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Let The Riding Begin

Bloged in Female Biker by Angel Thursday April 23, 2009

Let The Riding Begin

I have been on my bike a few times now. I am taking it in for a little TLC before the season really gets under way. I am having a new rear tire put on and a 10k check-up seeings how I now have a little over 11,000 miles on the bike. It is very important to keep your bike in the best possible condition. There is not much separating you and the road. This is just in time for my first ride of the season.

May is Women’s Riding Month, and Open Road is planning an informal ride to Kodiak Jacks Friday May 1st. It is a short ride just to have a group of women get together and celebrate riding their own bike. Dinner is dutch treat and the ride leaves Open Road at 5:30pm. I helped plan out the route and hope the ladies like the ride. I rode it once on the bike already to make sure there would be no problems. I hope we have a safe and fun ride.

There is so much starting to happen now. Open Road is also having their first Garage Party Homecoming Tuesday April 28th. This Garage Party will go a little more into detail about bike maintenance and packing for long trips. This party is for all those women who have attended a Garage Party before and have now taken the next step. It is also for the already experienced women. It should be a great night. Open Road does a wonderful job of making women and all their customers feel comfortable with riding.

Spring

Bloged in Female Biker by Angel Sunday March 15, 2009

What’s that I hear calling? Spring

The high temp is 52 today. Bikes are starting to be seen again. I counted 4 yesterday. Of course, they were all crotch rockets. It is time to move the bike from the back of the garage and get it ready. I love the sound of an early morning rumble. Events are going to start gearing up. I will try to keep you updated on what is going on.

There is an Open Road Garage Party March 24th starting at 5:30pm. I have talked about these before. They are geared toward women who are aspiring to ride or have just recently started riding. They are packed full of information and fun all at the same time.

As we break into the riding season I will have much more content, events and riding stories to share with you. Let’s all pray the warm weather keeps coming. Talk to you later.

Spring is Near

Bloged in Female Biker by Angel Sunday March 8, 2009

Spring is Near!!
Spring is just around the corner. It is time to start thinking about riding again. Not that we don’t already think about it all year round, but now we can start to get our bikes ready for the road again. There has been a few changes since we last talked. The Secretary of our Chapter was voted into an Assistant Director’s position. She had one year to serve as Secretary yet, however. I, among other people, went to the board and expressed interest in being considered to fill in for the last year of her term. After a meeting the board asked if I would like the position. I, of course, said yes. This is only for one year. If I want to continue to be Secretary I must be voted in by my Chapter members during the next election.

The second change is that I have also been asked to be a Mentor for a new program that Harley Davidson has come out with. It is called “Share your Spark”. The dealership has asked myself and 6 other wonderful women to become Mentors for other women who want to break into the world of riding. We will be there to guide them and help them become confident riders. I am really excited about this.

I remember when I first started riding. It was keep up with the boys or stay home. There are so many women out there that are interested in riding, but they know that most of the guys would be a little harder on them when first starting out. I know this is not the case with all guys, but it is nice to have other women to go riding with and to ask questions to. There is a little more comfort level for some women with this option. I look forward to seeing how this program works. Right now women only make up 12% of all riders. It would be great to see that number increase in 2009.

The last thing I wanted to touch on is that this is my 2 year anniversary of Female Biker and my 10 year anniversary of riding my own bike!! When I first started Female Biker I had mentioned I had been riding for 9 years, but after thinking about it I don’t really believe I started riding my own bike until 1999. Either way I cannot believe that I have been on my own bike this long already. I have so many stories and experiences to share. I hope I will continue to have great stories as the years go on.

It is time to gear up for another great season. I look forward to sharing my adventures with you. The weather is warming up and I have already seen a few bikes out, but I prefer to wait for a couple hard rains to get ALL of the salt off the roads before I take my bike out. Spring will be here before we know it. Talk to you soon!!

Tomahawk 2008

Bloged in Female Biker by Angel Friday December 26, 2008

Tomahawk Ride 2008-Sunday

It was time to go home. With 200 miles to ride, we needed to check the forcast. The weather was calling for rain in the early afternoon. Having gotten as wet as we did all weekend, we were hoping for a dry ride home. Against our normal routine of easing our way into the trip home, with more bad weather on the way, we decided to hit the road early. Other members of our group were going to risk it and hang around a while longer.

Jesse and I said our good-bye’s to our friends early and headed out. The only stops we planned were for fuel and a quick bite to eat at our favorite lunch spot at R-Bar-N Grill in Plainfield. We hit some traffic around Wausau that brought us to a crawl and even a stop at sometimes, but it only lasted about 26 miles(due to construction). Once we got passed that it was smooth sailing. We kept a close eye on the skies as we rode. When we reached our lunch spot, it was strictly for lunch, rather than catching the Packer game which is our normal agenda. This is roughly our half way point and so far we had stayed dry,yeah!!

