For these biking groups from city, riding is not just a fun activity but also a way to test their endurance and express their freedom
For these biking groups from city, riding is not just a fun activity but also a way to test their endurance and express their freedom
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| Fun with responsiblity: These bikers are also involved in spreading awareness on social causes such as HIV. pic/Jignesh mistry |
Mounting a terrain is no mammoth task for them. Give them a place and they will not think twice. Just kickstart and swoosh! They are two communities of bikers who ride not for the sake of fun, but for whom biking is yet another way of expressing their freedom.
Ashutosh Mahadik (33) who is a quality professional with an IT company and also is part of Firelords, a bikers community, said: "I have been biking for the last 14 years and the thrill I feel today while biking is the same when I'd started out." When asked about his most enthralling moment, he said: "It was in June 2010 when I had finished a rally of 1,700 km within 21.59 min on my Royal Enfield." He is also of the opinion that biking is the best test of endurance.
It will show you how well you can get along with fellow riders. Riding a few kilometres is different, but riding all the way from Pune to Leh-Ladak is different," he said.u00a0
Another young biker from the same group, Nipun Srivastava, said: "Our bikes are the unifying factor; at the end of the day it's about the freedom that you feel with your bike which cannot be experienced in the real world." Apart from being a bike enthusiast, Nipun is also a travel writer and a photographer.u00a0
And if you thought biking was all about self-indulgence, then this group will tell you that it is not. MH-12, another biker's group from the city, said that bikers are not just a set of hooligans who indulge in rash driving.
Ishaan Lee, the founding member of the group, said: "Just because biking is our passion, we should not be considered ruffians with wanton disregard for life."
In fact, in their last meeting they aired their concern over wearing helmets. "Youngsters should realise the importance of life, and helmets are anytime better than broken heads," said Lee, whose most memorable moment was his trip to Jaipur for the National Monsoon Ride held in 2010.
They have also worked for social causes such as creating awareness about HIV. Apart from conducting rallies and events, these clubs also mentor young bike enthusiasts.
Mayank Gundesha's also concurred with Lee. An avid biker of the group Renegade Devilz, a bikers club in the city, he said: "Safety comes foremost for all of us. Being a biker doesn't mean that we create chaos."u00a0
Asked how they started out, he said, "We first started off by riding to short distances to places such as Lonavla and Lavasa and then slowly started going to far off places." Not only do these bikers share a common passion, but they also send out a common message too - Speed thrills but kills. May their tribe increase!
