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We talked to Mehdia Fathima, who completed the Golden Quadrilateral Ride aboard her Bajaj Avenger 220 Cruise. Soon after, she completed the Coastal Ride covering the coastal regions of India. We asked her about the challenges she faced before taking up and during the ride. She told us how she got into motorcycling, how she got the idea for a solo long ride and such. Here's the interview that covers her travelogue and route with, of course, a lot of photos!
Please introduce yourself to our readers.
Hi there! I am Mehdia Fathima, a working mother of two teenage children (aged 12 and 14), living in Bangalore with my family of 5. I work in IBM Bangalore, a small job in a big multinational.
I was in the NCC way back in junior college and am an NCC "C" certificate holder. I have always had this urge in me to get out in the open, see the outside world, enjoy nature, and explore different cultures and lifestyles.
What is that one thing that draws you to motorcycles?
I always had it in me, that this is something I can do. My friend once gave me a ride on her Harley and it felt so cool.
Something about motorcycles attracted me- maybe it is the need to be independent, an inner desire for self-up-gradation. Also, most importantly it is the feeling of being yourself on a motorcycle, the control and the power you get being a woman who is in control of herself and is enjoying what she likes.
How did you learn to ride and from where did the idea of long rides come from?
I learned how to ride a geared motorcycle in my engineering college (BMS College of Engineering in Bangalore) where I pursued my degree in architecture way back in the early 90s. But then it was just a brush, I did not ride or even remember how to for almost 20 years post-college.
Recently, some 2-3 years ago, I took a bike on rent and my colleagues here in IBM taught me how to ride a bike. Then one fine day, in April 2017, I went and picked up a bike- Avenger 220 Cruise. Considering I am 5 feet tall and budget-conscious, I thought this was a good first bike.
For the first 8 months after I bought my bike, I did small rides with friends, I did an IBM Club group ride, and I even tried going with some other women biker groups there. However, I realized I was too slow to cope with other riders' speeds.
I was, in fact, sent back from my first group ride because I was slow. This demotivated me initially, post which I had/still have a mental block that I am unfit for group rides. But it did not stop me.
I chose to do solo because of the above reasons and also because I needed to balance between my office timings, my family, and vacations. So, I started going for small solo rides.
My first was Nellore and back- 1200 km- which was my longest before the GQ.
When I went to my first 1200 km solo ride, despite losing the way, and falling and hurting myself, the solo experiment was really fulfilling. I had sort of a self-discovery all my way- singing, talking to myself, getting emotional, and learning new things. This was the first time I got out of the house and got time away from parental responsibility.
I had tasted blood once with this solo long ride and there I was thirsty for more! I kept reading about where next, what next. I thought I should try a longer ride next, something more than 1200 kms! That’s where the idea of GQ came to my mind!
There’s multi-tasking and then there’s what you do. We’d really like to know how you manage your work life, family life and then motorcycling too.
Multi-tasking is important. My kids have grown up now and I would like them to be independent and learn to live on their own. Basically, a working woman labours all the time. At the office, we are competing with others to get our appraisals and prove we are worthy of our jobs. At home, we are cooking, cleaning and washing, and sitting with kids for their homework.
I have a very supportive spouse who encourages me in my adventures. In fact, my first 3 fans are my kids and hubby! And talking about the office, I would like to mention I have a manager who is also an adventure buff and he is an absolute angel as he supports me and encourages me for everything I do.
A supportive family and supportive work culture and a burning desire to travel the road less travelled are enough for a woman to chase her dreams!
When we were kids, we would go out and play in the sun, even with the dirt and dust, in the parks. Nowadays, kids play on tabs, consoles, watch television, and go to malls. I would like to set an example and encourage my kids to take up outdoor activities as they are fun and a cool way to go about getting some exercise! Not just biking, I do trekking and other outdoor activities and try my best to include my kids in these.
