April 2022 - Bridget McCutchen

Fast Facts About Bridget:

• Riding since she was 13
• First bike was a Kawasaki Ninja 250R
• Attempting to set the world record for the youngest woman to circumnavigate the world on a motorcycle

How long have you been riding?
I think I was riding from when I was 13. Micheal, my oldest brother, had a motorcycle - I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. He finally let me ride on it on my 13th birthday. I got my own motorcycle when I was 19 and have been riding ever since.

What was your first bike?
My first bike was a 2004 Kawasaki Ninja 250R! I bought it with my older brother’s guidance in Duluth. Riding was terrifying at first - but eventually I got the hang of it.

What is your current bike?
A 2020 Kawasaki versys-X300 that I'm completely in love with.

I’ve named her Mab, after my horse who passed away recently. I had always wanted to take Mab on a long trip, and though I never did, now she gets to ride with me in spirit.

Why do you ride?
I hate this question so much, haha. Just because it’s hard to answer sometimes since I can’t just boil it down. And, of course, sometimes it’s such a misery to be on a motorcycle - just recently I was riding home from New York and it was like 30 degrees out for the whole thousand mile journey. When I got home I was so cold, my feet were total blocks of ice. And yet I still love it so much. I get to be more physically active, and there’s sense of freedom that you just can't get in a car. That’s not an uncommon statement, and for me it’s also about this sense of engagement, too. I’m always much more aware of what’s going on around me and feel more present in the world when I’m on a bike. Whatever is happening around you is happening to you. It’s great, even when it sucks.

Tell us about your upcoming ambition to set a world record.
I will be attempting to set the world record for the youngest woman to circumnavigate the world on a motorcycle! I will also be the youngest person overall, but for some reason they don’t track that. While there probably have been a lot of women to ride around the world, this would be the first official attempt.

What excites you about attempting this?
A lot of things. I’m really excited to go on a longer distance motorcycle trip that I can really see the world and meet people, other motorcyclists who are doing similar things and actually be out in the world. There’s just so much out there. I have been doing some extensive route planning, of course, and mostly been using online resources. I was recently over at a friend’s house and started looking at one of those old book atlases. It had beautiful maps - elevation, rainfall density, just so much information. I spent the rest of the night paging through it. It’s such a big world, and there’s so much in it that I just can’t wait to explore.

Why do you want to set this record?
This is another hard question to answer. I understand why I’m doing it - but it’s not really easy to relate. It’s not a simple answer. I would like to - part of it is for myself. I’d love to have this accomplishment. But it’s also for other people - especially young women, who think it’s not cool to ride a motorcycle, or that we’re crazy - which isn’t wrong. I’m hoping that if they see someone like me - someone who looks like them, they might be more comfortable. Like I was saying, you’re so much more exposed on the bike, but the motorcycling community is so open and welcoming. I feel more empowered to go anywhere, and I get a confidence and freedom that I’ve never had in a car. I want other people to realize that this is something that isn’t out of their reach, and isn’t closed off to them. Honestly, I’m hoping that someone breaks my record - even if it’s the day after I set it. I’d be more than happy to help them.

What do you think will be your greatest obstacle in this feat?
Money and crossing borders. A trip like this is expensive, there’s no getting around that. With all the adventures there’s a lot of things to pay for, shipping the bike, food, gas, so I am a little worried I’ll wind up in some port city trying to barter passage. Really, though, more than that I’m worried that I just won’t be able to cross a border. Beyond the normal hurdles, there’s a lot of turmoil in the world right now, and that means a lot of access is closed off. It’s not like I can put this trip off until things settle down!

Favorite Aerostich gear?
My R3 one piece suit and Mr. Happy! It’s a little hand puppet glove and it comes with those tiny thumb windshield wipers. It’s such a unique piece of equipment - only someone who really knows motorcycles would ever invent something so weird but utterly critical.

Aerostich-related or Aerostich-specific stories?
When I was a young girl I remember going to Aerostich in Duluth with my dad and two older brothers. Michael was shopping there and the rest of us were just kind of along for the ride but I remember my dad picking up a Mr. Happy. He thought it was so funny that for the next few months he would use it at any opportunity - when I was grumpy, waking me up for chores in the morning, pretty much anything. I remember me and my dad having so much fun with that stupid little puppet!

Micheal bought an Aerostich suit in 2012. He rode with it through the winters, and eventually handed it down to me. Well, he made me buy it, but it was just 100$ and 5 hours of yard work. It didn’t quite fit me, but boy could I fit a lot of layers under it. Now I have a new one that’s tailored to me and I can’t get over it!

What advice would you give to women riders?
If you’re already out there riding, I’m sure you don’t need advice from me! But if you’re thinking about starting, here is what I have to say:

Don’t let the first day or so of riding scare you for the rest of your life. It’s pretty terrifying. But it’s also like driving a car for the first time, just without the seat belt. Take it slow, find an empty parking lot with nothing to run into and just do some circles to get familiar with the weight of the motorcycle. It will tell you pretty quickly what it can and cannot do and at the same time you'll find out the same about yourself. Just give yourself some time, respect the motorcycle, and try to get over that initial terror. It’s worth it. I promise.

To learn more about Bridget and her goal to set the world record for the youngest woman to circumnavigate the world on a motorcycle, visit her blog and her Instagram!