The Global “Women Who Ride” Project
Hello, would you like to be a part of the “Global Women Who Ride” project? :) My aim with this ambitious new project is to highlight women motorcyclists across the globe and provide an insight into what a motorcycle rider in another country looks like, what she loves about riding in her particular part of the planet, and what commonalities and differences there are in her riding experiences vs. those of other riders.
I would love to cover a woman rider from every country across the planet.These riders will be featured in my blog on a regular basis and who knows, hopefully also be a part of a full-color coffee table book (either self-published or the real deal if I can find a publisher). [Note: I also have a sub-project to cover a woman from every state in the United States! And perhaps more such sub-projects set in other large countries like Canada, Australia and Russia if I get enough participants from there.]
The kinds of people I am looking to profile are – people who identify as women and are passionate about motorcycling. It doesn’t matter what you ride – street, dual sport, dirt, trials, stunt bikes, trikes, sidecars etc, are also welcome. The more diversity the better! I would also love a variety of experiences, passions, stories, ages, appearances, abilities etc. :) No experience is too small or unimportant! More than one person per country/area is ok too!
I anticipate that participation in the project will take up 1-2 hours of your time where you fill out a questionnaire and email it back to me with a few high quality photographs of you with your bike. I will then follow that up with personalized questions to learn more about the participant and any interesting experiences she has to share.
If you are not fluent in English, please don’t let that discourage you! We will try our best to make it work by finding an interpreter. I’m especially keen on finding women who diverge from the ones we typically see in Western motorcycling media. I also have access to a lot of people who speak languages other than English who could help with translation. I am also keen on publishing interviews in the speaker’s native language as well as English.
How you can help:
1. If you are a female rider who would like to be a part of this project, please contact me at admin@globalwomenwhoride.com.
2. If you know of a female rider in your country/area or another country/area who you think would be a good candidate for this project, please connect her to me as well.
3. If there are regional motorcycle forums where this is likely to be seen by more people, please cross-post a link to my blog post on there [http://www.adventuresinfinite.com/blog/2014/01/08/the-global-women-who-ride-project] OR ask them to email me directly at admin@globalwomenwhoride.com.
Since this project has gotten such a big response, I might not be able to chase down people who are recommended to me. I’d really appreciate it if they could contact me directly.
Please read more info about the motivations behind and the end goals of this project here: http://www.adventuresinfinite.com/blog/2014/01/09/more-info-about-the-global-women-who-ride-project.
(Image courtesy of this Tumblr blogger.)
Hi,
I’m a 53 year old female rider who’s been riding for just over 2 years. I ride a 2003 Gold Badge Centenary Model Harley Davidson VROD which I converted (with help) to a trike 2 years ago. This is my FIRST ride !! and I LOVE IT. I’d wanted a trike pretty much my whole life but it didn’t happen while I was married to the wrong guy .. get it ?? lol
I love the sound of your venture above & would love to be part of it ! I ride EVERY opportunity I can, usually every day. I’m not working at the moment so that gives me saddle time anytime I want. I do lots of different sorts of rides, freedom rides, charity rides & also like to ride alone.
I’m a member of a girls only club here on the Sunshine Coast Queensland Australia, great girls, great rides. We have the most spectacular country around here which means pretty much every ride is wonderful.
My trade mark it seems, is my long red plaits flying in the wind when I ride, its my statement that I’m a girl rider. I love it when I pull up somewhere & oldies (especially older women, like in their 70’s & 80’s) come over & tell me how proud they are that I’m riding this awesome trike & they say that they wish they’d had opportunities to do this sort of thing when they were younger. It makes me very proud which for me is good if you knew my story .. well, good luck with what you’re doing, hope it all goes well & if you’re looking for an ordinary Aussie girl .. message me lol. Cheers Annie
Annie you would be the epitome of a Dinki Di Aussie rider!
You and I share the right attitude and approach to travel and exploration.
RedBaroness – you can add me to the list if Annie is the type of company I’d be sharing these pages with. I’ve been riding a Postie Bike around Australia for the last 18 months and covered 39,000kms so far. My blog is http://www.postienotes.com.au
Linda Bootherstone-Bick should also be listed here.
Hi there – just saw a link on another forum to this. Interested in contacting you, let me know how by email.
