Sue Tomsic and Dianne Williams were two of hundreds of women bikers from Georgia and Florida who recently participated in the Outback Riders Toy Run, an event which drew more than 2,215 bikers with gifts for needy children. Here are their stories:



VALDOSTA — Sue Tomsic and Dianne Williams were both more than 50 years old when they began riding their own motorcycles.

A native of Allentown, Pa., who has lived in the Valdosta area since 2001, Tomsic got her motorcycle riding license six years ago when she was 52. Though she was a former skydiver and had enjoyed handgliding, she had not ridden a motorcycle on her own until she was more than 50 years old.

Tomsic said she had never even ridden a dirt bike, despite the fact that her younger brother, Nick Tomsic, had ridden since he was in high school.

“I was riding as a passenger. It’s like riding double on a horse. The first time is really fun. After that, you want those reins in your hands.”

She and her boyfriend, Wayne Magley, are members of the American Motorcyclists Association.

“Right after I completed the Motorcycle Safety Foundation beginner’s course, I was nervous riding on the road,” Sue admitted. “I had a few key phrases I kept telling myself, ‘Heads and eyes up, knees and elbows in;’ ‘Look through your turn;’ and ‘If you can eat it in one sitting, don’t worry about it,’ meaning use good judgment in whether to avoid an obstacle or keep on going. I’m an animal lover, but if it means me or the squirrel, I’ll keep on going.”

Her “most cherished” biking memory came in 2007 when she took her bike up to Pennsylvania for the sole purpose of riding the Pocono Mountains with her brother, Nick.

“It was an incredible trip and most challenging. Those mountain roads are extremely steep and curvy; you have to be ‘on’ the entire time. Sounds tiring, but with the beautiful scenery all around, it’s relaxing at the same time. I spent most of that weekend with Nick, and little did I know that it would be the last time I would ever see him again.”

Nick was killed in a motorcycle accident in Pennsylvania in March of this year.

“There was a lot of loose gravel on the road,” said Sue, who wears his ashes in a cross around her neck when she rides her bike.

She admits the first few times she rode after her brother’s accident, she had a difficult time. There have been a few more anxious moments: “anytime you do something new you haven’t done before, such as moving up to a bigger bike; your first time on the interstate; riding The Tail of the Dragon near Bryson City, N.C., on Highway 129 (318 curves in 11 miles); and your first long trip.”

Three years ago, she and Debbie Nagy drove their bikes to the Women’s Conference in Athens, hosted by the American Motorcyclists Association.

“The Women’s Conference, of course, was very exciting: meeting other lady riders of all ages and from every walk of life. When you see thousands of women bikers, you realize you’re not a novelty,” she said. “I remember that there was a 72-year-old woman there who rode alone all the way from Canada.

“A very limited number were able to sign up to take our bikes onto the Road Atlanta racetrack and participate in a class with Grand Prix World Champion Kevin Schwantz. All of our lights and mirrors as well as our speedometers were taped over as we raced around the track at speeds over 100 miles per hour. That was really quite an experience.”

The conference also provided demo rides where the women could ‘test ride’ any of the different makes and models.

“The reps would take a group out on a road ride all around the lovely Athens area. Then there were the seminars, demonstrations of picking up a bike by yourself if you ever have to do that, women’s safety, etc. There were vendors with products specifically designed for women riders and various events including a parade through Athens and a grand finale banquet.

“That was my first ‘long riding trip’ so it was pretty special, too.”

Another memorable ride was to Rolling Thunder, the yearly Memorial Day weekend motorcycle parade in Washington, D.C., honoring all of America’s veterans. She and Nagy rode up there with friends, David Surrency, John McGee and Vietnam veterans Wayne Magley and Wayne Owens. Beth Owens flew up to spend the weekend with them.

“Numbers as high as one million bikes start out at the Pentagon and ride to the War Memorials in the Mall area of D.C. There was an old guy in a military uniform. He stood the whole time saluting,” Sue said, her voice breaking. “You don’t realize how emotional it is. People on the sidewalks were seven deep saluting and holding hands out to be slapped.

“This was also a special trip for me because Wayne Magley and I had recently started dating, and this was our first long trip together. On the ride home, we crossed the Chesapeake Bay on the Bay Bridge-Tunnel and came down the coast along the ocean, stopping in Myrtle Beach to take off our boots and walk along the surf.”

Tomsic, an insurance adjuster working out of her home, has two bikes, a 2005 Kawasaki Vulcan Classic and her Uncle Joe Tomsic’s 1986 Kawasaki Vulcan. She’s using the latter one to learn how to repair motorcycles.

Both Williams and Tomsic encourage more women to take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation beginner’s course, offered at Valdosta Technical College and the Harley-Davidson dealership in Tifton.

