Pak Lang G proud of his classic bicycle collection

BUTTERWORTH: The nostalgic feeling of riding an old bicycle to school during his teenage years has prompted a senior citizen to start collecting classic bicycles.

Ahmad Fauzi Ismail, 61, or fondly known as Pak Lang G, said he started buying the two-wheel vehicle in the 90s and to date, he has over 40 of them, all of which are still in good condition and functional.

"It all began when my late father left an old bicycle that I used to ride to school. Then, in the 1990s, when I was working and earning, I started to search for these classic cycles to buy them.

"My passion then turned into a hobby and now, I own over 40 classic bicycle models from the 1940s to 1960s, mostly of Hercules and Raleigh brands made in England," he told Bernama when met at his house in Sungai Dua here.

The former factory worker said he bought the bicycles for RM200 to RM1,000 from several states, such as Kelantan, Johor, Pahang and Penang and all of them were delivered by courier companies.

Ahmad Fauzi said he would conduct regular maintenance so as to ensure that the bicycles are always in good condition and can be ridden at any time.

Elaborating, he said although the bicycle models in his collection are no longer available in the market now, it was quite easy to maintain the two-wheelers as their spare parts are brought in from China.

"The maintenance cost is quite high because the spare parts for classic bicycles are expensive compared to normal ones," he said.

Ahmad Fauzi also shared that there were antique collectors who persuaded him to sell his bicycles to them and some were even willing to offer higher than the original price.

"Ever since I started collecting classic bicycles, I have only sold it once to a close friend. However, after that, I felt unhappy and experienced sleepless nights thinking about why I sold the bicycle because I really love it.

"Alhamdulillah, my friend took good care of the bicycle until now. Due to this experience, I no longer sell my bicycles to anyone and will try my best to take care of them personally," he said.

Ahmad Fauzi, who has worked as a gravedigger for the past 30 years, said the bicycles have their own history and roles and he often shares their stories with anyone who asks about them.

He added some of them were used by postmen in Japan and Singapore to deliver letters and these bicycles were always in high demand from collectors.

"Some even offered up to RM3,000 but I never sell them. My three sons and two daughters also show similar interest in caring for my classic bicycle collection," said Ahmad Fauzi who often goes for a ride with his wife, Jamaliah Soud, 58.

He said all his classic bicycles were being used in activities with the community in Sungai Dua, especially during wedding receptions and festivals.

"For the upcoming Hari Raya, many people have booked the bicycles for photoshoots. However, I never set any rental charges and people can pay any amount they like. I only use the money for maintenance and the balance is donated to the nearby mosques," he explained.

-- BERNAMA