SKIRMISHER

Tata Motors’ Nano was pitted against FireFox Bikes’ Madone 5.2 bicycle, and it turns out (at least if you’d ask the peddlers of Madone bike) that not only the bike is more versatile in terms of managing terrain, it is also “faster” — travelling up to 90 km per hour through its 20 high-speed gears compared with Nano’s 30-something top rated speed.

The ‘Tata Expo’, as Firefox officials prefer to call this annual auto jamboree, may have deflected attention from the bike as well as other worthy products, but Madone’s suppliers are not complaining.

This made-to-order bike is a de-tuned version of seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong’s bike - Madone 6.5 SSL - and has a lifetime warranty on the carbon frame.

“You can take it anywhere. It weighs 900 gm and on a day when traffic is sparse on Delhi roads, this bike can speed up to 90 kmph, which is almost on a par with Tatas small car,” said the official.

“This year’s expo, with all that hype around the Tata Nano, was perhaps the best platform to showcase our products when everyone is talking of green cars and emission,” he added.

“The Auto Expo is a mobility exhibition. As the concept is mobility, why not bicycles?” FireFox Managing Director Shiv Inder Singh told reporters at a press conference.

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