Admin | 2020-04-10
We often hear of women buying scooters, learning to ride it and getting a license for it. But how often do we hear of women trying out a motorbike, getting one and even riding it down the roads like a scooter? Rarely, isn’t it? Women on bikes is still something relatively new. Women have been expressing their interest towards bikes quite openly these days, but it is still a rare instance to see women embrace it and own it like they do scooters.
As a woman myself, I used to feel that bikes are better suited for men as I had this pre-conceived notion that bikes are heavy and more difficult to master as there are more steps involved in operating it than a scooter.
However, it took me experience and practice to understand that it isn’t actually very difficult to master. One of my friends, consistently insisted I learn how to ride a bike, but I wasn’t quite sure of myself. But he motivated, encouraged and taught me to ride it.
Following this for my second ride, we took an off-road ride which was also quite pleasant despite my fear. And so, I had my third, fourth and other continued rides. Now, I feel like bikes are handier, more comfortable, and safer than scooters as bikes offer more control.
Also, my perception of women on bikes has changed completely after my own experience. When I saw women on bikes earlier, they were a symbol of rebellion and freedom at once. But it isn’t so anymore. Now it just feels like another activity that anyone can take up regardless of whether they are men or women.
After riding bikes, myself, I have begun seeing more women riding bikes on the road, something I didn’t notice or give a lot of attention to before. Also, after my own first-hand experience, I believe that we should approach things with an open mind. We should explore and dare to defy our own prejudiced ideas.
It takes courage to take on a challenge and the joy that awaits after conquering the challenge is simply priceless but don’t choose your challenges and your rides based on just your gender. The idea of women on bikes should be just as normalized and simple as men on scooters.
Dear women, you can be sensitive, yet you can be brave and take on a heavy bike with charm. Give it a shot, try it out. It doesn’t matter whether you choose to ride one down a road or not, because even if you don’t, you’ll still have learnt something new.