I won't say everything has been positive. I do have people, close to me, discouraging me, thinking I am stupid and selfish to be riding a motorcycle at this age, questioning me, "What is it you want to prove- that you are good, you are brave, you are different, you are adventurous?", and telling me that so-called 'hobbies' should be limited to my age and my culture as an Indian woman.
So it has been a mixed bag but I had support from where I needed it the most!
Please tell us a bit more about your motorcycle and why you chose it?
A big reason why I chose this bike is that it is good for beginners, easy on the pocket, and gives enough power. Moreover, the low seat height is a big advantage as I don’t wear boots with heels. The day I wear heels, I fall for sure.
Avenger 220 Cruise is my bike and I would like to give a little review of its performance. It is extremely magnificent bike and did exceedingly well in both my rides- 7000 kms (no performance issues at all, not even a tire burst despite peak summer) and 8500 kms again (no issues, no tire bursts). For the latter, I had battery issues and had to push start my bike for 3 days. In hindsight, I should have gone with a new battery.
Please tell us about your solo Golden Quadrilateral Ride.
As I said, post my first long ride to Nellore, I gained confidence that I was good for a solo ride. I learned that our highways are full of nice people (at least in most parts of the country), that a woman riding solo is actually respected and treated well, female riders are supported, and our highways are so crowded, and we have highway support help and a pretty good network of roads!
I don’t exactly remember where I learned about GQ, perhaps I searched up solo rides to do in India, and some such search led me to this route.
I kept reading and thinking before I even discussed with my friends, Karthick and Rajaneesh, my besties in office. Although they were a bit sceptical, they knew me and my impulsive nature and so… I was off!
Here are the details of the ride.
Golden Quadrilateral road circuit covering 16 states and all five metro cities and over 40 other cities in India.
Distance Covered: Approximately 7000 kms.
Start date: April 15th from Bangalore.
End date: May 6th Bangalore.
Time: 3 weeks.
My route:
Day 1- Bangalore to Nellore via Chennai
Day 2- Nellore to Guntur
Day 3- Guntur to Vijaywada (rest day)
Day 4- Vijaywada to Vishakapatnam
Day 5- Vishakapatnam to Berhampur
Day 6- Berhampur to Bhubaneshwar
Day 7- Bhubaneshwar, site seeing Konark Puri(rest day)
Day 8- Bhubaneshwar to Kolkatta via Kharagpur
Day 9- Rest day at Kolkatta -bike service(rest day)
Day 10- Kolkatta to Dhanbad
Day 11- Dhanbad to Sasaram via Bodhgaya
Day 12- Sasaram to Allahbad via Varanasi
Day 13- Allahabad to Lucknow
Day 14- Lucknow to New Delhi via Agra
Day 15- New Delhi, rest day and Bike service (rest day)
Day 16- New Delhi to Ajmer
Day 17- Ajmer to Udaipur via Beawar
Day 18- Udaipur to Baroda via Ahmedabad
Day 19- Baroda to Thane
Day 20- Thane to Poona
Day 21- Poona to Hubli
Day 22- Hubli to Bangalore
How did you prepare yourself and your motorcycle for this ride?
Preparing myself:
As it was my first long ride, the thought of GQ occurred in February and I intended to go in April because of my kids’ summer vacation.
I first read about the entire route and the places I can stop, how many days I would need, and the budget.
I chalked my rough plan and communicated to Karthick and other close friends who helped me refine it.
I prepared a second version of my draft with places I will stay and as IBM is pan-India, I got a lot of support from my friends and colleagues. I took one point of contact across the GQ who I would contact in case of emergency only. This gave me confidence that in times of need I will have someone.
I also had to buy all the riding gear for the first time- a good helmet, jacket, gloves, knee pads, etc.
Being an obese person, I was having difficulty getting riding gear in my size so I went with what I was able to fit into. I still face the issue of not finding the gear that fits me.
Preparing the bike:
I got my bike serviced and informed them that I’m going long and they need to ensure it is prepared for that.
