BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2022
Page 28
While written by a woman about women, this book is not just for women. Men may take away inspiration and learn a thing or two as well. In addition, while motorcycles are the catalyst for the stories, you can substitute any form of transportation or activity as the lessons are meant to develop your passion, skills and experiences to build a better you. Available on Amazon
GET STARTED RIDING MOTORCYCLES: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR WOMEN BY ALISA CLICKENGER Self-description: Alisa Clickenger began riding in 1995 after having a dream where she was saved by riding a motorcycle. She woke up determined to make that dream a reality and has passionately pursued it ever since. Through motorcycling, Alisa found self-confidence, her life partner, and purpose in life. Getting Started Riding Motorcycles will walk you through the steps, from the initial thought you may like to learn to ride, how to go about it the right way, pros (not many) and cons (a ton) to the right motorcycle, gear and further on down the road: a week, a month, a year and longer. Chapters range from ‘grocery store to long-distance travel’ to ‘three-wheel training’ to ‘organized motorcycle tours’ and ‘bike mechanics 101’. Interspersed in the chapters are question/answer segments from women riders from one to fifty years of experience and adventures and all walks of life. They tell why they ride, what inspired them and some of the most important lessons learned through motorcycles. Not specific to women, the freedom and exhilaration achieved from riding motorcycles is a common theme. And, also not specific to women, the confidence gained as the experience level rises directly relates to the confidence one acquires in all forms of their lives. Alisa has been riding for over 25 years, all over the planet on her own. She developed Women’s Motorcycle Tours which operates tour and events worldwide as well as producing the Women’s Motorcycle Conferences. Her experiences and knowledge, as well as all the women who appear in this book, will help anyone looking to get into the wonderful world of motorcycling or develop their already existing passion and bring it to new levels. It is a perfect companion book to ‘Boost your Confidence through Motorcycling’ her first book. Both available on Amazon.
AEROSTICH COUSIN JEREMY TWO-PIECE WOMEN’S SUIT Almost from the beginning of my riding career, once I determined what that career would be, I’ve been swathed in Duluth-based Aerostich gear: first a one-piece Roadcrafter Red that I wore until it turned a lighter shade of pink, then on to several variations of twopiece Roadcrafters, the last one being my iconic ‘Ikea’ blue and yellow, which still hangs in the garage and is totally good to go. About a year ago I took possession of a two-piece Cousin Jeremy suit. I can only surmise that this was after one of Andy’s cousins. I have only met one of his aunts and I didn’t ask about any children. Anyway, Cousin Jeremy is based on the same cut as the Roadcrafter Classic, a suit that has been around since 1983 and been tested by many thousands of riders, me included. Replacing the synthetic construction is 10-ounce waxed cotton, imported from the UK. Waxed cotton was the weapon of choice if leather was too dear and certainly put to the water test by those blokes and birds over the pond. Admitting that waxed cotton does not have the same crash resistance as synthetic, Aerostich does say it will stand up much better than you’d think. I have not put this suit to the Shira test, and certainly hope not to, but feel confident that the doubled fabric in the seat, knees, elbows and shoulders will do the job should things go awry. As with most other Aerostich gear, the padding is on the thick side and perhaps this also compensates for the lowered crash resistance. Armor at the elbow, knees and shoul-
