Thunder Roads Magazine of Oklahoma/Arkansas September 2014 | Page 15

FEATURES

HONORED
RIDE
GUEST
By: Your Riding Writer, “T”
I often get asked a lot of
questions about riding. What to
ride, where to ride, how to ride
etc. I’ve been asked what it’s like
to ride in a motorcycle club. I have
to say that I’ve never ‘officially’
ridden in a club as a patched
member or for any accountable
distance as a guest. I’ve jumped
in on a few invitations to ride
across town, event rides or bar
hops, but never been positioned
and riding a long distance with
riders of a patched club. For
my trip to Sturgis, I was honored
to be asked to ride along with a
group of women motorcyclists
of the Women In the Wind,
Twisted Sister Chapter. My first
thought was, Of Course! But I
needed to ask a few questions
of protocol and once all were
answered, I was quick to accept
this invitation. Also, knowing that
their club chartered 8 years ago
and that the Women in The Wind
began 35 years ago in Toledo,
OH, I knew they had to have
plenty of experience with hang
arounds and new gals within
their pack.

After several emails, group
Facebook discussions and a
pre-ride meeting for mapping,
packing and guidelines, we were
all ready to go. Since I live along
the path of travel, I met up with
them in Northern Oklahoma. As
any group ride goes, we had
our assigned positions within
the pack and for all of them,
there was no big deal as they’ve
ridden in position often with
one another. Due to their skill
levels, it only took a short time
of riding amongst them, for me
to feel completely comfortable
within the pack. Sun rising over
the Oklahoma plains, we were
quickly, twisted throttle and
North bound!
First thing I learned about
Women In The Wind was that
upon arriving the first night at our
hotel in the midst of Nebraska,
soaked from 65 mph blowing
winds, I was lovingly assigned
the dubious honor of ordering
pizza for the group. I understand
it had something to do with my
low position on the seniority

pole! I gladly obliged and my
bed accordingly doubled as the
table for all of the pizzas and
sticky deserts’ buffet line! With
“initiation” over, we recalled our
first day of 500’ish miles of our
pil