For UK-based rider and racer Vanessa Ruck, motorcycles provided a lifeline in the darkest

times. Now, her horizons are widening ever further as she reaches new heights on the Pan America, and rode to the Slovenia H.O.G. Rally.

Motorcycle rider, racer and adventurer Vanessa Ruck is attending her first Harley Owners Group® event – the highly anticipated 29th European H.O.G. Rally in beautiful Portorož, Slovenia. So, what’s her verdict? “It’s so exciting! I knew how much soul and love there is in the world of HarleyDavidson, but I don’t think I’ve ever been so close to it.

The amount of bikes; the energy, the time, the passion, the detail that people put into them – it’s just absolutely incredible.”
For Vanessa, one of the highlights of the H.O.G. Rally has been taking part in the Harley® parade, which was led by H-D legend Karen Davidson (“She’s such a badass. I’ve got a little bit of a girl crush!”) and saw thousands of bikes winding through the stunning surroundings of the Slovenian coastline all there for the H.O.G. Rally.

Vanessa was inspired by the number of female riders taking part. “It’s really powerful – really cool to see. And hopefully next year and the year after there’s going to be an increasing number.”

The idea of progress – of taking steps forward – is close to Vanessa’s heart. Rewind to 2014 and she was riding high, putting in the hours as a PR professional but making the most of every opportunity to pursue high-octane pursuits outside of work. “I was an adrenaline junkie.

Weekends were for kite surfing, or rock climbing, snowboarding, mountain biking…you get the idea.”
That all changed when a car ran a red light while Vanessa was cycling to work. She suffered severe injuries and has undergone multiple surgeries in the years since, including shoulder and hip reconstructions. However, the mental recovery has proven tougher.

“It shook everything I knew. I would describe the following seven years as a rollercoaster – not a fun one.”

It was fairly early on during Vanessa’s recovery that she found herself thinking about motorcycles. She had dabbled with bikes before, having used one to get around during a university term abroad spent in a remote part of the Bahamas. She subsequently got her licence upon returning to the UK, but still didn’t see herself as a biker.

Now, it seemed a practical option and would be suitable for her commute, so without further ado,she went on eBay and found a Suzuki Bandit 600 for sale in her town. It was in good condition, so she went to see it the next day and promptly snapped it up.

So far, so good, but what about actually taking to the road once more, after what had happened? “I can’t deny how scary it was getting back on the bike the first time, or the 10th time, or the 50th,” says Vanessa. “But there was an element of pure stubborn determination.

And I grew up with horses. With horses, when you fall off you get back on.” She also found mindfulness to be really helpful: “I have learned that I am in way more control than I ever thought over what is in my mind. If a bad thought comes in, it’s not about getting angry with yourself; it’s just redirecting it.”

Little by little Vanessa faced her fears. Little by little, Vanessa faced her fears and started to get out on the bike more often. Her husband, Alex, also had his licence, and on their honeymoon they rented Harleys in Texas. It was the memories of this trip that would lead Vanessa to arrange an anniversary surprise for Alex some time later, when he was away serving with the RAF in Afghanistan.

She arranged to rent two Harleys from their local dealership, Oxford Harley-Davidson – a Street Bob for her and a HD Forty-Eight Sportster for Alex. “We had no intention to buy. We were just going to go out for a ride, then take them back and walk away…but Harley has something that just gets you. We went from zero intention to ordering two in a week! It was hands-down the best decision we made in my mental health recovery.”

Vanessa’s 2015 Street Bob – soon christened ‘Thug’ – proved to be revelatory. “The Harley basically made me realise that actually, I could have a bit of adventure without needing to be physically fit and able. It gave me a new focus; it showed me a whole new world.”

Vanessa rode whenever she could, racking up thousands of miles over the next few years both at home and abroad – including a Harley-Davidson tour to Croatia – and when her physical condition made it too painful to ride, she would spend time in the garage customising her beloved Harley Thug: adjusted suspension, new seats, a Stage III engine upgrade and an eyecatching vinyl wrap in matte metallic blue.

Write up following the H.O.G. Rally in Slovenia as seen in The Enthusiast magazine.

If you’re new to my page – it’s more than just dirt bike riding, Harleys and racing, I’m on a mission to prove that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. See more about my story plus read about my life changing accident, which started it all.

