Women Riders Speak is an interview series with female motorcyclists. Through their stories, they illustrate the transformative role motorcycling has played in their life. In this interview, read how Christine Reed, who has lived in Chanhassen, MN and Grantsburg, WI, started riding in spite of fears and heavy family resistance. She loved it and what she learned about herself.  Her self-confidence and sense of accomplishment shot up immediately.  She relates her experiences with Nora Jane (her bike) with humor and energy.

What prompted you to get into motorcycling?

I got tired of being a terrified passenger.  I mean really, when the guy pulls into the driveway but can’t manage to stop before hitting the garbage can?  Surely I could do better than that! 

I was told I’d kill myself or someone else, I was fiscally irresponsible, I had children who needed me, I had no business spending time and money and risking my life on a motorcycle.  Was I afraid?  Sure, a bit, but that just reinforced my decision.  I signed up for the next available class at the St Paul, MN Harley dealership in June of 2010.  Our group consisted of four women, four men and one very large Viking’s quarterback.  Now I’m not a sports person but when a guy has enough geography on his bicep to tattoo a book you know he’s a sports person of some renown. 

I was hooked from the first moment when they coached us on how to rock our bikes across the parking lot simply by letting out the clutch.  I loved conquering my fear.  I loved proving to myself and those around me that I had balance and gumption.  But more importantly, I loved how it made me feel; like I could do anything.  I did this on my own and against amazing peer pressure.  It was the first thing I had done just for myself.  It got me wondering what else I could accomplish.

What was your biggest challenge when learning to ride?

I’ll share an extraordinary experience.  I was riding with a friend on a busy freeway during rush hour, moving at 55 mph through an area of hills and curves. We were in tight formation with me in the front right of the middle lane on a curve with a car in the lane to my right and just ahead of me.  I was paying attention and focused, yet I suddenly felt clearer, that my “vision” had expanded.  My next thought was “wouldn’t it be weird if I got into an accident the same weekend my cousin was in a bicycle accident?” A couple of crotch rockets went by in the left lane and the second one, a female, turned back towards me and waved at me and I thought  “I wonder how far ahead she’d have to be before she wouldn’t hear me if I crashed?”  No sooner had “there is a lot going on here and I need to pay attention, ”entered my mind,  than a car came off the entrance ramp and pulled right into the car on my immediate right.  Miraculously, my friend and I executed evasive maneuvers and continued on our way unharmed!  It was as if someone had tapped me on the shoulder and said “pay attention” and I had!  That moment solidified my path.

Where have you travelled on your motorcycle?

I rode toDuluth and then took the ferry to Madeline Island with a friend.  We struggled to keep our bikes upright as the boat dipped and water sprayed and we laughed in the throes of our brisk challenge! I drove down to Lanesboro in gusting 38F degree temp with another friend, wishing I had heated apparel and grips.  I managed my bike as the check engine light went on, the speedometer dropped to zero despite my speed of 70 and the brakes started acting up.  We pulled over and were magically 3 miles from a motorcycle shop where the V Star 950 I’d been drooling over was waiting for me!  Since it was mid November and winter was threatening, they offered me a great deal.  I took it as a sign and continued on my way with Nora Jane II.  I had a great trip to Carbondale, Colorado to visit my sis and her family.  The Badlands were amazing.  I learned that I love spontaneity and going with the flow.  Motorcycling is also a great way to contain my antique purchases to a size that fits in a saddlebag!

What is your greatest joy from riding?

I love the room for thought.  I find my creative writing improves when I have consistent time in the saddle.  I love the freedom of movement.  I find myself going down dead end roads just too see what there is to see.  I feel empowered to draw outside the lines. 

How do you look back on yourself as a beginner rider now?

 I’ve only been riding for two seasons with two bikes and a cumulative 12k miles but I still consider myself a beginner.

Women Riders Speak is an interview series with female motorcyclists. Through their stories, they illustrate the transformative role motorcycling has played in their life. In this interview, read how Washington DC's Joyce Davis faces significant challenges when she decides to take up motorcycling in her 50's.  Persevering through the course, three months of riding around her block, buying a first bike that was beyond her skills and a couple of spectacular crashes, she masters not only the motorcycle, but her fear.  The photo below of Joyce  today, speaks for itself - and her courage.

What prompted you to get into motorcycling?

