Turn the wheels

The muddy grounds near the Leisure Valley Park in Gurugram are not just a playing haven for boys to play cricket. These days they echo the rumble of motorcycles ridden by a group of first-time women bikers in their thirties and forties who are leaving their mark on its sandy terrain. For the members of the Gurugram-based club called Women On Wheels, bike riding is not just a vocation but a “dream come true” — it reminds them of the freedom that they had for long traded off in return for a stable career, secure family life, and in fulfilling societal expectations.

“I have not ever told my parents and in-laws that I was going bike riding! I am 44-years-old and I am kind of done with taking consent from others,” says Nitika Bansal who runs a coaching academy in Gurugram and joined the group three months back. She has her husband and kids support for it. “I feel empowered and good about myself while riding the bike. I have attended almost 12 to 15 training sessions at WOW, and now I can call myself a ‘biker.’ I have even bought a new bike for myself! Also, it is very rare to see women biking groups in Delhi-NCR. But now I have found my tribe.”

Nitika, like many other women riders, feels nurtured by the sisterhood. “During the bike riding sessions, some of us at times would be apprehensive whether we would be able to pick up a new skill that quickly at this age or what if we fell off the bike! But all members would boost each other’s confidence not to give up.”

A tribe is born

The WOW group started in August with five members; at present it has 70. The group started by Manmohan Singh, founder of the Gurgaon Walkers trek community, trains women every Saturday under the leadership of four bike trainers. Singh tells TMS that the idea of WOW was born during a trek he led to Churdhar in June this year. “The group was travelling on the road by car. Two men took turns driving. I wondered aloud why women couldn’t take the lead there and noticed they hesitated and lacked confidence in navigating the hilly terrain. I felt that they need to feel confident and independent, even in areas usually dominated by males. An activity like motorcycling truly serves as a powerful confidence booster,” Singh says.

Since the group’s formation, the riders have ventured far and wide. They biked to the semi-arid patches of Panchgaon in Haryana in October and the rugged Aravalli hills of Alwar in Rajasthan, a month ago. Far off destinations like Dehradun and Rishikesh are also on the list.

About ‘me-time’

What made these women take the off-the-beaten-track? It’s the quest for self-discovery, independence and for stealing moments just for themselves. For Neeru Saini, 35, an international marketing professional who has dedicated herself full-time to being a trainer with WOW, it’s the adventure-drama movie Dhak Dhak that inspired her to take up motorcycling. “The movie shows four women taking a trip of a lifetime on bikes and reaching one of the highest motorable passes in the world, the Khardung La pass. This movie was a turning point for me. After watching it, I joined a training school in Gurugram in April this year where I learnt motorcycling. It looks cool on girls! Later I was introduced to WOW.” Till 10th grade, Saini played every sport but locked her adventurous heart in pursuit of a career. But now, in her thirties, when she has gone through the trials and tribulations of life, it’s time for her to look inward. “I want to do things that I like. Bike riding gives me a sense of joy, purpose and accomplishment even if life throws a curveball.”

For 41-year-old Seema Singh, a lawyer at the District Court Gurugram, she feels every woman deserves a personal life. “We, women, leave our hobbies and keep sacrificing for family and profession. It’s perhaps in the late thirties or forties that we realise we need a life of our own when children grow up and everyone gets busy with their life. Better to have late realisation than never. Currently, I am pursuing dancing, trekking, bike riding, and cycling! I finish off all my work and household duties by Friday evening and keep the weekends for myself. It’s a new start for me in my forties,” Seema says.

Bust stereotypes

For many the reason to join an all-women motorcycling group was to break free from the clutches of patriarchy. “I belong to a village in Punhana, Haryana, where there used to be a lot of restrictions on girls. My father also discouraged me from riding a bike, out of protectiveness. But I still wanted to take it up and joined WOW,” says Dolly Bansal, 36, a WOW member and an assistant professor at Dronacharya Government College in Gurugram.

Nitika’s story is similar. The family had a bike at her home but her father discouraged her from riding it. “He used to say ‘bikes are not made for girls.’ That’s because society only sees fathers, brothers and husbands as ‘protectors’ and women as ‘dependants’. After talking about motorcycling with my female friends, I’ve seen their growing interest with some even joining the group. Many now reveal that they have long harboured this hidden desire for motorcycling but did not get the right direction, encouragement, or the means to pursue it.”

However, being a woman bike rider isnt easy. “You get eve-teased by some men and boys on the road, though women support and respect you a lot,” says Saini adding that once at a petrol pump in Delhi-NCR, a group of curious girls approached her and asked how it felt to be a woman bike rider. “It gives you a great push to see them in awe,” Saini adds. Similarly, Seema, whose daughter is 13, motivates her to take up outstation motorcycle tours. “She encouraged me to take my first long bike ride to Alwar. She also wants to ride a bike in future. When kids see a woman in the family taking up such an adventurous hobby, it blurs rigid gender roles.” Nitika is also elated that her son accompanies her to the practice sessions. “When young men support you to take up a ‘man’s job’, it fosters a silent environment of empowerment.”