I also bought extra clutch, accelerator cables, tubes, air pump, fog spray, lock, headlamp, one-time puncture repair tube, and a few other small things.
Preparation at work:
Of course, I had to inform management about my 3 weeks’ vacation plan well in advance and upon approval arrange a back-up.
Preparation at home:
The first and most important thing was to prepare my kids. I informed them and shared the plan with them. They were both excited and reluctant. I took their permission first and that was important as it gave me confidence.
7000 Kms and 22 days on the motorcycle. What was the most difficult part of the ride?
The most difficult part was riding in the hot sun, wearing full riding gear. It was tough to reach before sunset, and the most trying part was in Rajasthan, and even in Orissa. Riding in speeding winds, I was almost thrown off the highway as I had no experience to ride in strong winds. It was a little scary but I managed, everything is a lesson.
Even though a ride of this magnitude is memorable in its own right, but anything that deserves a special mention?
When I started the ride, I was unsure whether I’ll finish it. In fact, I even informed at home that Konark is where I will be going and I will be back post-that. I kept moving slowly and steadily, I do things to complete, never to compete.
I kept talking to my kids and friends; they kept asking me to share locations, supporting me wherever I needed help- with booking hotels, staying with their families, and joining me on day 1 to see me off or even here and there for 100 odd kms to cheer me. I kept going, I persevered- an old woman beating the sun, beating all odds.
This support I got was the most special thing about my first long solo ride. My college group, my family, my friends, and on Facebook- everyone was there to cheer me, and my son would call me every day to ask, “Amma, where are you? Come back fast, but finish and come back!”
The fact that a woman in her middle age is able to do a ride of such a magnitude despite all odds shows we are a progressive country and headed forward.
Your second big ride was the Indian Coastline Ride which was 8500 kms, longer than your GQ Ride. Where did the idea of a Coastline ride come from?
I am a crazy woman with very random and spontaneous ideas. I love seafood, coastal architecture, trade, etc. I initially wanted to do the K2K in December but then, I suddenly decided to do that coastline ride instead. I wanted to include Sunderbans and Kutch, but due to vacation /budgetary constraints had to do only the coastline.
I wanted to ship my bike till Kolkata, fly and ride back. But due to the cyclonic alert, no transport was guaranteeing me timely delivery and so I chose to ride all the way and ride down again.
My plan B was just the peninsula, Goa, Kanyakumari, Vizag, and back.
I also wanted to make a film on the coastal culture, architecture, food, life, and difficulties of people who are constantly under the cyclonic threats etc. The idea was good but forgotten after I was two days into my ride! When I saw the roads, the state highways, and village roads, I forgot about my goal and just kept riding.
What was the route that you followed for this ride?
Route:
Day 1 -Bangalore Nellore-Mypadu beach
Day 2 -Nellore Machalipatnam-Manginapudi beach
Day 3 -Machalipatnam to Vizag via Yanam-RK and Rushikonda beach, Yanam you see the gorgeous Godavari river.
Day 4-Vizag rest and Araku valley with a friend.-oh the bamboo chicken
Day 5 -Vizag to Gopalpur -awesome beach -Haripur and Gopalpur beach, blue blue
Day 6- Gopalpur to Konark, Puri then Bhubaneshwar –the Konark Puri marine drive is the best in the country
Day 7 -Bhubaneshwar to Digha West Bengal(they don’t give rooms to solo travellers in, I was able to do some jugaad! Digha beach very very crowded
Day 8 -Digha to Mandarmoni and then back to Bhubaneshwar-awesome beach -so cold
Day 9 -Bhubaneshwar to Vizag
Day 10-Vizag rest and service -and awesome street food and Yarada beach
Day 11-Vizag to Nellore
Day 12-Nellore to Pondicherry via Chennai Marina beach(new year day this was and the crowd in Chennai was awesome)
Day 13 – lesson learned do not do the East coast road from Chennai to Pondicherry in the Night, it is dangerous and you can get killed.
