THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Of late, social media is flooded with the ‘Have you gone to Ooty via Masinagudi’ buzz with travel freaks splashing their accounts with reels of their ride rhyming it to scintillating music.
The usual roads to Ooty are fairly well-kept and peopled, but the one being promoted are off the beaten track. The riders call it a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Ooty-Masinagudi ride may not exactly be daredevilry but it could well be the kind that turns on bike aficionados; smooth roads are not certainly their cuppa.
Yet, even for the masters of the road, biking is not a fun ride. Weather conditions, luggage, maintenance tasks, visibility issues, and many more such thorns may be strewn all through those craggy roads.
Still, riders are always on the scout for newer paths through uncharted territories. Some amount of experience can aid the riders to take on the terrain and the situations with better grit and resolve, says Royals All Kerala REriders Club, a Thiruvananthapuram-based group. The team has put together an Intensive Training Programme (ITP) to handhold all to become seasoned riders.
“I noticed that many riders are not aware of the challenges they face on long trips. Our goal is to make them aware of everything they need to do on a long journey,” says Akhil T Vishnu, the club’s founder. The group was formed in 2017 and now has 120 regular members. “We started as a community for riders, but now, we feel a responsibility to society. That’s why we organise these intensive training programmes for beginners.”
The programme will include various aspects, ranging from proper lugging to understanding road safety rules, vehicle management, first-aid techniques, safety gear usage, accident scene management, emergency response, and most importantly, the titanic difference between racing and riding.
“People often confuse riders with racers. Riding is certainly not racing. Riders are the ones who respect laws and regulations, taking all necessary safety measures while exploring the world. Beginners must understand this basic rule, and we intend to convey this message through our campaign,” Akhil says.
Nishal M K, an avid biker who has done cross-country trips, feels such initiatives are necessary today. “Many people have a passion for biking. Some hold back due to fear and some due to a lack of knowledge of how to manage resources at hand. Basic knowledge provided through such programmes will come in handy,” he says.
The programme will be held on Sunday, January 21 at M Krishnapilla Memorial NSS Karayogam Hall, Vattiyurkkavu. The club is also planning similar programmes statewide.