#bikermums: Fun, fierce and fabulous

Geetika Wahi (48)

A single mother, Wahi was scared to try biking, but it was her son who not only taught her how to ride but also encouraged her to follow her dreams in her 40s. “Few years ago, on my birthday, I told my 21-year-old son I wanted to ride a bike and he agreed to teach me. I learnt to ride during the lockdown and started going on trips. I went to Ajmer, Rajasthan and even hilly areas. I learnt how to fix the bike and change tyres. In biking, I found my passion and purpose. It has been a life-changing experience for which I thank my son,” she says.

Jyoti Mehta (50)

Mehta is a serving officer at the Indian Air Force (IAF), who learnt riding bikes when she was 16. When she started biking in 1989, a woman riding a motorcycle was rarely heard of. “Once I parked my bike to get some water. After taking off my helmet when people realised that it’s a woman who’s riding the bike, they came running towards me to see who this ‘ajooba’ is,” she says. However, she shares that with time, the perception has changed as the number of female motorcyclists in the country increased, and her family’s support has helped her to never give up. “My 21-year-old son is proud of his motorcyclist mum. I want all mums to realise anyone can ride bikes. These wheels really give us wings to fly,” she says.

Mahak (32)

While Mahak learnt biking from her dad, it is her daughter who has taught her to never give up. “Today, riding bikes looks cool, but when I was learning, it was not acceptable. I had to dress like my father to fulfil my passion; I used to cover my head with a cap, wear loose shirts and then ride. I remember when I bought my first bike in 2012, the showroom owner carved my name on the bike and put it on show for a week for others to see that a woman had bought a bike for herself. I am now a mother to a four-year-old who makes me feel responsible. I want to come back home safely for her. She teaches me it’s okay to fail and get back up. My sweetest memory of her is when she formed a complete sentence to say she would ride all my bikes when she grows up,” she shares.

Taruna Singh (52)

Singh started learning biking when she was in her teens. Her father, a district transport officer (DTO), encouraged her to follow her passion. However, after she got married and had kids, she stopped biking for almost 15 years, until later, when at a school reunion she met her childhood best friend, who encouraged her to take up riding again. When she joined a biking community, she was the oldest of the lot. “From Triumph to Harley, I have ridden all sorts of bikes, and have covered almost all of India. My husband is also a biker, but my two boys, who are 21- and 19-year-old, especially pushed me to take up biking once again. They said, ‘it’s so cool, mum, you should definitely ride again’,” she says. Singh takes adventure groups from all over India for biking.

Mandeep Marwah (51)

Known as Mandy in her peer group, Marwah started a training academy for women after mastering the art of bike riding at 45. “I grew up in the Middle East in the ’80s when women were forbidden to ride motorcycles. I learnt to ride after moving to India,” she shares. The lack of trainers was another obstacle in her path. “I had to teach myself by borrowing a friend’s bike. I started my academy in 2017. Most of the women I trained were in their 40s,” she says. Her family has always supported her passion. “My 23- and 24-year-old daughters are super proud of me. They see how it allows me to feel a sense of freedom and joy. Biking for me was like rediscovering myself,” shares Marwah.

Nupur Agarwal Kalra (38)

As a teenager, she would watch her neighbourhood boys riding bikes. One day, she asked her friend’s brother to teach her how to ride, and since then, there was no turning back. Today, she’s an influencer with 49.9k followers who posts about biking, lifestyle, fashion and travel on Instagram. Talking about the support she gets from her eight-year-old daughter, she says, “She loves the fact that her mum is a biker and proudly tells her friends, too. She looks forward to going on rides with such excitement.”