WRWR Final Update: Wrapping Up in London

The relay comes to an end, but the impact is just getting started

WRN Staff Report

The Women Riders World Relay is an incredible group of women that participated in a year-long ride across the globe. Their mission is to “coordinate women motorcycle riders across the world to participate in the relay, bringing fun, experience, confidence, and a sense of unity to women riders globally.”


Final Update

As 2020 begins, the year-long Women Riders World Relay (WRWR) comes to an end. It was a truly inspirational year for female motorcyclists, and it was amazing to see women across the globe come together in a big way for this historic event! More than 3,500 women from 79 countries across 5 continents took part in the rally with some women joining for a day, and some joining for weeks or months.

WRWR Final Update London
Attendees of the WRWR Grand Finale celebration were greeted by this sign leading them into The Bike Shed in London, England.

WRWR founder, and our personal hero, Hayley Bell was along for much of the ride. She began the year in her home country of England with a couple weeks worth of clothes and a wooden baton packed on her bike. The momentum this ride has gained over the course of the year has been amazing. The relay has garnered coverage from news organizations world-wide, doing great things in bringing female ridership into the conversation. Hayley has also been recognized within the motorcycling community with the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) naming her “2019 Motorcyclist of the Year,” and, most recently, Motorcycle News has recognized her with the “Best of British” award.

WRWR Final Update London Indian motorcycles
How many WRWR women can you fit in an Indian Motorcycles showroom? These women made a big splash to wrap up the final leg of the relay before it returned to the UK for the finale celebration.
WRWR Final Update London Ace Cafe liza miller
WRWR founder, Hayley Bell (top right), celebrates the end of the relay with fellow riders, including veteran WRWR rider Liza Miller, at the Ace Cafe in London.

It’s incredible to see what this ride became, not only for Hayley and her team, but also for countless communities of women riders who rode with WRWR. Most impressive was not the 63,000 collective miles that it spanned (although we are in awe of that figure), but the incredible community that has grown out of it. Women who sometimes did not even share a language were brought together through a shared passion and formed bonds that will last a lifetime.

WRWR Final Update London celebration hayley
The WRWR wrapped up February 15th in London, where Hayley Bell (far right) celebrated with fellow riders from around the world.

Women Riders Now’s Leadership Board Co-Chair Erin Sills and Member Porsche Taylor both rode with the WRWR from Salt Lake City to the Bonneville Salt Flats, through Nevada and Northern California, then on to Los Angeles. WRN contributor Brittany Morrow joined many of the WRWR participants at the closing ceremonies in London, England, earlier this month. This served as a real celebration for the women who participated in the rally, both personally and in spirit.

WRWR Final Update London Bike Shed
WRWR women (and their admirers) from around the world gathering for the Grand Finale celebration at The Bike Shed in London. It was an emotional event full of memories, thanks, and congratulations for this remarkable achievement.

WRWR is sure to make the history books as a major milestone in female ridership, and we can’t wait to see what these ladies do next. Did you participate in the relay? We’d love to see your photos, so please use the comments section below or tag us @womenridersnow on Instagram and Facebook.


January in South America

It’s now officially 2020, and the Women Riders World Relay has already taken the new year by storm. The women spent December traversing South America where they visited Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and finished out the year (and the decade) in Brazil. It was an epic month for the ride, which saw nearly 5,000 miles of South American roads, and clocked a number of 8+ hour days.

This photo comes from Claudia Goulart (pictured in the pink headband), who rode on the Brazilian leg of the relay. Claudia rode with her friends and fellow members of the South American all-female moto-group, Ladies of the Road.
South African rider, Diane Jean, holds the WRWR baton during a meetup for female riders. The group joined WRWR on the Karoo Highlands route in the country’s Northern Cape region.

This leg of the South American tour lasted more than two weeks as the women riders travelled from the southern border of Brazil, looping around the country and ending in São Paulo on day 299 of the year-long ride.

