This Hyderabadi rider is living his dream

Pruthu Mehta is a 43-year-old rider who has ridden 2 lakh kilometers across Leh-Ladakh, Spiti Valley, Rann of Kutch, Panchachuli Peaks, and several other places across India and is next planning a bike ride to Switzerland.

Hyderabad: As a teenager, Pruthu Mehta was passionate about cycling and skating. He first rode a Bajaj Sunny, and then eventually began taking part in motocross and autocross racing.

He did that for about three years, but due to responsibilities and some unforeseen circumstances he had to quit. And then after 10 years and having some financial security, he started drag racing. Although his family wasn’t very comfortable because he had two young kids at the time, they didn’t come in the way of his love for motorcycles. It was in 2013 that he bought his first Royal Enfield Bullet 350 and began riding.

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“My first long ride was from Hyderabad to Warangal. Then in 2014 I did my first ride to Ladakh and then went back there again in 2015. The following year I met with an accident and injured my ankle which troubles me till today. In 2017, I did an extreme winter Spiti Valley ride in Himachal Pradesh. Post that I did an unexplored Kashmir ride where I rode through the world’s highest motorable road – Umling La Top – which is at a height of over 19,300 feet,” shared the 43-year-old, who had explored remote places such as Warwan Valley, Gurez Valley, Teetwal, Lolab Valley, Bungus Valley, Uri, Pulwama and more in Kashmir.

Pruthu has also been to a village called Lingshed in Ladakh which has a 1,000-year monastery, and Gangotri and Panchachuli Peaks in Uttarakhand. In October 2020, he crossed the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat and passed the India-Pakistan border, Nadabet.

“We were just 150 meters away from Pakistan. It was an exhilarating experience,” said Pruthu, who owns a Royal Enfield Himalayan, Kawasaki Versys-X 300, and a Triumph Tiger 800.

Just a couple of months ago, he also crossed the snow-covered Sela Pass in Arunachal Pradesh. “Once the Covid situation cools down, I and my group of riders are planning our first international trip to Switzerland, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan or Mongolia,” shared Pruthu, who owns a gas station and is a distributor for Café Coffee Day.

Giving a word of advice to amateur young riders, Pruthu said, “It doesn’t matter what you’re riding, what matters is the ride. I bought a Triumph Tiger when I was 38 years old. Use proper safety gear and start your long rides early in the morning and rest by evening. Consume lighter food when riding as you might get drowsy otherwise. Also, road safety is of utmost importance and never drink and drive.”

Pruthu is also a vintage watch collector and owns almost 200 wrist and pocket watches. “I own some 90 Omegas as I am into Swiss watches. I also enjoy music and Urdu poetry. I am not really into socialising as I am a complete family man,” said Pruthu about his other passions.

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