IMAGE : GEORGIA SHERLOCK
Round at Rebekahs boyfriend Chris's moto workshop one day, whilst Rebecka was working on her new 125cc Honda CG build, we got to talking about the impending Babe Ride Out UK event ... " You could put your bikes in the back of a van & drive them there if you don't want to ride all that way on a 125cc" I said. "No way! I want to ride there!" said Rebecka. It's not called Babes RIDE out for nothing.... And ride out they did. A mix of 125cc (and few bigger ones too) motorcycles with riders both seasoned & literally just passed their CBTs braved the journey all the way to Wales, starting off on the morning of Friday the 5th August from The Bike Shed in east London.
They arrived tired with some sore bums but with some stories they'll remember forever & a new group of moto friends. Leader of the pack Georgia Sherlock wrote all about their adventure... Hats off to this ballsy band of nut cases!! You're our heros!
Friday 5th August, a group of brave and perhaps slightly mad motorcyclists met at The Bike Shed in Shoreditch. The sun was shining and coffee and croissants were being consumed as we prepared to embark on our ride to Wales for Babes Ride Out UK.......
When the lovely Gemma Harrison, co-founder of VC London heard we were thinking of organising a 125cc ride out to the Brecon Beacons she was all for it! She organised us a free breakfast with the wonderful people at The Bike Shed and sent us on our way; little did we know what was to come…
The ride itself took us 10 hours but what an awesome 10 hours they were. We cruised through London and almost made it to Oxford before our first stop. For many of us it was our first time out on the country roads; hearing your bike, smelling the fresh air and absorbing the scenery was a blessing and the freedom we felt was like no other. Drama struck when Katy and her pocket rocket (Honda cg125) broke down but thanks to her organisation skills and know-how following the Sailor Jerry ride last month, she had arranged for a support van with our honorary mechanics Siobhan and Von Leadfoot who saved the day.
By the time we got to Oxford it was lunchtime. The service station didn’t know what had hit them when twelve lovely ladies and their equally lovely bikes rolled in. We ate and dreamt of cold beer but we still had a long way to go! With Katy’s bike back up and running we were soon on the road again, cruising through winding lanes and enjoying the rolling hills of the Cotswolds.
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Eventually, we arrived in Cheltenham and the Welsh border felt within touching distance. Unfortunately, at this point, Rebecka and her custom built Honda ran into a few minor problems, so the decision was made to chuck it in the van. It’s important to mention that Rebecka had only been riding her bike for 3 days before the trip so massive respect goes out to her (I wouldn’t have got that far!).
Having stocked up on snacks, cigarettes and avoided the temptation of beer, we hit the road again and powered our way to the Welsh border. As the sun was setting and the breeze turning colder, the sense of achievement began to set in. A massive amount of team work was shown by all and I’d particularly like to thank Jennie who held us together from the back, picking up anyone with problems and generally supporting the group - you were ace!
Come 7pm we’d crossed the border and were climbing the Welsh hills, I think it’s fair to say we were all stunned by the landscape. It was the only part of the trip where we actually enjoyed getting stuck in traffic purely so we could appreciate the break-taking surroundings. We spent just over an hour tackling the Welsh bends, when eventually we arrived.
IMAGE : GEORGIA SHERLOCK
We were greeted by a group of some of the most awesome women I’ve met. Asides from the cold beer and relief of climbing off our bikes my overwhelming sense of respect for these ladies was very real. It takes a lot of courage and confidence to organise such an amazing event, the masterminds behind VC London are carving the way for women in a traditionally male world and bringing Babes Ride Out to the UK is just the beginning of a very long legacy.
Thank you Gemma, Mai, Namin and everyone else involved! Until next time!
Georgia x
IMAGE : GEORGIA SHERLOCK