You can find me Vanessa, The Girl On A Bike over on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, and www.thegirlonabike.com.

The Girl on a Bike, Vanessa Ruck joins Fastbikes for her first ever Track Day experience at Donington Park with Michelin.

It was a huge honour to spend the day with Fastbikes, Michelin and legend John McAvoy at Donnington Park. Here you can see Fastbikes’ behind the scenes video from the day.

It’s about to get serious! What’s the likelihood of a knee down on one’s very first track day? This is the behind the scenes of my very first track day. I swapped the mud for some hard tarmac riding a Kawasaki 650 twin, something super friendly and forgiving, and I was in the capable hands of John McAvoy of Fast Bikes. I’ll talk through my kit, my nerves and the best bit…. will you get your knee down on your first track day? Watch to find out the answer!

Big thanks to Michelin for an epic day on the Power Cup Evo rubber at a No Limits Trackdays at Donington Park

If you’re new to my page – it’s more than just dirt bike riding, Harleys and racing, I’m on a mission to prove that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. See more about my story plus read about my life changing accident, which started it all.

You can find me Vanessa, The Girl On A Bike over on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, and www.thegirlonabike.com.

As seen in The Enduro News: When a cycling accident threatened to derail the adventurous life she loved, Vanessa Ruck – aka The Girl on a Bike – refused to take it lying down.

Instead, she handled things the only way she knows how. Brushing herself off, she put herself back together. And then she upped the ante.

Vanessa Ruck, who started riding motorcycles following a mental and physical recovery, became the first woman to ever enter one of the toughest races in the world in April, and she’s just done it again. Travelling across Europe to compete against others with the gumption to show up to a 1500 km off-road roadbook race in Croatia and Bosnia, the UK based adventurer fought on despite the chronic hip pain she lives with from her past, battling days of up to 375km of gruelling off road terrain, to make the finish.

Competitors are navigating but also tackling the rugged and rocky terrain of the Dinaric Alps. The tricky navigation means following a series of symbols and pictures on a scrolling piece of paper mounted to the bars, called a road book. Road book navigation events, such as the infamous Paris Dakar, are far more than just riding. You have to navigate accurately, retaining mental and physical focus for upwards of 10-12 hours of racing, and do this off road day after day. Could you stay calm on your own in the middle of nowhere, digging deep into energy reserves with only the supplies you can carry?

With a 31% attrition rate from 123 riders at the start, simply finishing was an accomplishment. But Vanessa was fighting for more. She came 37th overall, 20th in her class, and 2nd fastest of the nine female riders. The terrain varied considerably across the 6 days, with hard jagged rocks bouncing the bike relentlessly, rolling grass meadows hiding hidden boulders, winding forest tracks with whipping branches, and the toughest of all…hard pack with loose stones. This inconsistent stony terrain was more akin to riding on ice, with the bike’s rubber tyres easily losing traction and sliding, an unnerving feeling for even an experienced rider. The longest day saw Vanessa enduring over 10 hours on the bike. Considering she prepared her first rally road notes just under a year ago and was a complete novice just 6 years ago, that’s an incredible finish!

Vanessa discovered the mental relief that the freedom of two wheels brings to life following her collision with a red-light-jumping-car. She was diagnosed with multiple mental heath disorders, including fear of the road, and has faced 7 traumatic surgeries to reconstruct her hip and shoulder. All as a result of a total stranger’s momentary lapse of judgment. We spoke with Vanessa and she joked that “If you had told me six or seven years ago that in a few years’ time and so many surgeries later, that I’d be racing motorbikes, I probably would have choked on my drink.”

Back in 2016, while being bedridden after another operation, Vanessa woke up one day to the idea of getting a dirt bike. It was five months until she could ride it, but determination and goal setting had her fixated. Months, years of rehabilitation, never giving up, a lot of mindfulness, certainly many bad days, and a huge handful of stubbornness saw Vanessa saddling up as soon as her body was able. Vanessa’s journey has not been smooth, with pain now a daily feature in her life but what she has learned is that it’s vital to never let your past control your future. “Yes, I’ll never fully escape my past, but I sure will find ways to adapt, to get rid of my own excuses and fight on. I’ll never run again, but hey, who needs to run when you have a motorcycle!”