Hi Katie, questions were sent. Please get back to me when you can. :)
thespianlass@clear.net.nz
Annie and Katie, thanks for your comments! I’ll contact you both shortly. :) I’ll also need to figure a way out to post a contact email address in this blog post so that folks can reach me directly, but spammers cannot. Hmm…
Hey there!!
Was very to excited to find this innovative project “Global Women Who Ride”. I loved the idea and entire initiation and would be glad to host you and fellow women riders, when you come to India.
So let’s connect.. and ride together..
Love.
Hi Sharvari, I believe we’re already connected on Facebook. I’ll contact you. :) Can you message me an email address via Facebook?
Also, thanks for the offer to host another rider! :) I think some people will take you up on that. ;)
Saw your post on couchsurfing. I just started riding 2 years ago. This coming spring I will be doing my second road test which will get me my permanent M rating. The year I got my license and bought my first bike was the year I turned 50. I ride a 2003 Yamaha V-Star 650. We`re in the middle of an incredible deep freeze with lots of snow so no riding for many months up here. If you want a Canadian in your group, count me in.
Hi Dawna, thanks for reaching out. I would love to have a Canadian! If you can email me at womenwhoride at red-baroness dot net, I can send you the interview questions. :)
Sharvari and Katie, check your email. :)
Annie, can you email me at womenwhoride at red-baroness dot net so that I can send you the interview questions? I would love to interview you!
Hi, I am from South Africa and would love to take part in your project.
Hi there, let me know if you don’t receive the email. :)
Hi Lisl, that’s great! Can you please email me at womenwhoride at red-baroness dot net? I’ll follow up with you there. :)
Hi, I ride a Yamaha fazer 1000. I’m 62 and started riding 6 years ago after my husband left me when I had a sub arachnoid brain haemorrhage, it was to help get my confidence back and it did just that and more:)
I rode 4000miles around the coast of Britain, then rode 1000miles north of lima, Peru, both for charity.
I’ve been on local tv twice, the radio several times and I’ve met some incredible people.
Riding is my life now. Have brain surgery and change your life for the better, who’d have thought it! Lol
So as you can imagine I’d love to join in with this project. X
Lisl and Sally, I sent you both emails from womenwhoride. :) Can’t wait to get your responses!! :D
Also, Sally, that’s an incredible story, wow!!
I live in the mountains of north Wales, uk. I ride Harley sportster which has been personally customised – a project of love. I ride in all weathers wearing an open face lid as I love to feel the wind, rain, sun, cold etc i breath it in !! I join hundreds of other bikers rallying all over England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales and when not doing that I tour – Europe, Ireland, Scotland and in my spare time I’m organising a rally of my own. For over 25 years lived and breathed bikes, my home, my look etc
How cool! I’m always fascinated by people in other countries who ride Harleys. Maybe someday I’ll join one of your rallies. I’ve toured across a lot of Europe, but never in Great Britain. Someday I’d like to go ride on the Isle of Man too. :)
I sent you email. Please check. :)
Hey I would LOVE to be a part of this. I live in manchester in the UK and we have two of the best roads for motorcycles within a stones throw of my house. I’m 19 and dedicate my life to my motorcycle Simba. He’s a gold SV650s and I love him to bits. I ride alone, with friends and I’ve toured the UK once :) I hope to tour europe and one day the world. I really hope I can be apart of this amazing project and hear from you soon. Riding is everything to me and has helped me through seriously hard times. Bikes are everything to me and they totally shape how I live my life. I’m part of many biker groups and my best friends are all bikers too. So yea if I could be envolved it would be so great! Hope to hear from you, Jordan.
Hi Jordan, I love that your bike has an Indian name and that it’s a “he”. ;) I’d also love to interview you! Please check your email for something from womenwhoride at red-baroness dot net.
Hi, What a fantastic project, would love to be involved. I live in Norfolk, England and ride an Yamaha R1 day to day. Plus an Aprillia RSV4 on the track for kicks. I also have a Triumph Tiger 1050, which my OH and I tour on. So a garage of bikes, loads of fun and a spare room if you want it. Hoping to hear from you. Julia. PS I’m a 55 year old Granny!!
Ahh, the Tiger. One of my friends rides those and she loves it!
And wow, thanks for the offer. Someday I will ride England and maybe go to the Isle of Man!
I sent you email, Julia. Let me know if you didn’t receive it.
