Cycle Connections

Ursula was a young wife and mother, having her son at 19. As she states in her blog, assuming the responsibilities of a mom, wife and full time worker has a way of derailing those dreams we had in our youth and of burying the person we are deep inside.

In preparing for this story, I was told by Ursula to check out her blogs, which I did. B.R.O.A.D. stands for “Babe Riding Out a Dream” and ride she does. Her dream started to become reality in 2012, when she lost her full time job. She had her virtual assistant business, The Write Hand, since 1997 and, having no luck finding a job that matched the one she had lost, turned her attention to building it to a full time venture.

I have written about some inspirational women, and thought I would catch up on how they are doing now.

A woman in a Facebook group I belong to shared this story with us, and with her permission, I am sharing it here. “A few weeks ago my old man, his buddy and myself went for a ride. Because this is only my 2nd year riding my own I'm still counting miles, trying to break last yrs 5,000. The two guys are diehards that have been riding for their whole lives but they are good sports and they try not too laugh too loud when I do screw up on my bike. Unfortunately I'm having trouble with my hands going…

Women Riders in India India is jumping on the “women should be riding” bandwagon. Recent articles and blogs are touting reasons why more Indian woman should be on motorcycles. Some of the reasons listed in IDiva, an online Indian news site for women, include:

I was pretty much giving up on having a column for July, and then I came across an article on the WDAF-Kansas City webpage about two very inspiring and determined ladies.

“Don’t over-think it because the fear will cripple you more than any accident.” This seems to be the overall message from the women I’ve written about and was said to me by Gypsy Hine; a woman who would know this more than most.

Don’t forget, May 2, 2015 is International Female Rider’s Day. From Toronto, Canada to Australia, and even in France and Italy, groups of women are gathering together to ride. Women riders are outpacing men in the number of new motorcycle license issues.

I have an update on Diane Landis Gracely, whom I wrote about as an Inspirational Woman back in our December 2014 issue. Diane, along with her husband Keith, runs a handmade wood art business, Biker’s Buzz. Their work is, to say the least, outstandingly beautiful.

While you are chomping at the bit to get your ride moving again, consider what Kristina Zmuda does until the arrival of spring. Kristina, a 27-year-old engineering major at the University of Wisconsin, races motorcycles on the ice.

It is the middle of February and here in the northeast, we have been getting snow about once a week with the most recent snowfalls coming more frequently. We have also been experiencing sub-zero wind chills. February used to be the split personality month. Snow one week, balmy 60-degree temperatures the next and back again. This would happen well into March with no idea how to dress for a day.

Except for a few lucky states, it’s the middle of winter, a time when you think bears have the right idea. You look forlornly at the leather hanging on a hook in the closet, and you thought you heard a lonely whine emanating from the garage. You really don’t feel like doing (ugh!) housework, and at some point, you have to put on your heaviest coat just to get the mail.

Beryl Swain was the first solo woman to complete the TT race in 1962, performed on the notorious Isle of Man TT course in an official event, finishing 22nd. This led to the male dominated world of racing to revoke her license due to the perception that motorcycling was too dangerous for women. The ban held until 1978 when Hilary Musson competed.

A lot of women biker pages are springing up on Facebook, and through them, I have been able to connect with a lot of very interesting, funny and down to earth women, who make no apologies for their love of riding. It seems that this common bond has pulled them through tough times in their lives, and in the process, made their lives meaningful and complete.

As I reported last month, Harley-Davidson is cornering the women riders’ market with their new additions, the Street models and Tri Glides, as well as the “garage parties” they hold at the dealerships.It’s working out quite well for Harley-Davidson, as it turns out.

It has been stated that IBM’s workforce is only about 29% women. As part of a campaign to attract more women to the company, IBM started a series of videos called “A Day in the Life,” highlighting women who have risen through the ranks.

Up until now, most of the trikes we have seen on the road have been custom builds. Then Can-Am came out a few years ago with its Spyder lineup, trikes with two wheels up front. Polaris has made trikes both for cruising and off-roading, but none of the big motorcycle companies really delved into the trike market. Harley-Davidson has.

When she was 50 years old, Michele Wierzgac’s mother made her promise not to pursue her desire to learn to ride a Harley. Her reasoning: “If something were to happen to you I couldn’t take care of you and who would take care of me?” Michele could not argue with that logic and held off realizing her dream.

Facebook is filled with pages devoted only to women riders. I joined or “Liked” a few and was invited by Joan Krenning to join her new page, Steel Horse Sisterhood. Being just a pillion warmer with a crushed ankle, I was honored to be asked. I immediately introduced myself as the Women Riders columnist for Cycle Connections Magazine, and asked if anyone had an inspirational story, to please contact me. Marybeth Mitcham’s story, in her own words, is this month’s Inspirational Woman.

In attempting to come up with a column for July (some months are harder than others, to be sure), I ran across a few statistics that I found interesting in regards to women riders.