Women can handle bikes well; all they need is confidence & passion

As Anjali Rajan kick-starts her big black superbike at a prominent junction in Kochi, a small crowd comprising both men and women gather around. While some start clicking selfies with other, others look on with curiosity. The sight of a well-built rider girl on a superbike could be an unusual sight for the onlookers but for this Malayali girl from Ahmedabad, long distance rides on her bike are nothing new.“During stops, I take my helmet off and that is when people say ‘Oh, it’s a woman’! I smile at them,” she says.
Breaking stereotypes about motorcycle clubs considered exclusively as men’s affair, Anjali, who has been riding across India from the age of 21, even formed a ‘women’s only club’, to support the other female motorbike enthusiasts.
Anjali, who is currently in her home state with plans to expand her women’s riding club in Kerala, chats up about her experiences as a woman biker in India, her dreams of promoting riding among women bikers and more…
How the journey began…
I was fascinated by automobiles and technology since childhood, thanks to my dad, who was in the US army. He used to narrate to me stories about Russian women who drove trucks and huge bikes. Their adventures really inspired me and that is how I started riding bikes than scooters. I rode my first bike when I was in Class X. After I came to experience the thrill of motorcycling, I felt like exploring more. Travelling was always in my blood and after I clubbed riding and traveling together, life became filled with excitement and adventure.
My inspiration…
Once, while I was on a ride from Trivandrum to Gujarat, a mom and daughter walked towards me and said, “Hats off to your mother. She is a really bold and adventurous lady. If not, you wouldn’t be riding a bike right now.” When I told my mom about it, her eyes were filled with tears of joy. She is indeed my biggest inspiration, and if not for her, I wouldn’t have become a rider. She never forced me to be the stereotypical girl but encouraged me to chase my dreams and to be independent. I have seen women facing difficulties to even ride a motorbike as their families discourage them.
Men on bikes tail me often…
Initially, I was more attracted to driving trucks. It was while in Class 12 that I started focusing on motorbikes.
People were always curious about why a girl would want to ride a bike. Even now, most of them think that I do it to break the rules of society and that girls from respectable families will not go for it. Only tomboys or masculine women can ride bikes they say. But none of it is true.
It is all about learning something different and enjoying what one does. Convincing people was a bit tough in the beginning, but as my family supported me, I never bothered about them. And eventually, people started accepting me and also encouraging me.
However, riding alone still poses problems for me. Sometimes on off-road terrains, men on bikes tail me and it can be disturbing. Recently, I was on a morning ride in Kerala, when a drunk man on a bike tried to bump into my bike’s rear tyre, commenting, ‘wonderful bike.’ By God's grace, I was saved from a life-threatening accident. At such point of time, our strength and the ability to handle the vehicle are what counts. We need to acquire skills to handle such people too, and I guess, we eventually learn them after a few rides.
Years back, during a solo trip from Gujarat to Goa, the tyre of my imported bike, which is nearly 200 kg, got punctured. I found it very difficult to push the bike to the nearest workshop. After that incident, I made sure I carry a puncture kit with me and also learnt how to fix it myself. We need to be always equipped and self-sufficient while setting out for such adventures.
Middle-aged housewives came forward to learn biking
Riderni is a club formed by me and a few other bike enthusiasts. It all started when a few of my woman friends spoke to me about their love for bikes. But they had their inhibitions about riding them. Even my male colleagues told me about how they would love their wives riding bikes but most of them hesitate fearing what people might say. I wanted to do something for them and thus formed a women’s biking club on August 29, 2012, where we teach women to ride bikes and encourage them to ride often. We also convince their families and also provide the girls with the bikes when required. Women can handle bikes well; all they need is the passion and confidence. Our club has members ranging from 20-year-olds to 50-year-olds!
Our activities include regular rides, weekly meets, workshops on road safety and repair of bikes, and charity rides. In 2014, we had conducted an event asking women to join us in bike riding and to learn riding. We were expecting college goers and youngsters. But to our surprise, many of the participants were middle-aged housewives and working women, with a strong desire to ride bikes. We were excited to teach them and they happily returned, fulfilling their long-time dream. It was truly a gratifying moment.
My ultimate dream…
I want to promote the riding culture in Kerala. I want more women who have been dreaming of riding, who have been stopping themselves for fear of society, to come forward. Hence, I am planning to establish the club in cities like Kochi and Kozhikode. I also want to explore hilly regions in Kerala, especially Wayanad, Idukki and Munnar. Above all, I want to encourage safe riding — using helmets, jackets and riding gear while travelling — following the death of biker Veenu Palliwal who lost her life on the road. Our motto should always be — ride safe and with passion.