I think this is a GREAT idea! I am a 40 year old female that has been riding for just 10 years. I don;t ride professionally, I simply ride because I LOVE IT! Started with a Honda 250 Rebel and I now have a Honda 600 RR….which I LOVE! I joined the other forum in hopes of finding women in my area to ride with, but I was sad to learn most lived in the UK area. I live in Mount Washington, Kentucky. United States. :) If your needing someone from my state….I would love to take part in this. I wish more women rode….I’m tired of always being stuck riding with dudes….LOL
From a Rebel to a 600RR – that’s some trajectory. Good on you!! :)
If you live in the US, you might have more like finding women who ride on ADVRider or the BMW forum. Try those out.
I believe I sent you the interview questions. If not, please bug me about it. ;)
Hello Redbaroness….
Could you please send me the interview questions as well?…. I’m not much on bugging people, but I wouild love to participate in your survey, with my own first hand experience.
Please and Thanks!
Peg
I’ve been riding for 5 years. Plese see my post to Michelle.
Would love to answer any of your questions…
Thanks,
Peg
Hi Michelle,
I, too, am a semi-new rider. I have been riding for 5 years now. Met my Hubby, who is an avid life-long motorcycle rider. I decided one day that I could ride my own bike and did not need to sit behind Hubby. I’ve not sit behind him for 5 years now… LOL. I started out on a Kawa Ninja 250, bumped up to a Ninja 500, and now I have a Honda NT700 & a Yamaha XT225 & a Yamaha TTR125… I’ve found that I like off-road riding as much as street bike riding…
I’ve ridden to Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York (Niagra Falls), Virginia, W. Virginia, N. Carolina (The Dragon: 3 times), Missouri, and Hot Springs & Eureeka Springs, Arkansas…
I hate to hear that you do not have friends to ride with… I would love to have you ride with our group, to keep me from being the only female rider… and to have some female company
All of the guys in our riding group are very jealous of Hubby. They all wish that that their significant others would come along on our rides and are greatly envious of Hubby that his wife rides her own ride.
We are not that far apart from each other… estimated 50-60 miles. I’d love to meet up with you, for lunch, to chat, or to invite you along on a ride-to-eat, or just the two of us to ride some nice back roads…
You can look me up on Facebook (Peggy Curtsinger Thurman) and send me a Friend Request or you can email me at Peg40004@gmail.com… It would be awesome to chat with a fellow female rider…
Hope to hear from you soon,
Peg
Nice idea!
Your text and link I presentated in the biggest german forum: http://forum.motorradkarawane.de/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=6493
I’m Biki from Germany. I ride since 12 years and 400 000 km. Not around the world, but completed Europe. My bikes are a BMW100 GS and Triumph Speed Triple, for the mountains Suzuki DRZ 400 and for every day a old Kawasaki GPZ 500S.
I love offroading in Iceland, curvsurfing in the Alps and the sunrise on my way to work.
This year i will ride 4 months in Laos, Thailand and Cambodchia with small rented bikes. I’m very happy :-)
Cheers, Biki
Hi Biki, great to hear from you! I was lucky enough to be able to ride through a lot of Germany. I loved the Black Forest!
Have you ridden the Nurburgring? That’s the only thing I regret not doing while I was out there.
You will love riding in Cambodia! Which tour company are you going through? I did a tour there last year on a TTR230. It was fun!
Btw would you like to participate in this project? I can send you the questions. :)
Hi I’m happy to take part, I got back to biking in 2012 after about 14 years away from bikes so let me know! In the UK and currently own a Triumph Daytona 955i
Thanks, Sammi. Great bike! Expect an email from me shortly. :)
Hi there have been put on to this post by a male friend who rides in Hungary. Im English by birth Hungarian by choice and a Biker by definition..
I have been riding since the age of 8 yrs old have done Moto x and have owned various motorcycles do my own mechanic work and that of my hubby.
I am the owner of a 1983 Suzuki GSX1100 ese and a 1999 Kawasaki VN1500 classic tourer…
we are about to leap to Bulgaria where we are setting up our Biker friendly B&B and doing motorcycle tours.
would be more than happy to take part in your project and also introduce this to female riding friends across europe ( Slovinia, Portugal, granada, to mention a few).
Hope to hear from you soon
Ride safe
Lesley
Hi Lesley, thanks for offering to participate! I’ll send you the questionnaire shortly.
