Extract from News Beast highlighting female motorcycle riders: They spin the planet on two wheels
From Alaska to the Middle East, even in the toughest races, such as extreme enduro and rally raid, eight women ride around the world on a motorcycle. What is certain is that they do not “chew” and 2wo.gr recommends them to us – female motorcycle riders.
Vanessa Ruck @thegirlonabike
Vanessa is a British woman who grew up riding a quad. He has traveled with Harley-Davidson on some of the best alpine passes and has seen Ukraine, Spain and the USA up close.
Gets to know…..Vanessa Ruck
Next target is the Red Bull Romaniacs and the Hellas Rally Raid for which he trains with Husqvarna TE 250i and KTM 790 Adventure.
Other female motorcycle riders on the list includes:
Rosie Gabriele @rosiegabrielle
Itchy Boots @itchybootstravel
Kinga Tanajewska @onherbike
Jocelin Snow @jocelinsnow
Jennifer Maria O’Grady, @jonpogrady
Lea Rieck @lea_rieck
Jess Zeksun @ridingwiththewolf
It is a huge honour to be included among such inspirational and adventurous female motorcycle riders. I would recommend given them all a search on Instagram as their travels are epic! The places motorcycles take them. Wow.
Check out other Vanessa Ruck media placements 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.
Extract from Seat Time: Surprisingly to many, I didn’t grow up with motorcycles. I wasn’t a small kid braaping around at an early age. I was into the world of four-legged friends, obsessed with horses. This all changed when I lived in the Bahamas in my early 20s for 1.5 years. Here, on a remote island, transport was difficult. I couldn’t afford a car, so I bought a Chinese Lifan Enduro 250 motorbike and had it shipped in. There wasn’t a single other bike on the island, and I’d never ridden a bike before, but that didn’t faze me. Others can ride bikes; how hard can it be?
I was, however, rather shocked when it arrived part assembled in a box! Yikes. Thankfully a trade for a bottle of rum saw a local bush mechanic put it together, and I was on my way. I never remember ‘learning’ to ride. I just did it as it was the only way I could get around the island. I was very soon found exploring the remote island of Eleuthera, where I lived, with my spear and fins strapped to the side for spearfishing beach adventures.
If I was only allowed one bike, I would pick my hard enduro bike – Husqvarna TE 250i. The adrenaline and mental terrain you can tackle on this bike give me such a buzz. But as a rider, I’m on a mission to ride as many types of bikes on as many different terrains as possible. All the different environments help build my riding skills. So, if it has two wheels and an engine (or an electric motor), I’m in! But if I have to say… I’m definitely a two-stroke girl!
Pre accident life was all extreme sports, kitesurfing being the main one. With my body ‘broken,’ I had to adapt, but I sought more adventure as my recovery continued. Once my body was able, Harleys injected a sense of freedom and adventure without being physically demanding. The wind in the hair and adventure. This was the start of my love for bikes. Road riding on my Harley-Davidson had me loving bikes; however, I wanted more fun and adrenaline-filled. It was this that made me look to adventure riding. I could combine more adrenaline, the physical, and the adventure together. It seemed perfect. I didn’t know in my mind hard enduro was going to be my end goal. Let’s just say it’s escalated! Hard enduro is the ultimate in pushing the bike and body to its limits, but ADV riding gives me culture, scenery, and distance that I’ve just fallen in love with.
One of my favorite memories is the first weekend away on the Harleys. We rode about six miles to a campsite as that was all my body could handle. But I was out of the house, fresh air, and a new scene after so much time in bed recovering. We had a BBQ and bottle of bubbly, and I was out of the house. It was so uplifting for my spirits among so much rehabilitation and pain. Yes, compared to previous pre-accident adventures, it was nothing, but for where I was mentally and physically at that time, it was incredible!
My favorite place on earth to ride
Iceland 100%. That trip was mind-blowing. Over 2.5 million tourists visit Iceland each year to see the big sights. Hot spas, waterfalls, glaciers, geysers, tectonic plates, and lava fields. They pack into coaches or hire cars. But riding here on off-road bikes changes your perspective. We can discover the must-see spots from the less trodden tracks, skipping the crowds, and seeing things most tourists might only glimpse from the plane window. We rode up close to Hekla, slept below the Mýrdalsjökull Glacier, recharged in an abandoned spa, explored huge craters without a soul in sight, picked across lava fields, crossed valley basins and crested mountains, riding volcanic ash berms. It was riding heaven combined with cultural and geological discovery: a trip only motorcycles can make possible.
Check out other Vanessa Ruck media placements 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.
For the rest of the Motorrad Reporter article see here.
