BENGALURU: Who said bikes are boys’ toys? At least not at this workshop, which was held recently where over 50 women took part to learn the basics of riding. Organised by Royal Brothers, a city-based bike rental company, the idea behind the workshop was to encourage women to join the riding community and become full-fledged riders. The half-day session, taught by experienced female bike riders, saw participants learning to ride the two-wheeler across levels – beginner, intermediate and expert.
Divya Patil, 23, who had always wanted to learn how to ride a scooter but never had the opportunity to do so, signed up for the workshop to improve her confidence levels. “Nobody in my family or friends circles thought that I had the confidence or strength to ride. This workshop was a welcome initiative which helped me not only to learn about the riding confidently but also about the traffic rules and regulations. The freedom that I now have to move around the city without depending on anybody is unmatched,” says the IT professional.
Owing to a hectic work-life schedule, 24-year-old Anushree Jain had lost touch with riding. When she heard about the workshop, she signed up to polish her skills. “It has helped me brush up my skills on a bike and I am confident now of riding on my own and joining my friends as a rider and not only as a pillion rider. It feels great to be in control,” says the marketing manager.
For those women who were keen to ride scooters, 150cc bikes or even Royal Enfield Bullets, they were given the chance to, even as they were given tips on road safety tips, appropriate safety riding gear and riding etiquette for use in commuting and taking long rides on open roads. Abhishek Chandrashekar, co-founder and CEO, Royal Brothers, said: “We want more women to join the biking community and be independent where travel is concerned. We have taken the onus of teaching them at all levels and help them move up to the next level, along with educating them about road safety. The positive response we got for this workshop is encouraging and we intend to do more of them. This was also a unique way for us to commemorate Road Safety Week and we will continue to educate all our riders on the same.”