We could not have asked for a better Sunday. Thank you to everyone who made it out yesterday for our first ride! Words cannot express how excited I am to have such a great group of women to ride with. I would also like to send a special shoutout to the ladies who came from Moto Ocho. 

For those who couldn't make it yesterday - you were dearly missed! Can't wait to meet up and ride with all of you again very soon! Keep an eye out for an email this week about the next event. The Cannonball Run and the British Conclave are this weekend. 

Thank you Huckleberry Roasters for hosting our first official ride! Your coffee and hospitality was wonderful. 

Here's to future rides and adventures together ladies! xoxox

Photos: A Way of Light Photography 

Hello ladies!

In order for everyone to be comfortable riding in a group with those they know or have just met, I'd like to cover the basic rules of riding in a group. Even if you've ridden in many group rides before, please take a moment to refresh your memory. 

Each of us have different machines, different top speeds, different comfort zones and different habits that make riding in a group interesting to say the least! 

We all want to have a kick ass time and don't want anyone to find themselves stuck on the side of the road. Bill Bryant from Biltwell wrote an article on Chop Cult about the rules of riding in a pack. One of my favorite groups, Babes Ride Out, also included this same list on their site. 

I look forward to our future rides together and if you think of any additional tips or ideas please COMMENT below! 

1. Decide before you ride.
Are you a good enough rider to hang with the guys in this group? Be honest and ask yourself if you and your machine can keep up. If you have to think about it very long, have the decency to ride near the back. Know the route so if it gets hairy you can split off at the first opportunity and go at your own pace. This is just as important of a decision if you are a faster rider. Generally groups go a little slower. If this is going to make you antsy or keep you hunting gears, you may want to go off the front and get lost on your own. If you are determined to stay with the pack, simmer down, take you place in the group and hold your line. There will be NO PASSING.

2. You are not an outlaw, so quit pretending.
Maybe you are, but in a group of unknowns, you have no idea who you are next to or who’s coming up behind you. Just because clubs ride two-up and haul ass for hundreds of miles with only a few feet doesn’t mean you can.

3. Hold your line.
Get in your slot, get an acceptable interval between you and the next rider and keep the pace. Nothing balls up momentum and throws everyone off like some jackass in the middle who keeps running up on the next guy and backing off. Adjust this interval to suit the riding environment. On the freeway I always tighten it up so that nerd in the Prius doesn’t cut into the pack. On mountain twisties, give yourself enough room to recover if the guy in front of you runs out of talent. The last thing you want to do is wad up the whole pack because you were following too close for no good reason.

4. What to do if the bike quits?
Well, there are a few choices here depending on the situation. The first priority should be safety, yours and the other riders of course. Signal that you are pulling off so the guys behind you know what’s up. If you are riding with some buddies in the pack, hopefully they’ll pull over. Wave everyone else by to keep the pack moving and then signal some of the slower riders in the back to swing over and lend a hand if need be. Hopefully you can fix whatever it is yourself, but if you need gas or someone else’s expertise, be as selective as you can and don’t hold up 100 riders just because you forgot how to switch to reserve. Bottom line, keep your shit tight so you aren’t “that guy” in the group.

5. Be kind, be courteous, open that door for your mom.
Sorry, couldn’t help but throw in that old Circle Jerks lyric. Anyway, think about the others in the group before yourself. Pass on signals and don’t hesitate to motion that you are slowing down. Choppers have notoriously small and ineffective brake lights, so a little arm flapping might help the dude behind you stay that way. Getting a little chilly or jonesing for a smoke? Just wait ’til the next stop and avoid pulling over in the middle of the run and causing a break in continuity. Realize that even though you have big ol’ brakes on your evo Sporty, the dude on the 70 year old bike behind you can’t stop nearly as fast, so don’t jam on your binders, give him some notice and he will be a lot happier.”

-Bill Bryant