Prologue
I have been interested in bicycles for as long as I can remember. For me they represent the ultimate form of Open Design and practical implications of physics in a much more feel-able way.
However I never owned a geared bicycle and ever since I moved to Bangalore I wanted to buy one but my parents would not let me buy one (I was also asking them to buy me one since I am not financially independent yet!). So after I got the job I saved up enough money to buy one myself. :-)
The Cycle
I bought a Schwinn Searcher from a friend of mine. This dude studied at IISc and he was going home after completing his studies. He had really cared for this cycle. It is about 5 years old but the components are really really well maintained.
Here it is. 
Before riding a premium cycle I had no idea that premium bicycles were this good. The first time I rode a premium bicycle was a btwin original. I had borrowed this cycle from Arun and we went for a 50k ride. This was also the first time I rode more than 10k. This was probably one of the reasons why I decided to buy this one.
I went on 2 moderate distance rides (around 50k) with Arun. It was fun. We went to Hesarghatta both times.
I ride the cycle mostly for commute. I travel to and from college on this thing.
Riding in Bangalore is difficult especially with the stop-and-go traffic. It takes a lot of courage to ride The bicycle in the city. I still haven't mustered the courage to ride it after sundown. To be honest I don't have safety lights. (yet) :-P
I am not riding the cycle as much currently because Bangalore is having unpredictable and heavy rainfalls. While I do not mind getting wet in the occasional downpour; I do mind getting my bicycle all wet and dirty. Its a pain to clean and its not good for the parts.
Riding in the rain with no mudguards is just plain stupid.
The amount of water these tires can fling even on a wet road with no puddles is just amazing. On top of that the roads here are not too good so we do have a LOT of puddles. I didn't learn this fact until it was too late. I was caught off guard with no mud-guards twice. Thank You Bangalore for such a weird and unpredictable weather.
On a positive note I do realize exactly how important mudguards are! :-P
Cleaning The Bike
One of the best things about owning a bicycle is the mechanical part. You get to be the cool mechanic and fix any major/minor issues that crop up. I do enjoy the occasional indexing and lubrication rituals of the gears. But, after buying this I had never really washed the bicycle completely. So on a random Sunday I got to it gave the cycle a complete thorough wash. It was amazing. I opened up the chains (without any tools; thanks to the master links...) and opened up the wheels and stuff. It was a great experience.
I kept the chain out to dry for about 2 days but I had to install it for a quick ride because of an emergency.
I was planning to clean the chain using kerosene but that never happened. It's on my to-do list though!
Here is a photo of the process. 
Even though I can not put a finger on it, I would it is the open-ness of the whole system that appeals to me at a personal level. As much as I know myself I would pick a not-so-good but hack-able piece to technology over a amazing but not hack-able piece of technology on any fine day. Whats the point of using something if you can not figure out how it works and tweak it.
The best thing about bicycles is the open-ness. I think I have used thus term quite a lot and not explained it. By open-ness I mean that I can open up the bicycle completely using just a bunch of Allen Keys. Moreover I can put it back together and it will work just like before. I can also buy switch random parts and things will still work. For any repair big or small the only limiting factor is the availability of relevant tools. If the tools are present then I can fix almost any foreseeable issue with the bicycle be it a tube puncture repair or changing the drive-train.
What I am saying is that a bicycle gives me a sense of self-sufficiency. Also it has the right mixture of diy-ness that I find most lacking in people now a days. (:-P)
Also I am a person knows that Climate Change is real and we need to do as much as we can so that the future is brighter. So it's not a bad feeling to know that every-time I am riding the cycle I am actually making a positive impact in the world.
I also try to inspire kids/their parents to take cycling seriously because its good for the environment and for the body.
Last but not the least. Cycling is a great exercise.
Conclusion
Start Cycling; Keep Cycling.
p.s. I do not click many photos and my phone camera was behaving funny with a custom ROM so the pics can be a bit off!