Why I Ride: Ice Queen

    Sisters Eternal WMC, Calavera, Ice Queen

    Willamina, OR

    Senior Office Specialist

I got my road name Ice Queen from an ex because he said I was withdrawn and cold to strangers; however, this isn't true. When I’m in a new situation, I prefer to be a wallflower and assess the folks and the conditions in the room. I decided to stick with Ice Queen because it’s more fitting for me because it reminds me of lessons I’ve learned and to keep assessing before I interact.

I started at the age of six riding off road dirt bikes; our family would travel, take our dirt bikes, and just have a blast. At the age of 15 I rode the back roads of willamina until I had kids; when they got old enough, I would take them off road with me. Now they're all moved out. It's been 6 years, and I’ve been able to be on my own two wheels and enjoy the glory of the open road and the wind in my hair. Being a mom, I wanted to put my kids first, so I set aside riding on the road because what if something happened to me? My family means more to me than anything.

I started riding because the world I grew up in it was expected. I followed in my father's footsteps who had a Goldwing we all enjoyed. I have never been a passenger on anybody's bike except my father’s. I just felt free; it's always been an amazing feeling.

My first bike was a 535 virago that I found sitting in a barn in great condition; it hadn't been ridden in a while so I took it home and cleaned it up. I was trying to get a more bobber/chopper old school look so my husband and I put a nice springer seat on it and did a few other modifications and made it look just like my vision.

I currently ride a 2016 48 1200 xl Harley Davidson. I bought it brand new off the showroom floor; I was looking at others, but this one was just screaming my name.

A typical ride for me depends on the time of year, whether I’m working or if I have some free time. During the summer I ride to work every day. On my free time I’ll go anywhere from a couple hundred miles or doodle around town or maybe I’ll do both. My favorite is to find an open straightaway, roll back the throttle, and just zoom.

My favorite thing about being on two wheels is the freedom and the ability to just zone out. I love the feel of adrenaline from the motion of going fast, moving from side to side between cars as safely as possible, like Mario having nothing to think about but the road. For all safety reasons I never ride while I’m sick.

My worst bike memory is when I was riding my Virago and the engine cut out. It had happened a few times before so I knew how to pop the clutch. As I was doing so on this particular day, it proved difficult for me:  as I put it in second gear and popped the clutch, my bike spun out forcing me to lay it down. I was scared and mad at the same time. First thing I did was call my husband; first thing out of my mouth was, I’m ok, but I laid the bike down. So I picked up my bike, and my husband showed up to check on me. Then as we were looking at the bike, we realized that the stator had gone out. That was the moment I decided it was time for me to upgrade.

My best bike memory was when I took my first long ride out of Oregon to California. It was a great ride! I got to meet interesting people along the way and when we got to our final destination. All in all, the trip was just an absolute wonderful experience for me.