Bessie Stringfield fought for civil rights and equality by doing what she loved despite the struggles and danger that came with riding motorcycles.
Bessie Stringfield: African American Queen of the Road
The MotoLady’s Book of Women Who Ride: Motorcycle Heroes, Trailblazers & Record-Breakers
The MotoLady’s Book of Women Who Ride: Motorcycle Heroes, Trailblazers, and Record-breakers – front cover
Announcing the MotoLady’s Book of Women Who Ride!
I’m so excited to announce the project that I’ve been working on for two years… a book all about badass motorcycling women! The MotoLady website originally started out on Tumblr, featuring photographs of unique women motorcyclists (as well as art and custom bikes) from all over the world. So for me to have gotten to turn the original spirit of my website into a book means the world to me!
The MotoLady’s Book of Women Who Ride features 74 individual profiles of moto ladies who, in my opinion, have made a huge impact on the world- within the motorcycle industry and beyond. These women were firsts, fastest, fearless, and I’m honored to be able to help share their stories with the world.
Writing this book was really tough for me at times. Not just in a creative sense– wrapping my head around how to tackle such a large topic in the first place: women and motorcycles. But moreover the emotional and motivational troubles I encountered through the project. First, my Dad died. Almost the same day I signed the contracts and made everything official to write the book. And then shortly after Jessi Combs died. Having worked together on some projects, and me having a workspace inside her shop for a little over a year… I really felt the loss personally. On top of that, she was an inspiration to not only me… but men and women the world over. Then we can’t ignore the Covid-19 global pandemic, nor explosive protests across America (especially in my hometown and current place of rest, Portland)… it’s been a wild couple of years, to say the least.
There are no rainbows without rain, as they say. I’m very proud to be able to see the finished book in all its tactile glory.
The MotoLady’s Book of Women Who Ride back cover
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- The MotoLady's Book of Women Who Ride
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- The MotoLady's Book of Women Who Ride table of contents
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- The MotoLady's Book of Women Who Ride – Vicki Golden
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- The MotoLady's Book of Women Who Ride – Laia Sanz
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- The MotoLady's Book of Women Who Ride – Linda Bootherstone-Bick
The MotoLady’s Book of Women Who Ride: Motorcycle Heroes, Trailblazers & Record-Breakers
Written and curated by Alicia Mariah Elfving, founder of TheMotoLady.com and the Women’s Motorcycle Show, and arguably the most notable advocate for women in the motorcycling hobby, The MotoLady’s Book of Women Who Ride subverts all the tired women-and-motorcycle tropes, offering the true stories of the women past and present who ride and wrench as well as anyone, proving every bit as indispensable to maintaining and growing a positive motorcycling culture.
Historically, depictions of women in motorcycle culture tend to objectify—from the outlaw motorcycle club “biker babe” to cheesecake photography to posturing celebrities with motorcycles as props. The truth is much different. From the early days of motorcycle culture more than 100 years ago, women have played a central role in making the motorcycle a legitimate form of transportation, recreation, and motorsport.
Elfving presents more than 70 figures in the motorcycle world, from the Americas to Europe and even the Middle East and South Asia—stunt riders, racers, builders, customizers, organizers, and more. Elfving links today’s women motorcyclists with those of the past and illustrates the freedom represented by two wheels, and how motorcycles allow women to transcend cultural expectations confidently. You’ll meet riders such as:
- The late Jessi Combs, an iconic TV personality, metal fabricator, and land-speed record holder.
- Sofi Tsingos of GT-Moto, who raises money for charities by building and auctioning motorcycles.
- Safety ambassador Brittany Morrow, who found her calling after surviving a high-speed crash with no gear.
- The Van Buren sisters, who in 1916 were among the first motorcyclists to ride coast to coast and the first women to ride to the summit of Pikes Peak.
- Shayna Texter, up-and-coming American Flat Track racer who is rapidly rising in the ranks.
- Gloria Tramontin-Struck, 95-year-old motorcyclist and founding member of the Motor Maids.
- Spanish motorcycle racer Laia Sanz, ten-time trials champion and “the toughest woman in motorsport”.
- J Shia, third-generation metal worker and award-winning motorcycle builder.
- Lois Pryce, author and adventure motorcyclist known for solo travels across the middle east.
- Debbie Lawler, original motorcycle stunt rider, “The Flying Angel” who beat an Evel Knievel record.
Overwhelmingly positive, Elfving instills confidence and can-do rather than providing an echo chamber of common complaints among women in motorcycling. In addition, The MotoLady’s Book of Women Who Ride is illustrated throughout with contemporary and historical photos of the author’s subjects, comprising a beautiful as well as inspiring package.
Where to buy:
Barnes & Noble Target Walmart Books A Million Booktopia (Australia) |
Publisher: Motorbooks (May 4, 2021) Language: English Hardcover: 184 pages ISBN-10: 0760367507 ISBN-13: 978-0760367506 Item Weight: 1.74 pounds Dimensions: 9.25 x 7.5 inch UNSPSC-Code: 55101500 Book theme: History Genre: Transportation / Automotive Top Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #23,520 in Books #1 New Release in Motorcycle Pictorials #1 New Release in Motorcycle History #343 in Women’s Biographies |
The MotoLady’s Book of Women Who Ride interior pages
About the Author:
Alicia Mariah Elfving is the founder of TheMotoLady.com, the world’s leading websites for women who ride, as well as the world’s first Women’s Motorcycle Show. Those who appreciate women riders will find a massive amount of media here for daily distraction: motorcycles in art and design, motorcycle fashion and gear, and profiles of pioneering women motorcyclists are just some of the topics covered. Alicia also roams roadways far and wide looking for experiences and personalities to capture with her words and photographs. She splits her time between Portland, Oregon, and Los Angeles.
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[more: real women who ride | from Alicia Elfving]
Posted on April 5, 2021 in Blog, MotoLadies, News & Features by Alicia Mariah Elfving