What is VELOPILGRIM?

Velo means a "bicycle" or a "bike" in French.

Pilgrim is one who journeys to foreign lands, and to the people of those places, s/he is a foreigner.​ So ‘VELOPILGRIM’ is one who journeys to discover new places, people or ideas - on a bicycle.

The name can mean literally using a bicycle for a long journey or can be a metaphor for life as the long journey revolving around a bicycle.

For me, it's a bit of both. The more I rode long distance, I kept hearing about the lore of steel. Stories of Tom Ritchey, the American frame builder, introduced in me, a fascination for the skill of frame building. The posts of Richard Sachs about frame building and the bikes made by JP Weigle stood out in a world full of carbon bikes. (Thanks Insta!) Over time, I started forming strong preferences even within the various types of steel frames and construction techniques that existed. 

By the time, Sukrit from Aurovelo Bikes made my long distance rig (in 2021), the bike and its spec's were my mental prototypes of the bike I'd like to build myself someday. I believed that, this "someday" would happen when I retire. But when an injury forced me off the saddle, I picked up a frame building book and a torch to practice brazing. This was meant to be an escape from the disappointment of not being able to ride. But no one told me that building frames was as addictive as riding! "Someday" came early when the 1st few prototypes were ready!

  

The plan then became to make quality bicycles in India. Mind you, this was not about "owning a brand" or "starting your own company" thing. Those did end up happening and yes, they did give a momentary high, but they were just good pitstops along the journey. Moreover, an automated facility spitting out frames on the command of a few keystrokes, to me, is the death of human purpose and skill. The destination of this journey is reaching a place of proficiency and skill. Especially if you have a specific view on how bikes need to exist. And the only way to reach there, is by creating with your own 2 hands. This was the seed of VELOPILGRIM. 

So what's VELOPILGRIM again? 

For a rider, it is a long distance tool to ride to new places. It can also be the rider finding out more about her/him self on a bike during a ride or a brevet. 

For one rider, its an aid to experience and explored the countryside. 

For another, it is finding a new pain threshold.

For me, the goal was always to become a skilled frame builder. To build the kind of Velo's I love. That's the destination. And I am nothing, but a Pilgrim on that path - A VELOPILGRIM.