| XXXX |
| XXX |
| XXX |
| XXX |
| XXX |
a Waco, Texas, woman named Della Crewe. On June 24, 1915, she set out to see
America by motorcycle, after rejecting both the train and steamship as being not only
too expensive but also uninteresting. With only 10 days of riding experience on her
1914 Harley-Davidson V-twin, she filled her sidecar with 125 pounds of baggage,
including her dog, appropriately named Trouble, and began her tour. Despite warnings
from friends that she would get held up by hobos or kill herself in an accident, she
wanted the freedom and mobility offered only by a motorcycle.
Her first destination was the July 3 motorcycle races in Dodge City, Kansas. With
today's modern roads it would be a one ortwo-day trip but things were different in
1915. An extremely wet winter and spring made roads across Texas and Oklahoma
badly rutted mires of mud and sand. And if that weren't enough, there was the added
danger of hidden stumps, logs and rocks in the so-called roads. All those miles of sand
beds and rugged hills took their toll on both the rider and the motorcycle.
Despite a collision with a stump which knocked her sidecar out of line, Della made it to
the paved streets of Oklahoma City without a major mishap. The 75 miles of macadam
in the city were a welcome relief to Della, but upon entering Kansas, heavy rains made
the roads such a quagmire she had to install tire chains. Finally, even chains couldn't
America by motorcycle, after rejecting both the train and steamship as being not only
too expensive but also uninteresting. With only 10 days of riding experience on her
1914 Harley-Davidson V-twin, she filled her sidecar with 125 pounds of baggage,
including her dog, appropriately named Trouble, and began her tour. Despite warnings
from friends that she would get held up by hobos or kill herself in an accident, she
wanted the freedom and mobility offered only by a motorcycle.
Her first destination was the July 3 motorcycle races in Dodge City, Kansas. With
today's modern roads it would be a one ortwo-day trip but things were different in
1915. An extremely wet winter and spring made roads across Texas and Oklahoma
badly rutted mires of mud and sand. And if that weren't enough, there was the added
danger of hidden stumps, logs and rocks in the so-called roads. All those miles of sand
beds and rugged hills took their toll on both the rider and the motorcycle.
Despite a collision with a stump which knocked her sidecar out of line, Della made it to
the paved streets of Oklahoma City without a major mishap. The 75 miles of macadam
in the city were a welcome relief to Della, but upon entering Kansas, heavy rains made
the roads such a quagmire she had to install tire chains. Finally, even chains couldn't
| XXX |
| XXX |
In the first few decades of the Twentieth
Century, the roads made motorcycle touring
a rugged sport. Before concrete interstates
and blacktop secondary roads, most roads
were dirt or gravel trails. Venturing far
outside the city required a flair for adventure,
a lot of stamina and a rugged machine. The
fact that men ventured forth under those
conditions was unquestioned, but for the
women to do the same caused a great deal of
attention, because of their presumably
passive role.
Even among these exceptional female
motorcycle pioneers, some stood out... like
Century, the roads made motorcycle touring
a rugged sport. Before concrete interstates
and blacktop secondary roads, most roads
were dirt or gravel trails. Venturing far
outside the city required a flair for adventure,
a lot of stamina and a rugged machine. The
fact that men ventured forth under those
conditions was unquestioned, but for the
women to do the same caused a great deal of
attention, because of their presumably
passive role.