“In order to ride a motorcycle on public highways and streets, you must have an endorsement (which is given through this course),” Williams said. “We push this safety course because there are so many riding who have established unsafe practices.”

Williams said there are many women over 50 getting their licenses.

“Fifty is the new 30. Kids are gone, they’re retired and have more time to enjoy themselves. Women are feeling less guilty about doing things for themselves.

“That’s when women our age start to come into their own,” Williams said. “It’s our time to find our independence and express ourselves. Now I have more time for me — and others.”

Williams has two bikes, a 2008 Harley-Davidson Super Glide and her first bike, a 1999 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200.

“Between the two bikes since March ’07, I’ve logged a little over 40,000 miles. To put that in perspective, my 2006 Explorer, which I got in July ’06, has about 26,000 miles on it. I have been fortunate to be able to find the time to take some lengthy weekend road trips, and when I can’t, I am usually out riding the local area roads, always looking for that undiscovered windy, curvy road motorcycle riders love to ride.”

Born in Eufaula, Ala., and raised in Blountstown and Stark, Fla., Williams attended Florida State, but married the late Rich Williams of Stark before completing her studies. The two, who graduated high school together, had three children, Micayle (and Eric) and their two children, Ashlyn, 9, and Patrick, 6, of Lawrenceville; her son, Kevin (and Jenna) of Columbia, S.C.; and daughter Erin of St. Augustine, Fla.

Dianne began riding her motorcycle three years ago at age 56.

“I’ve always wanted to ride a motorcycle, but it wasn’t until I met my boyfriend, Tracy, who encouraged me and told me I could ride on my own that I did.”

Dianne met Tracy in 2001 when he installed the embroidery equipment at her business, Natural Threadz. He rode his bike from Atlanta to see her. She began searching for a motorcycle riding course to take.

“I was fascinated by the motorcycle scene. It made my heart race, but I didn’t hang out with the bikers,” said Dianne, who eventually became a part of the Outback Riders.

Three years ago, Mike Vaughn of Nashville asked her to participate in the Outback Riders Toy Run. Since she didn’t have a helmet or boots, they rode to Tifton on his ’77 Shovelhead FLH to get them from the Harley-Davidson dealership there. She took the safety course offered and dropped the bike they provide, a 500 CC Buell Blast. Three weeks later, she found her ’99 Sportster which she named “Christine.”

Taking it to Vaughn’s house in Nashville, she practiced riding it in the parking lot at Nashville Elementary and dropped it. She dropped it three times in the first month she owned the bike. That’s why both she and Tomsic urge beginning women riders not to give up if they drop their bikes, not to miss the sensation of riding on their own.

“It’s powerful,” Dianne said. “In the beginning, it’s somewhat scary, but the feeling of wind in your face is total freedom.”

Added Sue, “It’s the same as skydiving. When you stand at the door of the plane, it’s scary, but when you freefall ....”

Motorcyclists, according to Williams, call people who drive cars “cagers” because they are enclosed by metal.

“When you are on the bike, you are one with the road,” she said, referring to a quote, “Only a biker knows why a dog sticks his nose out the window.”

Her trial by fire came when she and her friends rode Grandfather Mountain near Linville, N.C., which peaks at 5,946 feet. She said she missed the part in the brochure which says it is not recommended for motorcyclists

“What scared me was the switchbacks. It’s the mile-high mountain, the grades. I don’t think I’d ever been so scared in my life. I kept saying, ‘Don’t stall; don’t stall.’ It was extremely windy at the top. There’s no guardrails on the boulders.”

When she got down the mountain, she got off her bike and kissed the ground. Her fellow biker, Janice Palmer, hugged her, and Williams was finally able to release her tears.

The next day, they were to ride The Tail of the Dragon’s 318 curves in 11 miles around Deal’s Gap, N.C. Some of the Dragon’s sharpest curves have names like Copperhead Corner, Wheelie Hell, Killboy Corner, Sunset Corner, Gravity Cavity, Beginner’s End, and Brake or Bust Bend.

“The Dragon was nothing but a little lizard compared to Grandfather Mountain,” Dianne said.

She hasn’t let the experience keep her off the road.

“I’ll take off to Panacea and ride 100 miles, I’ll spend some time on the beach and ride back home.”

Dianne started a MySpace page (www.myspace.com/ridersofsouthga) earlier this year after last year’s “highly successful” toy ride.

“It’s primarily a calendar of events for local area riders, motorcycle friendly establishments, etc. It’s a work in progress but is slowly catching on. My goal with it is to help get the word out throughout the year to the area motorcycle community of the smaller poker runs and events you won’t find posted on the larger event sites. Hopefully, that will help them be more successful, and also avoid so many conflicts in scheduling if folks will check it first before planning a run. Of course, it’s dependent on folks sending me a flyer to post on the site. It’s also a way for the lady riders around the area to keep up with what’s going on and connect with other ladies who ride.”