This is an interesting trend that I’m seeing – the amount of “cross-pollination” of bikers across the world and that’s something I’m going to have to note and take into account on this project. I think it would be great to have the perspective of an Englishwoman on Hungary (and Bulgaria perhaps?), so thanks again for volunteering. It would also be really cool if you know any Hungarian motorcyclists whom you could enlist into the project, perhaps women who are more comfortable thinking and speaking in Hungarian, and maybe you could help translate? Just a thought.
I’d love it if you could bring in female motorcyclists from other European countries! Please send them on here and let them know that language will not be a problem. I’d consider this project hugely successful if I could post interviews of women in both their native language and English.
(Your biker friendly B&B sounds amazing. I haven’t yet ridden through most of eastern Europe and the Balkans, but I think I will in the next few years. It’ll be great to have a friendly place to stop at.)
Hi, I am an American woman who started riding 9 years ago at age 35. I changed careers and I now often live and work in developing countries. I currently live in the Philippines where I ride my BMW F800GS motorcycle. My international work lends it self to a lot of travel, so in less than 10 years I have managed to rent or borrow motorcycles and I have ridden in North, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, north Africa, and many counties in Asia. I have ridden everything from a 100cc scooter up to a KTM 990 Adventure bike. I have taken 2 organized trips, but most of my travel unplanned solo rides. I love to just show and see where the road takes me. I also keep a bike with my friend back in Colorado. I still love to ride in the CO mountains whenever I get a chance!
Hi Frances, it looks like you are better travelled than most of us!! I sent you the questions. :)
Cool, I’m interested. I am a 49y old female and I ride a Honda XRV750 Africa Twin (dual-sport), which is decorated with some ‘fuchsia’ (pinky/purple) trim. I live in the eastern part of South Africa, near the famous Kruger National Park. I did a 500km solo trip to Cape Town and back the ‘wrong’ way round a year ago. It was fantastic!
Oops, that should be 5000km!
Hi Chrissie, I sent you the questions. Great hearing from you! If you’ve written about your trip, please post a link here. :)
Hi there.
I am passionate about motorcycles. I have done most things with them.
I:
Build them
Race them
Do stunts on them
Paint them
Teach people to ride on them. (Qualified instructor)
Teach instructors how teach people to ride.
I ride a GSXR1000 and a Fazer 600 (work)
I’m 5’2″ and 56Kg and quite a girly girl. I’m also a 63 year old grandmother.
Hi Molly, color me officially intimidated. :)
I’ve wanted to build a custom bike but I didn’t even know where to start. Maybe first take an existing bike apart and put it back together?
I sent you the questions and look forward to the responses!
This sounds interesting! I’m 51, first started riding at 14yrs old, trials riding, then road. Had a long break to raise kids and returned to bikes. Got the bug back big time, ended up with 7 bikes at once, supermoto, sports bike, track bike, tourer… first track day was amazing! Ride all weathers, learned to fix the ancient bike (always had to carry tools). Now older and less able, down to one bike, fully auto as hands are unable to cope with clutch on long journeys. Passionate about bikes, first 2 yrs back on a bike averaged over 40k miles a year!
Hi Sue! Thanks for commenting. Questions sent. Sorry to hear that you’ve switched to auto. But I guess it might happen to most of us?
29 year old female. First learnt to ride in a field with my dad, aged 14. I’m from Manchester and I ride all year round. Would love to be part of your project. Currently got a bandit 600 and it’s half way to being accessorised. It’s been resprayed and got some finishing touches to add.
I Marshall at nabd every year and love going to rallies. Usually end up volunteering at roughleys too. I’m a member of my local mcc. During the week I’m a regular 9-5 office worker.
Hi Kimberley, thanks for volunteering! I sent you email and the questions.
hi – ive been riding for 6 years love touring. work full time so only have weekends generally. off to Northern ireland in august for road racing xxx brilliant
Hiya! Sending you email now. :)
ive got a fs1 faser 1000 and an r1 by the way
Hello
Saw your post from Couchsurfing. I’m from Romania if you still need people from that neck of the woods, let me know. I’d love to see how your study turns out.
Lucia, hi! YES. I’m excited to get someone from Romania. :D I’ll send you an email with details. :)
What a fantastic project!! Are you an anthropologist by any chance? Saw your post on Couchsurfing and responded there too. I’ve been on motorized bikes since I was a wee tot in Canada and have been riding them non-stop since. Now I am 52 and ride a Honda ST1100 around North America in Iron Butt rides when I get the chance and flower sniffing too. I hope to ride internationally when work becomes more ‘part-time’. ( I am an anthropologist)
I would love to participate in your study and would love to hear what you plan to do with the results.
