Road
Angels,
Ladies Who Ride
By Shirley Dicks
Special
Sale until January 1st.
The women of the nineties can still be professional women, doctors,
lawyers, teachers, engineers, accountants, clerks, cashiers,
home-makers, mothers, grandmothers, and they can still step outside,
throw a leg over a bike and take
off cross country. Road
Angels will take you across the country and takes a look at the women
who ride motorcycles and why.
Some
of the stories will make you laugh, and some will make you cry.
Learn how to pick a bike for yourself, how to take care of it,
tips on riding in hot weather and cold weather. Some of the women in
this book share their dreams, and the love of the road. Some will
tell their stories of embarrassing moments on the bike, some spills
taken and much more.
We
all have the stereotype set in our minds: The rebel without a cause. Tom
Cruise racing off to join Top Gun. The rough and tough guys in black
leather jackets looking to cause trouble. However, times are changing.
Now, motorcycles appeal to men and women of all ages and
backgrounds. So, why exactly would a woman want to consider a mode of
transport that makes her wear a helmet that will ruin any carefully
arranged hairstyle? Why would she want to get around on a motorcycle
that will have her wearing jeans and big boots, that has no heater or
comfy seats, and will get her drenched if she happens to be away from
home when the heavens open up?
Motorcycling
used to be known as only a man's sport, but today things are different.
Women have taken to the road in large numbers and for many
different reasons. The old movies portrayed women with hardly any
clothes on, standing in front of a motorcycle, following her boyfriends
lead. With the wind whipping in their faces, and the pavement just a few
inches away, it's a way of life for many. Women who do it say it's a
freedom that you couldn't understand unless you’re on a bike. Who is
out there riding? Hairstylists, waitresses, officer workers, nurses,
doctors, attorneys, mothers, grandmothers, and women from all
occupations ride motorcycles.
It
takes a certain type of woman to get on a motorcycle and ride it
herself, says Heather. A lot of women will shy away from even riding on
the back of a bike, and some will be content to always be pillion
without ever learning to ride themselves. Because of this, you can
usually assume a certain amount of common characteristics in a woman you
meet that rides herself, particularly confidence, independence, and an
inner strength to deal with all the adversities that can accompany such
a pursuit.
Riding
a motorcycle is not a typical womanly trait, and women who ride, know
that they have entered a world that is male dominated. A woman on a
motorcycle is seen as sexy by some, and just plain odd by others. It's
rare to be a woman riding a motorcycle and it is rare for a woman rider
to have one day go by without having a comment from some passer by or
other as they see you riding along, or getting on and off the
motorcycle.
To
ride a bike requires the ability to be able to handle situations that
plenty of women will traditionally not want to be exposed to. Riding
along on a freeway without the enclosed casing that comes with a car
leaves you vulnerable. This is a concept which motorcycle riders think
of as freedom, yet many car drivers just think of as downright perilous.
There
is a sense of freedom to riding along with no windows or metal between
you and the outside world. There's a sense of being at one with the
outdoors, and being more alert and aware of your surroundings. There's a
certain feeling of power, knowing that you have the potential to go
faster than any of the cars you encounter, whether you use that power or
not. And there's the feeling of being in tune with your vehicle. When
riding a bike, you don't just steer it and point it where you want to
go, you lean with it, and you choose your lines around corners and lean
just the right amount. The sensation of being leaned over at angles that
are dependent purely on speed and gravity is one that grabs hold of
every motorcyclist once they start to be confident to take corners at a
reasonable speed.
Shirley
& Jeffrey
This book as well
covers such things as choosing your bike, safety tips, riding in the
rain, in hot weather, in cold weather. It will tell you how to change
your own oil, how to winterize it, and keep it clean and protected.
It
also covers things like choosing your riding gear, keeping your bike in
good shape, touring tips, some embarrassing moments from readers out
there, a little bit of romance as well, how to travel alone safely and
much more.
The
book also covers the women riding clubs and how they started. All
in all there is a lot of good information included as well as the
stories of riders all over the country, riding all kinds of motorcycles.
Part
two covers stories written by lady riders who ride all kinds of
motorcycles, some in their seventies, some in their twenties, all of
them women who love to ride and want to share their experiences with
you.
REVIEWS:
HERE
Read
A Chapter
