Author(s): Arthur; Winterhalder, Edward Veno

TRANSPORT

The male-dominated world of bikers' clubs has long been shrouded in secrecy, but the role of women in these bastions of testosterone is even more mysterious. Popular images of scantily-clad females who are little more than slaves don't do justice to the rich history and culture of the many women who have chosen to ride with their men, or ride in their own right. Ever since the first female motorcycle club formed in the 1930s (the 'Motor Maids') with their quaint white gloves and a flourish of colour on their jackets, women bikers have been turning heads. And yet today they are all but banned from joining the male clubs. Then there are those women who are seen as mere accessories' for male club-members: the ol' ladies', the strippers', the hang-arounds', and the more hard-core groupies like the 'Biker Sluts', the 'Mamas' and the 'Sweet Butts'. The rules and protocols they must observe are astonishing, though some wield far more power over their men than it would appear. Biker Chicks brings together numerous personal stories and puts them into context with a thoroughly entertaining history. There's a detailed exploration into the forces and motivations that draw particular women to the bike scene, and on a wider scale, an analysis of what attracts both women and men to its Bad Boy' culture. Biker Chicks is a unique and timely book offering rare and compelling insights into a world that mystifies - sometimes even terrifies - the outsider.