Women and Bikes
The Beginnings of Women and Bikes
From the beginnings of motorcycles, the woman biker has had a lot to contend with when it comes to riding. In 1910, a young woman named Clara Wagner, a woman biker, managed to place very near the top of a motorcycle endurance race. In the end, the results were declared unofficial. Ms. Wagner was even denied her trophy because she was not a male; she was a proud biker woman.
Nonetheless, there have been a number of stories since the beginnings of these vehicles which feature women. Two women, Effie and Avis Hitchkiss, plotted out and rode a five thousand mile motorcycle trip from New York to San Francisco and, incidentally, they were not the only two to do so. A year after their famed trip, Adeline and Agusta Van Buren took the same trip. Women bikers have never been as rare as some individuals might initially believe, but this does not mean that there is no reason for these stories to continue and become even more prevalent and numerous. In fact, studies show that women are turning more and more to the hobby and lifestyle of motorcycle riding and today’s modern biker woman is still a symbol of independence, strength and adventure.
For more information about female motorcycle pioneers, visit the American Motorcyclist Association at: http://home.ama-cycle.org/membersonly/magazine/story_dl.asp?id=517
Is the Percentage Growing? You Bet!
For a very long time, motorcycle riding seems to have been dominated by males. This is not entirely untrue. However, the number of woman biker proponents in today’s world is increasing. Overall, the number of women bikers seems to be about ten percent of all motorcycle riders that are currently involved in the hobby and activity. However, this belies the truth of the situation - for there are a number of underlying factors that affect the true representation of the woman biker in today’s motorcycle world.
A woman biker makes up one out of every three graduates from current motorcycle safety training classes, especially those that are held within the United States of America. Twenty-five percent of those who are making new motorcycle purchases are women. These are just some of the numbers that are growing thanks to the increased participation of the woman biker.
Important Measurements
Measurements are very important for the woman biker. This is because bikes can vary and women are, traditionally, smaller, lighter and built with smaller or shorter legs when compared to men – and therefore a number of the bikes what have been built with men in mind. Due to this, the right bike for a woman biker is probably going to differ from the bikes that are popular among the male motorcycle driving population. Keep in mind that when a woman is looking at a bike, they will also need to consider the height of the seat. This is because if the woman’s legs cannot reach the pavement, they could end of laying down the bike. Additionally, the biker woman needs to consider the length of her arms. She needs to be able to reach all of the necessary controls. If she cannot reach the controls, she will not be able to maneuver the bike as well as possible and it can be dangerous.
Favored Women’s Bikes
In the first years of the motorcycle, there were a number of companies that women could consider when they investigated the right motorcycle for them. Harley Davidson and Indian were accompanied by such companies as Marvel and Excelsior. When the Great Depression hit, motorcycle companies took a dive and women were only able to choose from the models put forth by Harley Davidson.
Today, the biker woman has a number of options when it comes to choosing the right motorcycle. For the most part, as with any individual, custom bikes are likely to be the most comfortable – and also the most expensive! Harley-Davidson continues to be one of the most popular bikes among women motorcycle enthusiasts, but this list also includes BMW and Honda bikes as well.
Women Biking Groups
One of the first woman biker groups formed in the 1940’s. They were known as The Motormaids. The number of biker groups has risen a great deal; today there are scores of such groups. While there are still many biker groups that cater exclusively to men, the number of woman biker motorcycle groups is definitely on the rise. Some of the most popular groups today include Women on Wheels, and Fallen from Grace.
Woman Biker Stereotypes
It should be noted that all bikers are men. This is one of several stereotypes in the biker world. Women in the biker world also have to put up with the following misnomers: bikers have tattoos and if you do not exhibit a number of tattoos, you are not a true biker. The woman biker is a relatively new phenomenon; there are many women bikers that do not fit neatly into preconceived stereotypes.
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