Biking for me is a symbol of empowerment and liberty, says Vaishali More

With the wind slicing through her hair, riding across the three states of AP, Telangana, and Maharashtra and a passion to conquer the roads, 48-year-old Vaishali More is all set to embark on her first solo motorcycle ride from Visakhapatnam to Shirdi on Wednesday morning.

Purpose

Terming it as a “dream ride where the journey is the destination”, the woman biker from the Port City spoke to The Hindu about the purpose behind the ride and what biking means to her ahead of her journey.

“Biking for me is a symbol of empowerment and liberty and this journey marks the beginning of a new chapter in my life. I have always wanted to ride solo and this will be the first experience for me,” said the passionate biker, who started her biking adventures when she was in college.

Her ride is being supported by city based organisation Rohit Memorial Trust. Vaishali will cover the distance of around 1,700 km in five days, making pit stops at Vijayawada, Hyderabad, Solapur and Pune before ending her journey in Shirdi.

Armed with safety gears, a helmet clasped over her hair, sporting a riding jacket that will guard her back, shoulder and elbow and skid proof boots, she will make her first stop at Vijayawada on Wednesday night.

During her journey, she will be meeting organisations such as Rotary Clubs and biking groups to share her experiences and discuss various social issues concerning women.

Prelude

“This journey is a prelude to the cross country solo bike ride that I am planning next year in association with Rohit Memorial Trust as part of a project on women empowerment under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The aim is to cover eight to 10 smart cities and reach out to women to spread awareness on a series of issues like domestic violence and menstrual hygiene,” said Vaishali.

In Hyderabad, the biker will be meeting members of Wanderers, a biking community and woman biker Sana Iqbal.

At Pune, three women bikers from the local chapter of the Bikerni group will accompany her till Shirdi in their quest to overturn widely held stereotypes such as riding being a gendered hobby.

“Biking for me is meditative. My bike is like an extension of my personality. I know every pulse of it,” says Vaishali while describing her association with her 220 CC Bajaj Avenger Cruise bike that she fondly calls as ‘Ellie’ – a short form of the French word Esprit Libre meaning free spirit.

She will make pit stops at Vijayawada, Hyderabad, Solapur and Pune before ending her journey in Shirdi.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / by Nivedita Ganguly / Visakhapatnam – July 13th, 2016