What’s it like being a female rider?

As mentioned in my first post, my experiences as a female rider are very different to male riders including my significant other (SO).

There are not a lot of female motorcyclists compared to males – most rides I have been on the females are pillions. I tell them to get on the front it’s so much more fun. If you are a single lady, get into riding because the male to female ration is 20:1. I like them odds.

When I did my RE licence in July 2017, the instructor said there are only around 5% women which sounds about what I see at gatherings as well.

People are super impressed when they find out I ride. Not so much that my SO does even though he taught me to ride after riding since he was a teenager. I often kick myself it took me so long to learn!

Gear is especially pitiful … pink, purple or white appear to be our only options besides black. Don’t get me started on butterfly and frangipani designs either. Most women I meet who ride are cool as fuck, way beyond the realm of pink and purple butterflies anyway.

One of my funniest moments, sitting at the lights in the city for a pedestrian crossing. Young chap is gawking at me as he crosses and when he almost gets to the other side says “Are you a girl?” … “Nah I’m a woman” … calls me a fucken smart arse and continues on his way. If I recorded my voice while riding, it would be full of sniggering and prolific swearing 😬

It’s great to be a woman who rides however I have left most of the female riding groups on FB that I joined – one meet up I went to as a first timer with the group, no one spoke to me for 45 mins. So I went right as they all went left, headed home never so disappointed in the sisterhood as that day.

As a female rider – I know it’s says Lady Rider Brisbane but the Lady part could not be further from the truth – I’m a bit of a hoon. I prefer riding with males because I want to play and watch silly buggers. I want to participate in technical talk about bikes and riding. I want to learn how to do stupid shit. Can’t wheelie to save myself. Have had the front wheel up a couple times by accident … best four inches of my life (sorry lover!).

I might have whacked a mirror one time where an imbecile driver was up my ass not in the good way, if there is a good way, ahem. I changed lanes to let him pass and he yelled out “stupid little bitch” so I blasted past and smacked his passenger mirror back before filtering away quickly.

My filtering skills are sweet as hell. I’m really only good at one thing and this is it. A male co-worker who also rides said he saw me one morning going to work. I thought he meant went past me while filtering and I secretly thought “not fucking likely mate” lol. My bad, he meant I zipped past him in heavy traffic … I didn’t even register him so probably not going 30kms/hr as I should have been. When I see the sign Queues Ahead my sphincter does a little dance, my favourite thing about riding so far is filtering.

Male riders on super sport bikes throw down the challenge to me at the lights as if a poxy LAMS bike is gonna blow their arses away on any given day 🙄🙄🙄. I don’t usually lose at the lights anyway as my launch is supreme even on Lil Boop I do alright for myself. If you’re winning the first 10-15 metres the rest is irrelevant. That’s what I tell myself anyway.

Commented about it on social media. To which I got slagged off left, right and centre by the typical chauvinistic, misogynist pigs that abound how I ‘have tickets on myself’ or ‘stick to KFC’ fat comment. LOL just in case I hadn’t seen myself in a mirror lately or thought as a woman / fat woman I had a right to speak. Nawww the poor little woman, go make us a sandwich will ya.

Blue = males, red = females, green = my cheeky mouth that will surely have me beaten up one day.

Starts off ok with supportive comments
Kinda my point … he made it about me fkn lol
I know SOMEONE that should eat a Snickers.
It’s spelt WHINGING motherfucker
Focus on my own shit after his rant LOL
Twas not him haha – found out who later on

What if it rains?

I get asked this so many times as I commute to the Valley for work Mon-Fri, even when it’s pissing down.

I have a Dri Rider rain jacket that is fairly long but not rain pants (yet) so tend to wear some track pants with work pants in my backpack to change into when I arrive.

Ideally I’d have proper riding pants or Kevlar jeans / tights however due to my size and budget I don’t. All the protective and/or rain pants where the waist fits are for 7’6″ tall folk and female sizes do not even go up one thigh.

