Monsoon is in its last leg, roads are battered and most of us are avoiding travel or thinking twice about the weekend rides. It’s not the same though, for off-roaders (mostly men), who are excited about bad roads and paths less taken, CE speaks to some of the women off-roaders in the city about their weekend tour destinations.
“Monsoon and bad roads mean an adrenaline rush for me,” says Seema Ranjith, who is a prolific off-roader who loves exploring paths unknown. “While most people are worried about rides due to poor condition of roads in and around the city, for off-roaders these roads are an adventure. It’s not as easy or less risky in any way but it’s thrilling for sure when done with the right safety gear.”
Seema has frequented Anantagiri Hills and Bhongir fort and has been working on her body balance to be in sync with the road on Adventure, Dirt/MX, FlatTrack & an Enduro Track at Big Rock dirt track located in Donthanpally Village Shankarpally.
“We have skilled bikers to train the beginners and a track for advanced riders to come and practice,” says Shyam Mohan, one of the managers at the Big Rock dirt track in Hyderabad. “Most of our trainees are men, but these days we are seeing a lot of women participants. People think that women don’t like riding in mud, dirt, gravel and rock-filled adventures, but it’s not exactly true.”
Another off-roader, Anisha Fathima, has fallen in love with uneven paths she has been practising in the forests of Narsapur, Anantagiri Hills, Bhongir and in the barren land of Eastern Karnataka. “Monsoon is the most exciting time of the year for off-roaders. The mud, dirt and gravel are the most exciting things for any off-roader.”