Once we were done with lunch and fueled up it was time to make the final stretch for home. We stopped one last time in Princeton to top off our tanks, and now we were just under an hour from home, and still dry. Just as we turned on the last highway that took us to our house we felt a few raindrops, and all I could think of was thank god I am only 3 miles from my house. And there you have it, we made it home, and only got hit with a few drops during the last few miles.

Later that evening I checked in with our other friends who decided to leave later than us, and unfortunate for them they were not as lucky as us. They did get caught in the rain and rode most of the way home in it. Fortunate for them, they have rain gear and windshields on their bikes. After this year I am surely ready to invest in rain gear, but I am still not sure I am ready for a windshield. I have been told once you ride with a windshield you wonder how you ever rode without one, but I am still not sure I am ready to give up the feeling I get when riding without one. I am sure someday I may reach that point, but it is not now. Good-bye Tomahawk 2008.

Tomahawk2008

Bloged in Female Biker by Angel Friday December 26, 2008

Tomahawk Ride 2008-Saturday

Saturday was another day for riding in the rain. We headed for Bubba’s on Lake Nokomis. He has vendors, races, food, and entertainment. We were curious about the bar stool races and car show that was going on there. I have to say, it was pretty interesting to watch people riding motorized bar stools.

Bar Stool Races

Once the rain started to pick up again, we decided to call it a day. I must say, riding in the rain without a windshield and rain gear makes for a less than pleasant ride. We also wanted to make it back to the cabin before it got dark. Our cabin is in the heart of a woods and our back yard is a lake. With woods comes wildlife, and as long as you plan for it you can be prepared. As we entered the woods where our cabin was, we started to ride at about 10mph or less. As we were coasting we captured a most beautiful sight, 3 deer were crossing the road at their leasure. We stopped the bikes to take in that moment. It is such a beautiful sight to see nature in it’s own habitat, and being on motorcycles there was nothing separating us from this beautiful moment.

Once home we enjoyed the comforts of our cabin. It was also time to start thinking about the trip home. Although wet most of the weekend, I always enjoy spending time with my good friends. We spent our last night at the cabin, joking around, sharing stories, and enjoying the common love of biking and everything it comes with.

Tomahawk 2008

Bloged in Female Biker by Angel Tuesday October 7, 2008

Tomahawk Ride 2008-Friday

Friday was the day we stayed dry. We had a fun-filled day. We have done a few things we have never done in all the years we have been going to Tomahawk. First of all, we checked out one of the Harley Davidson plants that Tomahawk has. Now we have checked out the plant right in town, but we had not seen the other plant. We also had not ever seen Bubba Blackwell. He is a stunt rider that rides Harleys in his show. He can be compared to Evil Conevil. I am to understand that he has broken most of his records and has broken 42 bones in the process. He was very interesting. He was even able to pull the front tire up on a full dresser, and not just a little.

Bubba Blackwell

The other event that we had never partaken in was the Thunder Parade. We decided that this year we were going to ride in the parade. I could not even tell you how many bikes were in the parade other than a lot!! We had the pleasure of meeting a man who was riding one of the new Spiders, which looks like a snowmobile on wheels. It is one of his many toys. He says it handles well and is a lot of fun. The motor is actually located closer to where he sits rather than the nose of the vehicle, which is used for storage. We had a very nice conversation with him and enjoyed learning some things about these unique vehicles.

My most interesting moment was when I met a fellow female biker. She has been riding since she was 8, starting out with dirt bikes. She has had the opportunity to tour in Europe on her Harley. She has also taken many road trips, one taking her to California and back by herself. It was very exciting to here some of her stories. She was proud to show me the sticker that she had on the front of her windshield: “You don’t have to have a dick to ride, but it helps to have balls”. As I smiled, I thought how cool was that. She had found the sticker years ago. I only wish I could find one myself.

It is true ladies. If you have the guts, you can have the glory. Motorcycling is great sport. Just in the 30 minutes we waited to start the parade, I had the opportunity to meet two very interesting people. Can you imagine the amount of people you could meet by submerging yourself into the sport. When that parade started, there were people lined up all along the route just waiting to see us. They had American flags and endless waves to greet us with as we rode by. There were young children holding their thumbs up saying “Hello” in motorcycle language. It made be proud to be an American riding an American motorcycle. It made me glad that our flag still flies free and we can choose to do what we love. Do not hold back. If you have an interest in something, go for it. You can never loose if it is something you love.

As the parade came to an end, so did our riding for the day. My husband and I headed back to the cabin to enjoy a nice campfire. We had a beautiful place to stay at, thanks to our friend Leasa, who found and reserved it for our group. One could not ask for a better day. A fun morning, a wonderful afternoon, and a relaxing evening. I am grateful to forever have these memories.

Friday night bon-fire at cabin

Tomahawk 2008

Bloged in Female Biker by Angel Sunday September 21, 2008

> Tomahawk Fall Ride 2008-Thursday

Our 1st stop at R-Bar-N-Grill on the way to Tomahawk 2008

How wet can we get

This is how our day started on Thursday. How wet can we get? Only wetter as the day went on. This stop was one of our only times we were dry for the rest of the day. We were very thankful to see this stop. R-Bar-N-Grill is our 1st stop every year. They have great burgers!! We always look forward to this stop, and even more so this year. We spent a little more time there than usual to let the rain pass over. We were able to ride dry for awhile again after that, but not for long. It was a wet ride, but it was a safe ride.

