Biting the gender Bullet'

Biking enthusiasts in the city are gearing up for yet another riding expedition, this time from Bengaluru to Goa! And breaking stereotypes in every field, a few women who are a part of this Royal Enfield expedition, let us in on the challenges they face and how the experience is a tad bit different than what men go through, because of societal perception.

The perception that bikes and machines are only meant for men, is just a societal stereotype according to Debapriya Gupta, a biking enthusiast. “A number of times I have been eve teased and followed. Many-a-times during expeditions, once people realise I’m a girl, they have stopped me to ask for pictures which might be flattering at times but can also be extremely dangerous, since they are random people in a whole new place. In that way, men definitely have an advantage as it is not strange to see men riding bikes,” the 28-year-old who is excited to be a part of the rider mania expedition, goes on to explain.

“The journeys haven’t always been hunky-dory, but with the amount of riding gear we sport, it’s hard to notice a difference. It also helps that I usually travel with a group of friends so there is some level of security,” opines the youngster who works at an IT company in the city.

An avid traveller and biker, Sanjana Charan admits that men do have a certain advantage over women, when it comes to biking. “Women are generally less bulkier which makes it a little hard to balance such big, heavy vehicle and also get used to the balancing of the huge vehicle. The rough terrains that most hills have, add to further difficulties if the rider is still a beginner. But fortunately, I haven’t experienced any kind of ragging or eve-teasing. So far it’s been quite a smooth ride for me because a number of people on the roads even encouraging of women riders!” admits the 30-year-old who has been part of a number of biking expeditions before.

Agreeing with both the women on a certain level, Kamala Ramesh another local rider with a passion for biking opines, “It is still a new concept for a number of people who aren’t used to see women riding big bikes. I have had my pictures and videos taken by random passer-bys without my knowledge, but there’s not much we can do about it. There’s no need to get intimidated by such behaviour as there are positives and negatives to everything.”

The Bengaluru lady who has always loved the adrenaline rush of bikes, also goes on to say that people can be encouraging too! “So many times people from buses and cars have given me the thumbs up which has been very encouraging of what I love doing and am so passionate about,” she says smiling.