Her Story | Lynda Meyers

Her Story. A series of blog posts telling the stories of 'women who ride' from all corners of the globe. We hope that by sharing these stories we can help encourage other women to build their confidence, learn from others and inspire others.

This month we have a story from Lynda Meyers currently living in the Pacific Northwest, USA. A mother of 4 children, 1 grandchild, 1 dog, and 4 motorcycles, Lynda is also a Registered Nurse and an author of several published books!

We hope you enjoy her story.

My name is Lynda Meyers. I’m fifty-three years old and, although I’ve lived all over the world, I currently reside in the Pacific Northwest, USA.

I am many things, and often joke that I’m a Renaissance Woman because my interests are so varied and different. I am a Registered Nurse, currently working in a Level 1 Trauma Center. I am also a Reiki Master, a certified yoga instructor, a passionate gardener and the author of four novels, including a brand-new series about women and motorcycling. I have four children, one grandchild, a dog and two motorcycles, and I travel incessantly, so it’s a busy life to be sure!

To be completely honest, motorcycles and I had a bit of a rough start. When I was in my early twenties, I made the mistake of getting on the back of a Ninja 650 with a guy I barely knew. He took me screaming through a deserted industrial area at 110 mph (177 kph) and scared the living shit out of me. In all fairness, I had to take his word for it on the top speed. It was hard to see the speedometer while holding on for dear life.

Surprisingly, this didn’t scare me off of bikes forever. I was still insanely curious about motorcycles and saw myself riding someday, I just knew it would never again be on the back of someone else’s bike. If I was going to ride, it was going to be on my terms.

When my kids were young, my husband and I went to the Harley dealer one weekend and thought seriously about buying matching vintage street bikes. However, by then I was an ICU nurse, and although the fantasy was tempting, I’d seen a little too much reality, and I just couldn’t do it. I realize it’s a very personal decision, but for me, at that time in my life, I couldn’t justify the risk of potentially orphaning our four young children, so I put it on the back burner for a while.

Fast-forward almost twenty years. My husband had moved out, and divorce was imminent. When I told my two youngest sons (then seventeen and nineteen) that I was considering getting my motorcycle endorsement, I expected them to tell me I was crazy and try to convince me not to do it. Instead they both said “Cool! Let’s all do it together!”

The three of us spent a gorgeous weekend in June taking the class together. We joked about being our own mini biker gang, with Momma Lynda at the front and my six-foot-two, bodyguard sons riding side-by-side behind me. As far as what advice I would give women that are looking to start riding, my biggest piece of advice would be to take a learner’s class. They teach the safety and riding skills that will serve you well for years to come. Get that solid base down and you’ve got the world at your handlebars!

I kid you not, as soon as I put that hunk of hot metal between my legs, with my own hands at the controls, I understood what Ninja-guy must have known all along: It’s an entirely different experience being in the driver’s seat. I immediately fell in love with riding. Within a week of finishing the class I found a sweet little Honda Rebel 250 and bought it outright with some cash I had saved.

So easy to handle, and so difficult to lay down, a Rebel really is a perfect first bike and one I highly recommend for women just starting out. The three of us took turns practicing our new-found skills on back roads and in big, empty parking lots, each forming our own special love affair with that little red rocket. Three years later I bought my black and chrome Harley Super Glide Custom. I named her Belle, because she’s both Beauty and a Beast!

Belle and I have been on so many amazing adventures together, including a 2400-mile journey through Canada and the Northwestern US with a fellow nurse. I love exploring other countries as well, and most recently have ridden in Italy, Spain, and even Nepal. I’ve always blogged about my motorcycle adventures, and recently decided to combine my love for riding with my other true passion—storytelling.

I’ve always loved reading (and writing) other peoples’ stories, but I’d never seen a novel series that featured a strong female protagonist who also rides a motorcycle. I wrote Steel Journeys: The Road to Patagonia as a sort of love letter to women with a passion for riding and adventure. Book 1 released in November 2019, and tells the story of Abby Steel, the owner of an all-female motorcycle touring company who takes groups of women all over the world, serving as part life coach, part tour guide. Each book features a different country and a different woman from all walks of life.

Launching this new novel series has allowed me to create a brand-new genre that is geared towards women who ride – Biker Chick Lit! A dozen or more books are planned in this series of fun, adventure-packed novels filled with deep relationships and authentic stories of inner transformation. This series is fiction, but is based on many of the real-life women that I have met along the way.

The confidence that comes from riding has taught me so much about my own inner strength, and I am passionate about inspiring other women both to ride, and to follow their dreams. We can support one another by encouraging one another, and I want to be a part of this ongoing conversation. If I have one message to send to women all over the world, it’s this: Don’t be afraid to follow your dreams, because nothing is out of reach for you!