TURN THE WHEELS

From defying gender norms to living life on their terms, these women bike-riders from Delhi-NCR are turning out to be role models for their family. Many of them are just living out their dreams of riding a bike.

- PRIYAMVADA RANA

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 never 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. "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.