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An old wood-framed Macmillan bicycle, lovingly named Old Dragon, is the centerpiece of Bagus Priyana’s home in Magelang, Central Java.

The rear-wheel-driven bicycle — named after its Scottish inventor, Kirkpatrick Macmillan — was made in 1893. Bagus declined to explain how he came to own the vintage bike, but said he considered himself a “very lucky” collector.

“Sleek, modern bicycles might be built from steel and mass-produced by machines,” he said. “Despite looking out of date, these original wooden bicycles, like Old Dragon, were handmade with heart.”

Though he does not ride Old Dragon, which sits on a special platform in his living room, its presence in his house reflects Bagus’s love for this simple, two-wheeled mode of transportation.

He is one of the founders of a group of bike enthusiasts in Magelang called Velocipede Old Classic.

Velocipede is a term coined in the 1800s to describe a two-wheeled German invention considered to be the forerunner of the bicycle.

Bagus formed VOC with two friends, Sigit and Tono, in 2003. “Today we have more than 200 members,” Bagus said. “But the really active members who always take part in our events and gatherings number around 50 people. It’s not a bad turnout for a group solely established on a mutual love of vintage bicycles.”

Over the years, VOC has rolled out events that celebrate the bicycle, especially its role in Indonesian history.

The group has four organizing committees that cater to members’ special interests: touring, adventure, theater and special events.

“The divisions were created because we found that many of our members have different interests. We thought it would be good if these interests could be explored,” Bagus said.

Members with a flair for drama, for example, form the VOC’s Wayang Onthel theater team, which has performed four times since 2006.

Wayang Onthel, which literally means “puppet bicycle” in Javanese, uses spare bicycle parts as stage props or makeshift musical instruments in traditional shadow-puppet shows.

The VOC also holds an annual event called Magelang Tempo Doeloe (Magelang in the Past), which features photography exhibitions of the town’s history as well as guided bicycle tours around the area’s heritage sites.

The touring and adventure committees regularly organize bike treks throughout the archipelago.

In 2004, VOC members rode their vintage bikes from Magelang to the peak of Mount Rinjani, a volcano in Lombok.

A year later, a team ventured to the top of Mount Sindoro, an active volcano in Temanggung, Central Java. This was followed by a cycling tour from Magelang to Surabaya in 2006 and an ambitious trip to Karawang, West Java, last year.

VOC members not only bond with each other during these adventures, but they also learn to appreciate their vintage bicycles better.

As longtime VOC member Andri Topo attests, his two-wheeler has become like a soulmate. “My bicycle is my faithful wife. When I feel bored or upset, I always take her with me,” he said.

“We skip the the main roads where trucks and other vehicles blow their horns at us. We can ride slowly through villages, enjoying the fresh air and the view of the rice paddies,” Andri said. “This is enough to help me rest and she [the bicycle] never gets fussy.”

Fellow member Winto Riyadi had a similar sentiment. “No matter how worn out my bicycle is, I still love it,” he said.

“It’s a best friend. It accompanied me from Magelang to Karawang for four days. Hunger and exhaustion are never serious matters as long as it’s with me and we can conquer the challenges together.”

Aside from bike tours, VOC also is involved in charity and civic activities. From October to November last year, bikers gave aid and assistance to villagers whose homes were destroyed by Mount Merapi’s volcanic eruptions.

Bagus said the organization worked with other bike-loving communities in the country to collect donations and distribute relief supplies to survivors of the Merapi disaster.

He said VOC was also helping residents in the Magelang villages of Babadan and Klampahan to build a new pipe system to pump clean water.

“Yes, we look strange because of what we love to do, but I can proudly say that most VOC members have great solidarity and social concern,” he said.