Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/40669
liveIn the Moment with The Greasy Gears Kick up your bike stand (and your heels) with a local dancing bike troupe It's quite the sight: A pack of 13 women outfi tted in turquoise and black, glittering from head to toe on bejeweled bikes, laughing and singing as they roll on by. But when the colorful group comes to a stop, cranks up tunes from a boom box and sud- denly transforms an ordinary street into a stage? Well, that's when it becomes offi cial that this is nothing you've ever seen before. Th ey're the Greasy Gears, a group of ev- eryday women who have come together to create a go-go dancing bike troupe that—as their website proudly declares—rules the universe. (It's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it, right?) Ranging in age from 17 to 60, they are Want to get your groove on with the Greasy Gears? Find out more about their open practice sessions at greasygears.org. a mix of business professionals, mothers, students and everything in between. To- gether, the bikers (and friends) have found a cheerful way to experience the summer. Practicing weekly for their choreographed dances, the troupe heads to local cycling events—from Ride the Drive and Bike the Barns to the Willy Street Parade—where they ride and dance, spreading Greasy Gear fun along the way. "Unexpected performance is sort of a joyful thing," admits Greasy Gear Genia "Diggity" Daniels. While the group's choreogra- phy is always original, the idea to form the troupe fi rst grew legs (or wheels) when current Greasy Gear member Angela "Lini" Richardson caught a performance by a similar group from Portland, Ore. Inspired, Richard- son grabbed a group of friends, a bottle of glitter and hit the streets for their fi rst "performance" in 2010. Since then, the group has blossomed, drawing women looking for the chance to have fun, get moving and experience the thrill of simply letting yourself live in the moment. But underneath the lighthearted display, the group of avid cyclists boasts a serious goal: To promote positive body im- age for women of all ages. "Th ere's kind of that secret hope that we can inspire other people to get on bikes, too," says Richardson. With all those sequins, who can resist? — Kelsey Bewick August 2011 bravamagazine.com 11 Photo by Nick Berard