Check out other Vanessa Ruck media placements 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.
One of the best things about being a motorcyclist is the riding culture. No matter what kind of rider you are, there’s a place for you — and probably an Instagram account too!
Check out some of our favorite motorcycling Instagram accounts below, and learn about Ride Vision’s Ride Advisors Network to find out how YOU can become an influential voice in the motorcycling world too.
Her life changed in 2014 when she was hit by a car. Since then, after 7 surgeries (including shoulder and hip reconstruction), she has set herself the goal of getting the most out of her life. Addicted to motorcycles with a passion for seeking adventure and perfecting her skills
Anyone whose ever been on two wheels knows it’s addicting… one minute you’re buying your first bike, and the next you’ve spent 9 hours cruising gear reviews and making a mental shopping list of all the cool new things you need (not want!).
Fortunately, we’re here to help grow your knowledge and enable your addiction by providing the TOP motorcycling gear, training, and all-around FUN channels that YOU should subscribe to. Check them out below!
Her life changed in 2014 when she was hit by a car. Since then, after 7 surgeries (including shoulder and hip reconstruction), she has set herself the goal of getting the most out of her life. Addicted to motorcycles with a passion for seeking adventure and perfecting her skills. On YT you will find it in the garage or in the saddle. Vanessa from the UK is a strong player who always tries new things with a smile, travels, reviews and has the garage you’ve always dreamed of.
Others in the list of Top Motorcycle Channels for New Riders include:
I’m blown away to have been included in this list! WOW by Wheels and Hills
Extract from Wheels and Hills:
I invite you to the only such list of the twelve most-liked motorcycle filmmakers on YouTube. The ranking was prepared according to proprietary and proven ‘me like it’ methodology.
Without further ado, here is a list of ‘The Dirty Dozen Wheels and Hills’ – or the top 12 motorcycle YouTube channels you need to know. Youtubers were presented in a non-alphabetical and random order.
Let me know in the comments if there is someone you did not know before, and what motorcycle YouTube channels you think are worth subscribing to.
Her life changed in 2014 when she was hit by a car. Since then, after 7 surgeries (including shoulder and hip reconstruction), she has set herself the goal of getting the most out of her life. Addicted to motorcycles with a passion for seeking adventure and perfecting her skills. On YT you will find it in the garage or in the saddle. Vanessa from the UK is a strong player who always tries new things with a smile, travels, reviews and has the garage you’ve always dreamed of.
Seven years, seven surgeries. After suffering from a car accident in 2014, Vanessa Ruck’s life, as she had come to know it, was changed. An on-going battle to recover her full fitness, Vanessa overcomes her suffering with an inspiring level of positivity and strength. Travel Pocket Guide spoke with Vanessa.
On an otherwise ordinary day, Vanessa was heading to the lake on a bicycle when the momentary lapse in judgement by one person to jump a red light dramatically changed her life. Struggling through mental and physical pain, Vanessa has powered through several surgeries, including the reconstruction of her hip and shoulder. After discovering the world of motorbikes both on and off the road, Vanessa Ruck started Youtube channel “The Girl On A Bike”, which is dedicated to motorbikes, travel and her experiences. I was fortunate to have had the chance to speak with this incredible woman and find out more about her gripping journey, as well as what’s to come in the future!
Hi Vanessa! First of all, thank you for this opportunity. I’d like to start this off by talking a little bit about your enthusiasm for motorbikes. How long after your accident did you discover the world of motorbikes, and what initially drew you to them?
Surprising to many, I didn’t grow up with motorcycles – I wasn’t a small kid ‘braaping’ around at an early age. I was into the world of four-legged friends and obsessed with horses.
Vanessa Ruck in Bolivia with Novo Adventures
Pre-accident, life was all extreme sports, kitesurfing being the main one. With my body ‘broken’ I had to adapt, but as my recovery continued, I sought more adventure. The road riding on my Harley-Davidson earlier in my recovery had me loving bikes, but I can’t emphasise enough how hard it was to get back out on the road after the accident. It was terrifying and a huge mental hurdle to overcome. But I fought on, determined not to let the accident in my past hold me back, on top of the physical injuries I was battling. Then over time, as my body recovered, I wanted more – the fun and the adrenaline. It was this that made me look to off-road riding. […abstract from Travel Pocket Guide]
For the rest please head to Travel Pocket Guide here:
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Vanessa Ruck an amazing woman who turned adversity into motivation and now uses her story to help others while exploring the world on two wheels. In 2014 Vanessa was riding her bicycle which a car ran a red light sending her to the hospital and starting a journey of rehabilitation that inspired her to push beyond just recovering from her accident. Today Vanessa is an author, spokesperson, motivational speaker, and competitive motorcycle rider with the goal of inspiring others.
