Trailing new paths

The city is home to several biking groups. There is also a sizable number of women bikers, who are just as enthusiastic as their male counterparts, to pack their bags and head out into unknown territories. It is their thirst for adventure and an eagerness to explore new spaces that has inspired them to take to biking in a big way.

This year looks promising for most of the women bikers in the city, who have chalked out elaborate plans and started working towards them. Deepti J, better known as DJ, is planning to head to the Rann of Kutch for the festival by December this year. “I rode to Leh last year. It was a 2,300 km ride through three of the world’s highest passes. It was a 21-day trip that needed extensive preparation that began three months prior to the departure date,” says Deepti.

Deepti is going for the trip with a few of her friends and the preparation for the 15-day trip to the Rann of Kutch has already begun. “We plan to ride out from Bengaluru. The first thing is to build fitness levels to ensure that the stamina is high and work towards strengthening the core. So some of us have started yoga, walking and are also spending a few extra hours at the gym,” says Deepti, who has just returned from a trip to Hampi, Masinagudi and Wayanad.

While group rides are a common feature, there are a couple of women like Carolyn Rodricks, a motorcyclist since the last three years, who enjoys going on solo rides. She has covered several places across the country but yearns for more adventure. “The highlight of my travel is a trip to Leh and Ladakh. I’ve never been so excited before and have started getting the motorcycle ready. Right from choosing the correct gear, prepping the motorcycle for carrying luggage and tools to making provision to fit the video and camera equipment, I am making sure nothing is amiss when I go on my trip,” says Carolyn, who says that riding is not only a passion but also like an anti-depressant.

“Riding is something that I can’t get out of my system. I always make time for rides and spend more time and money on my motorcycle than on myself,” explains Carolyn. A few others like Sameera Dahiya, a native of Haryana, was bold enough to break away from the existing social norm in her village and chase her passion for riding. “Women from my town were not allowed to go beyond a certain social norm. I came to Bengaluru five years ago and joined an IT firm. After working for five years, I decided to buy myself a Royal Enfield Classic 350 and haven’t looked back since,” says Sameera.

Her first ever bike trip was to Coorg and Sameera says that the trip changed her perspective towards life and riding. “During my earlier trips, I’ve covered 28,000 km in 15 months, which included places like Bengaluru, Kanyakumari, Leh, Sipiti, Ladakh, Rajasthan and the southern part of the country,” she says.

Sameera wishes to try different dimensions of biking this year. “Biking for me is all about exploring the skills in riding. Riding to new places offers a wonderful learning experience. I am keen on riding to the North Eastern part of the country. A trip to Nepal and Bhutan is also on the cards,” says Sameera.