Riding in the rain can be challenging. There are many things to consider when riding in the rain. The right gear does help. Rain gear can make your trip a little more tolerable. Chaps are great and keep the road debris off you, but during a rain storm your crotch and ass do get wet. So you may want to consider that if you think you may be riding in the rain. Now that may be different if you have a windshield, as I do not.

You need to remember that your stopping power is almost non-existant when riding in the rain. Slower speeds are highly recommended. Pay close attention to all of your surroundings as usual, but be especially careful during rain. If it gets too heavy consider pulling over where there is protection. We actually pulled under an overpass during a rather heavy downfall. When puddles start forming on the road you risk the chance of hydroplaning.

This was one day I somewhat wished I had a windshield. I have never been a windshield person, but I think it would have helped keep some of the rain off myself and my husband, who also rides without a windshield. He is more ready for a windshield than I am, however. He is working his way to a Street Glide once he sells his current bike. He is ready for a little more luxury and a little less ” I don’t have room to carry anything on my bike!”

Regardless of the wet ride to Tomahawk, we found our way to our cabin. We were thankful to have a nice warm bed to crawl into. The cabin is right on Thunder Lake in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. This is only about 30 minutes from Tomahawk. It was a beautiful place and I will share photos in the next coming blogs. As for day 1 of Tomahawk, it came to a peaceful end. Stay tuned for day 2.

HD 105th

Bloged in Female Biker by Angel Sunday September 21, 2008

Daughtry at Summerfest Grounds during Harley’s 105th

Daughtry @ Harley’s 105th Celebration @ Summerfest Grounds

Daughtry was the last concert we waited to see at the 105th celebration. We got there early to make sure we got good seats, but once the concert had started there was not a person sitting. This was my third time seeing Daughtry in concert. I was as excited to see them the third time as I was the first time. I did, however, have the misfortune of blowing out my knee the first time I seen them in concert. It was very painful, but I refused to leave until the concert was over. I had blown out my knee at the start of the first song!! :( Even worse, I had to ride my motorcycle home after the concert. It was my left knee so I needed to use that foot to shift. I did cry all the way home, but the concert was well worth it!! :)

After a successful surgery and somewhat long recovery time I had the chance to see them again. My girlfriend had gotten me a ticket to the Bon Jovi/Daughtry concert in February 2008. It was great to see them again, and even better to not be in as much pain. I was still feeling some of the effects of the recovery, but it was a great concert and a great time with my best friends.

Now, they say the third time is a charm. Their latest concert ROCKED!! Everyone stood on the bleachers during the entire concert. And thanks to my husband and very friendly gentleman standing next to me, I was able to stand on the bleachers also with their helping hands up. Thank you!! You see, I have post traumatic arthritis in my knee, so I do not have as much strength in it as I used to. I just have to be careful and think about what I do.

I have followed Chris Daughtry since his days on American Idol. He has an amazing voice, and let’s face it ladies, he is not bad on the eyes at all!! I have always wished the band much success and look forward to seeing them perform whenever I can. I have not been disappointed yet, nor do I plan on it in the future. If you have a chance to see Daughtry perform, I HIGHLY suggest checking them out. Their music has much thought behind it and they sound GREAT!! :)

HD 105th

Bloged in Female Biker by Angel Wednesday September 10, 2008

Harley’s 105th at Summerfest Grounds: Puddle of Mudd

Our next concert at Harley’s 105th was Puddle of Mudd. I was very impressed again. They have a great sound to them, and of course, have been around for a while. This was my first time seeing them in concert.

Puddle of Mudd

They interacted very well with the crowd and the crowd reacted back. It was a lot of fun . I was very happy to be able to see this concert. It made for a great day. :)

HD 105th

Bloged in Female Biker by Angel Tuesday September 9, 2008

Harley’s 105th at Summerfest Grounds:Amanda Overmyer

Saturday August 30th was day two at Summerfest Grounds. We had big plans this day. We were going to check out Amanda Overmyer, Puddle of Mudd, and Daughtry. We knew it would be crowded so we got up early. We grabbed some breakfast at our local cafe and headed to Milwaukee by 11am. Once again we were lucky enough to score a spot right by the front gate.

We had done most of our walking around Friday, so our main goal was to get a good seat at the Harley Davidson Stage. All three concerts were going to be held there. We were able to find a seat about 9 rows back from the stage, not too bad. Our first concert was Amanda Overmyer,a female biker herself. She, of course, had been a contestant from American Idol.

100_2320d.jpg

I must say Amanda has great stage presentation. You can really tell she loves what she is doing. She played some originals that she had written recently and mentioned that she has a new single coming out soon, as well as a new CD. She has an original sound and we look forward to her new CD and wish her much success. You can check her out at her website.

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