This great shot was taken by rider Ilja Lerm, and shows the fun-loving spirit of the women who met to embark on the ride through South Africa’s Northern Cape region and sign the WRWR banner (pictured), as per tradition. The baton was in good hands on its journey across the nation!

After ringing in the new year, the riders were on the road again, carrying the baton to South Africa, thus beginning the last leg of the journey around the world. Riders will spend January visiting a number of African nations including Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique-Malawi, Tanzania, and Kenya. After this final leg of the journey, riders will finally bring the baton back to its home in London, England, where they will celebrate this massive achievement with a WRWR finale event on February 15th.

If you’re in England in February, you won’t want to miss it. You can purchase tickets here.

Make sure to check this page again next month for our final update on this incredible adventure and how it has impacted industries and individuals all over the globe.


December Update

December was a BIG month for the Women Riders World Relay. The relay is fast-approaching the 300th day of their year-long journey across the globe and WRWR founder, Hayley Bell, was just named the AMAs Motorcyclist of the Year for 2019!

“For her efforts to promote the motorcycle lifestyle around the world and bring together riders from all nations and backgrounds, conveying the positive aspects of motorcycling and drawing attention to the market potential of female riders, Hayley Bell is the 2019 AMA Motorcyclist of the Year,” said Maggie McNally-Bradshaw, chair of the AMA Board of Directors.

The AMA Motorcyclist of the Year designation recognizes the individual or group that had the most profound impact on the world of motorcycling in the previous 12 months. We are so excited that the industry is recognizing her achievements. Congratulations, Hayley!

The relay is about more than getting attention from the motorcycling industry; it’s about giving women a way to connect with their moto-sisters and encourage each other to think big. So far, WRWR has traversed Europe, Asia, North and, now, South America. Just this month the baton has been carried across Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and has just arrived in Brazil, where they will finish out the year. Be sure to check in with us in the new year for another update, as these incredible women take their journey to the roads of Africa!


November Update: Central and South America

The well-traveled Women Riders World Relay baton left the custody of its proud US guardians on October 12th as it was carried across the border of Laredo, Texas, to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, for a Saturday evening celebratory motorcycle ride through the city.

The Women Riders World Relay WRWR Hits the American Road Hayley Bell Liza Miller
WRWR Founder, Hayley Bell (third from the left) and WRWR US Ambassador, Liza Miller (in back, holding the baton) pose with the US and Mexican riders as they celebrate another successful border crossing and international baton hand-off.
The Women Riders World Relay WRWR Hits the American Road Nuevo Laredo, Mexico
Riders enjoying the camaraderie of riding through the streets of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, together.

The baton then traveled for 20 days, covering almost 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers) through the beautiful countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama via the trusted hands of hundreds of Central American female riders. Each rider who accompanies the baton is invited to sign the scroll which now contains thousands of signatures gathered from around the globe.

The Women Riders World Relay WRWR Hits the American Road Signatures
Johanna Padgett adds her signature to the scroll that is then housed safely within the baton and carrying case.
The Women Riders World Relay WRWR Hits the American Road Scrolls
The scrolls now include thousands of women riders’ names from all over the world!
The Women Riders World Relay WRWR Hits the American Road Central America
The amazing colors and tastes of Central America. The scrolls are protected by the handmade weatherproof carrying case on the left. Now an invaluable piece of women in motorcycling history, they need to be carefully preserved.

The relay’s Central American journey ended with a tour of Panama City before it entered Colombia—country #65 on the year-long excursion.

The Women Riders World Relay WRWR Hits the American Road This Is No Easy Riding
As it says on the WRWR website, “This is no easy riding.” Riders are often faced with long days and inclement weather, yet they continue forward on the global mission to show the strength of female motorcyclists.
The Women Riders World Relay WRWR Hits the American Road Asphalt Angels Costa Rica
Karlitta Mora, a proud member of the Asphalt Angels Costa Rican chapter, displays her riding tribe’s patches, again showing that what draws us to the motorcycle community truly knows no boundaries.
The Women Riders World Relay WRWR Hits the American Road Central America
WRWR Central American riders are all smiles as they prepare to greet their South American colleagues.
The Women Riders World Relay WRWR Hits the American Road Next Leg
American rider, Michelle Lamphere (right), passes the baton to Laura Fernandez as she prepares to carry it from Central to South America for the next leg of the relay.

