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irrational fear within a new community of men and women who
love motorcycles. The positive and accepting conversations at
most rides and events won out. Additionally, I was noticing that
the opportunity to face raw physical fear each time I got in the
saddle was helping me release a certain maternal fear that had
taken hold of my guts since giving birth. It’s a basic fear that I
think most parents feel, quietly humming beneath the surface
as they watch their helpless children navigate a sometimes peril-
ous world. The opportunity to be on a motorcycle was bringing
me back into myself and helping me get grounded as an indi-
vidual again. This was exciting and felt important.
Choosing a women’s-only course
I chose a course that was open to women only, with a cur-
riculum developed by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. Aware
that my fears were well founded, I wanted to remove as much
stress and distraction from my learning experience as possible.
My previous work experience includes 30 years as a professional
dancer/athlete and dance educator. I am a perfectionist and
being in a large group was not a good idea. I also wanted the
company of other women to learn more about those of us who
are in the minority of the motorcycle world. Our subset is grow-
ing and supporting this community is important as well. I am so
glad that I chose this course.
There were five women the first night and our instructor, Mike
Adams, was obviously not a woman. What was not surprising
are Mike’s credentials: veteran police officer and motorcade
specialist. My classmates were all between the ages of 39 and
60, and our first discussions were about why we were there and
what we feared most. We all were experienced passengers, but
not all of us had piloted a two-wheeled vehicle before. Valerie,
Chandra and Melissa had actually maneuvered bikes once upon
a time, but abandoned participation while raising kids believing
the sport too dangerous. Bonnie and I had no piloting experi-
ence. The universal fear of being hit by a car is likely a conscious
fear for all motorcyclists, and it was for each of us, too. This was
expertly addressed by Mike beginning with basic awareness and
preparedness. He assured us that safety was in our hands and
that mental focus and a relaxed yet alert attitude are mandatory
first steps toward a safer ride. Mike always brought us back to
this point; the onus of safety is on the motorcyclist first. Turns
out, we were each afraid of something — the bike roaring out
from under us, falling, speeding out of control — and therefore
we were all on the same page. Mike assured us that we would
learn together and proceed slowly after each skill became
comfortable.
We worked in teams to read, review and test through the first
few chapters of the basic rider course handbook in preparation
for the real deal the next morning. FINE-C, Friction Zone, SSS,
braking, shifting, T-CLOCS, etc., all crammed into four hours. I
drove off that evening exhausted and searched for a store that
was open at 11 p.m. in order to buy a pair of cheap, lace-up
boots. Turns out, high-top sneakers won’t do. Piloting requires
decent footwear.