Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/727617
44 nOctober 2016n www.thunderpress.net THUNDER PRESS by Helldog "Woman can, if she will." — Augusta Van Buren SPRINGFIELD, MASS., JULY 3—In September 2015, rumblings hit about a new women's cross-country motorcycle ride. It would celebrate the 1916 ride of Adeline (Addie) and Augusta (Gussie) Van Buren who were the fi rst two women to ride across America and up Pikes Peak on their 1,000cc Power Plus Indians. I was hooked and contacted the orga- nizer, Alisa Clickenger of Motorcycle Adventure Group, LLC. She worked with the Van Buren family to make the tour historically accurate, but knew that for some women, this might be their only chance to ride across America. She strayed from the origi- nal Lincoln Highway route to stop at premier motorcycle events, museums and national parks and take advantage of some of the best motorcycle roads across America. It would be three weeks fi lled with special receptions along the way. How could I resist? So, why did the Van Burens make this historic ride? At the time, women didn't have the right to vote, rarely traveled unescorted and certainly did not ride motorcycles. World War I was escalating and they wanted to make a signifi cant contribution to the war effort. The sisters were privileged, strong and smart. They knew how to ride and maintain their own motor- cycles. English women had been serving as motorcycle dispatch riders and they vol- unteered to do the same. The U.S. Army told them fl at-out "No," which encouraged them to act. It would take cour- age to change their minds so on July 4, they set off from Brooklyn, New York, and after two months of coarse roads, mud ruts, incessant rain and desert heat they arrived in San Francisco to little fan- fare. The Sisters' Centennial Motorcycle Ride seeks to undo this injustice, recogniz- ing their contributions and empower- ing the women riders of today. There were two options to ride. Option 1: Fully-Guided Ride ($5,725) included all hotel rooms, most meals, entry to all events, a chase truck and other perks. Option 2: Self-Guided Ride ($795) included hotel reserva- tions (self-pay), some meals and entry to all events. Megared and I choose the freedom of Option 2. We knew it would be fi rst class either way. We shipped our bikes and began our journey at the kickoff in Springfi eld, Massachusetts. Familiar faces from the women's motorcycle scene greeted new riders from across the country and Canada. The Self-Guided Riders evolved into the "Sisters' Rogue Riders;" this core group would anchor our cross-country journey. All the necessary paperwork signed, we began studying the ride guide with passion—routes included scenic, twisty or fastest way there. SISTERS' CENTENNIAL MOTORCYCLE RIDE Riding rogue across America A century in the making Robin fl ips for joy on making it across the Million Dollar Highway south of Ouray, Colorado Rolling into the Lincoln Highway Experience Museum in Latrobe, Pennsylvania Pikes Peak Ouray Lake Powell Zion National Park Bryce Canyon National Park Ely, NV Carson City, NV San Francisco Motorcycle Club "Van Buren family member Sofi e Ruderman spoke from the heart, 'What I would say to my great-grandmother is thank you for being so strong and tough, for standing up for what you believe in and pushing through the obstacles.'"