Vanessa really is a force to be reckoned with. From bed bound to international racing in some of the toughest conditions, it really does prove that anything is possible if you put the work in! Learn, train, seek advice and set your goals. We can do incredible things!

Vanessa’s story is one of true resilience and utter determination so it’s no surprise to her social media followers that she smashed another international race! She describes herself as just a normal girl who faced one of life’s big curve balls. But after being hit by a car while cycling in 2014, resulting in 7 surgeries and a roller-coaster of mental and physical recovery spanning 7 years, taking on Croatia and Bosnia was no mean feat!

For the rest of the enduro news article see here.

If you’re new to my page – it’s more than just dirt bike riding, Harleys and racing, I’m on a mission to prove that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. See more about my story plus read about my life changing accident, which started it all.

You can find me Vanessa, The Girl On A Bike over on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, and www.thegirlonabike.com.

As seen in The Gloria: After being seriously injured in a traffic accident seven years ago, the British Vanessa Ruck decided to take up motorcycling, so at the recent race on Dinara, she was second in the competition out of two hundred competitors.

The highest mountain in Croatia, Dinara – where a motorcycle rally took place recently – will remain forever in the memory of the British Vanessa Ruck . Not only because of the natural beauty, but also because of the results she achieved there by performing at the Dinaric Rally in competition with around two hundred participants from 25 countries. Vanessa finished the race in second place (out of a total of nine female competitors), she was 20th in her class, and 30th overall.

Her result is all the more impressive because she fell in love with motorcycling after barely surviving a serious traffic accident when she was hit by a truck that ran through a red light. The treatment was long, with as many as seven operations, and the recovery was equally demanding. When Vanessa realized that she would never be able to hike, ride a mountain bike or fly a kite again as a result of a car accident, she decided to try her hand at being a motorcyclist.

Vanessa Ruck died in a car accident seven years ago when she barely survived being hit by a truck.

“My life changed completely because of the accident, because the consequences remained. Even today, I often discover some new obstacle, for example, I can’t put on a tight sweater normally because my shoulder doesn’t work as it should. But that’s why I’m stronger and more determined as a person,” says Vanessa Ruck .

Although she occasionally rode motorcycles before, for example in a remote part of the Bahamas with no public transportation, where she lived for a year and a half after college, it was only after the accident that she found a sport in which she would satisfy her addiction to adrenaline.

“If someone had asked me seven years ago if I would ride a motorcycle rally, I would have just laughed. But now I’m in love with driving in wild nature, hills and muddy tracks. For me, it’s a real adventure,” points out Vanessa Ruck and highlights which her competitions were the most exhausting.

“One of the most difficult races for me was the Red Bull Romaniacs Hard Enduro Rally in Romania. It’s brutal, difficult both emotionally and physically, but I enjoyed every second. I’m happy to boast that I lasted until the finish,” she said.

Vanessa Ruck also revealed that she has the most difficult time before the start of every race because she is overwhelmed by emotions of fear and panic, she is drenched in sweat and her nerves are overstretched with excitement.

“I have to admit that the taste of victory is sweeter when you are a woman in a traditionally male sport. At first they looked at me suspiciously, thinking that I wasn’t skilled, strong and durable enough, but I proved them wrong,” says Vanessa Ruck, who was not the first visit to Croatia.

For the rest of the gloria news article see here.

If you’re new to my page – it’s more than just dirt bike riding, Harleys and racing, I’m on a mission to prove that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. See more about my story plus read about my life changing accident, which started it all.

You can find me Vanessa, The Girl On A Bike over on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, and www.thegirlonabike.com.

As seen in The Portsmouth: Vanessa Ruck, the Portsmouth graduate for international business studies, was hit by a car that went through a red light in 2014 which affected her physical and mental well-being.

After being admitted to the hospital, she was assured that she had suffered bruising only and was discharged soon after, but as time went on, and Vanessa was in chronic pain, she took her health into her own hands and went to see numerous specialists.

She had to have seven reconstructive surgeries on her hip and shoulder, as well as being diagnosed with multiple mental health disorders and suffering fear of the road.

Before her accident, Vanessa, 35, was a physically fit woman who would cycle to work daily, go waterboarding, surfing and would go to the gym every week.

Vanessa said: ‘Before the accident, you probably would have called me an adrenaline junkie.’

