10 Things I Have Gained as a Biker Chick

Ladies, I can see you.

I see you watching me roll up the street on my motorcycle as you stand on street corners and sit at outdoor cafes. Your heads turn as you watch me go by and I can only imagine what you're thinking.

So many of you have approached me and asked about riding, but most of you tell me why you can't now, nor ever.

"Oh God, it must be so scary! I'd be so scared."

"I was on a motorcycle once. ONCE! I'll never do it again!"

"Is it fun?"

I'm not the "Biker Chick Recruiter", but I love to encourage women to ride. If that is your dream, if you like what you see, give it a try. You can do this! When I first started I had a very hard time. Scroll back over this blog and you'll see the progression from passenger to new rider to now. I've ridden across America twice in my first year of riding. While this may not be the norm, I'm certainly not extraordinary.

I am no more nor less special than anyone else.

Neither are you.

Here are 10 things I've gained from riding my own motorcycle:

1. My confidence level has soared. Not just my confidence in my riding, but in my life. When I walk into a room, I'm no longer intimidated by anyone, ANYONE! I feel good about myself and my accomplishments.

2. I'm taking time to smell the roses. More literally, time to listen to the Universe. I listen to the roar of the motorcycle as I ride and in that are the whispers of my soul. Miles and miles of riding clears the cobwebs in a rider's head and clears up distorted vision.

3. My physical strength is better than ever. I wasn't strong when I started riding, but I'm much, much stronger now, especially in my upper body. It's the best workout I've ever had.

4. My ass has never looked better. Truth. My entire adult life I've hated my dimples-from-behind, but they are gone now. I'm sure it has to do with the strength aspect and the muscle groups I've built from riding so much.

5. I'm sporting an epic tan. The more I ride in the warm weather, the better my tan gets. Also, I've struggled with low Vitamin D level for years, but now it's at very healthy level. Low Vitamin D leads to depression and body pain (I have Fibromyalgia, so body pain is an issue) and I'm happier than ever.

6. Dudes think I'm hot. Young men, old men, most men think a chick that rides is hot, regardless of your shape, size or hair color. A strong woman who can wield a 2-wheeled rocket is a force to be reckoned with and terribly attractive to the testosterone-laden lads.

7. People treat me with more respect. I'm not sure why. I'm assuming it has to do with the strength factor or it could be my confidence has increased. Whatever it is, it's working.

8. Motorcycling is the most independent thing I've ever done. I spent many years feeling trapped in my marriage and my surroundings. Now I feel a unbelievable amount of freedom, not just when I'm riding, but every minute of every day. The biggest rule of riding is Ride Your Own Ride. When I took that responsibility and owned my choices and decisions, a tremendous amount of independence washed over me.

9. Fear is no longer my enemy. I was terrified of a laundry list of things before riding. Heights, bridges, germs, etc. That's gone. Dealing with the challenges has helped me overcome so many unhealthy habits, but the best of them has been worrying about crap.

10. The sense of accomplishment is amazing! For the rest of my life I can say I rode across America twice in my first year of riding. For me, this was an important goal to accomplish. Now that I've done that, I'm excited about what other challenges lie ahead and I'm excited to live life! The world is open for me now, roads are created for me to ride, and nothing can ever stop me now.