Stilettos on Steel is state's largest all-female Harley riding group
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The evolving face of the Harley-Davidson rider now includes more women than ever -- and they're changing the perception of a "biker chick."
From the moment they hit the road, with the wind at their backs and their hair flowing free, their minds are at ease.
"It makes my heart feel good," Brenda Kuhl said.
"You get a lot of time to think and soul search," Amy Price said.
"It's as close to flying as you'll ever get," Anne Zube said.
"To me, it's just a sense of freedom," Amy Price said.
These women are part of a group called "Stilettos on Steel."
"This is the face of a female rider," Zube, the CEO of Stilettos on Steel told FOX6 News.
Tired of sitting on the back of a bike, they hopped on board their own bikes.
"It`s now women taking the handlebars, getting behind it, getting out of the passenger seat and really taking control of their destiny," Zube said.
The group consists of women from all walks of life.
"We have business owners, homemakers, grandmothers, widowers. There`s something about having this common love and common passion that has just eliminated all of this indifference and really unified us," Zube said.
The group is a sort of Harley sorority.
"We`re definitely embracing the female rider. We are encouraging a feminine group of women, women that want to be themselves or find themselves," Zube said.
More than 80 women from across the state are group members. Stilettos on Steel is the largest all-female social riding group in Wisconsin.
"Stiletto women are not the women who ask if the glass is half empty or half full. We just want it refilled," Zube said.
Zube got into riding four years ago after taking a rider's education class. She never looked back!
"It was a milestone birthday in my life and decided I needed to make a change. The moment that you grab ahold of the handlebars and lift your feet off the ground, it will be crystal clear to you, whether or not you are supposed to be this bike," Zube said.
Zube picked up a 2004 Harley softtail that she calls her "soul bike."
"It really becomes a part of you and it`s something that you adore," Zube said
Zube says it's the metal, motor, heat and Harley that make her feel most like a woman.
"I think I felt really beautiful on my wedding day when I walked down the aisle, but I think I look the most beautiful when I`m on this bike," Zube said.
It is a common feeling among these like-minded riders.
"I wanted my daughters to see that women can be empowered to do things like this and it`s a lot of fun and you don`t need a guy,"
The "Stiletto Girls" get together weekly. They wear pink bandannas and shirts. Flowers rest on their handlebars, and they have rhinestones on their pockets.
"We play hard, we ride hard, we work hard. Our passion is to spend as much time on our bike as we possibly can. When we come together, we talk about what we passed on the ride, whether it`s a beautiful countryside or a curvy road," Brenda Kuhl said.
"Riding, motorcycling, what for many years was a very male dominating sport or hobby, is now, really...we are equally sharing the road with men," Zube said.
The Stilettos on Steel will be promoting their riding group during Harley-Davidson's 110th anniversary celebration.
CLICK HERE for additional information on the Stilettos on Steel female riding group.