~ SPORTBIKE CHIC ~ Riding Gear Made by Women For Women

Story by Mike Seate

Photos by Mike Seate and Sportbike Chic

LaShundra Rucker has been riding highpowered sportbikes for years, but she always had a problem finding the right riding gear. “There’s always lots of jackets and jeans and things available, some of it for women, but when you try it on, most of it didn’t feel right,” said the North Carolina resident.

About six years back, Rucker decided to remedy the problem of women riders forcing their feminine bodies into riding gear that was never designed to fit them properly. She launched Sportbike Chic, a revolutionary line of riding wear and accessories aimed specifically at the growing female rider population. “I just wanted to get more options out there for women riders and all the passengers riding on the backs of bikes,” she said. To date, the original SC lineup has grown from a few jackets to cover all the essentials for either rider or passenger. The women’s riding jeans, for example, are cut to accommodate a woman’s body with stretch fabric in several areas and spandex “for extra forgiveness,” Rucker said. In addition to tough Kevlar lining to withstand abrasions from contact with the pavement, SC jeans also feature removable knee pads for added protection. “There’s an extra lip in the back at the top of the waist so when you’re leaning over to ride, you’re not exposed,” she said with a laugh.

Acknowledging that women’s bodies come in all shapes, heights and sizes, the knee pads in Sportbike Chic’s jeans can be adjusted to adhere to large, internal Velcro patches while the pockets have been designed to offer real-world carrying capacity. “These aren’t tight little pockets you can’t fit much into, but pockets that actually mean something,” Rucker emphasized.

Focusing on offering the gear through a popular internet site and some direct-to-retail marketing at some of the country’s predominantly African-American and women’s motorcycle rallies, Rucker said she’s encouraged by the number of female riders who’ve been searching for custom-fitted riding gear. “If you look at most of the leather or textile jackets out there, very few are cut to allow room for a woman’s bust or hips,” she said. Similar tailoring considerations went into the creation of the popular denim riding coat and a new line of leather gloves in a variety of high-visibility colors.

Her signature pink and black Yamaha R-1 sportbike is a serious road machine, having covered 58,000 miles in recent years.

Recent additions to the catalog include armored sweatshirts and denim vests. A topseller has been the brand’s armored varsity jacket, a stylish, retro-flavored piece combining leather and fabric reinforced by Kevlar protective panels. “Women’s riding gear doesn’t have to be all in pink but it doesn’t have to be all black leather either,” Rucker said. “Women want to be stylish and protected at the same time when they ride.”

Rucker’s most recent, patented design is a detachable tank purse, a cleverly designed alternative to traditional motorcycle lug- gage. “It’s a one of a kind design that you won’t find anywhere else and it’s unique because it attaches directly to a steel gas tank with magnets inside two flaps and you can fold these away when off the bike and carry it as a cross-body purse that has all the compartments and storage of a purse, but is tough and durable for riding,”

A Marine Corps veteran, AMA member and longtime motorcyclist, Rucker said her company’s mission is to be the preferred clothier of women motorcycle riders, regardless of size. As the number of female riders on American roads increases – the percentage has grown from 10 in 2008 to 19% today, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council – Rucker plans to expand the