Shivani Chauhan on Women's Safety on Indian Roads
What happens when a woman chooses to ride on her own terms? 🏍️
In this episode of Femtalkies by Feministaa, host Medha Mukherjee sits down with Shivani Chauhan, popularly known as Rebel Wheels, to talk about her passion for biking, women’s safety on Indian roads, personal boundaries, and the courage to speak up.
Shivani recounts a disturbing road incident on Gurugram’s Golf Course Road that affected her physically and emotionally. She shares her experience, the support she received, her recovery journey, and why accountability and safer roads matter for women.
Beyond the incident, this conversation explores the freedom of riding, challenging stereotypes about women bikers, family support, and pursuing your passion despite social expectations.
In this episode
- 0:00Introduction: The incident that sparked the conversation
- 1:05Who is Shivani Chauhan?
- 2:16The person behind Rebel Wheels
- 4:19Balancing work, social impact, and biking
- 6:04How Shivani discovered biking
- 8:57What “Rebel Wheels” means to her
- 11:00Buying her first sports bike
- 18:32Sunday rides and learning to ride
- 21:07The Golf Course Road incident
- 26:23Unwanted attention faced by women bikers
- 30:55Why she tried to get away
- 34:29What happened after the fall
- 43:25Why she initially kept the incident from her family
- 49:14When the video went viral
- 52:41Support from strangers and lawyers
- 56:03Deciding to speak publicly
- 59:00Why she agreed to this interview
- 1:03:43Recovery and women supporting women
- 1:05:04Her message to the biker community
- 1:08:22Road safety and accountability
- 1:23:23Advice for young women pursuing their passions
- 1:27:25Physical and emotional recovery
- 1:28:57Her message to men who feel threatened by women riders
- 1:32:30Rapid-fire round
- 1:34:56Closing thoughts
About Femtalkies. The flagship show, hosted by Medha Mukherjee — long conversations on career, identity and building things.