Even among these exceptional female
motorcycle pioneers, some stood out... like
| XXX |
| XXX |
| XXX |
 |  |  |  |
| If you have a picture you'd like us to feature a picture in a future quiz, please email it to us at CFitzp@aol.com. If we use it, you will receive a free analysis of your picture. You will also receive a free Forensic Genealogy CD or a 10% discount towards the purchase of the Forensic Genealogy book. |
 |  |  |  |
| If you enjoy our quizzes, don't forget to order our books! Click here. |
!-- Start Quantcast tag -->
| Enter Contest |
| Quiz #405 - August 4, 2013 |
| ********** |
|
| Submitted by long time Quizmaster Collier Smith |
| TinEye Alert You can find this photo on TinEye.com, but the quiz will be a lot more fun if you solve the puzzle on your own. |
|
| ********** |
| Congratulations to Our Winners! Grace Hertz and Mary Turner - Team Fletcher Aces Another One! Elaine C. Hebert Elizabeth Olsen Karen Petrus Carol Stansell Joyce Veness Daniel Jolley Debie Disser Judy Pfaff Dennis Brann Cynthia Costigan Sawan Patel Janice M. Sellers Arthur Hartwell Gus Marsh Carol Farrant Rebecca Bare Ike Lorentz Sally Garrison Marcelle Comeau Margaret Paxton Kelly Fetherlin Steven Jolley Tynan Peterson Kitty Huddleston Joshua Kreitzer Daniel Jolley Tom Collins Jim Kiser Tish Olshefski Robert E. and Donald McKenna Quiz Poets Laureate |
| I ride approximately 3,000-4,000 miles annually on my motorcycles. I’m restricted to a short motorcycle season and own a small business which keeps to mileage down for me. I have owned 37 motorcycles so far. I’m down to four |
|
| Easter Walters on a 1920’s Harley Davidson motorcycle with sidecar. Easter was an actress and motorcycle enthusiast. themotolady.com/post/... |
| at this time. I worked at a BSA shop in the Monterey, Calif. area in the 1960’s when I was in high school. I have always been pleasantly impressed by the adventures of early motorcyclists due to mechanical abilities of the machines and road conditions. The women motorcyclists are at the front of the line in my way of thinking as they did not always get the credit and respect they deserved in their period of time. Della has been one of my favorites as she was an adventure motorcyclist early on. A few other things about Della that I can relate to. She was from Waco, Texas where I have relatives on my mother’s side. One of my relatives is named Della. My grandfather rode motorcycles near the Waco area in the 1920’s-30’s. Della also traveled to Alaska in one of her none motorcycle adventures. I just could not pass up the quiz. Another early group of motorcycle riders who have my upmost respect are the board track racers. No other motorcycle competition group took such risks. I attached a photo of my Triumph and Motoguzzi. Ike Lorzentz |
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| How Tom Solved the Puzzle |
| This search was a little more difficult. I first Googled "woman dog sidecar motorcycle", and chase images. This didn't find the quiz picture right away. When I added "postcard"; this finally got me to this link. motorcycle-74.blogspot.com/2011/07/della-crewe-from-texas-to-new-york-1915.html and I found her name. Tom Collins |
| Della Crewes |
| Book Review – Grace and Grit Blog of the American Studies Journal amsjournal.wordpress.com/2013/02/05/book-review-grace-and-grit/ |
| Motorcycle Dispatches from Early Twentieth Century Women Adventurers. By William M. Murphy. Traverse City, Michigan: Arbutus Press, 2012. This book rewards faith in impressive accomplishments from seemingly unlikely sources. It is after all a short book by a regional press but has national implications in a growing field. Murphy gives almost a third of his book to an introductory context for the women motorcyclists’ part in rapidly changing America’s pace and prospects between |
| 1890 and its entry into World War One. Murphy’s literary capacity in these pages would work to especially good effect in introductory courses on America’s car culture. In chapter three, for example, he does not merely describe the inadequacies of America’s roads for long-distance automotive travel before the accumulation of successive legislative acts in a federal highway system by the mid- 1920s but explains the political culture that resisted a system and the absence of pubic knowledge beyond a few miles from any particular point on the existing dirt roads to create a paved highway from them for distant automobilists passing through. His brief history of the gasoline station to understand the challenges overcome in enabling a rationalized system to serve travelers typifies his incorporation of the mundane to make the big development understandable. Murphy’s chapter stands in marked contrast with the conventional litany of the politicians and administrators formulating the legislative framework of the federal highway system. A rare outline of Americans’ gradual adoption of the motorcycle–the number declined between the late 1910s and the 1940s–and the social mores that but few women dared