The Covid-19 pandemic brought many changes to Indonesia, and
one surprising shift was the surge in cycling as a popular pastime. With
restrictions on public activities (known as PPKM) in place, Indonesians turned
to cycling in droves, with the Ministry of Transportation reporting a 1,000%
spike in cycling in 2020. This boom cemented Indonesia’s position as the
world’s eighth-largest cycling nation, marking a cycling renaissance that may
have seemed unimaginable when bicycles first arrived in the Dutch East Indies
over a century ago.
The bicycle made its debut in the Dutch East Indies in the
early 1900s, arriving as an imported luxury item from the Netherlands, a
country already known as a “Bicycle Nation.” By the 1920s, bicycles from Dutch
brands like Fongers, Batavus, and Gazelle were a common sight in colonial
cities such as Batavia (now Jakarta) and Surabaya. In 1937, Jakarta had 70,000
bicycles on its streets, Surabaya had 36,000, and Bandung boasted over 40,000
bicycles by 1942. However, the onset of Japanese occupation in 1942 restricted
European imports, making way for Japanese bicycle brands that temporarily
dominated the market.
The bicycle’s journey from concept to cultural icon began in
1817, with German inventor Karl von Drais’s Laufmaschine, a pedal-less,
wooden machine that set the stage for bicycle innovation. Later refinements led
to the iconic Penny-Farthing, with its massive front wheel, which became the
face of 19th-century cycling. In 1885, John Starley’s equal-wheel design
revolutionized cycling, making bicycles more accessible and practical with
rubber tires, a key component sourced from the rubber-rich plantations of the
Dutch East Indies.
In the Dutch East Indies, bicycles gradually shed their
elite status. By the 1950s, Yogyakarta’s Regional House of Representatives
began distributing bicycles to government employees, a move that led to
bicycles being seen as practical, rather than purely luxurious. These bicycles
were provided on a credit basis, making them affordable for civil servants and
helping streamline government operations. By the 1970s, bicycles were common
among various groups in Yogyakarta, from government employees to traders and
farmers, who often used cheaper, assembled bicycles to transport goods.
As cycling grew, Yogyakarta became the “City of Bicycles,”
with bicycle counts soaring: 165,640 bicycles were recorded in 1972, climbing
to 251,663 by 1978. However, with the 1980s came the rise of motor vehicles,
leading to the decline of cycling as a primary mode of transport in the city.
Yogyakarta gradually lost its cycling title, but the city’s past as Indonesia’s
cycling capital left an enduring mark on its culture.
The pandemic-era resurgence of cycling across Indonesia
brought new life to this legacy, reminding the nation of its historical roots
as an unlikely global cycling hub. As bicycles returned to the streets during
challenging times, they served as a symbol of resilience and an echo of
Indonesia’s rich cycling heritage, stretching from colonial days to the modern
era.
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