KARACHI: At 5:30 a.m., Karachi's streets offer a rare moment of calm. In a city where traffic congestion and safety concerns often make public spaces challenging- particularly for women -- a growing community of cyclists is reclaiming the roads, one ride at a time.
Pakistan TV Digital joined the Old City ride organized by Ride, Roll, and Lead, Karachi's first women-led cycling club and one of several cycling communities that have emerged across the metropolis. Founded by Ayesha Aslam, the initiative aims to make cycling accessible, safe, and inclusive for women.
The ride began at Mazar-e-Quaid on M.A. Jinnah Road and wound through Parsi Colony, Gul Plaza, Bohri Bazaar, Frere Hall, Mason's Lodge, Teen Talwar, Zainab Market, and back to the mausoleum, covering approximately 15 kilometers. More than a recreational outing, the route showcased Karachi's historic neighborhoods while encouraging women to confidently occupy public spaces on two wheels.
Breaking a male-dominated mould
For Aslam, the movement was born from personal experience navigating roads where women cyclists remain a rare sight.
"I used to go out alone, and I realized that cycling for women was a very restrictive kind of space," she told Pakistan TV Digital. "Cycling as a sport, it was kept for elite people and especially for men. So I thought that we need to make it inclusive. There was no female figure that I would look up to."
Determined to change that reality, she set out to create a supportive community where women could learn, ride, and build confidence together without fear or hesitation.
Pedaling Across Generations
What began as small group rides has grown into a platform that combines recreation with education. In addition to organizing heritage rides through Old Karachi, Bohri Bazaar, Saddar, and other historic areas, the group teaches women of all ages how to ride bicycles.
"By far, this is the only women's group in Karachi that also teaches women to cycle," Aslam said. "I realized there are a lot of women interested. I get a lot of queries from women who want to join, but they've never cycled in their life. And these are women who are, you know, our grandparents' age. I have taught women who are like my grandparents' age."
By empowering women from diverse backgrounds and age groups, Ride, Roll, and Lead is doing more than promoting cycling as a form of exercise or transport. It is challenging long-standing social norms, expanding women's access to public spaces, and proving that Karachi's streets can become more inclusive—one pedal stroke at a time.
If this is intended as a long-form feature, you could strengthen it further by adding quotes from participants, details about the club's membership and growth, and the broader rise of cycling culture in Karachi to give the story more depth and context.
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