put aside to drive motorcycles give the fourth and fifth chapters before launching into the adventures of the women motorcyclists chronicled at length. Della Crewe, a young world traveler even before her acquaintance with a motorcycle, started in Waco, Texas in June 1914, partnered with Rachel Foster in Wisconsin through Pennsylvania, went to New York City and the Caribbean, and returned after a year. She would have gone around the globe except for the world war. All of this Murphy traced not through the ease of reference to a journal but diligently compiled from one oil company’s and numerous newspaper articles. In 1915, Effie Hotchkiss (an Upstate New Yorker by birth) and her mother motorcycled back and forth across the United States, an adventure for which Murphy was able to rely on Effie’s journal and a newspaper article she wrote. Seven photographs from the family album highlight the account. The Van Buren’s family album provide the documentation. Information Murphy acquired for the last four women’s later lives enabled him to summarize them as models of intellect and perseverance. In-text notes, maps, numerous photographs (Murphy made in his own journey after his subjects), a list of references, and a timeline of “Noteworthy Events: 1885-1925” complement the book. The Turnerian grounding of Murphy’s epilogue that the female motorcyclists at the center of his book reaffirmed that frontiers made for America’s strength, albeit in this case reformulating definitions of gender as well as overcoming a tough landscape: these may stir doubt. That too, nonetheless, can broaden learning as an outcome of engaging lively discussions, making this book a rewarding read. Unquestionably it adds motorcycling that is largely absent in the growing scholarship about automobility and obviously woman motorcyclists. |
provide enough traction and with Trouble in
the sidecar, Della struck out through four
miles of Kansas wheatfields before finding a
usable road. She made it to Dodge City in
time for the race, one of the premier
motorcycle events of the time.
Deciding to head to New York and see the
country along the way, the pair headed north
through the beautiful scenery of Missouri.
With good weather and fine roads, they made
good time as they raced up one hill and down
another. After a 15-cent ferry ride across the
Mississippi River, they were into Illinois and
more hills. The trip to Chicago and then to
the Harley-Davidson factory in Milwaukee
was comparatively quick and uneventful.
After leaving Milwaukee, they headed south
the sidecar, Della struck out through four
miles of Kansas wheatfields before finding a
usable road. She made it to Dodge City in
time for the race, one of the premier
motorcycle events of the time.
Deciding to head to New York and see the
country along the way, the pair headed north
through the beautiful scenery of Missouri.
With good weather and fine roads, they made
good time as they raced up one hill and down
another. After a 15-cent ferry ride across the
Mississippi River, they were into Illinois and
more hills. The trip to Chicago and then to
the Harley-Davidson factory in Milwaukee
was comparatively quick and uneventful.
After leaving Milwaukee, they headed south
through Chicago and into Indiana where authorities stopped her twice because of the
dog. There was a quarantine in Indiana because of hoof and mouth disease and Della
had to promise that her dog wouldn't leave the sidecar before they could proceed.
Nevertheless, upon arriving in Goshen, Indiana, they were invited to participate in a
local parade giving them the opportunity to see the city.
Having spent the summer and fall months heading north and then east, the travelers ran
into cold November weather in Ohio, an indication of what was ahead for the rest of
the trip. Bitter cold forced a three-day layover in Toledo and the ride around the
southern edge of Lake Erie turned into a snowy one as they approached Cleveland.
traveling northeast up the coast towards Painesville, Ohio, the drifting snow sent the
motorcycle into ditches several times. Eventually they were forced to seek shelter at a
farm house. the farmer refused her request at first, with the excuse that she didn't
belong on the road in that kind of severe weather. Fortunately, the farmer's wife was
the boss of the house and Della soon found herself drying her clothes before a warm
fire.
On Thanksgiving Day, Della and her canine partner were back on the road again.
Thawing snow made the roads so bad that it took them two hours to travel 2 1/2 miles
to the nearest town. Several times she needed the help of the local farm boys to free the
motorcycle and get it rolling again. When a number of solo motorcyclists were forced
dog. There was a quarantine in Indiana because of hoof and mouth disease and Della
had to promise that her dog wouldn't leave the sidecar before they could proceed.
Nevertheless, upon arriving in Goshen, Indiana, they were invited to participate in a
local parade giving them the opportunity to see the city.
