By T-Bone–
I was born and raised in San Francisco—some might say hatched; some might say I sprouted. It kind of depends on whom you talk to. The City of San Francisco is part of my existence. Everything about the city feels like home.
As far back as I can recall, I have always been drawn to motorcycles. I remember that, when I was younger, my friends and I had a broken Moped, and you had to keep your finger on the choke to make it run while you were riding it. Those were good days. I reached a four-way intersection, and I remember this truly cool biker letting me cross on my Moped before him. All I could think was that I would be on the motorcycle one day.
My Pop had bikes during my childhood. You could catch him on Indian Scouts and Harleys. To this day, I still have some old 8mm films of him riding his motorcycle on Ocean Beach in San Francisco. He still talks about how great his motorcycle felt. I completely understand how he feels; if it’s in you, it’s in you. There is no mistake about it.
The San Francisco Dykes On Bikes® mission statement is “to support philanthropic endeavors in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and women’s communities, and to reach out to empower a community of diverse women through rides, charity events, Pride events, and education.”
Well, there is so much more to this. As with most motorcycle organizations, there are steps and levels. A participant is one step above the crowd and one step closer to getting into the club. They learn, watch, and decide the next step, whether upwards or downwards.
Prospect is the growing phase; the learning, participating, and watching phase. It usually involves saying yes more than no. Depending on the organization, prospects typically wear a patch or pin to show the world they are a part of that group. Wearing this item shows others where you stand; it is a great moment of acceptance. Life changes when you are accepted as a Prospect. When someone from the outside looks at you, they know you are a growing member. It separates you from the members, but still allows one to represent the club. It recognizes your work to support the club and shows your goals to move up the ladder. It is a proud step of the channels and dedication to becoming a member.
Myself, I’m a Patch. I say Proud Patch because it resonates inside of me. This member has made it in. A Patch member has made it in. Their patch represents hard work and success. It shows they deserve the respect they receive. They are out in the community to help and strive. This respect should flow like a river through the club. Everyone is responsible to themselves to make the right decisions and always to remember to treat each other with the utmost respect off and on the road. We show up in unison and glide down the road with all types of motorcycles and riders.
Members are a collaboration of bikers, motorcyclists, and motorcycle enthusiasts, all with the same mission. We produce the largest roar at Pride events to stimulate the crowd and let everyone know we are here. We support you; we support the LGBTQ+ community. We will carry on a tradition that has been leading the Pride Parade on the streets of San Francisco since 1976 with our founding members.
Dykes on Bikes, to me, is a symbol of strength and character. It causes you to be greater than you were before you joined. It makes you kinder and empowered to help; we jump into action when a community member needs you. Know that when your eye catches another member, you instantly know they have got you. Put aside any restrictions on ideology and embrace your fellow members and prospects with grace and respect. Let them know we are here to represent; they are not alone.
I will do my best with these amazing Dykes to always keep them by my wings … and fly in if they need anything.
Biker blood runs through my veins.
T-Bone was patched into Dykes on Bikes in 2024. She rides a Harley Davidson FXR Trike Conversion. https://www.dykesonbikes.org/
DYKES ON BIKES®
Published on February 13, 2025
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