Michael Satterfield: Your love affair with motorcycles started before your bicycle accident, what got you interested in riding?
Vanessa Ruck: Surprising to many, I didn’t grow up with motorcycles, I wasn’t a small kid braaping around at an early age. I was into the world of four-legged friends, obsessed with horses.
This all changed when I lived in The Bahamas in my early 20s for 1.5 years, here on a remote island transport was difficult. I couldn’t afford a car, so I bought a Chinese Lifan Enduro 250 motorbike and had it shipped in. There wasn’t a single other bike on the island and I’d never ridden a bike before, but that didn’t faze me. Others can ride bikes, how hard can it be?
I was however rather shocked when it arrived part assembled in a box! Yikes. Thankfully a trade for a bottle of rum saw a local bush mechanic put it together and I was on my way. I never remember ‘learning’ to ride. I just did it as it was the only way I could get around the island. I was very soon found exploring the remote island of Eleuthera, where I lived, with my spear and fins strapped to the side for spearfishing beach adventures.
Michael Satterfield: What was your first bike?
Vanessa Ruck: So my first bike was quite an adventure, lots of sand and track riding. A Chinese Lifan Enduro 250 in The Bahamas. I then came back to England and realized that it was about time I actually got my full license…I immediately passed my full access license but years went by without having a bike. I guess early in my career and post-university I couldn’t see the financial commitment of a second vehicle as feasible when a car was vital.
Years on, I was living in the UK working 9 miles from home and so I commuted by bicycle. However, this all changed with my accident taking my strong body away from me [read more]. In the years post my accident I was unable to do my commute cycling and thus was driving in our 3.5 liter V6 Mercedes-Benz Viano….which drinks petrol back and forth to work. Once physically able I decided to get a bike, the Suzuki Bandit, to skip the traffic and save money. This was really the first catalyst for bikes taking over my world following the accident. Then came a Harley-Davidson aka a bike comfortable sofa to cruise. 20k miles of touring around Europe….
For the rest please head to The Gentleman Racer here:
I had the honour of writing a piece for Dainese following joining their Expedition Masters
Extract from Dainese:
It’s ironic how you feel most alive when your heart skips a few beats. We’d been warned during the morning’s training on some rocky terrain with a mix of deep sand, hard cracked slabs and loose stone that it might be tricky at times. But as my eyes skip ahead reading the terrain, I knew I needed to focus. A deep breath as I calmed my mind, relaxing into the bike’s rhythm and powering on. The deep sand laces its fingers through the Ténéré’s wheels, like a million little sand hands all desperate to guide me away from my chosen path.
I roll on the throttle, throwing my 62kg weight as far back as possible to let the Ténéré’s front wheel float through the shifting sands. Our rhythms settle and it feels like we’re part gliding, part surfing. My peripheral vision captures flashes of the sea crashing down below the jagged cliff tops just metres from the track as I try to keep my focus on what lies ahead. My senses are in override – but I’m feeling smooth. And then ‘bang’ – we hit the hidden slabs of bedrock like icebergs in a sea of sand. The front wheel jumps up towards me as the suspension compresses, quickly followed by knees, and we absorb the shock like one long spring. It’s awesome riding here.
Pulling to a stop a mile later, my heart is racing, breath coming fast and deep, and a smile spread across my face as wide as the expansive views. I was just delighted to still be upright, and the adrenaline fuelled smiles of the other riders with me told the same story. A glance over my shoulder reveals that not all the others following have been quite so lucky. I spot two bikes laying down in the deepest patch of sand. Bars dug in, bikes a dead weight.
Watching the riders as they draw on their strength and training to lift them free of the sandy embrace, feet struggling for traction, I was very grateful to be watching and not down there with them.
The full adventure package
On a trip designed to deliver awesome adventure riding and training in one package, it’s becoming clear why it’s such a winning concept. We’re in Sardinia with Dainese’s Expedition Masters team, riding a lap of the island on a fleet of Yamaha Ténérés, soaking up as much training as our tired brains can absorb, while riding through some of the most incredible mixed riding terrain on Earth. […abstract from Dainese]
Following living with a skin condition vitiligo since the age of 13 it was an honour to talk to Real People Magazine about how my accident helped me realise that my skin was far less of a concern than I once though.
Real People Magazine
Vitiligo is a challenging condition to live with, changing ones appearance on an ongoing basis, always changing and spreading. But with the trauma of my accident, it made me realise that the colour of me skin is nothing of importance compared to the battles life can throw as us. Real People Magazine helped me share my story.
My accident made me realise that life is too short!
