder. Madone can notch up to 90 kilometres per hour (kmph) through its 20 high-speed gears
Also this made-to-order bike is a de-tuned version of seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong’s bike - Madone 6.5 SSL - and has a lifetime warranty on the carbon frame.
A picture worth a thousand words
I was wondering how TATA’s were able to achieve the whole car in One lakh , and here I got the answer. TATA nano is 3.1 metres long, 1.6 metres tall and 1.5 metres wide. The picture below will convey what you are gonna miss compared to another cars. Top speed of 75 mph comes to 120 km/hr. Well, on road might be less than 100 km/hr ??
If you are a technology enthusiast like me, I think you must read the interview of Ratan Tata, about the making of NANO.
Quoting a few sentences :
It was never meant to be a Rs1-lakh car; that happened by circumstance. I was interviewed by the [British newspaper] Financial Times at the Geneva Motor Show and I talked about this future product as a low-cost car. I was asked how much it would cost and I said about Rs1 lakh. The next day the Financial Times had a headline to the effect that the Tatas are to produce a Rs100,000 car. My immediate reaction was to issue a rebuttal, to clarify that that was not exactly what I had said. Then I thought, I did say it would be around that figure, so why don’t we just take that as a target. When I came back our people were aghast, but we had our goal.
Initially I had conceived a car made by engineering plastics and new materials, and using new technology like aerospace adhesives instead of welding. However, plastics didn’t lend themselves to the volumes we wanted because of the curing time required. Volumes mean the world in this context: if we produce this car and if it is for the wider base of the pyramid, we can’t settle for small numbers because then the purpose is defeated.
When we were planning facilities for the car and working out a business plan, the business plan shown to me was looking at a figure of 200,000. I said 200,000 cars is crazy. If we can do this we should be looking at a million cars a year, and if we can’t do a million then we shouldn’t be doing this kind of car at all.
Technology advancement of one country is not easy to digest
British and american media has fired 1000s of sarcastic remarks on this car. One being
5 people can sit in TATA’s car ……………………… without breathing
These are guys are doing nothing good, than publicizing the car even more, as Johnchow says , there is nothing called as bad press .
inspirational source : gulfnews
Liked the Post ?? Then why not Subscribe For latest Updates
Use promo code "TECFREROCKS" or "THE50DREAM" for $50 off on any hosting plan on DREAMHOST
The cycle specs are impressive, but i wonder how many people are going to use it.
Yes i agree there is nothing called bad press, i heard this first at Guy Kawasaki with reference to truemors
I dont think the Firefox bikes will find any users in India, although there are lot of criticism, it would be accepted finally because no manufacturer has done this effort. Cheers to Tata for this wonderful effort.
i would have loved the cycle if it could take atleast 2 :)…
the british…the aussies…they are all the same…
@ram yeah cycle specs are really impressive , with 90 km/hr it must be the first bike…
@nirmal , In india such costly bikes will have no use. I am wondering whether these can be used as race bicycles… ?? Tata has really done a great effort..I hope it works out .. unlike indica which had so many initial problem after it was out on roads.
@rajesh , me too .. riding a $2500 bicycle would have it own experience.
90KMS should be very good for by-cycles. But dont think nano can beat this spead.
@smackall,
I believe nano design is meant for city rides and in indian cities…even a bicycle would find no use for 90KMH…
and 90KMS as you mention will be a ride in an unbelievable vehicle
@smackall
You are right, nano wont be able to beat this .. and if at all somehow you try to make that happen , next day you have take it for servicing
@rajesh
at 90 km/hr .. that tooo on a bycycle , I dont want to imagine
@rajesh
90kms are usually bad for Indian roads anyway. And dont think about it in cities…
I was thinking about the efficiency, if a person who is capable of driving a hero cycle at max about 40kms can drive this cycle in 90kms, then this cycle should be amazing… Like if you get a car which runs in petrol and gives 50kms/ltr
@smackall , didnt get you. This cycle has 20 gears which enable you to drive that fast. So with a small effort 90km/hr wont be a difficult target to achive. The cost must be having something related to this.
@Kanak
ok, here I am… If a normal person can achieve that speed with this bycycle, then its something like getting a care which will give 50km/ltr petrol.
Just imagine if I buy this cycle for my grandpa at my native… haha… he only knows driving cycle… would be a gud gift for him…
@smackll , got ya .
.. Hey if you are able to afford it , then it could be the best gift . Anyways , your grandpa will need some practise as this consist of gears 
.. that too 20 .
Well, for Indian conditions I think it would be better to do a further research on bicycles to improve the ergonomics.I live in Kolkatta and always wonder why despite our much touted advance in several fields , we have not been able to bring technology to the ordinary people.An improvement in the cyccle rickshaws will provide jobs for the ordinary Indian , will not wear out his knees and ankle joints and will prevent pollution in the cities.Come to think of the oil which we can save and the profit and the improvements on the foriegn currency reserve!!!
@Dr. Pramod , very well said and very thought provoking too. But considering the cost, it will be highly difficult for a guy owning a rickshaw to shift to such costly alternative. May be either govt should try to sponser for the betterment of Indian workers.