Love of the Open Road Bonds This Group of Riders
By Alicia Gallegos
As tourists make their way idly down a Treasure Island sidewalk, the abrupt, rippling sound of motorcycles pierces the quiet Sunday afternoon.
A stream of bikers flows into Ricky T's Bar and Grille as the sun sets, clinking glasses and kicking back after a day riding in the Florida heat.
But instead of bearded, tattoo-stamped rebels, many of those celebrating wear T-shirts and khaki pants, relax in tennis shoes and wear glasses.
Among them is Amy Burns, 30, who just finished taking her motorcycle-driving test.
"I've been a passenger for some time, and I decided I wanted to move up to the driver's seat," she said.
Burns, the 5-foot-3, red-haired hotel manager, isn't what some would think when envisioning bikers, but she is part of a growing trend of women motorcyclists. According to a 2003 Motorcycle Industry Council Survey, the number of female bike owners has increased by 36 percent in the past five years. In Florida, 11.7 percent of the 695,175 registered bike riders are women, according to state records.
Jim Diceglie, who owns the Biker's Den in St. Petersburg, said he customizes bikes for women a few times a week. Diceglie sees women—doctors, lawyers and executives—come through the shop door every day.
"There are more women riders than ever," he said. "I love it."
And as more and more women shatter the image of riding in the back seat, they encourage others to taste the freedom and push the importance of safety on the road.
David Hendricks, program manager for the Harley-Davidson Rider's Edge motorcycle course in St. Petersburg, said safety seems to be a larger concern for women riders.
In Florida, a motorcycle-driving test must be taken in order to receive a bike-riding endorsement on a driver's license. Hendricks said most men take the course for the endorsement rather than safety reasons.
"The women seem more concerned with the safety aspect, the ability to do everything right," he said.
In Burns' motorcycle course, two of the five test takers were women, she said.
Burns believes women are demonstrating their independence by riding more bikes, proving they don't need a man to drive them.
Hendricks said equal numbers of men and women take the course. Last year about 40 percent of Rider's Edge students were women nationwide, according to a 2003 Harley-Davidson report.
Some, such as Becky Brown, founder of Women in the Wind, have been riding for almost three decades. The group is a national organization for women bikers and celebrates its 25th anniversary in August. The group formed in 1979, after Brown placed an ad in her local Toledo newspaper, looking for other women interested in motorcycles.
"You just didn't see women riding back then," Brown said.
Women in the Wind now has more than 60 chapters with groups in Great Britain, Canada and Australia. Brown said Florida is a huge ally for the organization including chapters in Tampa, Orlando, Daytona and Palm Beach.
Stephanie Ogden, 53, lives in Treasure Island and is part of the Gulf Coast chapter. The women gather for meetings, plan trips and have open rides for anyone who wants to come. They have charity rides in which they raise money for such causes as breast cancer awareness and cancer victims.
Ogden leans back in her chair at a crowded Ricky T's table and recalls when she first became interested in riding.
"It was after 9/11," she said. "When we had that horrible day, I decided life was so short."
Ogden said she went out no questions asked and bought her bike. She used to ride motorcycles when she was a teenager but hadn't been on one in 20 years. She had no particular style or color in mind but as soon as she sat on her Honda, she knew it was for her.
"It fit," she said simply.
Ogden, who has two grown children, said riding a bike helps her enjoy the planet and every moment of life. She makes it clear that although she shares many things with her husband, biking is her hobby alone.
Ogden and fellow Women in the Wind member Khris Turpin, 36, shake their heads in annoyance as they relay common myths about "Biker Chicks."
They think, "we all wear leather" and do it "to pick up men," Turpin says.
"That's a nice side benefit, but it's not why I got my bike."
Ogden wore a flannel short-sleeved shirt and knee-length khaki shorts riding this Sunday afternoon. She lives in a quaint Treasure Island neighborhood on Dolphin Drive, with a backyard view of the gulf. Before visitors notice her candy-apple red Honda 600 Shadow near the front door, a huge smiling dolphin with a mailbox clutched in its fins greets them at the driveway.
Tied to the right handlebar of her bike is a black-and-white faded handkerchief with an angel pin stuck to it. The tiny angel is riding a miniature motorcycle. Ogden also has a "guardian bell" she received from a friend. The silver bell is a good-luck charm among bikers to ward off "evil road spirits."
"I get on my bike and forget everything," she said.
Ogden said she has met true friends in Women in the Wind, an organization she found through the Internet.
"That's nice 'cause we can have a girl's chat," she said about riding with females.
In fact, this Sunday, the bikers stopped for an iced tea and cookies break during their daylong ride, giving them time to catch up and chat away.
Because she's short, Ogden said she rides a Honda instead of a Harley, but women can ride whatever style of bike suits their individual needs.
Connie Monda, a manager at the Harley-Davidson store at 2805 54th Ave. N., said some women prefer smaller bikes such as a Harley-Buell or Sportster, but she has also seen women make trade-ins for larger motorcycles. Customers can have seats and shocks lowered or have a bike custom-made to fit their tastes.
Diceglie, owner of The Biker's Den, specially made his fiancée's bike by bringing the handlebars up and back, having a "Corbin Close Ladies Seat" put in-which is narrower than most seats-and dropping the bike about 3 inches so her feet could touch the ground.
But Diceglie's fiancée, Kathy Pride, wasn't riding on Sunday.
Pride twisted her knee June 16, when her bike slid out from under her as she was making a turn going about 10 miles an hour. She has had her license for only two weeks and said she was lucky she was wearing a helmet.
"My head hit the sidewalk," she said.
Pride has worked as a Bayflight nurse for seven years and has seen multiple motorcycle accidents. She said she struggles with her love for riding and the fear that comes with seeing so many broken bones. But Pride said riding in the back is no substitute for driving herself, and this empowerment overcomes her fear.
In her experience, Pride said women often take safety more seriously than men, especially when it comes to wearing helmets.
Part of Women in the Wind's mission is to "educate our members in motorcycle safety." Brown said safety awards are given out at the organization's national meeting after members compile their "accident-free" mileage. If a member is involved in even a minor bike accident, she is disqualified from the contest.
After 25 years of riding, Brown said she is now seeing more products and motorcycle paraphernalia geared toward women. This could be because some "women in families hold the purse strings," she said and more money might be spent on the sport. Mike Mount, spokesman for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, said the potential is broad for motorcycle companies in relation to women bikers and merchandising.
"I think the impact will be felt more in the future," he said.
But riders such as Ogden say they don't ride to fit in with a trend or to look cute as they drive down the highway. They're women who like being in control of where they're going and love viewing the world from a different perspective.
"It isn't about speed," Ogden said. "It's about seeing the beauty of the world."
|
