Set close to Mother’s Day, this event advocates nothing other than for ladies to “Just Ride”. Indeed.

I don’t always participate, but today I did. Lured further to ride since Seattle’s forecast promised a high of 77°F. Here, you have to take in every sunny day that you can to compensate for the majority of rain days.

I elected to avoid traffic at the start of my ride to take the twisted residential roads through Seattle’s Queen Anne, Capitol Hill, and the lush Arboretum Parkway. Then, I opened my throttle as I entered State Route 520 and the floating bridge to cross Lake Washington. The sun was in my face until I descended to the bridge and my view became filled with a backlit silhouette of the Cascade Mountain Range. The motor of my BMW F650GS purred, and although the lake effect winds shuttered me and my cycle, I looked south to see Mount Rainier in all her snowcapped glory. I had a satisfying grin even as the electronic toll counter charged me $3.59 to cross the bridge. I rode over the new yet uneven road surfaces through a construction zone, and a few miles later and I arrived at work. My helmet sits proudly on my desk.

It’s liberating to ride, and in my opinion, there shouldn’t be a chic and separate ‘female’ riding day. It should just be motorcycle awareness day that anyone can take in.

Andy Goldfine, owner of the fine Aerostich motorcycle gear company, started “Ride to Work Day” over 15 years ago. I like that he didn’t make the event gender specific. If you’ve got it, ride it to work. Simple.

Enjoy the day, rubber side down, and ride safe.