Having spent the summer and fall months heading north and then east, the travelers ran
into cold November weather in Ohio, an indication of what was ahead for the rest of
the trip. Bitter cold forced a three-day layover in Toledo and the ride around the
southern edge of Lake Erie turned into a snowy one as they approached Cleveland.
traveling northeast up the coast towards Painesville, Ohio, the drifting snow sent the
motorcycle into ditches several times. Eventually they were forced to seek shelter at a
farm house. the farmer refused her request at first, with the excuse that she didn't
belong on the road in that kind of severe weather. Fortunately, the farmer's wife was
the boss of the house and Della soon found herself drying her clothes before a warm
fire.
On Thanksgiving Day, Della and her canine partner were back on the road again.
Thawing snow made the roads so bad that it took them two hours to travel 2 1/2 miles
to the nearest town. Several times she needed the help of the local farm boys to free the
motorcycle and get it rolling again. When a number of solo motorcyclists were forced
THEY'VE heard it before from mothers,
friends, brothers and opinionated others:
''Proper ladies don't ride on the backs of
motorcycles.''
''But no one ever said anything about
riding on the front,'' said Courtney
Caldwell, an accountant, the mother of
two teen-agers and the proud owner of a
550-pound, 700-cc street cruiser.
''That's right,'' said Jeanne Mare Werle,
a 30-year-old freelance writer who has
traveled more than 100,000 miles on
friends, brothers and opinionated others:
''Proper ladies don't ride on the backs of
motorcycles.''
''But no one ever said anything about
riding on the front,'' said Courtney
Caldwell, an accountant, the mother of
two teen-agers and the proud owner of a
550-pound, 700-cc street cruiser.
''That's right,'' said Jeanne Mare Werle,
a 30-year-old freelance writer who has
traveled more than 100,000 miles on
| Avis and Effie Hotchkiss, mother and daughter from Brooklyn, New York, were pioneering motorcyclists. In 1915, they completed a 9,000-mile (14,000 km) round trip ride from New York to San Francisco and back on a Harley-Davidson |
| motorcycle-sidecar combination. In so doing they became the first transcontinental female motorcyclists. |
to lay over and wait for
better conditions, Della was
thankful that the stability of
the sidecard allowed her to
continue.
Crossing the corner of
Pennsylvania, the pair
entered New York State.
Approaching Buffalo, they
had to struggle through nine
miles of sticky clay which
clung to everything and
clogged the wheels.
Physically spent, Della had to
hire a farmer and his horse
to pull them the last mile.
Thankfully, the ride across
the state was easy. However,
better conditions, Della was
thankful that the stability of
the sidecard allowed her to
continue.
Crossing the corner of
Pennsylvania, the pair
entered New York State.
Approaching Buffalo, they
had to struggle through nine
miles of sticky clay which
clung to everything and
clogged the wheels.
Physically spent, Della had to
hire a farmer and his horse
to pull them the last mile.
Thankfully, the ride across
the state was easy. However,
bitter cold and heavy snow returned to haunt them and they left Albany making the trip
to their long-sought destination of New York City a rugged two-day journey.
From Waco to Milwaukee to New York City with numerous side trips, Della and
Trouble logged 5,378 miles and their motorcycle performed flawlessly. As Della stated
after completing the journey, "I had a glorious trip. I am in perfect health and
my desire is stronger than ever to keep going."
A few days later Della Crewe, Trouble and their 1914 Harley-Davidson twin with
sidecar sailed for Jacksonville, Florida, with plans to tour the South, Cuba and South
America.
to their long-sought destination of New York City a rugged two-day journey.
From Waco to Milwaukee to New York City with numerous side trips, Della and
Trouble logged 5,378 miles and their motorcycle performed flawlessly. As Della stated
after completing the journey, "I had a glorious trip. I am in perfect health and
my desire is stronger than ever to keep going."
