A motor-biking world record holder, fashion designer, marketing professional, motivational speaker and campaigner for women&rsquos rights Dr Maral Yazarloo-Pattrick wears many hats. A biker of Iranian-Indian origin, she started the riding group "Ladies of Harley" and founded the first Ladies Super Bike Club called "Lady Riders of India." In 2017, she embarked on a solo world biking tour across seven continents and clocked 1,10,000kms in 18 months.
On the sidelines of India Bike Week, Asia's largest biking festival, which is going to be held in Goa on 2-3rd December after a hiatus of three years, she tells us how to plan the right biking expedition
While planning a biking expedition, the most important preparation is preparing your mind to accept uncertainty and be ready to take one day at a time, live in the present and look at problems differently to accept them as a part of any journey Being healthy and working on your body strength will help you manage longer rides with fewer problems.
To plan a bike trip, answering these questions will help you plan a ride closer to what you expect from a bike expedition. I wanted to change my way of looking at life, wanted to experience the simplicity and wanted to meet and hear people's life stories. This is why I decided to stay away from hotels and pre-planning my stay.
In our daily life, we often miss sunrises and sunsets, I made sure not to miss this opportunity in my rides.
It can be seeing new places, a relaxing holiday, or you would like to get out of your comfort zone and adventure it out. It is all about your personality, where in life you are, and what kind of trip you like.
For shorter trips, time and planning can be accurate, but for longer trips, there are so many factors which not under your control always which can change your original timelines, and you have to have that in mind think bike breakdowns, falls, change of weathers, illness, etc.
For me, it was cold, and I planned my route and continent as per that I would not ride in lower than -4 degrees. That is how I managed to keep Antarctica, South America and Europe in spring and summer, while managing the Australian winter -2 degree temperature at night.
I was clear, I would like to stay off main roads and experience places where public transportation will not take me. Being on the bike allows me to reach out to those villages and places.
Depending on the number of riders and everyone's preferences, expeditions are planned. A group of 3 to 5 is ideal for longer trips. I'm a big fan of travelling solo, and I've been solo for most of my journeys
Then it comes to logistics, visas and documents you need if you are planning to cross different countries. Each country has its rules and timeline, which will change with time, and you need to keep checking and updating your information. Travelling by road has more regulations than flying in some countries, you need to have a specific visa showing you travelling by road and certain documents to cross your vehicle. It is a good idea to chart a rough route map and always get in touch with bikers who have done similar trips and can give you suggestions and tips which can help you along the way.
