Solo biker rides her passion

Tribune News Service

Deepkamal Kaur

Jalandhar, March 7

At 45 when she is free from her responsibility to raise her son and most domestic chores are being run on auto mode, Ambika Sonia has chosen to live her life the way she wanted.

Exploring various places pan India, she has taken several solo rides on her bike and is even into vlogging narrating and sharing her experiences with her social media followers.

It all started when her husband, a banker, gifted her an Enfield Bullet in 2021. “He knew that it was my passion to own a bike. Those were Covid days and I was already into long cycling trips with clubs in Jalandhar. So, I started biking too. Within a year, I was able to take up a trip from Kashmir to Kanyakumari travelling 7,725 km on my Bullet in 18 days. I had then undertaken the trip to spread the message on the importance of vaccination on Covid times,” she said.

Since then, Ambika has toured across all states and UTs of India on her bike. “It is such a huge fun going on a solo trip. Everything from planning halts, booking in hotels, finding site-seeing places, discovering lesser known, remote villages, understanding various cultures, making videos and even editing them has to be done all by myself. Since I am not dependent on anyone, I don’t have to alter my plan according to the other person’s likes, dislikes or compulsions. There is also no wastage of time waiting for any other person to get ready,” she explained.

Asked as to how much distance she was covering on the bike each day, she said: “It all depends on the terrain and weather. My longest ride in a day has been 750 km in 11 hours while I was in Karnataka. Even while I was recently in Kutchh, I covered 600 km a day. In mountaineous areas, I am usually able to cover only 200-300 km per day.”

Ambika has toured to Ladakh seven times - five have been her solo trips and two with her family. Asked as to how she kept herself secure during solo trips, she said: “I usually share my live location with my husband and other family members. I keep on texting and sharing my details with them whenever required. Thankfully, there is no Internet or Wi-Fi connectivity issue anywhere these days. Being a matured woman, I know it well about risks and how to handle them with the presence of mind. There have been times that I have had to travel in the night and pass through long, deserted stretches. Thankfully, I have sailed through all such tough times.” She does not forget mentioning that she has a black belt in karate.

On her occupation prior to biking, she said: “After our marriage, I was living with my in-laws in a small village adjoining Apra near Phillaur. I did teaching in a senior secondary school there after which I started my own school. During Covid times, I had to shut the school and we shifted to Jalandhar city. It was around this time that I ventured into biking”.

On her next tour plans, she says: “Having travelled the length and breadth of the country, including seven sisters in the North East, Koteshwar Temple in the North West and southern most point Danushkodi, next on agenda for me is to start international travel. I am beginning it with Nepal around March.

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