All the ride moves

Before you grab your helmet and ride into the sunset on your bike, here's what you need to know - from one woman rider to another

- Taranna Khetpal [e-mail]

What do trolls know? All they see on their screens is a girl on a shiny motorcycle, helmet gleaming, leather jacket catching the light, mountains or highways in the distance. Every shot screams cool. Every Reel makes chasing the sunset look easy. No one really knows how much harder it is for women to be on the road, especially when they travel solo.

Because long rides test patience, endurance and discipline. A day can begin at 4.30 am - before the sun is up. Who knows what’s hiding in the shadows between the hotel and the parking lot? Gear (jacket, gloves, pants, padding, shoes, helmet) can add some five kilos of body weight - making it harder for lighter bodies to distribute weight as they tackle hairpin bends on two wheels. It’s dusty, it’s hot. Vehicles break down, plans unravel, no place is truly safe from harassment. Here’s what some women have learnt along the way.

Cracked rear view

"No rides after 6 or 7 in the evening," 14 Bhidola says Cherry (@Rider.Girl.Cherry), 24, who has been riding since June 2021. From her base in Dehradun, she's steered her Suzuki V-Storm 250 through Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Sikkim, and Uttar Pradesh. Unknown shortcuts? Skip. Isolated stops? Avoid. Small talk with a stranger? Limited. Familiar dhabas and petrol-pump loos are safer than random pit stops. And all halts and detours are mapped out and double-checked before she starts out. Bhidola's lesson is simple: Planning is survival. “A ride isn’t just about where you want to go, it’s about how safely you get there,” she says.