“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain
As a cycling enthusiast, I often noticed that women hardly cycled or participated in any cycling event. I’ve been to many cycling trails and events but all those have been dominated by men. It made me pause and think about this non-participation. As I reflected upon it, I got motivated me to set up an initative to encourage other women. But the big question was, how?
So I took it upon myself to organise an event. When I began I didn’t know what it would entail in terms of logistics, coordination and planning, but I wanted to encourage women to take up the sport and get out of their cocoon to show them how liberating a mere cycle can make you feel. And most importantly, I wanted them to understand that it helps us stay fit and healthy- something Indian women need to pay attention to.
I knew a lot of women who would occasionally cycle but wouldn’t want to commit to a weekly routine for various reasons. Some would say weekends are dedicated to family while others would give excuses of not having a bike. They clearly needed something to encourage them to take up a healthier way of life.
As the next step, I contacted a few authorities of some cycling brands and shared my idea of creating an event to encourage more women to cycle. They loved this idea and gave a go-head. This was a big achievement for me even though it took some time. I realised I could actually do something big. I also tied up with renowned cycle dealers in Mumbai to execute the plan.
The ground work was done but the event had to publicised, for women to come cycle. So I used social media and it worked like magic. I began promoting the event by creating a special event on Facebook which also went viral. I called it “Wo-The-Men” Ride.
But that wasn’t enough to get a good amount of traction and participants. Each day I would share a post about one encouraging woman rider in Mumbai and that motivated people to sign up for the event. People on social media began to like, comment and share those stories in an effort to give them those women a thumbs up for their efforts.
Before I knew it, social media had done it’s magic and I saw more women cyclists joining the community. Women from different social backgrounds came forward shunning their inhibitions and it was beautiful to see how effortlessly the event was executed.
March 12th, 2016 was a slightly different Saturday Morning in one part of Mumbai. The entrance of Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mumbai was flooded with more than 250 cyclists. But there was something different in this crowd which is a rare sight at cycling events. The crowd saw more than 150 women participants.
They all gathered early that morning to cycle. The excitement was palpable. It was probably a first for many women who were out there for themselves, instead of thinking about their kids, husbands and home. A few even went on a saddle after 20 years and it was a liberating feeling because they kept themselves above everything.
Some praised my efforts and told me that they would be keen to participate in such events in the future, which would let them do something for themselves.
I felt these women wanted to break free and expand their horizon. They wanted to taste freedom and happiness.
This small event was such a great learning experience not only for those women but also for me – as an enthusiastic cyclist, a wife and a mother of two who’s struggling to get things done and fulfil everyone’s needs. Just once in a while, doing something for me is an amazing feeling.
