DREW IRVINE
Thinking about learning to ride and coming along to Camp VC this year? Well we’ve got just the person to inspire you to get on two wheels and get involved! In the first of our Camp VC community stories where you’ll meet awesome women who have been part of what we do at Camp VC and VC from the start, meet the awesome Cassie Bennitt!
After first learning to ride 5 years ago with our VC beginner sessions in East London, Cassie can now be found razzing round London on one of the raddest custom Harley Davidson sportsters we’ve seen and road tripping all over the world (including her annual pilgrimage to Camp VC) with her own band of buds. We chatted to Cassie about her life with motorcycles, her journey into riding and her experiences over the years coming along to Camp VC. Check it out :)
Don’t forget tickets for Camp VC 2020 go on sale 2nd May @ 10am over at www.campvc.co.uk!!!
See you there!
Charlie McKay
Where are you from?
East London via the Shires of Cornwall.
How long have you been riding and what made you first start?
I started riding in 2015 and there’s two reasons I started …
1) When I first moved to London I brought my 1960s classic car with me. I realised quite quickly that I couldn’t keep a car up here without a garage so I sold her. I missed having an old classic and realised motorbikes were the solution!
2) I wanted to ride with my Dad before he hung up his leathers for good.
What is your first memory of motorcycling?
My family are big petrol heads and my Dad has ridden bikes since he was 16. I grew up around motorcycles and have always loved being around them. Also I loved ‘Easy Rider’.
How did you first find out about VC London?
It feels like yesterday but it was actually 2015! A friend was badgering me about doing my CBT but I kept procrastinating. Then he messaged me a link to a group of badass women (VC) that were putting on their first all-female CBT. I booked in straight away and the rest is history …
DREW IRVINE
How did you feel the first time you rode a motorcycle?
Absolutely petrified – I’d had a horrible near miss on a dodgy scooter in Cyprus when I was 17 … but I was determined to overcome the fear so I kept going.
What was your first motorcycle?
My 1982 CB100N … a little custom tracker that used to break down all the time. And still does….
What do you ride now?
I’ve still got the 100 because I couldn’t bear to part with the little sod …. And I’ve got a 1991 Harley Davidson Sportster (which is one of two built by Warrs as a replica XR750 track bike)
What’s the best moto trip you’ve ever been on?
Every Camp VC I’ve been to (of course) … and also Southwest Chopperfest last year – a vintage chopper show in stunning countryside. I rode down from London with my friends Kristen and Charlotte. We went with no idea what it would be like and it was brilliant – no frills, no egos, just booze, bikes, beer and good times.
What does Camp VC mean to you?
It probably sounds cheesy but what the hell, Camp VC is everything I love about motorbikes - meeting friends old and new, comparing bikes, stories, anecdotes …. Supporting each other. And hoping daily that I don’t break down….
What has been your best memory of Camp VC so far?
I have so many great memories from each year, it’s hard to pick just one. I think it has to be a general one - waking up in the morning to a beautiful view, riding all day with a bunch of kick ass, fabulous women and coming back and partying and comparing stories from the day’s adventures. Oh and Namin climbing in the giant fridge after we had drunk a LOT of rum in the first year. That was ace.
What are you looking forward to most about Camp VC 2020?
Hanging out with everyone!!!
