By Cris Baldwin
Women On Wheels® (WOW) was founded in California in 1982 to unite the growing number of female motorcycling enthusiasts. This past week, WOW celebrated its 27th International Ride-In™ in Billings, Montana.
The Ride-In is the organization's premiere annual social gathering. The first Ride-In was held in Marion, Illinois in 1987. The event travels around the country: San Jose, California (2011); Greenville, South Carolina (2012); Billings, Montana (2013); Monroe, Louisiana (2014); Oconomowoc, Wisconsin (2015), as examples.
Photo by Janis Perfetto
Participants enjoy three days of fun and camaraderie. They can attend meetings and seminars, take guided and self-guided rides, be a tourist, and enjoy the company of friends. There is always plenty to do and no two Ride-Ins are the same!
Special activities unique to Billings included horseback rides (Bitter Creek Outfitters), an informative tour of Billings landmark destinations via trolley (Billings Trolley and Bus Company), and a Bike Night (with BBQ, bike wash, and boot shine) followed by a parade ride hosted by Beartooth Harley-Davison/Buell. Over half of the 292 attendees participated in this ride, making quite an entrance into downtown Billings.
Photo by Janis Perfetto
The guest speaker and seminar leader for the event was award winning author, Tamela Rich. Her seminars included: "Solo Travel - Dream or Nightmare?," "Over-Packed Bike? Over-Packed Life? Let's 'Lighten Up' with Mindful Minimalism," and "Live Full Throttle - Life Lessons from Motorcyclists Who Faced Cancer."
Vendors included ROAR Motorcycles, Inc., and Schuberth North America.
Women On Wheels® believes that the lifestyle of motorcycling can be shared by those who ride and those that do not. WOW is not brand specific and is a family-oriented organization that welcomes spouses/significant others and children to become involved as support members.
For more information, visit WomenOnWheels.org and our Facebook page.
Cris Baldwin is President of Women On Wheels® and has been a member since 1997. She resides in Missouri and belongs to the Heartland Chapter of WOW. She rides a Harley-Davidson Switchback and Softail Custom and can be reached at cris@womenonwheels.org.
