NEWS , NOTES , AND NATTERINGS FROM THE AMERICAN V-TWIN WORLD

Words by Joy Burgess Photos courtesy of Women Riders World Relay

Created by Hayley Bell ( see page 32 ), the Women Riders World Relay got its start in just a few moments of thought . Bell wanted a chance to ride and share her passion for bikes with other women . “ What about having a world relay ,” Hayley thought . It would be something to show the rest of the world how many women riders are out there while building an international community of women who loved to ride .

Just a month after its creation , Bell had over 10,000 members from countries around the world . The goal – for women riders to circumnavigate the globe on two wheels , passing on the baton Olympic-style to one another along the way . Some women rode for several hours , others rode for days and several took to their bikes for months , forging new bonds and breaking barriers as the GPS-outfitted , wooden baton was passed from woman to woman .

Starting on February 26 , 2019 , Bell took off on the first part of her trip , heading towards Scotland . And by the time the Relay wrapped up a year later in February 2020 at The Bike Shed in London , these women had logged over 63,000 miles on six continents .

Women riders of Bangladesh hold the sacred ‘ baton ’ that circumvented the globe ( above ). Women Riders World Relay ladies from around the globe gather in London ( below ).

Indian Motorcycle jumped in to sponsor the United States portion of the Relay , offering bikes to lead riders and having meals available at Indian dealerships along the way . “ Indian Motorcycle was key to the success of it ,” Bell said . “ We wanted to work with companies that are in line with our visions and what we believe in . Indian is exactly that .”

It ’ s not just incredible that thousands of women came together to share a love for two wheels while logging miles across the world – it ’ s the individual stories that came out of the Relay that are extraordinary . “ The Relay really resounded with a lot of women ,” Bell told us , “ and they all have their own individual stories . It was awe-inspiring hearing about all these women , their histories , backgrounds and challenges , and then throwing them into a mix . Different backgrounds , religions and situations built an eclectic community that would normally run a risk of arguments or disrespect , but there was none of that . We were glued together by this common course , and everything was set aside – politics , religions , war .”

12 | MAY 2020 | THUNDERPRESS . NET