I started Women Only Motorcycle Training in 2016, after passing my test in 2012. Up until passing my test, I hadn’t been exposed to sexism (thanks to a modern working environment) but as soon as I had my own two wheels, it was like opening a door that let in all the cold air!
In 2015, I was lucky enough to attend the Guiness World Record ‘Largest All Female Bike Meet at the Ace Cafe in London. I felt like I was helping to make history, it was an amazing experience, but the fear and anxiety amongst women riders that day was overwhelming.
Why are we all so nervous? We’ve all passed our tests and most have been riding for a number of years. I’d been to plenty of ‘bike meets’ prior to this and I’d never heard any men talk in such a way.
On chatting to women at the event, fear of dropping their bikes when parking up was a real concern and on the way down to the event, I was back marker in a group, where the lady in front of me stopped at every single roundabout, even when it was clear! (nothing wrong with this if you’re on a CBT and not yet carrying a full licence, but this lady was a full licence holder with the words ‘You Wish You Rode Like A Girl’ printed on her hoody! Ok, so it was clearly tongue in cheek, but I felt for her, she needed help with her riding.
After the event, I discussed the day with my motorcycle trainer and mentor, Simon Hayes about the day’s events and he agreed the standard of training and riding wasn’t good enough and he suggested I do something about it…
So I began devising a training programme to specifically help women have the best possible start into Motorcycling. After lots of research, organised focus groups and input from lots of women riders, it was decided the name had to ‘do what it said on the tin’ and so Women Only Motorcycle Training was born.