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By: Jeanette Tran - Jan 21, 2009 About one month after I started riding, I recall being filled with envy when I watched my buddy's online video of his solo evening exploration rides. My whole body was itching to jump on my bike and (as corny as this sounds) take off riding into the sunset on some random back roads. When I told him that, he asked me "Why not? What is stopping you?" and I found myself explaining to him that I do not go and jump on my bike for evening solo rides because I'm a girl. My boyfriend at the time did not allow for me to go riding unless he was there with me because he was always worrying about me when I was riding. I have never had bad target fixation problems, curbs "jump out" in front of me, or even dropped my bike (only until about a year after I have been riding), so at first I did not understand why he was so worried about me riding. When he finally explained to me the reason for his worries, everything became so clear. To him, motorcycling is already a dangerous sport, so allowing a female on a motorcycle just seems like a recipe for disaster! In his eyes, the vulnerability that naturally comes with being a girl becomes a hundred times worse when you put a girl on a motorcycle. Some of his biggest concerns were things such as "What if she drops the bike and can't pick it up?", "What if she's stuck on the side of the road somewhere?", "It is dangerous out late at night and girls should not be out alone" and etc... To me, some of the real difference when it comes to being a female vs. male rider would have to be height and strength. For example, height helps keep the bike upright and strength helps for when the bike has been crashed or dropped. If I went riding on my own and dropped my bike, would I have the strength to pick the bike back up by myself? Probably not, but that does not mean that it is impossible. I used to believe I needed both strength and height to be a more of an independent rider, but over time I learned that it took more technique and skill rather than brute strength to maneuver my bikes around. It is true that a majority of females are lacking in height and strength when compared to males, but besides working out, there are different things that females can do in order to make up for the difference in skill. For example, in the case that a girl is riding alone and drops the bike, there are specific methods and techniques that can be used in order to lift the bike back up without any help. Plenty of videos exists online showing step-by-step instructions to help females on how to properly pick up their bike in case this happens. Now when it comes to height, you cannot exactly change your physical attributes, but the bike and gear on the other hand is a different story. Most bikes can be modified by using lowering links or even shaving off some of the foam in the seat. For those that do not wish to alter their bikes, there are actually boots made specifically for shorter female riders. For example, the Daytona Lady Star and the Icon Bombshell Boots are two that I know of which provide an extra sole to help riders plant their feet on the ground more comfortably. There are lots of tricks out there in order to help females become more comfortable riding on their own. Thinking back, I have come to realize how silly it was for me to use that excuse of being a girl stop me from going on rides alone. My boyfriend at the time had been riding a lot longer than I have, so I automatically trusted his judgment on what was considered safe and unsafe for me as a new rider. As time passed, I made the decision that I just could not sit around and wait any longer and just took the bike out for a spin on my own. When that happened, I realized how familiar I had become with my bike, and all the things that would have scared me before were not all that frightening anymore. I realized that I had become more comfortable because when I was not riding I was still exposing myself to the endless amounts of information around me. Obtaining useful information in regards to maintenance, accident scene management, or even general tips and tricks to making riding more comfortable, is a useful skill to have. Needless to say, these skills are especially useful in those unlikely situations where a girl can find she is stranded on the side of the road. Anything else that would be considered dangerous can actually be made a little safer by preparing for the unexpected. So even if you find yourself at a roadblock at the moment, just remember it does not mean that you cannot do other things in order to make yourself a better rider and eventually ride on by it. |
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