Pune : India's first mall exclusively for bicycles was inaugurated here on Jan 27. Inaugurating the Lifecycle mall, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray said he wholeheartedly supported the idea of people switching over to bicycles.

"He also became the first customer by buying a folding Dovan bicycle for his family and hoped that others would follow suit," Manish Sabade, excited owner of the mall, told the media. The 6,000-square feet building houses over 200 models of the top bicycles from all over the country and the world.

Some of the prominent models displayed here include renowned names like Cannondale, Merida, Trek, Bianchi, Dovan, Schwinn, Rockriders, Ducatis, Hero and many more. Sabade, who has been in the bicycle selling business for over a decade, said the mall was his contribution to save the environment and in making Pune roads less clogged.

"In fact, cycling is such a wonderful and exciting activity that I have come across hard-core opponents (of cycling) become total converts," he said. The models on display are worth a little over Rs.15 million and Sabade hopes to sell at least 300 bicycles of different makes every month.

Besides Pune, he is eyeing the potential markets in Nashik, Aurangabad, Kolhapur and other Indian cities to set up similar malls. Alongside selling the sleek, non-polluting two-wheelers, Sabade also attempts to popularise bicycling as a sport by organising a Bicycle Rally every month in and around Pune which attracts as many as 200 enthusiasts.