‘If you had told me six or seven years ago that in a few years’ time and so many surgeries later, that I’d be racing motorbikes, I probably would have choked on my drink.’

In 2016, during her recovery from one of her surgeries, where she was bedridden, Vanessa woke up one day with the idea of getting on a dirt bike and with months of determination and rehabilitation, she was finally able to saddle up and take to the road with her bike and conquer her fear.

After a traumatic past, Vanessa has now defied all odds and has completed the Dinaric Rally, which is a tough motorbike race across Croatia and Bosnia, and she came 37 in the ranking.

Vanessa, who still suffers with chronic pain, also took part in the Tunisia Desert Challenge in April, where she came 36 in the ranking out of 55 who took part.

She was the first woman to enter the competition on a motorcycle and she said that the challenge was the most ‘challenging’ thing she has done.

She added: ‘I’ll never fully escape my past, but I sure will find ways to adapt, to get rid of my own excuses and fight on. I’ll never run again, but hey, who needs to run when you have a motorcycle.’

For the rest of the Portsmouth news article see here.

If you’re new to my page – it’s more than just dirt bike riding, Harleys and racing, I’m on a mission to prove that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. See more about my story plus read about my life changing accident, which started it all.

You can find me Vanessa, The Girl On A Bike over on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, and www.thegirlonabike.com.

Slatki okus pobjede (original)

In advance of joining the Dinaric rally, it’s a huge honor to be featured in the Croatian lifestyle publication Gloria. We chatted about my history with the accident and my imminent arrival in Croatia to race. The Dinaric rally is a fantastic 5-day rally through the most breathtaking scenery that Croatia and Bosnia have to offer.

If you’re new to my page – it’s more than just dirt bike riding, Harleys and racing, I’m on a mission to prove that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. See more about my story plus read about my life changing accident, which started it all.

You can find me Vanessa, The Girl On A Bike over on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, and www.thegirlonabike.com.

As seen on thestayamazingmovement Podcast: Vanessa Ruck, known as The Girl On A Bike, is passionate about living life to the fullest. A self-described adrenaline junkie, Vanessa has always been active, in sports and fitness. She works hard and she plays hard.

But it was in Match of 2014, that her life changed. She was riding her bike when it collided with a car that ran a red light. At the hospital, she was misdiagnosed with just bruises. When in reality she had injuries to her shoulder and hip that required seven surgeries to reconstruct the damage. Throughout her therapy and recovery, she had the mental attitude and mindfulness to accept her situation in order to move forward with her life.

It was during this time that Vanessa decided that riding motorcycles was something she would like to pursue. She took it one step at a time setting goals and has battled back physically and mentally to continue to live a fulfilling and active lifestyle. Although often in pain, Vanessa races her bike in some of the most demanding and grueling off road courses in the world. In this episode she shares her harrowing experience racing in the Tunisia Desert Challenge.

Vanessa shares her inspirational story of courage and never giving up through her Because I Can series in schools and as a keynote speaker, She has the respect of her racing peers and a large social media following. Vanessa’s outlook on life is to make the most of each day and to help others do the same.

To me, mindfulness is all about the realization that we are in control of our thoughts and that we can have far more control of our conscious selves than I ever imagined could be possible.

Vanessa Ruck

Fear is False Expectations Appearing Real – Vanessa Ruck

For the rest of the thestayamazingmovement article see here.

If you’re new to my page – it’s more than just dirt bike riding, Harleys and racing, I’m on a mission to prove that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. See more about my story plus read about my life changing accident, which started it all.

You can find me Vanessa, The Girl On A Bike over on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, and www.thegirlonabike.com.

As seen in The XLMoto: XLMOTO product expert Vanessa Ruck gives her best tips on what to look for when buying a new helmet. Helmet buying guide by Vanessa Ruck!

It’s a great honour to have been selected by XLMoto to be the face of their YouTube channel. The channels a range of areas from kit reviews, to how-to and knowledge sharing on selected XLMoto products. Here is an example video discussing things to think about when buying a motorcycle helmet.

For the rest of the XLMoto YouTube videos see here.

If you’re new to my page – it’s more than just dirt bike riding, Harleys and racing, I’m on a mission to prove that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. See more about my story plus read about my life changing accident, which started it all.

You can find me Vanessa, The Girl On A Bike over on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, and www.thegirlonabike.com.