WomenRidersNow.com will continue to share a few of the highlights here as we follow this incredible relay and watch it demonstrate the power of the female motorcyclist community worldwide. Come back here for updates, and share your own relay photos—just tag @womenridersnow. Let’s raise the voice of the community and lend our support to these incredible women who are showing the world the power of the female motorcyclist community!

Next up…South America, where the baton will spend 50 days traveling through nine countries.


The Women Riders World Relay (WRWR) Hits the American Road

An epic year-long women’s motorcycle ride across the globe comes stateside, and WRN is here for it!

10/25/2019

Women Riders World Relay WRWR Hits American Road AIMExpo
Women Riders World Relay (WRWR) Founder Hayley Bell perches on Liza Miller’s shoulders as the group makes a stop at the 2019 AIMExpo in Columbus, Ohio, in September. Liza is the US ride leader, leading the relay from Calais, Maine, to Laredo, Texas, over the course of 18 days.

Women Riders Now welcomes the amazing women participating in the Women Riders World Relay (WRWR) as the ride comes to America. Founded by Hayley Bell from the UK, the WRWRs mission is to “coordinate women motorcycle riders across the world to participate in the relay, bringing fun, experience, confidence, and a sense of unity to women riders globally.”


Final Update

As 2020 begins, the year-long Women Riders World Relay (WRWR) comes to an end. It was a truly inspirational year for female motorcyclists, and it was amazing to see women across the globe come together in a big way for this historic event! More than 3,500 women from 79 countries across 5 continents took part in the rally with some women joining for a day, and some joining for weeks or months.

WRWR Final Update London
Attendees of the WRWR Grand Finale celebration were greeted by this sign leading them into The Bike Shed in London, England.

WRWR founder, and our personal hero, Hayley Bell was along for much of the ride. She began the year in her home country of England with a couple weeks worth of clothes and a wooden baton packed on her bike. The momentum this ride has gained over the course of the year has been amazing. The relay has garnered coverage from news organizations world-wide, doing great things in bringing female ridership into the conversation. Hayley has also been recognized within the motorcycling community with the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) naming her “2019 Motorcyclist of the Year,” and, most recently, Motorcycle News has recognized her with the “Best of British” award.

WRWR Final Update London Indian motorcycles
How many WRWR women can you fit in an Indian Motorcycles showroom? These women made a big splash to wrap up the final leg of the relay before it returned to the UK for the finale celebration.
WRWR Final Update London Ace Cafe liza miller
WRWR founder, Hayley Bell (top right), celebrates the end of the relay with fellow riders, including veteran WRWR rider Liza Miller, at the Ace Cafe in London.

It’s incredible to see what this ride became, not only for Hayley and her team, but also for countless communities of women riders who rode with WRWR. Most impressive was not the 63,000 collective miles that it spanned (although we are in awe of that figure), but the incredible community that has grown out of it. Women who sometimes did not even share a language were brought together through a shared passion and formed bonds that will last a lifetime.

WRWR Final Update London celebration hayley
The WRWR wrapped up February 15th in London, where Hayley Bell (far right) celebrated with fellow riders from around the world.

Women Riders Now’s Leadership Board Co-Chair Erin Sills and Member Porsche Taylor both rode with the WRWR from Salt Lake City to the Bonneville Salt Flats, through Nevada and Northern California, then on to Los Angeles. WRN contributor Brittany Morrow joined many of the WRWR participants at the closing ceremonies in London, England, earlier this month. This served as a real celebration for the women who participated in the rally, both personally and in spirit.