Day 14 -Pondicherry to Velankani, churches and beaches
Day 16-Velankani to Rameshwaram via Nagapattinam -Rameshwaram, the place of President Kalam, the land of Pamban bridge and Dhanushkodi is again where the land ends, we actually catch Airtel Lanka here
Day 17 -Rameshwaram to Kanyakumari -two things to do here, the sunrise and the sunset, rest is BAU.
Day 18 -Kanyakumari to Alleppey -I was not prepared for Kerala traffic, nobody warned nor did I do my homework well -Kerala has an awesome coastline of about 500 kms.
Day 19 -Alleppey to Calicut -awesome place, lovely beaches on the way
Day 20 -Calicut to Mangalore via Kannur -Kannur has the best drive-in beach in the country.
Day 21 -Mangalore rest and service.
Day 22-Mangalore to Palolem Goa
Day 23-Palolem to goal was Ganapati pule but had to stay over in ONI a small village in Maharashtra .due to very bad road condition, I had to abort Ratnagiri and Alibaug route to Mumbai and went via Poona and Khandala.
So Day 23- Palolem to Oni
Day 24 -Oni to Khandala
Day 25 -Khandala to Vapi via Mumbai
Day 26 -Vapi to Anand via Daman
Day 27 -Anand to Diu via Bhavnagar
Day 28 -Diu to Dwarka via Porbandar-one awesome place
Day 29 -Dwarka to Ahmedabad via Jamnagar -dropped my bike with a friend and took the next morning flight to Bangalore.
What was different this time around?
Definitely the roads, apart from some good national highways, I had to ride on state highways and small villages. I was more confident this time as compared to the nervousness during GQ.
I had to take certain impromptu decisions to reroute, etc due to bad roads. This coastline is a lesser-known, lesser-travelled route. So basically it is a unique adventure on the road less travelled!
I was also a little shocked to see the poverty in some of the places and it touched me deeply. The GQ ride was in big cities so things seemed pretty different there. This made me think of and be thankful for what I have.
Being a woman, what were the difficulties you had to face when you took up motorcycling?
Not just a woman, also one in her middle ages, coming from a humble and conservative background like mine and a working mother of two teenage kids.
Initially, I was ridiculed by people I know, saying that it is a midlife crisis or I’m just trying to show the world or prove that I am cool.
“Motorcycling is for men; women can drive cars or drive scooters.”
Basically all the above is the pushback you would expect. Having said the above, I have a very supportive spouse and my kids are excited and proud of me. My daughter even wants to be a biker and last weekend I took her pillion to Ooty.
Who do you consider as your pillars of support that keeps you going?
My kids, Aynan and Hasan. My spouse Farrookh, my two best friends-Karthick and Rajaneesh, and my manager AK.
Any message for women who’d want to take up motorcycling as a career or a hobby?
I am not sure about a career in motorcycling, as I am a new hobby rider. But I would like to say this: Girls and ladies, do whatever it takes to chase what makes you happy in life. Motorcycling is one thing that will give you the wings you wanted and that ‘me’ time you always need in life.
One word of caution though especially for women riders: We are not here to teach people manners, or tell them how to behave with a woman rider. If someone behaves well which most people do as I have seen a smile back and if someone is rude or impolite don’t worry, just carry on and don’t fight back.
Remember we are still a progressive country. I have seen that in most parts of our country, women riders get a lot of support.
The bottom line is India is a safe country for women to ride solo, be safe, do not ride at night and book safe hotels. Use all the help you can get from people you know. Don’t hesitate in asking for help anytime. Get yourselves the wings to be a woman and trust me, girls, you are more than worth it!
Do you have a message for our readers who’d be looking to take up a ride of that magnitude?
Take it up, try, go and taste it. If I could, I am sure anyone else can.
Go out and see the world especially our country, which is so beautiful. There are real people out there who don’t care about social media and politics. People out there live and work and struggle for survival, just like us.
