WHO YOU WITH?
Choosing a bike club...

So, either you’ve been riding solo for years, or you just got a bike and you want to consider joining a club. You’ve seen vested bikers cruising the neighborhoods in twos or banded together and roaring down the highways in packs. You note and admire the apparent camaraderie as you see them passing a low and inverted peace sign or extended hand to acknowledge an unknown, yet related fellow biker going the opposite direction. How good that must feel. Riding with others who understand and share in the euphoria of gliding over urban and twisty rural pavement with the wind graciously parting down the middle for your humble passing. How cool is that?

But in the last decade, as the number of bike enthusiasts increased, so has the number of motor, bike, and bike related clubs: MCs, RCs, ACs, and SCs. There are cruiser and crotch rocket clubs; clubs that advocate a lifestyle; clubs that are a way of life; clubs with different codes and ethics; clubs rooted in ethnic pride or religion; clubs that do nothing but ride cross-country together, and clubs that are big businesses and ride every Jun-vember. There are clubs that uplift the community and clubs that do a little bit of everything, and then some. So how do you choose?

Beast of Clutch and Burn MCA advises that you should “Simply take your time and really take a look at the clubs overall. Get into the scene and get acclimated to the set. Find out what clubs are about inside and outside the bike scene.” As many can attest to, life on the set tends to be different than our typical existence. “Set laws” can be both broader and tighter at the same time, than the common laws we deal with in life. Where degrees and experience can shine a light on us in the professional world, club reputations and respect can rule the set in the biker world. “Do not be deceived by the face that you see but the reality of what it is,” he advises. Taking your time to observe and check things out for yourself can save you from finding yourself in the midst of something unexpected that you can’t get out of because of what’s on your back, whether it be an altercation or a negative image.

Rarebreed of Hartford, CT’s Capitol City Ryders believes that research is the key. “Research, research and research some more!” he admonishes. “Before joining my club, Capitol City Ryders, I researched all the clubs listed in Conneticut, and then narrowed that search to the ones in my area. I asked lots of questions via email, phone, and in person. I knew going in that I wanted to ride. I wasn't about parties, half naked members, or hanging out in bars. I wanted to be a part of a group that was family-oriented; a group that was diverse, co-ed, and upstanding within the community.”

“I’ve turned away more than one good person since we started our club,” says Beast, “because our lifestyle choices and values didn’t match up. Not to say one is better than the other. But the purpose behind the club should be the same for its membership.”

In addition to observing clubs on and off the set, Rare also says that, “Some things that should be considered are location, bylaws, expectations, and interest.” Surprisingly, when dazed by colors, these considerations can slip by the new biker. With excitement blazing in the forefront, some riders can fail to realize that bike clubs are structured organizations with bylaws, hierarchies, and accounting systems. Rather than looking at who’s counting the beans and precisely whose pockets those beans fall into, they can focus on trivial matters such as popularity or how large the club is. But no, says Rarebeeed. “The size of the club is not important. You choose the club that best fits your needs and purpose.” Yes, with so many different types of clubs on the set now, no matter what your preference or interest, if you take the time to look, there’s bound to be a club already in existence with the same values and objectives that you desire in a club. “I found my ‘fit’ and I'm extremely happy,” Rare concludes. “Just take the time to list what you're looking for and patiently seek it out.”

“The only advice I would ever give is TRY A FEW OUT before deciding,” says Blue Rose of the Hurricane Biker Girls. While research is good, she also believes that it has to go a step further than that. “EVERY club is a little different and mere words could never give you the complete picture. Everybody needs different things in their lifestyle and just asking won’t cut it because, folks will ALWAYS act like their club is the SH*T! Yeah for you. But maybe not be for them....ya know!” Maybe she has a point as many of us may know of one disgruntled club member who once repped a club hard, jumped ship to another, and repped it just as hard.

“Do you just buy a pair of shoes without trying them on?” she continues. A very good question as I consider the killer boots I bought online that now sit unworn in the back of my closet. “Nope. Not even men do that! “So why join a life changing club to find out it doesn’t fit?”

Well, it seems like we have a consensus. “As hard as this question is...it’s really not that difficult,” says Beast. “It simply comes down to one major ingredient: TIME!!!”

And yet, even with all the observing from a darkened corner, the research, and trying before you buy, in the end, it’s even possible that you may come to the final conclusion that Blue Rose states clearly. “Sometimes, you may find that NO CLUB is for you and you need to just roll solo.”

The words of a true rider have never been greater.


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ABOUT THE FEATURE WRITER
Cherlyn "2Spicy" Michaels is a member of the St. Louis #1 Stunnas Motorsports Club and the author of two novels, including her latest, First Fridays. Visit her online at www.myspace.com/cherlynmichaels.