I rode on the back of my husband’s bike when we were in our 20’s.  I loved the feelings.  The two of us would melt into the bike and become one with it.  It was just wind, temperature, smells and the sound of the engine. Life and kids happened, the bike was sold and I never thought about it again until after my husband passed away. 

At that time there was an older woman in my office that was getting ready to retire. She had been a passenger for years and was now planning a cross-country ride with her husband – on her own bike. I told myself if she could start riding at 65 AND go across the country, I could do it at 50.  

I had begun dating a man with a motorcycle. He took me for a ride on a warm autumn day and all those sensations came back. I was hooked. With a lot of hard work, I passed the rider safety course and on July 4^th weekend, 2002, at age 52, I bought my first bike.

What was your biggest challenge when you were learning to ride?

I made a poor selection for a first bike. It had forward controls, more engine than I could handle, was loud, heavy and frightened me. The first time I tried to ride it, I ran into the neighbors fence and broke the mirror.  

After three months of riding around the block,, I summoned up enough courage to venture on the open road with friends. I was still not confident making left turns, something that was almost the end of me. At a T-intersection, fear took over and completely blocked out everything I had learned about looking where you want to go. The last thing I remember thinking was, “I’m not going to make this turn.”  I got fixated on the white line, shot across that intersection, down an embankment and hit a tree. My arm and finger were broken and my beautiful blue bike was totaled. That riding season was over for me.

The following year I purchased a small 250cc Kawasaki and rode anywhere and everywhere, putting on 3,000 miles in three months. I even rode it in Rolling Thunder. People laughed at me and said that my bike looked like a Harley had a preemie. I didn’t care. I was riding my own.

Was the riding experience what you expected it to be?

I’m not sure what I was really expecting it to be.  Maybe I just needed to feel alive again or maybe just needed to do something out of the ordinary or extraordinary. The longer I ride, motorcycling reveals to me another aspect of who I am and who I can be. I always liked the quote, “Well behaved women rarely make history.” 

Where have you travelled on your motorcycle?

I’ve ridden fromWashington,DCsouth to Mile Marker 0 inKey Westand north to theNew Hampshireseacoast.  I’ve been to Sturgis, Mt Rushmore and out toDevilsTowerinWyoming.  I’ve travelled to the Colorado Rockies, through Yellowstone, intoMontana, stopping at the Four Corners (New Mexico,Utah,Colorado,Arizona) on our return.  Out of five motorcycles and 8 riders, I was the only woman riding her own bike, a HD Street Glide.  Talk about empowerment!     

What is your greatest joy from riding?

It’s the thrill you get from doing a well-executed curve. It’s dancing along a winding road with a hawk that is playing on the thermals above you.  It’s feeling the warmth of the sun on your face while riding on a cold winter day. Whenever a particularly difficult situation has jumped in my path and I feel that the only out is to give up and become that failure that everyone is expecting me to be, I recall how I was able to get through one of the more dangerous and testing rides I have made. I know how to reach inside of me and pull out that last bit of energy that will sharpen my wits and give me the answer to succeed. Life has taught me to be brave when I ride and riding has taught be to be brave in life.   

How do you look back on yourself as a beginner rider now?

I was successful because I did not give up.  I’m a beginner rider every time I go out.  There is always something new to experience, a new beginning for a new skill or adventure. I’m sure if I stop looking at myself as a new rider my wits will be dulled and I might stop trying to achieve. Riding then might become ordinary instead of the extraordinary part of my life experience that it is.

Women Riders Speak is an interview series with female motorcyclists. Through their stories, they illustrate the transformative role motorcycling has played in their life. In this interview, read how New York City's Rose Davidson talks about her steely determination to become a rider.  After passing the MSF course on her second try (after private lessons), then riding around her block "a thousand times" to gain confidence, she's travelled 40,000 miles in 5 years.  

What prompted you to get into motorcycling?  

I thought about riding when I was a teenager, having been a passenger on my father’s and uncle’s bikes.  But life got in the way and I never got around to it.  (Plus my mother would have KILLED ME!)  When I was about 45 years old, I started riding on the back of my significant other’s bike and grew to love it.  After taking the weekend MSF course and failing miserably (actually crashed the bike a few hours into the class!), I put my dream on hold again. 

