As Aaron looks back in time and the numerous miles covered
on his Kawasaki Ninja 250R, he realises what a wonderful learning experience it
has been. In a country where most bike enthusiasts prioritise their love for
biking ahead of giving equal importance to the safety and responsibility that
comes with it, a small biking group began operations four years ago, with the
aim of rearranging that order. The seed that was planted then has now bore
fruit in the form of responsible riders who lay emphasis on using protective
riding gear and applying proper riding techniques while riding to protect
themselves from the numerous hazards on our roads, whilst celebrating their
passion for biking.
It all began in June 2011 when Aaron Cardozo, a mechanical
engineer and transportation designer by profession, connected with a few bikers
on Facebook who he had never met in person. A few conversations later, Aaron,
Akshay Prabhu Tendulkar and Carlton Figueiredo were convinced that Goa needed a
biker’s club to unite like-minded Goans under a common banner to promote group
riding that would be safe but fun at the same time. Thus Goan Enthusiasts And
RiderS (GEARS) was born. The group that started with 18 bikers has now grown
multifold to boast around 120 members out of which 70 are active and
participate in the various activities of the group regularly.
Carlton Figueiredo, a Project Manager with a training firm
that specialises in automotive, says, “Our aim was to bring together
like-minded people who share their passion for anything on two wheels. With age
no bar (as long as you have a legal riding license) anyone can be a part of our
community and ride with us.” Akshay Prabhu Tendulkar, who is fondly known as
APT, adds, “Our motive has always been to unite riders sharing the passion for
riding and safety under one single umbrella, so that it grows up to become a
well respected community comprising good human beings with intense love for two
wheels and not a menace as is the pre-conceived notion.”
GEARS conducts both intra-state and inter-state group rides
on a regular basis and is also associated with other biking groups and events
like India Bike Week, xBhp and Powerdrift. It has also helped organise a few
biking-related events. Some of the Gearheads have ridden to places up in North
India, Rishikesh, Dehradun, Lansdown, Simla to name a few. The group has also
conducted a riding safety and bike maintenance workshop for the students of Goa
Engineering College, Farmagudi. Some of the members have also completed
successful rides to Leh-Ladakh and race track training in Coimbatore. GEARS has
been part of Xbhp.com’s United Motorcycle of India programme where the group
was invited to ride at the Buddh International Circuit and was awarded a
certificate for promoting safe riding in India.
According to Aaron, the ride is far from over and the road
that lies ahead is quite long. He says, “Being more of a community than just a
group, GEARS would like to give back to society and we are working on a few
initiatives like a blood donation camp, etc. GEARS would be happy to conduct
more riding safety workshops for the benefit of the public. We are also looking
at covering greater distances (both literally and figuratively) to explore much
more of what our beautiful country has in store.”
On a parting note, another GEARhead, Ameet Madgavkar, says,
“At GEARS, the spirit of biking is far more important than the motorcycle you
ride. All we expect from our fellow bikers is to wear adequate riding gear and
not ride recklessly. That is good enough a sign for us to know that you’re a
brother and we will make it a point to wish you well when our paths cross. To
me, that’s what biking brotherhood is all about.”