WRWR Final Update London Bike Shed
WRWR women (and their admirers) from around the world gathering for the Grand Finale celebration at The Bike Shed in London. It was an emotional event full of memories, thanks, and congratulations for this remarkable achievement.

WRWR is sure to make the history books as a major milestone in female ridership, and we can’t wait to see what these ladies do next. Did you participate in the relay? We’d love to see your photos, so please use the comments section below or tag us @womenridersnow on Instagram and Facebook.


January in South America

It’s now officially 2020, and the Women Riders World Relay has already taken the new year by storm. The women spent December traversing South America where they visited Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and finished out the year (and the decade) in Brazil. It was an epic month for the ride, which saw nearly 5,000 miles of South American roads, and clocked a number of 8+ hour days.

This photo comes from Claudia Goulart (pictured in the pink headband), who rode on the Brazilian leg of the relay. Claudia rode with her friends and fellow members of the South American all-female moto-group, Ladies of the Road.
South African rider, Diane Jean, holds the WRWR baton during a meetup for female riders. The group joined WRWR on the Karoo Highlands route in the country’s Northern Cape region.

This leg of the South American tour lasted more than two weeks as the women riders travelled from the southern border of Brazil, looping around the country and ending in São Paulo on day 299 of the year-long ride.

This great shot was taken by rider Ilja Lerm, and shows the fun-loving spirit of the women who met to embark on the ride through South Africa’s Northern Cape region and sign the WRWR banner (pictured), as per tradition. The baton was in good hands on its journey across the nation!

After ringing in the new year, the riders were on the road again, carrying the baton to South Africa, thus beginning the last leg of the journey around the world. Riders will spend January visiting a number of African nations including Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique-Malawi, Tanzania, and Kenya. After this final leg of the journey, riders will finally bring the baton back to its home in London, England, where they will celebrate this massive achievement with a WRWR finale event on February 15th.

If you’re in England in February, you won’t want to miss it. You can purchase tickets here.

Make sure to check this page again next month for our final update on this incredible adventure and how it has impacted industries and individuals all over the globe.


December Update

December was a BIG month for the Women Riders World Relay. The relay is fast-approaching the 300th day of their year-long journey across the globe and WRWR founder, Hayley Bell, was just named the AMA’s Motorcyclist of the Year for 2019!

“For her efforts to promote the motorcycle lifestyle around the world and bring together riders from all nations and backgrounds, conveying the positive aspects of motorcycling and drawing attention to the market potential of female riders, Hayley Bell is the 2019 AMA Motorcyclist of the Year,” said Maggie McNally-Bradshaw, chair of the AMA Board of Directors.

The AMA Motorcyclist of the Year designation recognizes the individual or group that had the most profound impact on the world of motorcycling in the previous 12 months. We are so excited that the industry is recognizing her achievements. Congratulations, Hayley!

The relay is about more than getting attention from the motorcycling industry; it’s about giving women a way to connect with their moto-sisters and encourage each other to think big. So far, WRWR has traversed Europe, Asia, North and, now, South America. Just this month the baton has been carried across Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and has just arrived in Brazil, where they will finish out the year. Be sure to check in with us in the new year for another update, as these incredible women take their journey to the roads of Africa!


November Update: Central and South America

The well-traveled Women Riders World Relay baton left the custody of its proud US guardians on October 12th as it was carried across the border of Laredo, Texas, to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, for a Saturday evening celebratory motorcycle ride through the city.

The Women Riders World Relay WRWR Hits the American Road Hayley Bell Liza Miller
WRWR Founder, Hayley Bell (third from the left) and WRWR US Ambassador, Liza Miller (in back, holding the baton) pose with the US and Mexican riders as they celebrate another successful border crossing and international baton hand-off.
The Women Riders World Relay WRWR Hits the American Road Nuevo Laredo, Mexico
Riders enjoying the camaraderie of riding through the streets of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, together.