Our HOG (Harley Owner's Group) club took a cross-country trip in 1996 (6,500 miles from NY to CA and back, in 16 days) and, sitting on the back, I found myself jealous of the women who were riding their own.  I kept talking about it until a few months later when my S.O. surprised me with a 2003 Sportster!  Now determined, I took private lessons until I was ready for the MSF course and finally passed!  I was 48 years old.  That was almost 5 years and 40,000 miles ago!

What was your biggest challenge when you were learning to ride?

I think I rode the 4 square blocks around my house at least a thousand times!  Every time I started preparing to practice, my stomach would begin fluttering.  But I needed to accomplish this and become a good rider if it killed me!  I remember wondering if it would ever be fun!  Until one day, when I was crossing a bridge over Long Island Sound that I realized I was actually enjoying myself!  That was probably 6 months after I started riding.

Where have you travelled on your motorcycle?

In early 2008, my friends and I started planning a trip to the Harley Davidson 105^th Anniversary party in Milwaukee.  We wanted to mimic much of our club’s 2006 cross-country trip.  Starting with about 15 participants, there were only 5 of us when it was time for the trip:  me, my 2 girlfriends, my S.O. and another male friend.  Then the guys broke the news to us that they couldn’t get off work.  We 3 girls looked at each other and said “Could we possibly do this alone?  Or do we have to cancel the trip?”  We decided to do it ourselves! 

I had been riding for only a year and a half and had already traded my Sporty in for a 2008 Heritage Classic. I was a nervous wreck about riding that far without a big group.  But we did it!  We spent 10 days on the road “alone” and got as far west as Jackson Hole, Wyoming before heading back to Sturgis and then up to Milwaukee for the rally. 

By the time we got toMilwaukee, we were minor celebrities – no kidding!  Other bikers on the road would say “Oh wait, are you those three girls fromNew York???”  We caught people taking pictures of us inYellowstone Park and in the Grand Tetons.  When “the guys” were on their way out to meet us in Sturgis, they stopped in a restaurant in Nebraska.  The waitress heard theirNew York accents and said “That’s funny, we had 3 ladies from New York in here just last week – do you know they were travelling all alone?!?!”

What impresses you most about another woman rider?

I am so impressed by the number of women I see joining our ranks every day!  We put our fears aside and we go for it!

What is your greatest joy from riding?

My greatest joy is the freedom I feel every time that wind hits me in the face.  And the camaraderie between bikers.  I have never had such loyal and caring friends in my life.  Learning to ride is the best thing I ever did.  I only wish I had started sooner! 

How do you look back on yourself as a beginner rider now?

I am proud of myself for hanging in there.  There were times when I never thought I’d get it, but I did.  And now I’ll travel just about anywhere and love every minute of it!

Women Riders Speak is an interview series with female motorcyclists. Through their stories, they illustrate the transformative role motorcycling has played in their life. In this interview, read how Kelley Dietrich strongly questioned whether she could manage it physically - and if  it was even responsible to start riding as a single mom of an eight-year-old.  

If you would like to share your story, please contact liz@lizjansen.com.

What prompted you to get into motorcycling?

A seed was planted. after meeting a couple of riders in the fall of 2002 and becoming entranced. Several months later and well into a marital separation, I began to seriously think about whether I could learn to ride, whether I was truly interested in it and was I capable of managing it physically and financially. In retrospect, I was going through a personal transition and needed something fun to focus on during a difficult time. I attended my first motorcycle show and was hooked! I completed the course in the Spring of 2004 on an incredibly rainy weekend. All of this and I did it alone!

In 2005 I met a rider who became my partner and rode as a passenger for the rest of that season. I’m now 47 and have been riding my own bike since May, 2006.

What was your biggest challenge when you were learning to ride?

Knowing I had no experience in operating a motorcycle, I wavered between fear of not passing and excitement for when I did. Other than being a single mom of a wonderful son, passing the course was one of the greatest challenges and achievements in my life.

I focused on the skills that I needed to practice on and the fears that I absolutely needed to overcome. A few traumatic near misses kept that fear healthy and never let it stray too far. To this day, and with more confidence I still expect to be challenged on the bike and experience the variances the road trip may bring.

Where have you travelled on your motorcycle?

Most days out on the bike are local, within an hour of my home in southernOntario. However, I've ridden to Wiarton, beautiful roads to Elora, and exquisite scenery and roads up north such as Muskoka, and Algonquin areas. I wish to challenge myself to a lengthy road trip withinCanadaand possibly theU.S.

What impresses you most about another woman rider?

