Woman Who Ride Motorcycles
For years, I'd find my heart racing whenever I heard a motorcycle start up. When one passed me on the road, I'd look at it and wonder what it felt like to go up and down hills with the wind flying against my cheeks. A motorcycle was my dream. Then I'd look at the carpool of kids in my van wonder when I'd ever get the chance to be one of those women who ride motorcycles.
Then the kids grew up, and they got into riding dirt bikes and then motorcycles. Next thing I knew, my husband started talking about getting himself a Harley Davidson. I think I was more excited than he was. We shopped around and finally chose a beauty. He learned to ride and joined a club. Once I knew he was feeling pretty confident riding, I begged to ride on the back.
Hugging my guy while riding down the open road was really the most amazing feeling. One trip around town and I knew I'd never want to miss out on this again. We started taking lots of short trips together on the weekend to visit his parent's cabin by the pond, I loved holding on to my teddybear of a guy, looking out at the beautiful trees and enjoying feeling outside.
Of course, we also started meeting lots of other riders and I made a lot of new friends. It was my friend Carla that kept on telling me I needed my own bike. "We've got a whole group of women who ride motorcycles. We go out together for breakfast every Saturday," she told me.
That sounded like so much fun! So I asked for a bike for my birthday. The guy at the motorcycle shop helped me to choose one that was powerful enough, but not too powerful. Although I was a little scared at first, the guys at the motorcycle shop, and my husband, and especially my friends, encouraged me as I learned to ride.
I'll never forget the first trip I took with my friends for breakfast. We started out early on Saturday so there wouldn't be much traffic. Carla rode in front as the lead bike. Another couple of ladies rode in front and behind of me since this was my first solo trip. At the last minute, my husband said he'd sort of follow us since he was headed that direction to have his bike checked at
Cumberland County Choppers & Cycles. I knew that wasn't exactly true, but thought it was sweet of him to worry about me.
The weather was a perfect early fall day, with wonderful color on the trees and a crisp breeze. My stomach was turning, but it was more from excitement than anything. After I double-checked my bike, we started off. A few miles later, I found myself laughing out loud, this was so easy! I felt like I'd been riding a motorcycle all my life, and I couldn't believe the difference between riding with my husband and riding on my own.
I felt free for the first time in a long while. Don't get me wrong. I love being a wife and mom, but I need time for myself too. Riding my own bike with my own friends was not only a dream come true, it was also the opening up of a whole new world for me. I love riding my motorcycle. Now I'm the one telling all my non-riding friends that they have just got to get their own bike. There is nothing like it!