A few days later Della Crewe, Trouble and their 1914 Harley-Davidson twin with
sidecar sailed for Jacksonville, Florida, with plans to tour the South, Cuba and South
America.
| Do Real Women Ride Motorcycles? 440,000 Say Yes New York Times By Lena Williams Published: May 11, 1988 www.nytimes.com/1988/05/11/garden/do-real-women... |
eight motorcycles. ''Who wants to spend the rest of her life riding behind some guy on
a bike? I can drive my own very well, thank you.''
A few years ago, women like Mrs. Caldwell and Ms. Werle who longed to ride
motorcycles had to overcome any number of obstacles. The least of their stumbling
blocks was the stereotype of the ''biker chick,'' a rhinestone-studded, leather-clad
desperado. Equally challenging were those thunderous big bikes, objects of awe and
intimidation to women who feared they couldn't handle all that metal.
Add to this the danger associated with motorcycling: on a per-mile basis, cyclists are 20
times as likely to be killed as automobile drivers or passengers, according to the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Women constituted only 1 percent of motorcycle owners in 1960. But not anymore.
Data indicate that over the last decade, and particularly in the last two years, there has
been a significant increase in the number of women riding motorcycles. According to
industry executives, manufacturers and enthusiasts, roughly 1 of every 12 motorcycle
owners is a woman; that's about 440,000, or 8.3 percent, of the nation's 5.3 million
motorcycle owners.
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation in Costa Mesa, Calif., which offers training courses
at more than 700 sites nationwide, reports that 36 percent of its students are women,
and several states, including Maryland and Illinois, now offer women-only courses in
motorcycle safety. The classes teach the basic skills of straight-line riding, turning,
shifting gears and stopping, as well as safety strategies: how to ride so that other
drivers can see the cyclist and how to avoid being run off the road. About 35 percent
of the women enrolled in these courses purchase motorcycles upon graduation,
according to instructors.
a bike? I can drive my own very well, thank you.''
A few years ago, women like Mrs. Caldwell and Ms. Werle who longed to ride
motorcycles had to overcome any number of obstacles. The least of their stumbling
blocks was the stereotype of the ''biker chick,'' a rhinestone-studded, leather-clad
desperado. Equally challenging were those thunderous big bikes, objects of awe and
intimidation to women who feared they couldn't handle all that metal.
Add to this the danger associated with motorcycling: on a per-mile basis, cyclists are 20
times as likely to be killed as automobile drivers or passengers, according to the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Women constituted only 1 percent of motorcycle owners in 1960. But not anymore.
Data indicate that over the last decade, and particularly in the last two years, there has
been a significant increase in the number of women riding motorcycles. According to
industry executives, manufacturers and enthusiasts, roughly 1 of every 12 motorcycle
owners is a woman; that's about 440,000, or 8.3 percent, of the nation's 5.3 million
motorcycle owners.
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation in Costa Mesa, Calif., which offers training courses
at more than 700 sites nationwide, reports that 36 percent of its students are women,
and several states, including Maryland and Illinois, now offer women-only courses in
motorcycle safety. The classes teach the basic skills of straight-line riding, turning,
shifting gears and stopping, as well as safety strategies: how to ride so that other
drivers can see the cyclist and how to avoid being run off the road. About 35 percent
of the women enrolled in these courses purchase motorcycles upon graduation,
according to instructors.
| Effie and Avis at the Pacific Ocean, 1915 |
| ********** |
As cycling gains in popularity among women,
organizations and clubs have formed to educate
owners and to promote safe driving habits. There are
Women on Wheels, which has chapters in several
cities; Retreads, a group for cyclists over 40 years
old, and the American Women Road Riders' Alliance.
Motorcycle-industry analysts believe that one reason
for the trend is that manufacturers, in particular the
Japanese, have developed models that appeal to
women. The cycles are lighter, easier to handle and
more comfortable, with lower seats, smaller frames,
sculptured lines and fashionable colors. Women's
cycles also tend to be less expensive than men's,
ranging from $1,000 to $4,000, as against $6,000 to
$10,000 for the heavier standard models.
| Available at www.bikerlady.com |
''Women are realizing it isn't necessary to be tough, strong or male to ride and that
motorcycles can be a safe and fun form of transportation and recreation,'' said Steve
Bransky, an instructor at the Motorcycle Safety Foundation training center in Los
Angeles. ''I teach women from all walks of life: doctors, lawyers, secretaries and
housewives, with ages ranging from the early 20's to well over 40.''
