Celebrating 17 years of fearless women, unbreakable bonds, and unstoppable spirit on two wheels.
**“A tight, trimmed-down version of this ran in Issue 317—but this is the full story, the way it was meant to be told.”**
By Jenny Lefferts | Photos: Sturgis Buffalo Chip
How do you tell the story of your heroes? The legends. The icons. The Founding Five of Biker Belles.
On August 5, 2025, the Sturgis Biker Belles roared into its 17th year. What began in 2009 with fewer than twenty riders has grown into one of the most celebrated events at the world’s largest motorcycle rally. This year, over 135 women motorcyclists thundered out of Deadwood Lodge, carving twists and turns through Highway 385, Nemo Road, and Vanocker Canyon before rolling into the Legendary Buffalo Chip, a place that has truly become a home for women at Sturgis.
The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally draws over half a million riders every August. But in a sea of chrome and leather, Biker Belles stands apart, a ride and full-day event celebrating women riders and the community that supports them, past, present, and future. This year’s Grand Marshal of the 85th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was Gloria Tramontin Struck, who turned 100 in July. Riding since 1941, she’s a living link to nearly a century of motorcycling. Along with Cris Sommer Simmons, Meg McDonough, Lori DeSilva, and Laura Klock, she is one of the women who helped create Biker Belles, a legacy that continues to grow each year.
So, who are these women, the ones who took an idea and turned it into a full-day event that’s become a Sturgis institution? Hold onto your handlebars. Here are the stories of the Founding Five: the who, the when, and the why behind their journey to becoming motorcycle legends.
Cris Sommer Simmons – The Inspiration
If anyone embodies the spirit of Biker Belles, it’s Cris Sommer Simmons. A veteran of the motorcycle world, Cris transformed her love of riding into a lifelong mission championing women long before it was mainstream. Author, cross-country vintage racer, Hall of Fame inductee, and tireless advocate, she has been celebrated and featured across the industry—but at her core, her passion is inspiring women to ride and lead.
Her love affair with motorcycles began at age nine, on the back of her stepfather’s bike. “That was the most excited I’ve ever been about anything in my whole life,” she says. By 14, she was riding solo on a Yamaha Twin Jet 100, a gift from her mom who understood her need for speed. At 19, she bought her first Harley and rode it to Sturgis in 1981. “I don’t remember seeing another woman rider on the road,” she recalls.
In 1985, she and her friend Linda “Jo” Giovannoni co-founded Harley Women magazine, the first publication devoted to female riders. There were few women moto-journalists in those days. Cris went on to write for several motorcycle publications around the world, always prompting and trying to inspire other women to follow their dreams.A year later, Cris and Jo organized the first-ever women’s ride and day event in Sturgis, drawing industry attention and proving that women belonged in the rally’s story from 1986 to 1989.
In 2009, Rod “Woody” Woodruff of the Sturgis Buffalo Chip, along with Black Hills Harley-Davidson invited Cris to participate as a dignitary in the Pink & Proud women’s ride for cancer. Cris rallied riders and enlisted her husband, Pat Simmons of The Doobie Brothers, to donate auction items and play an acoustic set after the ride. That modest beginning—with just a few women and supporters—set the foundation for what Biker Belles has become today.
Meg McDonough – The Strategist
If Cris is the inspiration, Meg McDonough is the strategist — the one who turns vision into action. Born on Chicago’s South Side and later settling in Seattle, Meg didn’t start riding until her early 30s. On her first birthday without her mom in May 2003, she walked into her local dealer and bought “the biggest, baddest bike in the whole damn store.” Within months, she had logged over 17,000 miles and discovered her passion for the open road.
In 2004, Meg moved to the Black Hills for love, but when asked to choose between a man and her motorcycle, there was no hesitation: “He was fired.” A year later, while attending the funeral of Pearl Hoel, cofounder of the Sturgis Rally, she was invited to prospect with the Jack Pine Gypsies, the club that started the rally in 1938. By September, she became their first female road captain. In 2008, she nearly made history again, losing the JPG presidential race by just five votes but taking the role of VP. Later that year, she sponsored Woody’s membership in the club.
During this time, Meg noticed a glaring gap: no rides or events specifically honored women riders. Determined to change that, she pitched a ride celebrating women in motorcycling history while supporting the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame.
Meg wanted to do more than wear pink for charity. After the 2010 Buffalo Chip Pink & Proud ride, she met with Cris, Gloria and Lori. “I felt there was a need for an event that honored impactful women within motorcycling, who were paving the way and changing the industry for the better,” she says. They agreed, a resounding “hell yeah.” Later in the year, Woody invited Laura Klock to join, and together they split donations between the museum and Laura’s Helping with Horsepower foundation.
With that vision, Biker Belles was born. What started with fewer than twenty riders now draw hundreds each year, inspiring the next generation while honoring the trailblazers who paved the way.
