Meet "The Mufflers"—an all female riding group that believes in safety, education, confidence and empowerment for women riders.
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We got to spend some time with the women (and male attendees) of The Mufflers this past weekend at a beginners tech session. The idea behind the tech session was to teach their members basic maintenance and give them the ability to diagnose mechanical issues on their motorcycle.
The Beginning
Travel back a scant four years. Mare, one of the founders, was riding with her dad quite often when one day she met another woman who rode, which led to meeting another woman rider and the next thing you know the idea for a riding club formed. That's pretty much the formula for every good riding club around.
Usually when it comes to a group, the core (in this case, six) people are always involved and the club ebbs and flows as people come and go. This is not a surprising way to manage things when the members are graphic artists, photographers, actresses and models.
One of the aspects I really loved about the group is that men are completely welcome to ride, hang out and participate, but aren't official members. It keeps the club more comfortable for the ladies and creates a laid back environment for new women to join and not feel that competitive pressure.
Speaking of new women riders and being laid back, this is where The Mufflers excel. Mare makes sure she takes time with each new rider and works with them on two wheels before they start riding in the group. This generates another level of comfort for new prospective members and gives them a sense of of being all-inclusive
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The Goal
While there is no manifesto, the goal is really to have fun. There are, however, some clear cut intentions: improve their riding skills, empower women riders, educate women riders and create an environment that fosters education, safety, and above all that fun… that's worth repeating.
When I visited with them at a little garage in Baltimore, I met one guy who was a mechanic at a local BMW dealer. He was one of the teachers at the tech session, going over the mechanical basics of a motorcycle—naming each part and explaining what they were and how they worked.
They have another teaching session that delves deeper into each item so that every rider has a better understanding of what's going on when it comes to their bike. It's this push for education that makes what The Mufflers do such a positive influence in the motorcycle community.
There were handouts, notes taken and the level of attention that every person displayed showed how much they all cared about what they were learning.
The Future
To quote Tom Petty, "the future is wide open," and the focus will be on improving gear for women, educating women on how motorcycles work and, of course, riding—the limits are only what they impose on themselves.
On top of being riders, The Mufflers are also artists, musicians and free spirits, and they hold an art event the last weekend of May in Baltimore, MD. If you're in the area, you should go check it out!
Art Show Info:
3rd Annual Motorcycles + Art
Featuring art by local motorcyclists, vintage bike display, swap meet, live music, food, beer and more!
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Lead Photo and Group shot by Kevin Lynch, bikes and garage photos provided by Tom Turnbull
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