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

Another Book by Shirley Dicks --Check out A Mothers Torment