The Beginning of the Conga

Well I cant remember for sure but the Conga was born in the early spring. Flo decided to buy Donna the Docs 05 Road King and she was looking into how to get it home to the Island. Flo is slightly directionally challenged(love her to pieces but this girl can get lost turning around! LOL) Some how she got the idea in her head that maybe she could fly to Florida and pick up her new bike and ride it home. At this point not sure what it would entail she posted to both the VILR and WWR to get others suggestions and input.

Well for myself that was a no brainer. If I had the time and the money that I could do it darn rights I would. Not just would it be an adventure but also a chance to test myself and my abilities. So of course my obvious post was "I dont need to answer this ... YOU KNOW WHAT I WOULD DO!!

She had varied reactions from those on the forums, many very positive, to go for it and then again those that are closest to her (family) were telling her she was loco and not to even consider it! This included her hubby, brothers and sisters and her kids. Really nice supportive family. Dont do it Flo, ship the bike home. Well that was the beginning of the journey. They told her NO and she said to heck with y'll, Im going to do it. That was the next post she made. One way or another she was going to Florida and riding that Queen home. Mind you now if she were on her own, she could end up redirected and end up in Nova Scotia instead of BC.

Lots of folks on the forums were offering suggestions of maps, and mapping services, as well as GPS and other suggestions of writing your directions for the day in grease pencil on your windscreen. All great and valuable ideas to get this girl home safely but what happened next was the best answer of all and the birth of the Conga.

Ladies and some men from the WWR forum began offering to ride and escort Flo thru the many states that she would need to travel thru. Once the first person jumped on board it snowballed and she had many new internet strangers to escort her from Florida on he trip northwest. Remember my first post ... she wouldnt ride an hour south to meet with fellow riders on the island that she had only spoke with on line BY HERSELF. Now she was going to ride across the continent with dozens of strangers she had only met online!!!! My how things change.

As time went on she had offers from atleast one lady/man (aw lets just go with rider from now on but knowing the majority were ladies) in every state she needed to pass thru all the way to Albuquerque New Mexico. From there and north to the border she had nobody to escort her. It would be a long haul for her to do on her own. The soonest anyone was able to meet with her again was going to be around the Seattle Washington area then of course on the Canadian side of the border. This is where I became involved. Some how I was going to meet Flo in the states and escort her on the finally leg of her journey.

I was unsure about how much time I could take off and how far I could travel in that time(this including return time) but I would do so one way or another. I inturn posted to her and the forums that I would meet her somewhere south of the border and she was thrilled. For as of that point I would be the only rider on the Conga that she had met(if only one time) Eventually there was another offer of an escort from New Mexico in the Russells. Sandy and Ray decided to turn a holiday in the trip and rode to NM to pick Flo up and escort her to the point where I could meet her. They may stay with us or they may have to return, this would all depend on time for them.

This is where my part of the Conga started and my own personal journey even if smaller is stature then Flo's but just as meaningful.

How things started..

Well one day back in October 07, there was a post on our chapter forums about a new forum for Lady Riders, specifically Vancouver Island Lady Riders. So needless to say I mosied over to have a look about. What I found was a group of Ladies from all over the continent that were stopping in and introducing themselves.

Well I thought to myself this could be a good place to frequent on a regular basis. There were already a few of the ladies that I know on the site and introducing themselves. But the host of the forum I had not met YET!

We got to posting back and forth which led me to invite Flo to join us on a ride for lunch and meet in the middle. I live on the south island and she on the north. The group I was riding with that day had decided that we would lunch mid island and I thought it would be a good excuse for us to meet and start putting faces to names of those appearing on the forum.

Flo seemed stoked to come for a ride and meet us but unbenounced to me, she wasnt sure about riding down on her own to meet us. She called around trying to find some company for her ride but to no avail. So what does this chicken do but talk her BIG baby brother into riding beotch with her just so she wasnt alone. If you can imagine, this from the woman that I have grown close to and who just rode across the continent with many internet strangers!!! What a dope!

Well from this meeting the start of many good things happened. We have become close friends, She gave her baby bro the bug for riding, the forum has grown exponentially and the Conga was born.

All of this from a fresh forum and an afternoon meeting in the fall sunshine!!

Just something to start with...

This was something I wrote with some prompting but it does encompass how I feel about being a Lady Rider... Thanks LD for making me do so. This is my contribution to a book titled "On Two Wheels"

As with the strength of being a woman, riding my own gives me my own independence and strength that I have in all areas of my life.

The Camaraderie and friendships that you build with other likeminded ladies forms bonds for life.

We are an exclusive group of women who have a lust for adventure and life and take the bull by the horns. Not to be left sitting behind or on the back seat. (unless we want to) The freedom riding brings, the wind in your face, the scents of nature and the beautiful scenery that is only that much better on a bike is empowering to me.

It is also a means of relieving your troubles and clearing ones head.

Whether it is a day long ride to destinations unknown or a short trip to the local shops doesn't matter. While riding, you have freedom, enjoyment and personal strength within yourself.

This is just a small insight into myself, and hence how I came to venture off alone to assist in another womans personal journey of a lifetime.