It isn't unusual to see Mark and Becky Pickett cycling around Patan with their five children in tow. The Picketts have lived in Nepal for 12 years and they firmly believe in pedal power.

The Briton came to Nepal 20 years ago and loved it so much he returned and settled here with his family. Riding bicycles around town might have been difficult with the five little Picketts but their Australian friends gave them this trailer (pic) and it has made getting them to school much easier.

The trailer seats two children and can be pulled along by a bicycle. Another child seat is attached to the bike so three children and a parent can ride the bicycle at the same time. Efficient and practical, this is not only an eco-friendly way of getting around but it also keeps your family healthy and fit. (Don't forget the dust mask.)

The trailer is available on various websites such as www.missioncycles.co.uk or www.bicycleoutfitter.com and at the rate Mark has become such a visible exponent of pedal power, it is only a matter of time before someone in Balaju Yantra Shala makes a Nepali clone. We watched Mark pedal around with his family and were intrigued by the efficiency and ease with which he did it.

Why didn't the Picketts just buy a car? "All our friends live around here and our children study at the British School which is down the road. It never made sense to buy a car when we had bicycles," says Mark who speaks Nepali and Newari fluently.

He just received his PhD from Tribhuban University in Nepali history, culture and archaeology and is now working on a book about Jesus Christ called The King Has Come. Though Nepal has become a second home, it is time for the Picketts to go back home to Britain. Sorry, the bike's taken.

Aarti Basnyat