It is not the social media or news media that defines which place is safe or unsafe, so go and explore it. We live in an awesome country, go and experience the love.
For any questions or help in planning rides please feel free to get in touch with me.
Photos - GQ Ride:
Photos - Coastal Ride:
Please introduce yourself to our readers.
Hi there! I am Mehdia Fathima, a working mother of two teenage children (aged 12 and 14), living in Bangalore with my family of 5. I work in IBM Bangalore, a small job in a big multinational.
I was in the NCC way back in junior college and am an NCC "C" certificate holder. I have always had this urge in me to get out in the open, see the outside world, enjoy nature, and explore different cultures and lifestyles.
What is that one thing that draws you to motorcycles?
I always had it in me, that this is something I can do. My friend once gave me a ride on her Harley and it felt so cool.
Something about motorcycles attracted me- maybe it is the need to be independent, an inner desire for self-up-gradation. Also, most importantly it is the feeling of being yourself on a motorcycle, the control and the power you get being a woman who is in control of herself and is enjoying what she likes.
How did you learn to ride and from where did the idea of long rides come from?
I learned how to ride a geared motorcycle in my engineering college (BMS College of Engineering in Bangalore) where I pursued my degree in architecture way back in the early 90s. But then it was just a brush, I did not ride or even remember how to for almost 20 years post-college.
Recently, some 2-3 years ago, I took a bike on rent and my colleagues here in IBM taught me how to ride a bike. Then one fine day, in April 2017, I went and picked up a bike- Avenger 220 Cruise. Considering I am 5 feet tall and budget-conscious, I thought this was a good first bike.
For the first 8 months after I bought my bike, I did small rides with friends, I did an IBM Club group ride, and I even tried going with some other women biker groups there. However, I realized I was too slow to cope with other riders' speeds.
I was, in fact, sent back from my first group ride because I was slow. This demotivated me initially, post which I had/still have a mental block that I am unfit for group rides. But it did not stop me.
I chose to do solo because of the above reasons and also because I needed to balance between my office timings, my family, and vacations. So, I started going for small solo rides.
My first was Nellore and back- 1200 km- which was my longest before the GQ.
When I went to my first 1200 km solo ride, despite losing the way, and falling and hurting myself, the solo experiment was really fulfilling. I had sort of a self-discovery all my way- singing, talking to myself, getting emotional, and learning new things. This was the first time I got out of the house and got time away from parental responsibility.
I had tasted blood once with this solo long ride and there I was thirsty for more! I kept reading about where next, what next. I thought I should try a longer ride next, something more than 1200 kms! That’s where the idea of GQ came to my mind!
There’s multi-tasking and then there’s what you do. We’d really like to know how you manage your work life, family life and then motorcycling too.
Multi-tasking is important. My kids have grown up now and I would like them to be independent and learn to live on their own. Basically, a working woman labours all the time. At the office, we are competing with others to get our appraisals and prove we are worthy of our jobs. At home, we are cooking, cleaning and washing, and sitting with kids for their homework.
I have a very supportive spouse who encourages me in my adventures. In fact, my first 3 fans are my kids and hubby! And talking about the office, I would like to mention I have a manager who is also an adventure buff and he is an absolute angel as he supports me and encourages me for everything I do.
A supportive family and supportive work culture and a burning desire to travel the road less travelled are enough for a woman to chase her dreams!
When we were kids, we would go out and play in the sun, even with the dirt and dust, in the parks. Nowadays, kids play on tabs, consoles, watch television, and go to malls. I would like to set an example and encourage my kids to take up outdoor activities as they are fun and a cool way to go about getting some exercise! Not just biking, I do trekking and other outdoor activities and try my best to include my kids in these.
I won't say everything has been positive. I do have people, close to me, discouraging me, thinking I am stupid and selfish to be riding a motorcycle at this age, questioning me, "What is it you want to prove- that you are good, you are brave, you are different, you are adventurous?", and telling me that so-called 'hobbies' should be limited to my age and my culture as an Indian woman.