Recent sales figures show that women are buying nearly a third of several new models.
Based on 1987 model-year data, 21 percent of those who bought Kawasaki's 250 Baby
Ninja were women. Honda says that of those who bought its 250 Rebel, more than 30
percent are women. Suzuki reports that 29 percent of the buyers of its GN 250 model
are women. And Yamaha has just produced the Route 66 250, a bike designed
especially for first-time buyers.
''We've noticed a resurgence - no, it's more of an insurgence - of women into the
sport,'' said Jon Row, the sales administration manager for the motorcycle division of
the American Honda Motor Company. ''Women have always ridden, but in small
numbers. For years, the assumption was that women didn't want to ride, because it
was a male-type thing to do. But the real reasons had more to do with economics and
design.''
At the same time, motorcycle manufacturers have been careful not to patronize. ''We
don't build motorcycles that are pink, the kind of bike that says, 'Here, honey, this is for
you,' '' said Mr. Row.
Even the Harley-Davidson motorcycle, the beloved big bruiser long identified with a
motorcycles can be a safe and fun form of transportation and recreation,'' said Steve
Bransky, an instructor at the Motorcycle Safety Foundation training center in Los
Angeles. ''I teach women from all walks of life: doctors, lawyers, secretaries and
housewives, with ages ranging from the early 20's to well over 40.''
Recent sales figures show that women are buying nearly a third of several new models.
Based on 1987 model-year data, 21 percent of those who bought Kawasaki's 250 Baby
Ninja were women. Honda says that of those who bought its 250 Rebel, more than 30
percent are women. Suzuki reports that 29 percent of the buyers of its GN 250 model
are women. And Yamaha has just produced the Route 66 250, a bike designed
especially for first-time buyers.
''We've noticed a resurgence - no, it's more of an insurgence - of women into the
sport,'' said Jon Row, the sales administration manager for the motorcycle division of
the American Honda Motor Company. ''Women have always ridden, but in small
numbers. For years, the assumption was that women didn't want to ride, because it
was a male-type thing to do. But the real reasons had more to do with economics and
design.''
At the same time, motorcycle manufacturers have been careful not to patronize. ''We
don't build motorcycles that are pink, the kind of bike that says, 'Here, honey, this is for
you,' '' said Mr. Row.
Even the Harley-Davidson motorcycle, the beloved big bruiser long identified with a
macho image, has increased its sales among women.
''Traditionally, women have only accounted for about
1 percent of our purchasers,'' said Buzz Buzzelli, the
public-relations manager for Harley-Davidson Inc. ''In
1985, we introduced a new-model sportster, which is
the smallest and least expensive cycle we build, and
we found that over 8 percent of the new purchasers
were women.''
Industry executives say that women's involvement
will help soften motorcycling's rebel-rousing, Hell's
Angels image and attract new riders. Four competing
manufacturers -Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha and Suzuki
- have even joined forces to underwrite a
transcontinental ride commemorating the 1917
coast-to-coast motorcycle trek, the first for a woman,
by Adeline and Augusta Van Buren, sisters who were
descendants of President Martin Van Buren. Their
modern-day counterparts - Mrs. Caldwell, Ms. Werle,
Dr. Carol Auster Gussman and Patty Mills - left New
York City on May 2 on the first leg of their 4,000-mile
journey, which will take them through 21 cities in 18
states, ending in Los Angeles on June 2.
''By having women ride across the country, we do
more than just say riding is fun,'' said Misao Yurikusa,
the president of the Kawasaki Motors Corporation
U.S.A. ''The ride shows that everybody can enjoy
motorcycling, regardless of physical stature or sex.''
For many women, the lure of motorcycling is mobility
and freedom. ''Women are realizing that it isn't
necessary to sacrifice femininity or professionalism to
ride a motorcycle,'' said Mrs. Caldwell, the
5-foot-1-inch leader of the pack. ''Riding my own
motorcycle gives me an exhilarating feeling of
freedom and independence.''
