The wild one: Pastor leads biker gang devoted to respect, safety and...breakfast



Are you a biking enthusiast who may or may not own a fancy Harley Davidson or Hayabusa, but lives for the thrill of riding your two-wheeled monster? And is it your dream to zip through the Capital's streets as part of a big-but-not-so-bad bikers' group?



Then you belong to the Delhi Bikers Breakfast Run (DBBR), a Capital-based group for passionate bikers that meets every month to embark on jaunts in and around the city and later bonds over a steaming hot breakfast at a dhaba or restaurant.



"After riding for almost two hours, we stop at a dhaba or restaurant and eat hot food. Everyone sits together to chat and discuss their biking experiences. It's quite a diverse group," says DBBR founder Joshua John, 32.



DBBR bikers hit the Gurgaon-Faridabad highway in a formation that looks straight out of a Republic Day parade

A pastor, John says his inspiration to start the group was based on simple values - come, ride, relax.



"From seasoned bikers to first-time riders, from people aged 50 to young college goers, everyone comes and joins us," he says.



He adds that the group, founded three years ago, stresses on respect for one's fellow members as well as the rules of the road.



"One thing that we ensure is respect for each other and for oneself, by not drinking before and while riding.



"And the only criterion to join the group is to come on a two-wheeler. Once every one puts on the helmets, no one knows who's who.



A moveable feast: DBBR members on their breakfast date at the HTDC restaurant

"Everyone's equal then," says John, also a freelance artist.



Once every month, the group assembles on a Saturday or Sunday at either South Extension-II (if headed for NH-8), or the petrol pump under the Ashram flyover (for a ride towards NH-2) at 5:30 am.



The first thing that John and other key members of the group By Nidhi Mittal Bansal ascertain is whether all the riders are carrying the necessary biking gear, such as helmets.



Leader of the pack: Joshua John is also a freelance artist as well as pastor

The members are then briefed about the exact route they would be taking so traffic movement on the stretch is not disturbed.



"The group has become popular among riders and, usually, a single ride sees around 150 bikes. That's a huge number and increases the responsibility of group members to ensure safety, and that the ride ends sans hassles. Members are also told to ride in two queues throughout the route," says DBBR member Sanjeev Arora, 46, who owns a Bullet.



To ensure better management of the entire group during the journey, a few members are designated marshals, each responsible for a particular number of bikers.



"And everyone follows the rules. We have never come across rowdy riders who don't respect the speed limit and traffic rules," says member Farhad Ali, 32.



The journey takes DBBR members to the destination of their "breakfast date", where a buffet spread awaits them, pre-arranged by John.



The breakfast costs Rs 150-250 per person. After having their fill of food and conversation, the group heads back and reaches Delhi by 11 am, "so that no one has to cut down on the time spent with the family on the weekends," John says.



The group, which went for its first ride in November 2009 with 40 bikers - all invited by John through SMS - saw 181 participants last Saturday, when the DBBR went out for their October ride to Sultanpur.