So it has been a mixed bag but I had support from where I needed it the most!
Please tell us a bit more about your motorcycle and why you chose it?
A big reason why I chose this bike is that it is good for beginners, easy on the pocket, and gives enough power. Moreover, the low seat height is a big advantage as I don’t wear boots with heels. The day I wear heels, I fall for sure.
Avenger 220 Cruise is my bike and I would like to give a little review of its performance. It is extremely magnificent bike and did exceedingly well in both my rides- 7000 kms (no performance issues at all, not even a tire burst despite peak summer) and 8500 kms again (no issues, no tire bursts). For the latter, I had battery issues and had to push start my bike for 3 days. In hindsight, I should have gone with a new battery.
Please tell us about your solo Golden Quadrilateral Ride.
As I said, post my first long ride to Nellore, I gained confidence that I was good for a solo ride. I learned that our highways are full of nice people (at least in most parts of the country), that a woman riding solo is actually respected and treated well, female riders are supported, and our highways are so crowded, and we have highway support help and a pretty good network of roads!
I don’t exactly remember where I learned about GQ, perhaps I searched up solo rides to do in India, and some such search led me to this route.
I kept reading and thinking before I even discussed with my friends, Karthick and Rajaneesh, my besties in office. Although they were a bit sceptical, they knew me and my impulsive nature and so… I was off!
Here are the details of the ride.
Golden Quadrilateral road circuit covering 16 states and all five metro cities and over 40 other cities in India.
Distance Covered: Approximately 7000 kms.
Start date: April 15th from Bangalore.
End date: May 6th Bangalore.
Time: 3 weeks.
My route:
Day 1- Bangalore to Nellore via Chennai
Day 2- Nellore to Guntur
Day 3- Guntur to Vijaywada (rest day)
Day 4- Vijaywada to Vishakapatnam
Day 5- Vishakapatnam to Berhampur
Day 6- Berhampur to Bhubaneshwar
Day 7- Bhubaneshwar, site seeing Konark Puri(rest day)
Day 8- Bhubaneshwar to Kolkatta via Kharagpur
Day 9- Rest day at Kolkatta -bike service(rest day)
Day 10- Kolkatta to Dhanbad
Day 11- Dhanbad to Sasaram via Bodhgaya
Day 12- Sasaram to Allahbad via Varanasi
Day 13- Allahabad to Lucknow
Day 14- Lucknow to New Delhi via Agra
Day 15- New Delhi, rest day and Bike service (rest day)
Day 16- New Delhi to Ajmer
Day 17- Ajmer to Udaipur via Beawar
Day 18- Udaipur to Baroda via Ahmedabad
Day 19- Baroda to Thane
Day 20- Thane to Poona
Day 21- Poona to Hubli
Day 22- Hubli to Bangalore
How did you prepare yourself and your motorcycle for this ride?
Preparing myself:
As it was my first long ride, the thought of GQ occurred in February and I intended to go in April because of my kids’ summer vacation.
I first read about the entire route and the places I can stop, how many days I would need, and the budget.
I chalked my rough plan and communicated to Karthick and other close friends who helped me refine it.
I prepared a second version of my draft with places I will stay and as IBM is pan-India, I got a lot of support from my friends and colleagues. I took one point of contact across the GQ who I would contact in case of emergency only. This gave me confidence that in times of need I will have someone.
I also had to buy all the riding gear for the first time- a good helmet, jacket, gloves, knee pads, etc.
Being an obese person, I was having difficulty getting riding gear in my size so I went with what I was able to fit into. I still face the issue of not finding the gear that fits me.
Preparing the bike:
I got my bike serviced and informed them that I’m going long and they need to ensure it is prepared for that.
I also bought extra clutch, accelerator cables, tubes, air pump, fog spray, lock, headlamp, one-time puncture repair tube, and a few other small things.
Preparation at work:
Of course, I had to inform management about my 3 weeks’ vacation plan well in advance and upon approval arrange a back-up.
