Twenty-eight women bikers came together to celebrate the International Female Ride Day. Some of them spoke to Saimi Sattar as they bonded over what they love best – their machines
Dawn is just breaking and the sun is yet to turn into a fiery ball that is the norm in Delhi in May. One can hear a distinct rumble in the distance, which gradually grows to a roar. And soon a group of bikers astride Harley Davidsons, Royal Enfields, Hondas and Suzukis vroom past. One can’t help but notice that many people on the road are left gaping – for what they just saw was an anomaly in Delhi – a group of women riders kitted out in complete gear whizzing past not riding pillion but in the driving seat.
Twenty-eight independent bikers came together for a ride in Delhi on International Female Ride Day (IFRD) on May 6. IFRD is a global campaign for women motorcyclists who own, ride or have access to a motorcycle. The day invites women to “Just Ride” and is in its 11th edition this year.
The bikers are a study in contrast, united by their common love for biking. The youngest is a 19-year-old who loves to race her Yamaha YZF R 15 and the oldest a 47-year-old. Homemakers, doctors, entrepreneurs, students and even journalists are all there. Some sport the grunge look, wear camouflage trousers and heavy duty boots. Others wear bright lipsticks and have done up their eyes immaculately. A stringed top rubs shoulders with a hijaab here and neither of them judges each other for their appearance. They’ve come from all over NCR, one even from as far as Manesar.
Two friends, Vidhi Malla, 33 and Anita Krishnan, 35, both enthusiastic bikers decided to mobilise independent women riders to ride together for the day. Malla, a communications specialist who also runs a pet boarding called Paw Tales says, “In a group it becomes a mandate for you to ride for a good. As an individual that isn’t important. As an individual you go to support each other.”
Krishnan, a physical instructor and “a proud navy wife” too feels that it was important to assert their identity as individual bikers through the event. “There are some rides happening in Delhi but those are being organised by groups. Once you are part of a group you have to follow their rules and be a part of all their rides. So we thought of organising a ride for independent women riders, who aren’t part of a group. We decided that today we will ride for ourselves and there was no day better than the IFRD to do this,” says Krishnan as she sits astride her Thunderbird 350 CC. Even though cities like Hyderabad and Pune have seen events where independent riders took part, this was done for the first time in Delhi.
Krishnan and Malla had initially planned to ride together on the day. Once they created a Facebook events page, the outing acquired a life of its own and became something bigger. People (men and women) shared the event with others and it became popular. Nidhi Pandey, who has started Obsession Inspired, India’s first dedicated lifestyle brand for riders, stepped in. She got Riders Adda, a place where you can pick up anything and everything related to bike accessories on board, which decided to sponsor the place as well as the breakfast for the riders to enjoy post ride.
The women riders, 28, of them to be exact started from Millenium Park near Sarai Kale Khan early in the morning and headed towards their destination, 18 km away. The ride, not surprisingly, given Delhi’s reputation of not being very women friendly, did have its share of trouble – even though it was a relatively minor incident. “Three men were not allowing us to pass through. Vidhi was marshalling and trying to go ahead but they weren’t letting her,” says Krishnan, who towers (literally) over the entire group. It took one of the male riders, who looked even more dominating riding as he was a Harley Davidson, to smoothen the way. Beyond that the ride was relatively incident free.
Once at the Riders Adda at Andheria Mor the bonhomie was real and the camaraderie apparent to all. Stories were swapped, games played, breakfast partaken and a birthday celebrated with a delicious cake.
“Events like these are important event. There were riders whom we had never met or interacted with. Many of them opened up and voiced their thoughts about biking,” says Pandey who rides a Bajaj Avenger 2015 model which has been modified to current age. She feels riders are a community. She adds, “People say we are shauqiya people. We aren’t that, we are a community which believes in helping each other. While mobiles and internet have driven people away from social activity, this helps to bring people together.”
And in that context, the event, believes Malla was a big success. “Twenty eight women on bikes, in Delhi is a huge number. I believe this is the largest and biggest number that we have got for a biking event in Delhi. The essence of the event is supporting each other as women and in that context, it is a success.”
Women bikers at the event came out to speak about their struggle to do something, which is primarily seen as being restricted to a men’s domain. Soon they started sharing stories about parents who resisted the very idea of their daughters riding a bike, of unsupportive spouses who finally came around. Along the way, the women have travelled and how. From leh to Manali, from Chandigarh to Manali and Kasauli and of course all over Delhi — they have been everywhere.
But not just the families, there are also people on the road who aren’t comfortable with the idea of women who ride. “Many men (and women) carry the baggage of an attitude and they are shocked when they see a woman riding. They come from a background where women are not supposed to be riding a bike, a scooty is ok,” says Malla, holding a black helmet, which she has customised to her liking. Fibre styled like a Mohawk hairstyle runs its entire length from temple to the nape and elicits a round of oohs and aahs from the rest of the ladies.
But somewhere along, things are also changing. There is Simran Verma, a homemaker who is taking her first tentative steps in business. “I have two homes, one in Manesar and the other in Delhi and I commute the distance on a bike. But most important, it was my in laws and husband who supported my desire to do so,” she says. Verma rides a Royal Enfield Classic 350 cc and believes that a ride embodying the idea of women empowerment is the order of the day.
And there are others too Roshni Misbah, a hijaab wearing 22-year-old who is studying Arab Islamic culture at Jamia Milia Islamia rides everything from a Honda CBR Repsol 250 to Royal Enfield 500 and Suzuki Intruder 1800. Her father, a bike enthusiast, has supported her the entire way and she rides a bike to college, 18 km from home. She recalls an incident which made her feel special. She says, “One day while riding, I stopped at a red light in between two school buses. The children noticed that I was a girl and they called out to me. When I lifted the helmet’s visor, everyone started clapping. When the light turned green, the traffic parted and gave me the right of way.” She also feels that it is very important to organise events like these especially in Delhi as not many women ride bikes here as opposed to down south.
Malla, enthused by the response is raring to organise another one soon. “We will soon be back – bigger and better,” she promises as she rides off into the proverbial sunset.
Photo: Pankaj Kumar