I have a $10 USB desk fan at work that I dry my gloves on (Ricondi leather ones that I adooooore) while I work, seems to be fine for this purpose and means I’m dry as I head off home. I wear a mid season glove all year around because I only want one pair for summer and winter. This can be rather cool in midwinter so have a pair of white cotton gloves from Kmart for $4 if it’s what I call freezingly freezing.

Ricondi gloves – $49 on special normally around $80-$90

There have been days where I turn up at work damp in places I shouldn’t be damp during work time – worst case was soggy pants until 11.30am when I forgot to take spares lol. In most cases though I would rather ride in the rain than take public transport or the car!

It’s important to get a decent rain jacket. I was told all rain jackets leak no matter what brand. Untrue. Everything that is covered by my jacket is bone dry when I arrive. I’ve never tried other jackets so can’t give an opinion if this is the norm but certainly in my case I couldn’t be happier with my purchase that was $40 instore and have seen loads more around that price since.

Where’d you go this weekend?

Saturday: ummm nowhere

Sunday: Father’s Day ride with my significant other out to Lake Moogerah. Gorgeous. Unfortunately Mt French was closed due to fire danger so couldn’t suss out the lookout up there

Route: starting Forest Lake, Ipswich Mway, turned off onto Cunningham Hway. Exited Cunningham Hway at the Boonah exit. Headed to Boonah Info Centre (perfect spot for info, toilets, cold drink and BYO food if you packed any). Super helpful service here ☺️. Carried on to Lake Moogerah Rd turnoff that is well sign posted.

Followed that to the carpark approx 10kms of gentle corners – ok to ignore the posted speed limits. Beautiful view of the lake and across to the mountains. Also the Moogerah Dam you can walk across … info guide says there is a walking trail back there somewhere but I’m too lazy #NotForMeThanks

Returned home via Cunningham Hway through Willowbank and joining up to Ipswich Mway again to get home.

Quite a chill ride, plenty of places to lose your licence on the long boring bits haha. I note we didn’t get a lot of nods, mostly cruisers or Harley’s out and about. Moderate traffic and nothing too worrying. Didn’t see a single copper and was at times not doing the speed limit. Don’t bother lecturing me, I won’t listen.

Panoramic shot looking across the lake

Total time: 2 hours return riding + 15 mins at the Lake itself taking photos of the bikes.

Probably a lot better places to take photos but short of time. I will return at a later date for a more intensive search!

Bikes with Moogerah Dam behind

Where do I start?

Thanks for joining me!

Today is Day 1 for me as a blogger.  I can’t promise it will always be interesting but it’s here as a reference for those in the Brisbane area and for me to look back on my journey as a motorcyclist.

As a female rider my perspective and experiences are dissimilar to my male counterparts.  They should not be.  However they are and I have been called on many times on social media for saying so.  By men.  Who have no idea what I’m even talking about.

I have been riding for 18 months.  My first bike is a CBR500RA and I don’t plan to upgrade until I can afford my dream bike and have my Open R licence in hand.  Or I crash it to write off stage.  I’m in several FB motorcycle groups although not particularly active in attending group rides or commenting, not sure it’s my thing I just like the heads up on police checkpoints.

Things you will find in this blog:
Gear – reviews and things on my wishlist

Rides – in and around Brisbane (typically day trips so nothing too far out)

Bikes – pictures of my bike, my bike wishlist and other bikes I see and take pictures of at random.  Moist lol.

Excerpts of chats with other riders – if you’re not keen to have a yarn at any given time with any riders you meet in your travels … you’re doing it wrong

Media – bike related articles, posts, YouTube video’s etc.  I am not the source of truth, I only provide the links to stuff I found on the interweb.  Make up your own mind on whether it interests or applies to you.

Opinions – all mine.  Go make your own blog if you wanna rant on about stuff.

Results – not even sure what results I’m thinking off since I generally only watch MotoGP racing and on occasion the Red Bull Hare Scramble

Cop stuff – campaigns,  statistics and legal bits in pieces like unfair pullovers / fines (don’t know where to find these yet, will do some research haha).  I won’t know everything that is happening at all times but meh see how I go.