Girl power

Discover the women’s magazine that carved a space for female Harley^® riders, by female Harley riders

With targeted gear, social events, a proliferation of riding groups, builders and buying power, women are finally a force within the motorcycling community. Women have been riding and advocating since the early years of the sport – Lillian Hauerwas was writing for motorcycling magazines as far back as the 1910s. Virtual connections continue to demonstrate the importance of community for women riders. But long before the internet, two women saw a need for that connection. They pooled resources, brainstormed options, and crafted a dramatic new direction within motorcycle publishing.  

Dedicated to women as riders, owners, and community members, Harley Women magazine was started by Linda “Jo” Giovannoni and Cris Sommer Simmons in 1985. The magazine served as a way for women riders to connect and share stories, continuing the legacy of riding groups from the 1940s and 1950s, like the Motor Maids and the Women’s International Motorcycle Association. 

Featuring product reviews, rider profiles, family pictures and stories of epic journeys, it was one of the first publications dedicated to the experience of women riders. Images contributed by women of their bikes and their families appear in its pages, along with stories like “Tech Tips — P.M.S. Preventative Maintenance Schedule” and reviews of newly released models. Over the years, the magazine also included lists of riding clubs and associations for women. The lists demonstrated how the sport was growing: in the January/February 1986 issue, five groups were listed; 12 years later, the January/February 1998 issue lists a whopping 79 groups. Cris has talked about how they approached Harley-Davidson for the title, just because they loved the bikes. The publication served as a connection for many riders, and even organised events at Sturgis.

Cris and Jo were co-publishers and editors until Cris sold Jo her half of the company in the 1990s. Jo continued to publish the magazine until 1997, when it was rebranded as Asphalt Angels. Its legacy continued with the launch of WomenRidersNow.com in 2006. Cris is a well-known rider of antique bikes and continues to give voice to women in the sport as a journalist. Jo passed in 2022. For their efforts in starting the Harley Women magazineand their advocacy on the part of women riders, Jo and Cris have both received honours, such as being inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame: Jo in 1996 and Cris in 2008.

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