camera56
Well-known member
A few days ago I posted a fun interview with our very own FJRChick (one of my favorites). One thing led to another and I'm now deep into interviewing woman riders. One is new member Tyler Risk who is a founding member of dangerous curves and founder of NorthStar Moto Tours. And a single mom. And has a day job. I'm exhausted just reading her resume . You can find the Tyler's interview at midliferider. Here's a snip . . .
This isn’t a standard question . . . I’m an entrepreneur as well. Tell me about your business. What got you started? What do you love about it?
Well, I’ve been leading group rides for about 5 years now through a women’s riding group that I am a founding member of – Dangerous Curves. We started it because when I was looking for other women to ride with, most of the groups were too restrictive – brand based, sexuality based, no men allowed (I like riding with the boys – as long as they behave
, etc. I don’t care what anyone’s background, gender, faith, skin color, sexuality, or bike style is. The joy of sharing the ride is one of the things I love the best about riding – seeing those sh*t-eating grins on people’s faces when we stop along the way is the best.
About a year ago, I was leading a tour to Tahoe and one of the gals asked why I wasn’t doing this for a business. It kind of took me aback… why not, I thought. I talked with some folks very active in the industry and asked their opinion of a women’s touring company and was greeted with extremely positive responses. So I started putting it out to the universe and things just started falling into place. I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it all on my own with everything else going on in my life so I didn’t know how I would do what seemed to be a hopeless list of tasks.
Then, I met my business partner, Ben, through South Bay Riders (gotta love those internet forums!!). He was thinking about getting involved in the motorcycle industry and felt that the women’s market was an untapped and growing section. I told him my idea, he loved it, and NorthStar Moto Tours was born!
Talk a little about being a woman rider. Do you feel like you’re making a statement? How do people respond to you when they find out you ride? Do you hate questions like this?
No I don’t hate questions like this!
Making a statement? Perhaps… maybe just to do what you love no matter what others think, whether it’s riding a motorcycle or bungee jumping or basket weaving. Be strong and independent, stand up for what you believe, and live life to the fullest.
Most people are surprised at first but most of the time, the reaction is “Wow… that’s cool!” I’ve found that there isn’t such a prejudice against women in the sport. The majority of men that I ride with respect me as a rider, regardless of my gender. There are a few folks who’s first reaction is “Oh, that’s dangerous” to which I reply, life is dangerous and worth living. I’d rather go out doing something I love than dying of heart failure on my living room couch watching t.v.
I also caught up with Susan Carpenter who is a rare one indeed. She is one of the few working women motorcycle journos, and one of the even fewer people writing a column on bikes for a major metro-daily (the LATimes). You can read Susan's interview at midliferider. Here's a snip . . .
How would you describe your involvement with motorcycling now?
When I started motorcycling 16 years ago, it was purely for transportation. It’s morphed through many phases since then and is now mostly about work, which is fun but also intense and high pressured. I’m a female mainstream journalist writing about a male-dominated enthusiast-driven sport, which can be challenging.
What attracted you to motorcycling? Why do you ride?
I was looking for an economical way to get around the city of San Francisco after my bike was stolen. Once I learned how to ride and started feeling more comfortable as a motorcyclist, it became more than just a mode of transportation. It became a form of empowerment and an extension of my personality.
Do you feel like you’re making a statement as a “woman rider”?
As a woman rider, I don’t really feel like I’m making a statement. I’m just doing what I want to do. But my column has taught me that a woman on a motorcycle who is also in a position of authority is perceived in multiple ways. To some people, I’m a threat. To others, I’m a joke. To others, I’m an authority. How I’m perceived, I think, depends on how a person weights the different parts of who I am. I think it all depends on what part of me a reader chooses to value: the fact that I’m a woman, the fact that I’m a long-standing motorcyclist, or the fact that I write for one of the top daily newspapers in the country. How people respond to me and what I do? That’s all over the map. Mostly, it’s positive.
This isn’t a standard question . . . I’m an entrepreneur as well. Tell me about your business. What got you started? What do you love about it?
Well, I’ve been leading group rides for about 5 years now through a women’s riding group that I am a founding member of – Dangerous Curves. We started it because when I was looking for other women to ride with, most of the groups were too restrictive – brand based, sexuality based, no men allowed (I like riding with the boys – as long as they behave
, etc. I don’t care what anyone’s background, gender, faith, skin color, sexuality, or bike style is. The joy of sharing the ride is one of the things I love the best about riding – seeing those sh*t-eating grins on people’s faces when we stop along the way is the best.About a year ago, I was leading a tour to Tahoe and one of the gals asked why I wasn’t doing this for a business. It kind of took me aback… why not, I thought. I talked with some folks very active in the industry and asked their opinion of a women’s touring company and was greeted with extremely positive responses. So I started putting it out to the universe and things just started falling into place. I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it all on my own with everything else going on in my life so I didn’t know how I would do what seemed to be a hopeless list of tasks.
Then, I met my business partner, Ben, through South Bay Riders (gotta love those internet forums!!). He was thinking about getting involved in the motorcycle industry and felt that the women’s market was an untapped and growing section. I told him my idea, he loved it, and NorthStar Moto Tours was born!
Talk a little about being a woman rider. Do you feel like you’re making a statement? How do people respond to you when they find out you ride? Do you hate questions like this?
No I don’t hate questions like this!
Making a statement? Perhaps… maybe just to do what you love no matter what others think, whether it’s riding a motorcycle or bungee jumping or basket weaving. Be strong and independent, stand up for what you believe, and live life to the fullest.
Most people are surprised at first but most of the time, the reaction is “Wow… that’s cool!” I’ve found that there isn’t such a prejudice against women in the sport. The majority of men that I ride with respect me as a rider, regardless of my gender. There are a few folks who’s first reaction is “Oh, that’s dangerous” to which I reply, life is dangerous and worth living. I’d rather go out doing something I love than dying of heart failure on my living room couch watching t.v.
I also caught up with Susan Carpenter who is a rare one indeed. She is one of the few working women motorcycle journos, and one of the even fewer people writing a column on bikes for a major metro-daily (the LATimes). You can read Susan's interview at midliferider. Here's a snip . . .
How would you describe your involvement with motorcycling now?
When I started motorcycling 16 years ago, it was purely for transportation. It’s morphed through many phases since then and is now mostly about work, which is fun but also intense and high pressured. I’m a female mainstream journalist writing about a male-dominated enthusiast-driven sport, which can be challenging.
What attracted you to motorcycling? Why do you ride?
I was looking for an economical way to get around the city of San Francisco after my bike was stolen. Once I learned how to ride and started feeling more comfortable as a motorcyclist, it became more than just a mode of transportation. It became a form of empowerment and an extension of my personality.
Do you feel like you’re making a statement as a “woman rider”?
As a woman rider, I don’t really feel like I’m making a statement. I’m just doing what I want to do. But my column has taught me that a woman on a motorcycle who is also in a position of authority is perceived in multiple ways. To some people, I’m a threat. To others, I’m a joke. To others, I’m an authority. How I’m perceived, I think, depends on how a person weights the different parts of who I am. I think it all depends on what part of me a reader chooses to value: the fact that I’m a woman, the fact that I’m a long-standing motorcyclist, or the fact that I write for one of the top daily newspapers in the country. How people respond to me and what I do? That’s all over the map. Mostly, it’s positive.
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