Preparation at home:
The first and most important thing was to prepare my kids. I informed them and shared the plan with them. They were both excited and reluctant. I took their permission first and that was important as it gave me confidence.
7000 Kms and 22 days on the motorcycle. What was the most difficult part of the ride?
The most difficult part was riding in the hot sun, wearing full riding gear. It was tough to reach before sunset, and the most trying part was in Rajasthan, and even in Orissa. Riding in speeding winds, I was almost thrown off the highway as I had no experience to ride in strong winds. It was a little scary but I managed, everything is a lesson.
Even though a ride of this magnitude is memorable in its own right, but anything that deserves a special mention?
When I started the ride, I was unsure whether I’ll finish it. In fact, I even informed at home that Konark is where I will be going and I will be back post-that. I kept moving slowly and steadily, I do things to complete, never to compete.
I kept talking to my kids and friends; they kept asking me to share locations, supporting me wherever I needed help- with booking hotels, staying with their families, and joining me on day 1 to see me off or even here and there for 100 odd kms to cheer me. I kept going, I persevered- an old woman beating the sun, beating all odds.
This support I got was the most special thing about my first long solo ride. My college group, my family, my friends, and on Facebook- everyone was there to cheer me, and my son would call me every day to ask, “Amma, where are you? Come back fast, but finish and come back!”
The fact that a woman in her middle age is able to do a ride of such a magnitude despite all odds shows we are a progressive country and headed forward.
Your second big ride was the Indian Coastline Ride which was 8500 kms, longer than your GQ Ride. Where did the idea of a Coastline ride come from?
I am a crazy woman with very random and spontaneous ideas. I love seafood, coastal architecture, trade, etc. I initially wanted to do the K2K in December but then, I suddenly decided to do that coastline ride instead. I wanted to include Sunderbans and Kutch, but due to vacation /budgetary constraints had to do only the coastline.
I wanted to ship my bike till Kolkata, fly and ride back. But due to the cyclonic alert, no transport was guaranteeing me timely delivery and so I chose to ride all the way and ride down again.
My plan B was just the peninsula, Goa, Kanyakumari, Vizag, and back.
I also wanted to make a film on the coastal culture, architecture, food, life, and difficulties of people who are constantly under the cyclonic threats etc. The idea was good but forgotten after I was two days into my ride! When I saw the roads, the state highways, and village roads, I forgot about my goal and just kept riding.
What was the route that you followed for this ride?
Route:
Day 1 -Bangalore Nellore-Mypadu beach
Day 2 -Nellore Machalipatnam-Manginapudi beach
Day 3 -Machalipatnam to Vizag via Yanam-RK and Rushikonda beach, Yanam you see the gorgeous Godavari river.
Day 4-Vizag rest and Araku valley with a friend.-oh the bamboo chicken
Day 5 -Vizag to Gopalpur -awesome beach -Haripur and Gopalpur beach, blue blue
Day 6- Gopalpur to Konark, Puri then Bhubaneshwar –the Konark Puri marine drive is the best in the country
Day 7 -Bhubaneshwar to Digha West Bengal(they don’t give rooms to solo travellers in, I was able to do some jugaad! Digha beach very very crowded
Day 8 -Digha to Mandarmoni and then back to Bhubaneshwar-awesome beach -so cold
Day 9 -Bhubaneshwar to Vizag
Day 10-Vizag rest and service -and awesome street food and Yarada beach
Day 11-Vizag to Nellore
Day 12-Nellore to Pondicherry via Chennai Marina beach(new year day this was and the crowd in Chennai was awesome)
Day 13 – lesson learned do not do the East coast road from Chennai to Pondicherry in the Night, it is dangerous and you can get killed.
Day 14 -Pondicherry to Velankani, churches and beaches
Day 16-Velankani to Rameshwaram via Nagapattinam -Rameshwaram, the place of President Kalam, the land of Pamban bridge and Dhanushkodi is again where the land ends, we actually catch Airtel Lanka here
Day 17 -Rameshwaram to Kanyakumari -two things to do here, the sunrise and the sunset, rest is BAU.
