Bike rides have always been a dream for many of us. Whether it be a trip to Goa or a tour to Ladakh, road trips are always worthwhile. But, the outspread of Covid-19 stopped everything for three months, even the relentless bike rides. But it could not resist ‘Born To Ride Club Bhopal’ from riding.
Born To Ride club was created during a Royal Enfield event named “One Ride” which was hosted by a local organization in 2012. They started with a group of 20 people, and since then they have not stopped. Interestingly, it is the only registered riding club in Madhya Pradesh.
Members Of ‘Born To Ride Club’
‘Born To Ride’ is a club of more than 250 members who reside in Bhopal and cities nearby the capital. They have also participated in BOBMC with their longest ride to Nepal of more than 2800 km. It was also the first International ride of the group.
The club consists of female bike riders as well who participate actively in a lot of events. The club is led by Micky Gyanchandani, a 35-year-old rider from Bhopal. The group also includes elderly people who have been a part of the Nepal ride as well. Mickey Gyanchandani (CTO) with his Royal Enfield
Bike Rider Srajan Shrivastava
Biker Prateek Vats (Founder Member Of Born To Ride)
Rider Siddharth Gupta
Biker Utkarsh Meshram
Army Retired Personnel Virendra Chaubey
Covid-19 Effects On Bike Rides
2020 has been a tough year for everyone. It stopped the whole world for three months. But soon in June, when the norms relaxed and things started coming back on the track, the Royal Enfields came back on the roads.
The riders started going on trips again but this time on shorter rides. In an Interview with Stackumbrella, a member of Born To Ride Club, Utkarsh Meshram said, “We started riding again post lockdown on 10th June, when we went on a small ride to Kolar Dam.”
How Did The Club Tackle The Challenges Laid By Covid-19?
Covid-19 has been very hard for the riders. The Government Guidelines and fear of Covid-19 left the riders with no other option but to be patient till the situation gets better.
When Stackumbrella interviewed Utkarsh Meshram, he said,
“Post Covid-19, the club stopped going on group bike rides. Instead, we created 4-5 groups which consisted of five members in each who went to explore different places. Initially, we started with small rides which covered cities near Bhopal.”
“Later, when things started getting better we began going on long rides of almost 200-300 km a day with a group of 25-30 members. The Longest Ride after the Pandemic was to Rajasthan which marked the journey of 1400 km.”
What Precautions Are The Riders Taking After Pandemic?
When asked about the precautions taken by the riders post-pandemic, Utkarsh told us,
“Before every ride, we make sure that we have taken all the necessary precautions. Going on rides at the time of this pandemic is difficult but we ensure to avoid any kind of social gatherings and maintain physical distancing.”
“We even avoid eating outside and prefer taking homemade food with us. Things are not normal yet and it is essential to follow all the guidelines issued by the Government. We have also received appreciation from people for taking all the mandatory precautions.”
Born to Ride Bhopal is setting new milestones for every bike enthusiast beside their age or gender. The club is bursting a lot of myths about Road Trips and truly justifying its motto – ‘Ride Hard Ride Safe.’