Cheers from the snowy north,
J
Hi Janet, nope, nothing as remotely interesting as anthropology! :) I will email you with details!
Email sent!
你好, 我生长在中国 今年55岁,是一名摩托车旅游爱好者, 我从小就梦想有一部自己的摩托车, 在我三十多岁时终于有了属于自己的摩托车—YAMAHA摩托车,从此一发不可收拾,开始了摩托车旅游的生涯,骑上心爱的摩托车跑遍了中国大半个江山,慢慢的身边的摩友越来越多, 在中国北京组建了一支自己的摩托车队伍—京A军团.到现在京A军团以建军团十五周年, 每年摩托旅游都在三万公里以上, 摩旅以成为我生活的一部分, 我爱摩托旅游,感受骑行在路的风风雨雨经历,看到这个有关女性骑手的专栏, 我愿意把我的故事讲给同样是热爱摩托旅游的朋友们听, 一起分享骑行的快乐 !!
更愿意把中国摩托车旅游的朋友介绍给大家
您好，首先很抱歉，如果我的中国是坏的。我用谷歌翻译从英语翻译。 :)
你的故事听起来太棒了！你骑雅马哈哪些？
它是伟大的，你走遍中国茂盛你的团队。也许有一天，我可以跟你骑？ ：D
我收到你的邮件，我会尽快给您答复。我可能有我的朋友雷帮我们翻译。 :)
我非常非常高兴能够采访您！ ：D
Hi man, I love motorcycle and I ride my bike (R100GS 1992) alone from Argentina to Alaska
taht can be interesting to you??
Extremely interesting, Miriam! :) I replied to your email too. Expect to hear from me soon. Thanks for commenting!
Hi! Born & raised in NYC. Moved to the subs when I got married – 28 years ago. My husband wanted a bike for his 50th and wanted me to take the riders class with him. I did – with no interest in riding. Now I’M living his mid-life crisis and loving it ! That was about 3 years ago. I love riding – and have joined up with a local MEET UP group, Monmouth County Kruizers. They are a great group of people. They taught us how to ride in a group and how to look out for each other. I can’t imagine my life without riding anymore. Love your blog. Ride safe !/Users/louisemartin/Desktop/Pink.jpeg
Hi Louise, Thanks for commenting. I’ll be in touch. :)
Just sent you email!
Hi! Born & raised in NYC. Moved to the subs when I got married – 28 years ago. My husband wanted a bike for his 50th and wanted me to take the riders class with him. I did – with no interest in riding. Now I’M living his mid-life crisis and loving it ! That was about 3 years ago. I love riding – and have joined up with a local MEET UP group, Monmouth County Kruizers. They are a great group of people. They taught us how to ride in a group and how to look out for each other. I can’t imagine my life without riding anymore. Love your blog. Ride safe !
I am 52 year female that has been riding for the last 8 years. My current bike is a Hyabusa, my former bikes have been a GPZ1100 and a Pacific Coast. I would love to be a part of this project as I feel that is important for women rider to see how much we have in common regardless of where we are or what we ride, it’s about the riding and nothing else.
Hi Michele, I just responded to you. Check your email! :)
I am a 52 year old female that has been riding for the last 8 years. I would love to be a part of this project as I feel that women should learn that regardless of where or what they ride, group or solo, it is always about the joy of the ride.
My name Kat5 I am a “Bikerchick” 100% I love to ride I been riding since “07” in Miami Fl, I have a 1300 gsx hybusa that I love here in Miami,I Love to see the look on Females & Guy’s face when they see me on my bike they show so much love …
Hi Katrina, sorry for the late response. Emailing you shortly. :)
Hi, your articles are really interesting and I would like to participate in the Global Women Who Ride Series. I have always loved motorcycles and have been riding for only 3 years, but I have had many experiences and stories to share.
Hi Charlotte, I will email you. :)
Would like to participate.
Hi Cynthia, great to hear that! Can you email admin@globalwomenwhoride.com and tell me more about yourself?
Hi there, sounds very interesting, I’d like to participate :)
I’m from hungary ;)
Hi there, I just sent you an email. :) Look forward to have you participate!