Like many other motorcycle enthusiasts, these
women seldom dwell on the risks.
''I've had just as many scary incidents in my car,''
said Dr. Gussman, a sociology professor at Franklin
and Marshall College who is on sabbatical. Indeed,
she said her motorcycling skills have helped improve
her driving skills. ''You become more aware of your
surroundings and other motorists,'' she explained.
''And you really come to respect other cyclists.
There's a camaraderie among cyclists that you don't
find with automobile drivers.''
''Traditionally, women have only accounted for about
1 percent of our purchasers,'' said Buzz Buzzelli, the
public-relations manager for Harley-Davidson Inc. ''In
1985, we introduced a new-model sportster, which is
the smallest and least expensive cycle we build, and
we found that over 8 percent of the new purchasers
were women.''
Industry executives say that women's involvement
will help soften motorcycling's rebel-rousing, Hell's
Angels image and attract new riders. Four competing
manufacturers -Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha and Suzuki
- have even joined forces to underwrite a
transcontinental ride commemorating the 1917
coast-to-coast motorcycle trek, the first for a woman,
by Adeline and Augusta Van Buren, sisters who were
descendants of President Martin Van Buren. Their
modern-day counterparts - Mrs. Caldwell, Ms. Werle,
Dr. Carol Auster Gussman and Patty Mills - left New
York City on May 2 on the first leg of their 4,000-mile
journey, which will take them through 21 cities in 18
states, ending in Los Angeles on June 2.
''By having women ride across the country, we do
more than just say riding is fun,'' said Misao Yurikusa,
the president of the Kawasaki Motors Corporation
U.S.A. ''The ride shows that everybody can enjoy
motorcycling, regardless of physical stature or sex.''
For many women, the lure of motorcycling is mobility
and freedom. ''Women are realizing that it isn't
necessary to sacrifice femininity or professionalism to
ride a motorcycle,'' said Mrs. Caldwell, the
5-foot-1-inch leader of the pack. ''Riding my own
motorcycle gives me an exhilarating feeling of
freedom and independence.''
Like many other motorcycle enthusiasts, these
women seldom dwell on the risks.
''I've had just as many scary incidents in my car,''
said Dr. Gussman, a sociology professor at Franklin
and Marshall College who is on sabbatical. Indeed,
she said her motorcycling skills have helped improve
her driving skills. ''You become more aware of your
surroundings and other motorists,'' she explained.
''And you really come to respect other cyclists.
There's a camaraderie among cyclists that you don't
find with automobile drivers.''
| Clara Marian Wagner (1891 - 1961) was the first documented woman motorcyclist who became notable as an endurance racer and was sponsored by the Eclipse Machine Co., a bicycle company, for using its braking products. In 1907, Clara, aged 15 years old and the daughter of the Wagner Motorcycle Company (1901-1914 ) owner George Wagner from Saint Paul, Minnesota, became a member of the American Federation of Motorcyclists (FAM). Clara put the company's motorcycles on the map by achieving a perfect score in a FAM 360 mile endurance race from Chicago to Indianapolis in 1910, aged 18, but was denied the trophy because she was female.[6] She won several such events. At the time, Wagner was celebrated on a series of postcards as "The most successful and experienced lady motorcyclist" and rode the first motorcycle designed specifically for women. |
| Elspeth Beard and her ’ 74 BMW R 60/6 that she rode around the world over the course of three years. “I worked for months in a pub saving the money to buy my BMW 600. That gave me the bug for travel on a bike. It’s the best way to get around - cheap, |
| efficient and I enjoy the freedom.” –Elspeth Beard (photo of Elspeth shortly after returning home by Peter Orme) (via) She also made her BMW’s lockable top-box and panniers out of riveted aluminum sheets while living and working in Sydney during her around-the-world trek. It was a necessary stop when the funds she’d scraped together as working student ran out– she’d end up spending a total of seven months apprenticing with a firm in Sydney. Read more and more |