The Ladies Ride: Dianne, Darnell & Natalie Hit the Road Together
By Dianne
June 7, 2009
Calling all Ladies!! Calling all Ladies!!! Check out the Ladies Only ride we (Darnell, Natalie and myself) participated in last Saturday, sponsored by none other than the Harley-Davidson dealership where I work!
Yes, I guess you are all now wondering how difficult my job must be!! LOL All joking aside it was a beautiful Arizona day and we had an excellent turn-out of 25+.
The gals began arriving at the dealership around 10:30 am. Jenni and I were at the front desk welcoming everyone and getting them signed in for the ride. There was a great deal of excitement
as we were riding as “women in the wind”… no guys permitted! Some of them, the guys, were a little put out but others were great about it and volunteered to be photographers along the
route. We have some awesome pictures of all of us along the way.
We had a great mix of riders… from experienced HOG Chapter Road Captains, other motorcycle club pack riders and those who have never attempted a large group
ride. Before the ride started we had a Safety Briefing conducted by Darnell. I must applaud Darnell on her ability to make the most nervous first time large group riders feel
relaxed and comfortable. The point behind all of us riding together is that we are out to have fun! At the end of the meeting everyone was smiling and ready to ride. So we saddled up
with the sun shining and a light breeze blowing. Ready to experience the fantastic feeling of freedom that we encounter when we get out on the road. There is nothing else like it in the
world.
So now the engines are revving and that exhilarating feeling is growing inside all of us as we pull out onto the open road. Oh what a ride we had! From the perspective of being a rider, the
mountains seem so much more majestic and the sky such a richer shade of blue. The scents of nature are so much stronger as you are out there in the midst of it all. You are not trapped inside the
doors of a truck or car. You are experiencing true, unadulterated freedom like never before. It is not just today on this ride but it is every day you throw your leg over that seat and pull away
with your engine roaring!
Our ride ended at the River Bottom Saloon in Florence, Arizona. This is a local biker-friendly establishment where we were welcomed with open arms and large amounts of ice water!!! It was
a great gathering of ladies. We enjoyed lunch and the company of some great friends both old and new. We discussed future rides and ideas for the lady rider in all of us. One thing for sure is
you will always make friends along the way when you are riding. We have a great camaraderie amongst riders. We all watch out for each other on the road.
So until next time ladies… I continue to reach for the stars knowing when I am riding they seem so much closer!!!
Check out more photos of the Ladies Ride below!
The Ladies Ride: Dianne, Darnell & Natalie Hit the Road Together
By Darnell
June, 7, 2009
On May 30th, Superstition Harley-Davidson sponsored a woman’s-only ride in recognition of Woman’s Rider Month. The weather forecast for the day was rather warm but, not oppressive, good turnout was expected, we had all of
the essentials for a great day. The morning of the ride, my partner Di, Natalie, and our friend Rosy who was visiting from out of town, converged on the home of our dear friend Helen. We were
short one bike and Helen graciously lent us one of hers. What a great feeling heading out on a ride with my friends, bikes thundering and nothing but good times ahead.
When we arrived at the dealership there were already many women riders socializing and gathering for the ride. Di and I had volunteered to lead the ride and we instantly launched into Road Captain
mode. Road Captains are riders who volunteer to go through advanced rider training to qualify to lead HOG Chapter rides. Noting that there were 24 riders and two of us, I recruited Helen and
Theresa, both Road Captains to assist with the ride. Theresa is a former HOG Chapter Director from Tucson. It was great to have her with us. Helen started staging the riders in the parking lot. I
then gathered everyone for the safety briefing. The safety briefing is held to ensure that everyone in the group is aware of the route of travel and the precautions we undertake to ride safely as a
group. What a joy it was to address so many enthusiastic women riders. With the safety briefing completed, it was time to saddle up.
It is hard to describe how happy I was to lead, old friends and new, from the dealership and on to our destination, the River Bottom Saloon. We rode through Apache Junction on streets with names
like Superstition, Apache Trail, and Old West Highway. We then rode on the highway for a while. What a sight to behold, 23 women on bikes in my rear view mirror. It was a smooth ride, no unforeseen
events. The way I like it!
We arrived at the River Bottom, put the kickstands down, and relaxed, had lunch, and mingled with the gals. What a great day!
Questions or comments for Dianne, Natalie or Darnell?
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