Document of the month

November 2009

In 1817, the bicycle was invented by Baron Karl von Drais, a German. Its rider sat astride a woodenframe supported by two in-line wheels and pushed the vehicle along with his/her feet while steeringthe front wheel. Several inventions followed and much improved versions of the bicycle wereintroduced during 1860s. However, it was J K Starley's 1885 Rover that is usually described as thefirst modern bicycle.

The first bicycle came to India in the year 1890. The import of cycles commenced only in 1905 andcontinued for over half a century. After independence, a complete ban on imports was announced bythe Govt. of India in July 1953. Cycles continued being in demand for their affordability and lowmaintenance cost and this led to the entry of few Indian players in the bicycle manufacturing industry. The popularity of bicycles led to a flourishing market for bicycle accessories. The bicycle lock was onesuch accessory whose usage became common in 20th century. There is no recorded date of thebicycle lock invention, but we know for sure when Godrej started manufacturing the same. It was inNovember 1962 that Godrej introduced ‘Cycle Locks’ in a black stove enamel finish. It was a 5-pintumbler lock, each with a brass key in duplicate.

This month we bring to you a circular sent to stockists and dealers in India informing them about theintroduction of this new product.