Top 10 reasons why you should ride Solo!
“Jodi Tor Dak Sune Kew Na Ase Tobe Ekla Chole Re” “If no one responds to your call, then go your own way alone” These beautiful words by Sri Rabindranath Tagore hold a deeper meaning and finds a relevance with most of us at some point of time. Today we are going to talk about a topic which we believe every rider has to face at some point of his/her riding career. He/she should be ready for this situation and trust me a SOLO RIDE can change your life for ever.
This article will emphasize on the positives of a Solo Ride but that doesn’t mean that we are discouraging group rides. A group ride is an integral part of the riding culture and brotherhood. We spoke to many riders and each one of them had to say something very interesting about solo rides. We have tried to put down those thoughts and suggestions in these following points. Hope you have a great time reading these.
Top 10 reasons why one should ride solo at least once in his/her lifetime.
1. Your Own Space: The “Me” time is very important. This is a time that will make you realise your potential. A solo ride brings you out of your comfort zone when you are on your own. When you concentrate the most, you are focused and can sense your independence.
2. Your Own Pace: A solo rider is on his/her own. You can choose your own pace. You set your targets and time to reach your destinations. You can just lie down in a roadside dhaba and take your own cigarette breaks. You don’t have to rush or slow down for anyone else.
3. Your own route: No pressure: Pick whatever route you want. Turn your handle bar whichever way you want. There is no one to spoon-feed or restrict you.
4. Your Own Stops: Quite often you face situations when you want to stop and click something but you cannot stop because your group has a different agenda or a time bound target to achieve.
5. Confidence Booster: When you decide to go solo, you are on your own. You are aware of the fact that no one is going you come for your aid in case of a breakdown or a glitch during the ride. When a rider completes his/her first solo ride, your biking story turns a whole new leaf. Your confidence is on a high.
6: Get Rid of Idiots: No one likes to ride with idiots. But quite often in a group it there is at least one rider who does stupid things and takes rash decisions. Riding solo will remove this possibility.
7: You are the boss: There is no set agenda. You can change your mind anytime and anywhere during the ride. No one tells you to pace up or slow down. No one tells you what you should do and what you should not.
8: Be the Explorer: Groups follow a rigid route and arrival time. You are not accountable or responsible for anyone. You choose your destination and the reason to ride. You can take your own sweet time and make your own plan to explore a destination.
9: Expenses are under your control: There are no mandatory obligations. You can even pack your food to save on enroute expenses. You can even pitch a tent to save on your hotel stay.
10: Sole Character: You are both the lead and the negative character in your movie. You are the hero if you successfully come out of it and when you screw it up, you have no one to blame.
Riding solo is fun but at the same time you are exposed to many dangers and possibilities that you usually skip when you ride in a group. Isolated highways, major breakdowns, illness accidents etc. can really ruin your day. So when you plan for a solo ride make sure you have taken care of all your safety and back up plans.
Images by riders: Saurabh Gupta, Dipanjoy,Arijeet, Deepak Gupta,S.Ali Mehndi,Stuti,Harish Nayak.