General

A Gear Study.

Thank you to The George Institute for Global Health for saying what I and many other riders know to be true! Gear works, but not all of it. Just because it looks like motorcycle gear doesn't mean it IS motorcycle gear. Please download a copy of my free shopping tips (for men too!) to help you discern what is Real Gear and what is not.

Check out this interview from Liz De Rome, of the George Institute, summarizing what their year long study found.

[embed width=450]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlovDQM0TnA[/embed]

Press Release

Better Late Than Never. :) ###

GearChic (Joanne Donn) ANNOUNCES A NEW AND IMPROVED VERSION OF GEARCHIC.COM

June 11, 2011 (San Francisco, CA) . . . Joanne Donn, Founder of GearChic.com, announces the launch of a new and improved version of her website - the only informational resource about protective motorcycle gear for women. GearChic.com is not a store, dealership or retail business; instead serving as the primary gear shopping reference for women riders everywhere. The new site has an improved layout and streamlined design making it easier than ever to to find resources including Gear Reviews, a Gear Directory (manufacturers/retailers, accessories, and more), 'Gear 101' shopping tips, an online discussion forum, and more.

More often than not women are sold gear that is considered ‘female friendly’ based primarily on aesthetics, looks and style, and protective features are often neglected or ignored.  Joanne feels that women deserve and want riding gear that is equal in quality and protection to that which is widely available for men. Just as importantly they need help understanding proper fit and how to prioritize the safety aspects of their gear. Joanne created GearChic.com to provide a single, centralized resource enabling female riders to learn about these issues and locate gear that meets their needs.

As she has worked to explain these concepts over the years, Joanne has discovered that she not only receives requests from female riders but male riders needing advice as well. It turns out that men have many of the same issues that women do in terms of finding gear that works and fits – and for this reason many of the tips and resources that Joanne provides on GearChic.com apply to riders everywhere, regardless of gender.

About Joanne Donn

Joanne is from San Francisco and works as an office administrator for a design firm on weekdays while living her passion for motorcycling on weekends. In addition to founding and running GearChic.com she works part time as an MSF RiderCoach and at Scuderia West, a KTM/Aprilia/Kymco/Victory/Brammo dealer in San Francisco.

Joanne has also traveled with the International Motorcycle Shows for the last 2 seasons, working as an ambassador alongside the founders of the Women's Motorcyclist Foundation in the all new 'Women Ride' feature.  Traveling with the shows has allowed her to help women all over the country discover what kind of gear is available, where to shop for it and how to choose the best options. She also speaks at ‘The Hub’, one of the shows main seminar stages, sharing her shopping tips and gear knowledge. (More information about the International Motorcycle Shows can be found on motorcycleshows.com)

Several years ago she noted a distinct lack of online resources for female riders when it came to shopping for protective gear. There were no sites dedicated to reviewing primarily women’s gear, no comprehensive lists identifying manufacturers that make real protective gear, and no one providing specific tips on how to fit different body types and shapes.

In 2007 Joanne combined her love of shopping and motorcycles to create GearChic.com, starting the site with a list of manufacturers who provide safe and protective gear for women. In the four years since then the site has evolved to include reviews, articles, discussion forums, and more while gaining a steady following of female motorcycle enthusiasts.

Femmoto

If you ever attended Femmoto, or ever wanted to, you'll be happy to hear that it's coming back!!

I met the new organizers today and they're working as hard and as fast as they can to get dates set.

They know how important Femmoto was in previous years and are committed to making it even better than it was.

And, track days aren't *just* for sportbikes. If you ride a cruiser, you'll want to participate in Femmoto too. :)

I did Femmoto once, in 2006. I tried to go back in 2007 but I just couldn't go. I'm so glad I went back then, it was an amazing experience and gave me a glimpse of what was in store for the future. At the time I was riding my ninja 250, and I never thought that I could ride like that anywhere.

If you don't know what Femmoto was, it was basically a track day just for women. Several manufacturers came out and brought the demo trucks so we could use their brand new motorcycles on the track! Ducati, Moto Guzzi, Kymco (yes, scooters too!), Suzuki, Kawasaki, Buell, and probably a few more that I can't remember. I rode a Ducati Monster 695, Kawasaki Z1000, and a Kawasaki 600RR.

At the time I'd only been riding for 3 years (1st year on the scooter, 2nd and 3rd on the 250). I'd never ridden a fast sportbike before. The minute I sat on the 600RR, I knew it was going to be different. I could barely touch the ground (tip toes!) and I was scared that I would drop the bike as soon as I got back to the paddock. I had no idea it was going to change my life!

That bike made me realize that I could go faster in and out of the corners. I remember pushing it just a little further than the Kawi Z1000 or Ninja 650R I had ridden earlier that morning. I thought to myself "wow, this is SO much more fun to ride in the corners!". It was literally throwing itself into the corners without me doing anything, except leaning just a little bit, and pressing just a little bit, and speeding up just a little bit.

I pushed myself to go a little bit faster, to see what would happen and then I felt it. It was like the moment I saw my husband for the first time (awww). I knew when I saw him that he was the one I was going to marry. I felt completely sure of myself, sure of my capabilities, and fully trusted the bike. It felt solid, it felt grounded, almost like it was riding an invisible train track. I just knew that if I trusted the bike and my instincts, I could go even FASTER! The adrenaline rush was incredible. I was only going ~50-60? I'm not sure (never bothered to look at the speedometer, that's what's so great about the track), so not terribly fast. But for me, it felt like the fastest I'd ever gone in and out of a corner before.

I haven't done a track day since, because I just know that I'd want to do it more, every chance I'd get. I just can't afford any more expensive hobbies! Not right now, anyway.

I can't wait to see what happens. The website is still being redesigned, so you'll have to follow them on Facebook to stay tuned with updates. Or check back on my blog, or follow me on twitter and I'll be sure to post as soon as I hear anything!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Femmoto/164728523575198

My Wishlist

Someone that I recently met on Facebook asked me recently what 2 piece outfits I'm shopping for, as I mentioned to her that I'm trying to rebuild my gear closet. Here's what's swirling around in my brain. (Forgive the terrible cell phone pics! Future photos will be on my newest toy)
1. Leather Jacket For my Dainese Firefly pants (Love them!) I'm a weird one, I wear my 2 piece leathers even in the summer. I just can't stand the idea of my flesh hitting hot, hot pavement. I'm also sticking to Dainese since I can't zip anything else to my pants. Which, is fine by me. And unless someone is willing to replace my pants with something else, I'm going to stick with them for now.

2. Winter Textile Jacket, waterproof. I'm torn between what REV'IT and Dainese have to offer right now. I really want a textile that's waterproof without the need for an additional liner. These are both such great options, I don't even know if it's worth buying a winter jacket yet since I'm going to be traveling every weekend through Mid March. But these are the two that I'm looking at right now:

    Dainese Xantum D-Dry Lady I'm wearing this jacket in the photos below with the Adina pants.

    REV'IT! Ventura Unfortunately this isn't available until mid February, so it might be pointless at that point.. I'll have to try it on and take a look at it to know for sure.

3. Textile Winter Pant. Not an overpant, but a non ventilated pant with an insulated liner.

Dainese probably offers the most variety that I've seen, of women's textile pants.