Why do LOH members Ride? Why do women ride?
The sense of accomplishment and confidence that comes with riding a Harley Davidson on your own is indescribable. It takes a lot of confidence for a woman to get on a motorcycle and ride. They are big and powerful machines and women have long been taught that big powerful things are for men only. For a woman to take on something like a motorcycle, she must have a great deal of confidence in her own abilities. She needs to handle the bike and she needs to be knowledgeable about the bike. She needs to be able to function independently around the bike. If a woman has confidence, she can do this. However, here is the thing, if a woman does not have the confidence to just jump on a bike, she can learn that confidence by learning how to ride. Many women are hesitant to ride if they have not done it before. Some women take classes to learn the basics and by the end of the class, feel confident they can handle themselves. Other women rely on friends to help them learn. Overall, LOH ride motorcycles because it makes them feel free and confident about themselves. The friendship comes when you meet another biker on the road. You share common interests and a bond from enjoying the freedom of the road. Women often begin to ride because someone they know is riding and they want to try it out. Sometimes women will have an urge to ride and will seek out a women’s LOH to join so they will not have to ride alone. However, motorcycle riding does for some women what book clubs do. It gives them a shared experience and it allows them to have a common bond with a group of women they can then come to call friends. Motorcycle riding builds friendships in ways nothing else can. Women who share a sense of adventure and a freedom of spirit can bond over motorcycle riding. The adventureis when you take the road less traveled and “just ride”. It is like being the master of your own destiny or the captain of your own ship. Riding a bike is a unique experience each time you start it up. You are never sure where the road is going to lead you or whom you are going to meet. Riding is an adventure waiting to happen The feeling of absolute freedom while you are riding down the highway with the wind in your hair and nothing between you and the next stop but miles are incredible. You have no one to account to but yourself. You rely on your skills and your bike to get you to your destination. As the saying goes, if someone has to explain it to you, you just do not get it and probably never will. Women today have fewer expectations placed on them when it comes to hearth and home. It is no longer a woman’s primary function to keep the house and raise the kids. Women are expected to be out in the world, earning a living, as well as giving birth, raising kids, making sure there is dinner for everyone, and doing the laundry (just to name a few of the expectations!). While we may have shed the shackles of home and hearth, we certainly took on what getting on a Harley Davidson can give you that nearly nothing else in the world give you – a sense of freedom. It may be as short lived as a trip to the bank, but the feeling of freedom you get when you get on a bike and ride is nearly indescribable. Climbing on a bike is exhilarating. It is a rush like nothing else. In addition, you do not have to climb a mountain to get that feeling. You just have to get on the bike. Ladies of Harley invites all women who are National HOG members to join as a rider or as a passenger. Come join the FUN! Remember that LOH is free to national members; you just have to ask to be added to LOH! Janet Palkovic, Ladies of Harley® Officer loh@madriverhog.com