Candy Cranks

“When riding a bicycle, I feel more.. independent. You can go wherever your mind decided to go.” – Gadis Prameswari Azahra

From the capitol city of West Java, the second largest Metropolitan area in Indonesia, Bandung is about 145 kilometers away from Jakarta. Let me Introduce you Gadis Prameswari Azahra. She is one of  the young girls behind Bandung Cycle Chic blog (a little part of the famous Cycle Chic gang) . The way she and her friends spread the simplicity of riding a bicycle on their blog, encourage me to do this interview.

Name: Gadis Prameswari Azahra
Nick Name: Gadis / Gad
City/Town: Bandung
Birthplace: Bandung
Birthday: 9 Juni 1995
Blood type: O
Occupation: High school student
Fav. Colour: Brown & Magenta
Fav. Music: Depends on the mood and cycling route, hahaha

Do you remember your first time riding a bicycle, when?

First time riding out to city streets with full traffic? Hmm.. It was a cloudy afternoon in 2008, I was still in 8th grade, and I was trying to convince my Dad to give me the permission for me to ride the bike out to the street alone. So I went to Tamansari street then to Dago street -which has one of the craziest traffic in Bandung- and then return to my house safe & sound and.. get the permission . I was really afraid and clumsy at first, with so many cars and motorbike passed next to me. But as I went far and far and far with my bike, I eventually feel the ‘fun’ part of riding a bike and get along with the traffic problem.

Do you have favorite place to ride, with whom, where & why?

Everywhere around Bandung! Besides of the reason that I was born and live in Bandung, I liked Bandung environment the most. The streets, the atmosphere, the people, the uphill – downhill road, I love everything in Bandung. Almost every cyclist in Bandung always greeted one another if we met on the road or while waiting the traffic light, that always pumping up my mood. Umm.. With who? With my girls of course!

Have a dream place to ride, why there?

Copenhagen . I want to try cycling in the snow, in the city where bicycle is the main transportation.

Why do you like riding bicycle?

When riding a bicycle, I feel more.. independent. You can go wherever your mind decided to go. And with bicycle, you can see different side of your city, the beautiful part of it. Take your love for your city to different level, like Mikael of Copenhagen Cycle Chic once said. And the biggest reason is simply because, everyone looks cool on bicycle )

Funny moments while riding ?

When I was waiting in the traffic light in Saturday morning, there were 2 cops on motorbike who also waiting in the traffic light, then one of the cop came to me. I was so worried that time, was I break any rules? Is it because I wasn’t wearing a helmet? But then I realized, why in the world I was worried from the first place, what can possibly go wrong? And when the cop finally approached, he said in Sundanese “Aduh eneng, meuni geulis, kunaon atuh nganggo sapedah? Teu cape kitu?”, which means “Oh, what a pretty girl you are Miss, why would you take a bike? Don’t you tired or something?”. That’s proof that girl with bicycle always get everyone attention in the street, including cop. Hahahahaha..

Do you have a dream about bicycle, what are your dream about?

Hmmm… I want to bicycle be everyone main transportation so that cycling on the big city streets wouldn’t be a problem anymore, less car less motorbike. And hoping that the government make a good city structure that can provide safety to bicycle rider. It’s good for the mother nature too, right?

We notice a lots of interesting post in your blog, since when you operate Bandung Cycle Chic blog, what inspire you, with whom?

The very first and the original cycle chic blog, Copenhagen Cycle Chic. I still remember when I founded Copenhagen Cycle Chic in google. I was googling with keywords: “girl, bicycle, fashion”, wondering if those can mixed up all together, since I saw there’s no girl who cycling in Bandung wearing something fashionable, almost all of them wearing lycra suit or training pants -no offense, really-. And there it is, Copenhagen Cycle Chic poped up on my browser. I was really happy knowing that a cyclist girl can also be fashionable, that a cyclist girl doesn’t have to look “sporty”. Because I was really bothered with the stereotype that girl who cycling are “boyish” or “sporty”. From there, I start persuade my friend to wear skirt and cycling around the city. There, the story before Bandung Cycle Chic born in 2008.

If you wanna dig more about Gadis and her friends fresh teen spirits, you can absolutely check Bandung Cycle Chic