Join the Ride to Resist!

It has been a long week in the U.S. The aftermath of the unrest in Charlotte that killed 32-year-old Heather Heyer was just the beginning of a long string of sad moments for our country. To be honest, it has been hard to keep up with all the bullshit that has been happening since the 45th took office this last January. I think a lot of us were ready for a shit show, but we had no idea how bad it would get. I know that a lot of you will disagree with me on some of the stuff I just said, but I don't care. Hip in Detroit stands up against racism and Nazis and isn't afraid to speak out against them. But, for some of us, speaking out is not enough. We are trying to find new ways to organize together and give back.

One cool group using their collective power to give back is The Dahlias, an all female motorcycle collective in Detroit. They have organized a Ride to Resist that will take place on August 27th, 2017. The ride will be an hour and a half long and will make a stop at Detroit's oldest bar before heading to The Loving Touch to close out the night.
Tickets to ride with the group are only $10 a piece and you can get them here. Proceeds from this ride will go to Planned Parenthood, one of the groups that have taken the biggest hits since the new administration came into power. So it is a great place to make a donation!

We had a chance to talk to the collective co-creator about the motorcycle collective's history and this particular Ride to Resist. Check it out and then sign up to be a part of the ride or meet them at The Loving Touch on Sunday the 27th to show solidarity with the resistance!

HID-Who are The Dahlias?
Hayley Suder- "The Dahlias are an all female motorcycle collective. We ride together, thrive together, and encourage other women to do the same. We all about riding motorcycles and having a good time doing it."

HID-When did the group form and why?
Hayley Suder- "We formed in 2014. It started out as just my friend Valerie (who is our co-founder) and myself. I had just started riding and didn’t know any other women that road at the time. I just road with my husband (who still remains my favorite riding partner) but I felt like I would have such a blast riding with some of my girlfriends. When I first started riding I was really disappointed with the lack of female riders in the area. I remember searching Google for female riding clubs close by and did find a few, but to be honest, they all intimidated me and I felt like I wouldn’t be welcomed as a beginner rider. I had been really inspired by this new wave of female motorcycle riders you see on social media, specifically, Babes Ride Out, which is a really rad all women’s motorcycle camp out in Joshua Tree, California, and Narrowsburg, New York. I convinced my friend Valerie to start riding and the rest is kind of history."

HID-What kind of bike do you ride?
Hayley Suder- "I started out riding a 250cc Yamaha Virago and quickly got bored of that and moved onto a 600cc Honda Shadow. I currently ride a 2009 1200cc Harley Davidson Nightster. Although if you googled a picture of a Nightster my bike looks nothing like that. My husband and I totally customized it and made it my own, I’m in love with it!"

HID-Whats your favorite part about riding?
Hayley Suder- "I really love everything about riding but I think my favorite thing is the freedom of it as cliche as it sounds. There's nothing quite like being able to just hop on your bike and go. It’s a totally different experience than being in a car. The curves in the road, the hills, the environment, you’re exposed to it all when you’re on a bike and it's so awesome. I also love the friends that I’ve made riding motorcycles. I’ve met a ton of amazing people and it's really cool to see how bikes can bring everyone together."

HID-Why do you like riding in a group?
Hayley Suder- "I love riding with the Dahlias because it's so empowering! There's nothing quite like riding together and looking back to see 15+ bad ass ladies riding behind you."

HID-What do you do when it rains?
Hayley Suder- "We don’t really ride when it rains! If you have a ride scheduled and it turns out to be a rainy day we will usually post pone if for a time when there is nice weather. I have no problem admitting I’m a fair weather rider. There's nothing appealing about riding in the rain to me haha."

HID-Why did you decide to raise money for Planned Parenthood?
Hayley Suder- "Being an all-woman collective, the services and advocacy provided by Planned Parenthood for women’s health issues are obviously very important to our members. President Trump recently signed a law allowing individual states to withhold federal funding from Planned Parenthood, an act that slashes the affordable family planning services, cancer screenings, sexual health education, and other general health services provided to approximately 2.5 million Americans each year. Defunding Planned Parenthood also denies accessible healthcare for many people; Over 50% of Planned Parenthood clinics are located in rural areas where access to other health clinics may be limited, and about 40% of their patients each year belong to minority communities who typically lack access to other quality healthcare options. The Dahlias are always seeking new ways to give back to the communities and organizations that are close to our hearts and in line with our mission, so we are hosting a silent auction and charity ride in August called “Ride to Resist” to combat the current administration’s attempts to defund Planned Parenthood."

HID- What would I do if I wanted to join the Dahlias?
Hayley Suder- "Well first off you have to have your endorsement and be insured. After that just show up to one of our rides!! We post all of our open rides on social media and our website. Ride with us, get to know us, see if you vibe with us! If we’re your style, we’d love to have you!"

HID- What if you don’t ride, can you still come out and party?
Hayley Suder- "Hell yes!! We hope that you do!!! We host lost of events throughout that year that are open to everyone! Make sure you check out the website to stay up to date!"

HID- Is there anything else you would like our readers to know?
Hayley Suder- "If you’re interested in attending our Ride To Resist event it will be held at The Loving Touch in Ferndale on August 27th at 7 pm. There's some really great stuff up for auction, and there's going to be live music!! If you’re a motorcycle rider in the area we hope you’ll join us for our ride portion of the event! We will be going on an hour long motorcycle ride with a stop at the Two Way Inn. Riders much purchase a ticket which can be purchased on our website at www.thedahlias.org."

~S