The Need for Speed

An open letter to dads, moms, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, friends, colleagues, teachers, neighbours and all other well wishers.


A couple of incidents over the last few days have prompted me to write this letter which I hope will help you understand me and my passion better. It all started when I overheard a conversation in office (I know, I know. One shouldnt eavesdrop but its not like I can block my ears with my fingers or stuff them with cotton each time someone speaks) in which a colleague was discussing driving down from Bangalore to Pune in his car. During the course of the conversation he casually mentioned that he was not comfortable doing speeds above 100 kmph which according to him were dangerous and that no one should be doing those speeds on Indian roads.

The second thing which prompted me to jot this down was an email forward which contained the following image.

I am a biker. To me its more than just 4 simple words. It means that I enjoy riding my bike and not just for reasons of convenience (easier parking, wriggling past stationary cars at each of our by now accepted traffic jams, the ability to offer a lift to a pretty colleague without having to worry about you boss & teammates piling on like they would if you had a car etc: ). It means that I sometimes just need a break from the stressful corporate life that I lead and a long distance solo bike ride is the one medicine that has never failed me to date. It means that I enjoy the occassional pulling away from a traffic light as if my life depended on it. It means that at times I do ride at speeds of close to a 100 kmph, if not more, within city limits. Now before you start shaking your head in disapproval while reinforcing your perception that combining youngsters (I'll take that as a compliment, thank you) with bikes is a bad idea, hear me out.

I am a responsible biker. To me its more than just 5 simple words.

It means that over the last few years, while other were out buying clothes and shoes at the latest season sale or treating themselves to a new mobile phone, I didn't. Instead I have been saving money to buy my riding gear which now includes a KBC helmet, a DSG jacket, Cramster full gauntlet gloves, Cramster knee guards and Alpinestar SMX 2 boots. Now while these names may not mean anything to you, what I can tell you is that I have spent in excess of Rs 25,000 of my

own money on riding gear over the last few years and I haven't just bought them as a style statement or to put up pictures on Facebook only to be dump them in a cupboard after a week. With the exception of the knee guards (which are too impractical for daily use) I wear all my other riding gear every time I take my bike out. Is it difficult walking around a mall carrying your jacket and helmet in one hand while carefully carrying all your friends shopping (if our friend is a girl) in the other? Yes, it is. But its a difficulty I'm willing to live with.

(Im quoting from a previous well received post of mine on safety gear) - This is not to say that wearing riding gear will save someone in every instance. The fact is they do make a massive difference between a one way trip and a two way trip to the hospital.

It means that in the 9 years of riding my bike with over 70,000 kms under my belt that has mercifully included only 2 minor spills and a trip to the racetrack in Madras, I am fully aware of my limits and my limitations on a bike. I know how long I can ride my bike while being able to concentrate fully and when I need to take a break and for how long I need to take a break. I know that dogs, drunkards, kids and just about anything else can suddenly decide to run across the otherwise empty road and I am prepared. I know that the bus in front of me might just decide to stop and pick up passengers in the middle of the road and I am prepared. I know that the poser on the bike next to me thinks that he needs to prove his prowess on two wheels and when the signal turns green he will ride recklessly to prove something to himself and I am prepared. I know that the driver in front of me is new to tackling Indian roads and that he / she just might panic and make a hasty move and I am prepared. I know that people, in all their infinite wisdom, try crossing our roads while traffic is moving at a fair clip and I am prepared. I know that if I get knocked down by a speeding car that has just jumped a signal and crashes into me, I will be the one who gets hurt and I am prepared.

So yes, I do occassionally ride fast but I do so responsibly and fully aware of the consequences. I do not do so if I have a friend with me on my bike because I take extra precautions when someone else's well being is in my hands. I do it because the road in front of me is empty and I do not see any potential risks as I continuously scan the road. I do it because I know that I am in full control at all points in time & that I will back off the moment I sense danger. I do it because those 30 seconds of riding fast makes me feel more alive than I have all week.

Everyone who is riding fast is not a menace. Please do try and understand.

Yours truly,

A responsible biker