By Diana Rowe
Ladies, no question, 2020 rolled in like a pissed off Mama Bear. Yet what remains for women is still our passion for riding. Did you know that nearly 20 percent of motorcycle owners are women who bring the girl power to nearly 1 in 5 motorcycle owners? Hey I’m looking at you Team Gen X and Y as your age group is the fastest growing motorcycle owners, at 22 and 26 percent respectively. (Source statistics: https://www.WomenRidersNow.com/) But the super cool part is that that passion for wind therapy has not age or gender restrictions!
One of my most precious memories in gearing up and setting off with my BFFs for motorcycle riding adventures. I challenge the ladies to make 2020 the year for female riders. Call your girls and let’s get out there and ride together. If you’ve never ridden on International Female Ride Day, save the date to meet up with your girlfriends to ride on the rescheduled date of Saturday, August 22! This celebration of women motorcyclists is now in its 14th year, and it’s happening in your home town.
What IS International Female Ride Day (IFRD)?
Launched in 2007, this annual international one-day event was created for women motorcyclists by women motorcyclists and this year, it celebrates its 14th anniversary this year.
Vicki Gray, Founder of IFRD, said it best, “IFRD, created for change; to advance motorcycling for women.” All brands participate and all forms of motorcycling participate: road, track, dirt, three-wheelers, side-cars, and scooters. JUST RIDE!
All over the world, now in six continents and over 120 countries, women fire up their motorcycles for a globally synchronized ride on IFRD each year (usually) on the first Saturday in May. Due to COVID-19 concerns in 2020, the annual ride was rescheduled to Saturday, August 22. But the mantra remains the same, calling women to “JUST RIDE!”
Who celebrates and empowers this Movement?
The group behind IFRD is MOTORESS, an online community of women motorcyclist enthusiasts based in Canada. This group wanted to bring greater awareness to women and motorcycling by designating one day each year for all female motorcycle riders to get out and ride. Their grassroots efforts have paid off as IFRD has grown to be the worldwide phenomenon it is today with hundreds of thousands of women getting the message to take out their motorcycles on that one day and ride.
In addition, Polaris, the global leader in powersports, recently partnered with International Female Ride Day® (IFRD), the globally synchronized ride day celebrating women riders and their passion for powersports.
On Saturday, August 22, in communities all over the U.S. and the world, women riders are organizing their own group of riders to spend the day on their motorcycles together. Riders who don’t have a group to ride with or simply want to ride alone, just getting out on your motorcycle, scooter, or trike on that day is good enough. If you feel like sharing your day with others, take a photo and post it on social media with the hashtag #ifrd.
Tips to JUST RIDE on IFRD
Ride to work. Call your girlfriends and arrange a meet up! Ride to a local motorcycle dealership and go shopping. Take a ride in your neighborhood. Just ride into the mountains. Ride to your local motorcycle restaurant and bar for lunch. JUST RIDE!
In addition to Colorado Rider News, there are several ways to find a group in your area of you’re not aware of one yet:
Visit MOTORESS for details on events.
Check out, LIKE and follow the official Facebook page for IFRD for more info and for sharing photos.
Visit WomenRidersNow.com and their extensive list of Women’s Motorcycling Clubs and connect with one in your area.
Call your local motorcycle dealership and ask the folks if they know of any groups of women riding on that day.
To learn more about this special day and how to get involved, visit the IFRD page on Motoress.com. You’ll also find a link to buy t-shirts and other IFRD merchandise.