Day 18 -Kanyakumari to Alleppey -I was not prepared for Kerala traffic, nobody warned nor did I do my homework well -Kerala has an awesome coastline of about 500 kms.
Day 19 -Alleppey to Calicut -awesome place, lovely beaches on the way
Day 20 -Calicut to Mangalore via Kannur -Kannur has the best drive-in beach in the country.
Day 21 -Mangalore rest and service.
Day 22-Mangalore to Palolem Goa
Day 23-Palolem to goal was Ganapati pule but had to stay over in ONI a small village in Maharashtra .due to very bad road condition, I had to abort Ratnagiri and Alibaug route to Mumbai and went via Poona and Khandala.
So Day 23- Palolem to Oni
Day 24 -Oni to Khandala
Day 25 -Khandala to Vapi via Mumbai
Day 26 -Vapi to Anand via Daman
Day 27 -Anand to Diu via Bhavnagar
Day 28 -Diu to Dwarka via Porbandar-one awesome place
Day 29 -Dwarka to Ahmedabad via Jamnagar -dropped my bike with a friend and took the next morning flight to Bangalore.
What was different this time around?
Definitely the roads, apart from some good national highways, I had to ride on state highways and small villages. I was more confident this time as compared to the nervousness during GQ.
I had to take certain impromptu decisions to reroute, etc due to bad roads. This coastline is a lesser-known, lesser-travelled route. So basically it is a unique adventure on the road less travelled!
I was also a little shocked to see the poverty in some of the places and it touched me deeply. The GQ ride was in big cities so things seemed pretty different there. This made me think of and be thankful for what I have.
Being a woman, what were the difficulties you had to face when you took up motorcycling?
Not just a woman, also one in her middle ages, coming from a humble and conservative background like mine and a working mother of two teenage kids.
Initially, I was ridiculed by people I know, saying that it is a midlife crisis or I’m just trying to show the world or prove that I am cool.
“Motorcycling is for men; women can drive cars or drive scooters.”
Basically all the above is the pushback you would expect. Having said the above, I have a very supportive spouse and my kids are excited and proud of me. My daughter even wants to be a biker and last weekend I took her pillion to Ooty.
Who do you consider as your pillars of support that keeps you going?
My kids, Aynan and Hasan. My spouse Farrookh, my two best friends-Karthick and Rajaneesh, and my manager AK.
Any message for women who’d want to take up motorcycling as a career or a hobby?
I am not sure about a career in motorcycling, as I am a new hobby rider. But I would like to say this: Girls and ladies, do whatever it takes to chase what makes you happy in life. Motorcycling is one thing that will give you the wings you wanted and that ‘me’ time you always need in life.
One word of caution though especially for women riders: We are not here to teach people manners, or tell them how to behave with a woman rider. If someone behaves well which most people do as I have seen a smile back and if someone is rude or impolite don’t worry, just carry on and don’t fight back.
Remember we are still a progressive country. I have seen that in most parts of our country, women riders get a lot of support.
The bottom line is India is a safe country for women to ride solo, be safe, do not ride at night and book safe hotels. Use all the help you can get from people you know. Don’t hesitate in asking for help anytime. Get yourselves the wings to be a woman and trust me, girls, you are more than worth it!
Do you have a message for our readers who’d be looking to take up a ride of that magnitude?
Take it up, try, go and taste it. If I could, I am sure anyone else can.
Go out and see the world especially our country, which is so beautiful. There are real people out there who don’t care about social media and politics. People out there live and work and struggle for survival, just like us.
It is not the social media or news media that defines which place is safe or unsafe, so go and explore it. We live in an awesome country, go and experience the love.
For any questions or help in planning rides please feel free to get in touch with me.
Photos - GQ Ride:
Photos - Coastal Ride:
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