Starting my riding journey
posted on 13 Jun 2026I have been planning to start riding ever since I got myself a Jawa 42 in 2024. But as it often happens, life kept getting in the way. For a long time, the bike was there. The intent was there. The desire to ride was there. But somehow, I never managed to actually get started. Today felt like the perfect day to change that.
After doing some research yesterday on beginner-friendly riding routes around Pune, I decided to kick off my riding journey with a short 100 km route:
Pune → Mahalunge → Nande → Chande → Hadshi → Tikona Peth → Pavanangar → Somatane → Marunji → Pune
Halfway through the route, I spotted a Jogeshwari Misal at Pavanangar and decided to take a pitstop. Not a bad place to pause, eat, and collect my thoughts. That is where I started scribbling in my notebook, which later became this blog post.
The ride started later than planned. By the time I was ready to leave, it was around 11:00 am. Not the ideal time to begin a ride. As soon as I touched the highway at Baner, I saw a man selling skull caps and bike phone holders on the roadside. It was very opportune because I wanted to buy both for the ride. It is funny how sometimes the road gives you exactly what you need right at the beginning.
The road from Chande to Hadshi felt familiar. There were quite a few small villages along the way, and some of their names made me smile — Chande, Nande, Kolwan, Mugawade, Kule, Ghotawade, Thugaon, Bebedohol, and a few more. I kept calling Bebedohol “Baby Doll” every time I saw a milestone with Bebedohol written on it, and smiling to myself. There is a certain charm in passing through these villages. The roads are not perfect. The turns are not always predictable. But there is something very grounding about riding through places that still feel untouched by the rush of city life.
The patch leading to Hadshi, especially once Pavana lake starts appearing alongside the road, is absolutely beautiful. Tikona fort stands tall on the right, while Tung fort appears on the left, beside Pavana lake. The landscape opens up beautifully around this stretch. The lake, the forts, the greenery, the winding roads — everything comes together to make the ride feel worth it.
There were many picturesque spots along the way. I kept stopping every 10 minutes to click a few photos. At some point, I realised that I was probably stopping a little too often, but then again, what is the point of a leisure ride if you dont click photos along the way? At one spot, under a bridge, people were taking a dip in the Pavana backwaters. I wanted to take a dip too, but I had no spare clothes.
At Hadshi, I also came across the spot where a V-shaped road leads to the Hadshi museum. We had been there in 2024. Perhaps that was my last leisure trip with the full family — Baba, Aai, Kavita, and Kittu. That thought stayed with me for a bit. Roads have a strange way of bringing back memories. You may be riding alone, but you are rarely alone with your thoughts.
Instagram had shown me quite a few reels of a cafe near Pavana called Cafe Bambini. It looked quite amazing in the reels, and Google Maps did show it as one of the options nearby. But I decided to skip it. Sometimes, Instagram makes you feel like every trip needs to have a cafe stop, a perfect view, and a great photo. But today, I was not riding to check off a trending place. I was riding to start riding.
So Jogeshwari Misal it was. And after a sumptuous lunch there, I headed out for the next destination — Somatane Phata.
I had found this riding route ( google maps link) on Reddit, and whoever came up with it deserves credit. Great job. The route essentially forms a full circle around the Hinjawadi and Somatane side of Pune. For someone starting out with short rides, it is a very good beginner route. It has a bit of everything — highways, inner roads, villages, lake views, ghats, and enough open stretches to enjoy the bike without feeling overwhelmed.
When I had started in the morning, my plan was to reach Rupesh Misal at Somatane Phata — yes, the one from the viral meme, “ek number Rupesh Misal” — and then take the Marunji route back to Pune, instead of taking the old Pune-Mumbai Highway. But by the time I reached Somatane Phata, I had completely lost track of direction. I was lost in thought, and before I knew it, I was already on the highway heading back. Taking the inner route via Bebedohol and Parandwadi suddenly felt like too much of a task, so I decided to continue on the highway and reached home in the next 45 minutes. Not exactly the route I had planned. But good enough.
Overall, I rode for around 95 km. The entire ride took me about 4 hours and 50 minutes, including an hour-long break for lunch. For a first proper ride, it felt just right. Not too long. Not too short. Not too ambitious. Just enough to make me feel like I had finally begun.
And more than anything else, I felt that I should have done this earlier. There was something deeply peaceful about being on the bike, away from the usual noise of work, responsibilities, notifications, and routines. For those few hours, there was only the road, the bike, the view, and my thoughts. I felt free and at peace after a long, long time.
Beginner’s lessons learnt
A few things I learnt from this first short ride:
Eat light. I enjoyed the first half of the ride more than the second. The post-lunch slump made me uncomfortable quite a few times. A heavy lunch and a bike ride do not go very well together.
Comfort matters. Your backside starts hurting after riding for too long. Comfortable innerwear is a must. Perhaps better riding pants too, once I am committed enough.
Start anyway. You do not need the perfect plan, the perfect route, or the perfect riding gear to begin. Of course, basic safety is non-negotiable. But beyond that, at some point, you just have to start.
And today, I finally did.