I'm totally impressed and cheer on them on. Observing the sheer enjoyment and sense of determination when operating a motorcycle makes me feel proud. It is so totally cool that we share the experience as a rider, not based on gender. Still, there’s a special bond between women and I love to meet and talk with them. .

What is your greatest joy from riding?

Definitely the feeling of space, peace and inner accomplishment. I love to glance up to the sky, say hello to my sister and pray for friends and others everywhere who may be riding. Meeting and greeting other rider.  Just waving in passing. That my face lights up and my heart sings when I talk about riding. Riding is my “natural medicine! ”

How do you look back on yourself as a beginner rider now?

I think back to the fears I had. I questioned whether I was capable, was it financially responsible, could I find the right bike, should I be doing it as the mother of an eight-year-old son? I also had to regain confidence in just being on the road after a car accident in 2006. It cost me a season of riding and I had to modify my bike because of physical limitations but I got back out there riding! I'm thankful to be alive and to still be able to ride.

Riding is my passion and I am so blessed to experience such immense pleasure. I will forever take in the sights, smells, and still learn something worthy on every road trip. I’m proud of my riding accomplishments!

Women Riders Speak is an interview series with female motorcyclists . Through their stories, they illustrate the transformative role motorcycling has played in their life. In this interview, read about Julie Dorie's beginner "joy ride" and how she overcame the fear it caused. 

What prompted you to get into motorcycling?

My very first ride on the back of a bike was twenty-seven years ago and was not at all enjoyable.  Seven years later, curiosity got the better of me and I decided to get on another bike.  After that ride, I was hooked!

I always thought the only way I would ever get to ride, was on the back of a bike.  I always wondered what it would be like to look at the open road in front of me, instead of the back of someone's helmet.  

I can be competitive when I want to be, so not to be out-done or left behind, I told my husband that when he got his licence, I was going to get mine as well. 

What was your biggest challenge when you were learning to ride?

The day after I passed my M1 (written learner’s permit) and my husband wanted to teach me the friction zone before I took theHumberCollege(Basic Rider) course. Big mistake!  Fortunately, I had insisted the cars and the kids were off the driveway.  With the engine running, he told me to let the clutch lever out slowly.  Well, didn’t that clutch lever fly out of my reach!  The bike began to move and because I panicked, I rolled on the throttle and shot out of the garage like a rocket, down the driveway straight for my car that was parked on the other side of the street.  To avoid it, I turned the bike towards my neighbour’s driveway, but ended up popping the curb instead and now had direct aim at her living room window.  I remembered the kill switch and laid the bike down on the lawn, jumping off just as it was going down. 

I seriously considered giving up.  When I talked to different friends who ride, they all told me that I could do this.  I decided that only way to conquer this new fear of a bike getting away from me, was to get right back on.  

I enrolled in the course but because I couldn’t shake my new fear, I didn’t pass the test the first time.  I passed with an almost a perfect score on my second try!

Where have you travelled on your motorcycle?

With two young children at home, I am not able to be gone for long periods of time, which means no more than a couple of hours.  However, I have managed to put just under 3,000 kilometres in two months of riding. 

When my kids are older, I would love to ride down thePacific Coast HighwayfromWashingtontoCalifornia.

What impresses you most about another woman rider?

Women tend to over-think everything, while men just go do it.  When I see another woman on a bike, I am in awe of their confidence and empowerment.  There is a bond between women riders, a “sister-hood” that is hard to explain.  Women riders are not out to impress anyone but themselves.

What is your greatest joy from riding?

My greatest joy from riding is the moment I leave the city and get into the countryside.  An overwhelming sense of calm comes over me.  I love the smell of the countryside; the changes in temperature and the breathtaking views.  These are sensations that you just cannot have while sitting in a car. 

People call riding a “bug”, but it is more than that,  It gets into your blood. 

How do you look back on yourself as a beginner rider now?

I am still a beginner and every time I get ready to go out, I have to get my heart out of my throat and tell my stomach to stop doing back flips! With each mistake I make I use it as a lesson learned, from not shifting correctly to applying too much of the front brake.  All of these will make me a stronger rider.

My fear of losing control of the bike, sometimes gets the better of me so whenever those thoughts come into my head, I have to push them out.  I know with each ride, I will become that much better and not doubt myself or my instincts. 

I am so happy that I pushed myself to do this, even after I failed the first time.