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Name: Swasti Khuntia (India, Department of Electrical Sustainable Energy, PhD Student)
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Price: 320 Euros
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Brand: Umit
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Striking Feature: Matte finish and black rims
The first day in Delft for Indian native Swasti Khuntia turned out to be a bit of an adventure. That morning he set out with a housing agent on a borrowed bike to the city centre to see an apartment. “The bike looked like the bikes we have in India,” said Khuntia, “but I figured out late that it doesn’t have the brakes on the handles.” He tried to stop by using his feet, and ran into another cyclist in the process of rounding a corner. Luckily nobody was injured in the incident and he quickly learned how to use pedal brakes.
That very same day Khuntia visited a local shop to start the search for his own bike. The very first bike he tried was the one he ended up buying, but not until nearly three weeks later. He explained that money was tight in the beginning with all of his relocation expenses and he wanted to compare different bikes and prices. In the end Khuntia found that the Turkish made Umit mountain bike was a good value compared to other similar bikes with Shimano gears. He proudly describes his ride as an all aluminum bike with black matte finish, black rims and a light-weight frame. “I get pretty nice comments that it looks great,” stated Khuntia, who is very happy with his first investment so far.
Khuntia mainly uses the bike for commuting to the university and around Delft, but occasionally takes it for longer rides to the beach at Scheveningen. He said that he had a mountain bike back in his home state of Odisha, which is located on the east coast of India. He used it regularly for getting around, but explained that cycling is much different in India as compared to the Netherlands. “Usually, most people enjoy cycling as a student, but not after becoming an adult unless it is needed,” he said. “Here, everyone seems to enjoy riding bicycles.”
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