Who Is Murthaza Junaid?

He is a good samaritan of Bengaluru who became an ambulance driver to provide covid patients with medical help last year. An automobile engineer by education but a full-time motorcyclist at heart, Junaid has also spoken at platforms such as TEDx. Starting as a garage worker to learn motor skills after high school, today, Junaid owns Art Of Motorcycles, a renowned motorcycle servicing, racing, and touring company.

He confessed, “I fell in love with motorbikes 18 years ago.” Quoting his grandfather’s words, he included “a man’s survival depends on his skills and not on his educational degrees. The message deeply hit me that day and I joined an automobile garage right after. Since then, I have been building bikes, conducting bike tours, and training my racing team.”

How To Prepare For A Bike Trip In The North?

“If you can’t light the fire and keep the fire going, you can’t survive.” Quoting his coach John from the time when he first started riding, Junaid emphasized developing surviving skills on the road. He says, “Simply knowing how to ride a bike is not your license to ride the mountains. Adventure touring or motorcycling up in the North requires you to follow a standard operative system. The mountains surprise you with different levels of obstructions. Prepare yourself as a rider and as a responsible traveler.”

Junaid further explains, “Today, riders rely a lot on Google maps. Imagine riding in locations with no network connectivity. Mountains have places where Google maps aren’t operational. You should learn the traditional way of navigation as well. Second, practice effective first aid. Train yourself beyond CPR. Lastly, know your bike. In case of breakdowns, be a trained mechanic to be able to fix it. A lot goes behind the wheels than we prepare for, so be ready!”

Sharing insights from his riding experience in North and Northeast India, he says, “High altitude means, riding through frosty wind and freezing temperatures. Sometimes, you even ride through unkempt waterfalls and roads solely carved out of loose gravel. What do you need to safeguard against all these odds? Besides your pro riding skills, you also need weatherproof gear!”

What Gear Do We Need To Ride In The Mountains?

There are three important factors that Junaid largely emphasized when planning a bike trip to the mountains.

1. An all-weather safety jacket and pants along with waterproof riding boots and gloves.
2. A sturdy helmet that’s made for adventure touring. Look for helmets that meld the features of on-road and off-road lids to provide the highest range of vertical and horizontal vision.
3. UV-protected sunglasses to fight off glare, dust, and debris, and provide crystal clear vision.

Further expressing the importance of eyewear for visual acuity on the road, Junaid says, “Somewhere after 2015, people have started installing fancy bright headlights and fog lights on bikes. Such powerful lights may often have a blinding effect on the eyes of the one riding in the opposite lane, especially at night. This is exactly where my reading glasses cum night riding glasses reduce glare and keep my vision clear.”

Where Do You Buy Your Eyewear From?

There’s only one place for Junaid when it comes to eyewear. He says, “I am a regular customer at Lenskart for more reasons than one.

Reason #1: While traveling, you tend to damage your eyewear often. You can easily find a Lenskart store anywhere in India. Plus, online buying at Lenskart has never been easier.

Reason #2: For night riding, I use my reading glasses that come with glare-free lenses. My glasses help reduce the glare coming off of another headlight. Plus, with glare-reducing lenses, focusing on the road at night amid all the lights becomes easy and less tiring for the eyes.

Reason #3: I prefer my polarized wayfarer sunglasses, with or without my helmet. In fact, I carry both of my eyewear wherever I go, even to my gym. My wayfarer sunglasses not only cut down the glare but also provide 100% UV protection.”

How Long Have You Been Using Lenskart?

A smile lit up Junaid’s face when he proudly shared that he’s been a loyal Lenskart customer for five years. Further expressing his happy experience, he said, “With my Gold membership, I get to enjoy the buy one get one offer. Given how often we end up damaging our eyewear during travel, the membership makes eyewear-buying for travelers budget-friendly. In addition, I get to choose my lenses with a range of options in sunglasses frames as well as eyeglasses. And I love how the store staff guides me through various options of lenses that would fit my preferences and requirements.”

What’s The Best Sunglasses Shape For Bike Riding?

Junaid is all hearts for his polarized wayfarers. The way his polarized wayfarers wrap his eye area makes all the difference while traveling. Vouching for the protective function of wayfarers, he said, “Many times bikers are not comfortable riding with their helmet visors on. Hence, sunglasses are preferred as an alternate eye-protection gear. Other than that, I also like the cool factor of aviator sunglasses.”