Antique-style bikes find new life in Old Town

Mariani Dewi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 12/13/2008 11:05 AM 

 "This is the first time I have ridden such a bike. I would not find it anywhere in my town in Makassar (South Sulawesi)," says Unie, a 24-year-old architect.

 

Unie rides an old bike around Fatahillah Square in the historical Old Town, Central Jakarta, one breezy Saturday afternoon. 

She is visiting the capital with her three friends. So far, she thinks the Old Town square is the most amusing site. The bikes, locally known as sepeda ontel, were an unexpected perk here, she says. 

"We were delighted to see the bikes, so we immediately hired one to share," she says, watching two friends taking turns on the bike. 

The bike, rented out at Rp 20,000 (US$1.60) an hour, reflects its surroundings -- a refurbished concrete town square surrounded by three large, white buildings from the Dutch colonization era. It gives the feeling of a European town, a stark contrast to the outside world of malls, high-rise buildings and busy traffic. 

Taking photographs seems an irresistable temptation for many visitors. 

Groups of teenagers dominate the view. 

"This kind of bike is not from our generation. I hope the pictures turn out looking romantic," says Esther, a teenager who had come to the square with seven friends. 

Teenagers are not the only one excited by the experience. A man in his 30s is all smiles as he rides a bike, with his two young daughters on the back seat. Unfortunately for the man, his passengers are not as excited. They refuse to continue their ride after several trips around the square. 

The family chats to The Jakarta Post in the shade of a tree. 

"My grandfather used to have one of these bikes. He rode it with me when I was a kid," says Abdul Basid Rais, from Jakarta's indigenous Betawi community. 

"Now, these bikes cannot be found anywhere in Jakarta, except here. 

"These bikes were everywhere in Jakarta in the 70s. People rode them while wearing sarongs. Many Betawi traders would sell products off their bicycles, from food to household products," Abdul says. 

"Cloth traders, usually wearing white shirts and three-quarter-long black pants, would carry their loads in sling bags strapped to their bikes." 

There are no more cloth traders in the city today, but street food traders still rely on bicycles. Many vendors sell their products, from traditional ice cream to rujak (fruit salad doused in peanut sauce), from boxes strapped carefully to their bicycles. 

The bicycles at the square, he says, do not don the same brand as his grandfather's bicycle once did. 

Although the bikes are reminiscent of old-style bicycles, they are not antiques. 

Sunaryo, an ojek (bicycle taxi) rider in his 60s, who has been working in the field since the 70s, says his bike was only one year old. 

"I bought it from a store in town for Rp 750,000. The area is close to the sea and gets flooded often, so the bikes rust really fast. You have to clean them well for them to last. It also has to look shiny and clean to attract renters," he says, pointing to fierce competition among the bike owners. 

The leader of the bike riders at the square, Daryono, says that on weekdays, there are around five riders hanging around the area for passengers. But during the weekends, the number swells to more than 50, occupying many points in the square. 

"There are no hard feelings. Everyone has a hard life, so when there is a crowd here, they all come. But a system will be implemented soon to regulate business here," he says. 

"I heard from the Old Town Community that the number will be limited. They will also create a bicycle pool station, just like a taxi pool, where bicycles queue up for passengers. It will ensure everyone gets a fair share of the pie." 

The pie may become bigger when the Old Town Community executes its to plan to open gourmet food stalls. 

"We plan to block off the road one evening each week and set up food stalls, so it will be crowded even in the evenings," says Jacky, the deputy head of the community. "If it is popular, we will do it more often. 

"But we have put the plan on hold until after the 2009 elections. During the election period, things are rather uncertain and we want to let the event run smoothly without interruption. So we are waiting to see what the best option is."