The baton then traveled for 20 days, covering almost 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers) through the beautiful countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama via the trusted hands of hundreds of Central American female riders. Each rider who accompanies the baton is invited to sign the scroll which now contains thousands of signatures gathered from around the globe.

The Women Riders World Relay WRWR Hits the American Road Signatures
Johanna Padgett adds her signature to the scroll that is then housed safely within the baton and carrying case.
The Women Riders World Relay WRWR Hits the American Road Scrolls
The scrolls now include thousands of women riders’ names from all over the world!
The Women Riders World Relay WRWR Hits the American Road Central America
The amazing colors and tastes of Central America. The scrolls are protected by the handmade weatherproof carrying case on the left. Now an invaluable piece of women in motorcycling history, they need to be carefully preserved.

The relay’s Central American journey ended with a tour of Panama City before it entered Colombia—country #65 on the year-long excursion.

The Women Riders World Relay WRWR Hits the American Road This Is No Easy Riding
As it says on the WRWR website, “This is no easy riding.” Riders are often faced with long days and inclement weather, yet they continue forward on the global mission to show the strength of female motorcyclists.
The Women Riders World Relay WRWR Hits the American Road Asphalt Angels Costa Rica
Karlitta Mora, a proud member of the Asphalt Angels Costa Rican chapter, displays her riding tribe’s patches, again showing that what draws us to the motorcycle community truly knows no boundaries.
The Women Riders World Relay WRWR Hits the American Road Central America
WRWR Central American riders are all smiles as they prepare to greet their South American colleagues.
The Women Riders World Relay WRWR Hits the American Road Next Leg
American rider, Michelle Lamphere (right), passes the baton to Laura Fernandez as she prepares to carry it from Central to South America for the next leg of the relay.

WomenRidersNow.com will continue to share a few of the highlights here as we follow this incredible relay and watch it demonstrate the power of the female motorcyclist community worldwide. Come back here for updates, and share your own relay photos—just tag @womenridersnow. Let’s raise the voice of the community and lend our support to these incredible women who are showing the world the power of the female motorcyclist community!

Next up…South America, where the baton will spend 50 days traveling through nine countries.


The Women Riders World Relay (WRWR) Hits the American Road

An epic year-long women’s motorcycle ride across the globe comes stateside, and WRN is here for it!

10/25/2019

Women Riders World Relay WRWR Hits American Road AIMExpo
Women Riders World Relay (WRWR) Founder Hayley Bell perches on Liza Miller’s shoulders as the group makes a stop at the 2019 AIMExpo in Columbus, Ohio, in September. Liza is the US ride leader, leading the relay from Calais, Maine, to Laredo, Texas, over the course of 18 days.

Women Riders Now welcomes the amazing women participating in the Women Riders World Relay (WRWR) as the ride comes to America. Founded by Hayley Bell from the UK, the WRWR’s mission is to “coordinate women motorcycle riders across the world to participate in the relay, bringing fun, experience, confidence, and a sense of unity to women riders globally.” Consequently, the ride is raising awareness in the motorcycling industry of the importance of the female market, one of the fastest growing segments of riders.

The ride began in February in the UK, and has already crossed Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. It arrived in the United States, the 53rd country in the relay, in September on the 210th day of the epic year-long journey around the world. WRN raised a glass with the riders, led by Liza Miller, creator of the Re-Cycle Garage in Santa Cruz and Motorcycles & Misfits podcast, at the AIMExpo (American International Motorcycle Expo) to celebrate inspirational female riders at one of the biggest motorcycle enthusiast events in the USA. The group explored the Expo for the afternoon, then got a special tour of the American Motorcyclist Association Hall of Fame that evening.

