Why I ride: It's where I want to go

[totalmotorcycle]

Why I ride: It's where I want to go




The author, on her Ninja 250.


By Erica M. de Roos

"Look where you want to go."

I chant this in my helmet as I navigate the twisting mountain roads of the Colorado Rockies that have only become my home in recent years. It's a common bit of motorcycle advice, you go where your head is pointing; however, the saying can have another meaning.

We women always need to look where we want to go, then go there! Eyes wide open behind a thin visor of plastic, I can forget the protective gear, my vision expanding far beyond the handlebars until I feel like I am soaring above the pavement rather than riding it.

The muffled sound of wind has a meditative effect. My heart is racing with adrenalin, a riding high, thrill and excitement mixing with concentration and skill.

Part of me just wants to stay alive on the road, and another part of me flying well beyond all of it.