Ladies up Front is a column by and for the women who ride in Colorado both on back and up front. Each month we publish an article written by a lady rider. You will find stories of how these ladies ended up
where they are today, with their opinions, strange and funny things that
have happened to them, their thoughts, dreams and points of view.
Some tell the stories about their journey from the back to the front.
Some relate how they came to motorcycles, some are just interesting
experiences they have had.
We believe that every woman who rides, be it on the front or on the
back, has a story to tell that is worth hearing.
When they share their perceptions and knowledge, they often have
insight and perspectives that can help us all as we journey forward.
Here you will see those experiences and hear of the strength and joy
we have found on motorcycles.
All ladies are welcome and encouraged to join in and contribute to Ladies
up Front. Please contact us at: [email protected]
The View from
the Back
The past two seasons I have concentrated heavily on
developing my riding skills and getting more comfortable
with my own motorcycle. This is my third season of riding
up front and on my own motorcycle. During the past
several years, I have been so fixated on developing
my skills as a rider that I forgot the joy of riding on the
back. This past season I have spent more time riding
two up with my husband and I figured out a few things
that have helped my skills when I am up front on my own
motorcycle.
Everyone struggles when building new skills and I
wanted to share several that I have had while building my
riding skills. Since the turning radius on my bike is quite
large, I often have to take two or three tries to get parked
when there are a lot of motorcycles around or there isn’t
much space to park. I assume other motorcyclists are
impatient and subsequently I always feel like I need to
hurry. The second area I struggle with is tight turns on
windy roads and in particular, downhill “S” curves in the
mountains. Uphill is no big deal, but downhill, I have some
nervousness and it shows especially when I am riding in
a group. This is a direct result from two incidents during
my first season of riding where I went down on my bike.
The first incident happened when I was I was taking a
downhill curve with a very steep grade. I was going way
too fast and ended up bouncing off the guard rail, fell on the
ground and slid downhill several feet. Fortunately, I emerged
with some road rash on my arm and some scrapes on the
motorcycle (windshield and saddlebags were scratched
up). The second incident was because I wasn’t aware
that the pavement around the corner I was navigating was
24 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado
heaved
and holed. Even though I was traveling slowly and negotiating
the right hand turn, I didn’t see the hazard in the road, my
back tire hit it and I went down and tweaked my knee when I
did. Both times I was lucky.
During my second riding season I struggled with these
areas and was searching for getting the “right” feeling back,
but it just wasn’t clicking for me. At the end of the season,
my husband suggested that we ride two up for the Emily’s
parade and I agreed. I thought it would be nice to get some
time on the back, snap some pictures and take in the fall
scenery along the route. I am a very attentive passenger,
but because you aren’t the one controlling the bike it can be
more relaxing.
Once we were on our way, I thought, I really liked having
the opportunity to not only ride my own, but also sit behind
my husband and enjoy the ride sometimes too. It was nice
to feel the wind on my face, snap some pictures and wave
at all the onlookers for the parade. On the way up to Bailey,
I thought to myself “Hey, this is a great opportunity to feel
the bike in the situations that have been troubling me and
making me nervous.” So, I concentrated on the feeling of the
bike, paying special attention those tighter downhill curves.
In addition to “feeling” the motorcycle, I also watched my
husband’s body movements and how he maneuvered it
through the mountains. On the way home, I did the same
September 2015
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