The Women Riders World Relay WRWR Hits the American Road Erin Sills Hayley
Hayley and “JoJo” stop by the Women Riders Now booth at AIMExpo to meet WRN’s Erin Sills. Erin joined the ride in Wyoming a few days later and rode 2,300 miles over the span of five days with the group.
Women Riders World Relay WRWR Hits American Road baton
This is the baton that’s carried by designated riders along the journey and being passed from state to state, country to country. Inside is a scroll that is signed by the riders. It is much like passing the Olympic torch.
Women Riders World Relay WRWR Hits American Road AMA Hall of Fame Museum
Maggie McNally, the first woman to chair the AMA Board of Directors, holds the baton as the group poses outside the AMA Hall of Fame Museum in Pickerington, Ohio. Getting a private tour, making special stops at all the women’s exhibits inside was a special outing the WRWR riders got to partake in.

The WRWR journeyed on from Ohio, covering 400 to 500 miles per day through Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, California, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas before the baton was handed to the next group of women riders south of the border in Mexico. The global ride will continue until January, so there is lots more in store for these ladies!

Women Riders World Relay WRWR Hits American Road Bonneville Salt Flats
Erin and Hayley are all grins as they share a moment with the WRWR baton at the entrance to the iconic Bonneville Salt Flats.
Women Riders World Relay WRWR Hits American Road Day 9
The WRWR riders stopped to learn about land speed racing and the history of the Bonneville Salt Flats as they traveled from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Reno, Nevada, on day nine of the US relay. Big shout out to Indian Motorcycles, who came out in support of women in motorcycling by sponsoring the ride and providing the US leaders with some gorgeous Indian baggers to use.
Women Riders World Relay WRWR Hits American Road_Bonneville Salt Flats Porche Taylor Erin Sills
Porsche Taylor, Founder of Black Girls Ride magazine (and WRN Leadership Board member), poses with Erin and the well-traveled WRWR baton at the entrance of the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Related Articles
2019 AIMExpo Recap
Large-Scale Women’s Motorcycle Ride Wraps Up in San Francisco
Way to Go, Girl! Milestone Achievements for Women Riders
Addicted to Cross-Country Motorcycle Riding

10 thoughts on WRWR Final Update: Wrapping Up in London

  1. I saw Kelly’s reply to your post about the WRWR event and thought I would send in some of my pictures from Canada as well.

  2. I was so proud to be a part of this when the baton came through Texas. Windsisters Julie, Amy, Sheila and I carried the baton from San Antonio to Seminole Canyon National State Park north of Del Rio, Texas. There, we met up with Voni who carried the baton back to the area of Big Bend National Park. This was an adventure I’ll never forget!

  3. I participated in the Leamington Spa to Ace Cafe London leg, but to be able to watch the baton travel has made me still feel a part of this. It’s amazing, the friends I have met and how big the WRWR has become! Me and four friends even had WRWR logo tattoos done to celebrate.

  4. Are you familiar with the Colorado Women’s 2019 World Record attempt? We tried to have more women riders in the same place than the UK record of 1132.We did break a record with most women bikers in a ride!It was so cool to ride with ALL women for a first-ever record attempt!

  5. I was not able to be a part of the WRWR but many of my friends from Minnesota and Wisconsin took part in the relay across several states. What a thrill it was for them albeit cold and rainy, they toughed it out … that is what women riders do!

  6. As a guardian and baton carrier in the WRWR Canada I am very disappointed to not see Canada on the list of countries.Shame on you. How could you miss a country that is larger than yours!

    1. Hi Kelly,I’m not really sure what you mean by “the list of countries…” we did not list every country the ride has been to or is going. We certainly did not mean to offend all the countries that we didn’t specifically mention in this brief article. We will be updating it as the ride continues, however. If you would like to submit a photo or two of your ride, we would be happy to include it in a future post. Please send a couple photos with captions to us at info@WomenRidersNow.com. Please include WRWR in the subject line of your email.Thanks!

  7. I just love this story and wish I could be a part of it! Will this be done again in the US?GIRL BIKERS ROCK!

    1. Hi Susan,We sure hope the ride continues even after this one completes its mission. WRN will surely keep you posted if another is planned after this one.

Scroll to Top