Gloria Tramontin Struck – The Legend
Gloria Struck began riding before women wore pants. Born in 1925, her family ran the Lexington Cycle Shop, selling bicycles and motorcycles. Her brother taught her to ride at 16, and she never stopped, riding from 1941 to 2017.
She traveled across the lower 48 states, attended countless rallies, and even rode the Alps at 75 with her son, Glenn. Her lifelong riding partner has been her daughter, Lori. Together, they’ve logged more miles than most club members. During an interview, Lori laughed, “Did you hear about the fight?” On the night of the newly named Biker Belles ride in 2011, a woman pushed Gloria, almost knocking her over at a Greg Allman show at the Buffalo Chip. Gloria, at 86 and standing just over 5-foot, wasn’t having it, but friends and family stepped in before it got messy — a hilarious moment that perfectly captures her fiery, fearless personality and why she’s undeniably badass.
This year, Gloria was named Grand Marshal of the 85th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally — a woman who started riding around the same time the rally itself was founded. Meeting the next generation of women riders at Biker Belles was pure magic. For Gloria, motorcycles are more than machines — they are symbols of freedom, adventure, and the enduring bond between women riders. Her legacy is imprinted not only in the miles she has traveled but in every woman she has inspired to climb onto a bike and take to the open road.
Lori DeSilva – The Family
Lori DeSilva’s riding journey began at age 11, when her family put her on a dirt bike but forgot to tell her how to stop it. After circling the property four times, she was hooked.
In 1977, Lori met her future husband, Gary. He bought his first Harley, a Low Rider, in 1979, and Lori followed with her own Harley Fat Bob in 1980. Together, they shared a love of riding, but Lori’s connection to motorcycles was also deeply rooted in family. She rode alongside her mother, Gloria, attending rallies across the country, carving out thousands of miles together, and creating a bond on two wheels that would last a lifetime.
The family tradition continued with the next generation. In 2015, to celebrate Gloria’s 90th birthday, Lori’s youngest daughter, Kathy, earned her license and joined her mother and grandmother on her first ride to Moncton, Canada, covering 7,000 miles in a single month. After a short week at home, the trio turned around and headed to Sturgis, sharing laughter, sweat, and unforgettable moments along the way. As Lori puts it simply, “If it rained, you just took the mascara off.”
Two years later, in 2017, the three generations reunited for another milestone: Gloria, now 93, rode her final long-distance trip. Riding together once again to Sturgis, Gloria, Lori, and Kathy carried on the family tradition, weaving their love for motorcycles into a living legacy — a testament to courage, freedom, and the unbreakable bond between women who ride.
A founding member of Biker Belles, Lori helped bring a shared vision to life, mentoring women and keeping the ride true to its mission: celebrating women, their strength, and the freedom of two wheels.
Laura Klock – The Record Breaker
Laura Klock has always lived life at full throttle. Growing up in Wisconsin with a love of dirt bikes and cars, she found her way to motorcycling and quickly made her mark.
Her boldness was on full display at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 2006, where she set the AMA National Land Speed Record riding a bagger motorcycle — after having ridden the bike only twice and never raced before. “The bike wobbled at 125 mph, and I just let go, kinda let it do the boogie, and then just got back in it,” she recalls.
The following year, she brought her daughters, Erika and Karlee, to the Salt Flats. Together, they became the first mother-daughter-daughter trio to simultaneously hold land speed records.
Laura also participated in the Pink & Proud rides and became a motivational force behind Biker Belles, often with her daughters riding alongside her. When the ride began rebranding in 2011, Carol, Woody’s wife, came up with the new name, Biker Belles, and a profile photo of Laura on her bike became the inspiration for the first logo — underscoring her influence and iconic presence in the ride’s early identity.
That same year, she launched Helping with Horsepower, a nonprofit empowering women and youth through motorcycle rebuild programs. As a founding member of Biker Belles, she helped shape the ride into a celebration of female riders, blending entrepreneurial drive with a commitment to community.
For Laura, motorcycles are about courage, creativity, and connection — and she continues to inspire women on two wheels with every ride she takes.
A Home for Women
None of this would exist without Toni Woodruff. Daughter of Buffalo Chip founder Rod Woodruff, she has poured her heart and soul into Biker Belles, turning it into a bold, welcoming arena for women who ride.
“Our job at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip for the last 44 years has been to throw ‘The Best Party Anywhere!’” she says. “As a natural outgrowth of that vision, Biker Belles was created — giving everyone a seat at the table by providing a home for women at Sturgis.”
Carrying forward her father’s vision, Toni has grown Biker Belles into both a ride and a movement. From mentoring newcomers to orchestrating every detail of the event, she ensures every rider feels seen, celebrated, and empowered.
“What a privilege it has been watching the growth and mentorship of these women as they explored friendships and motorcycles,” she adds. “All we can hope for as we see the future catapulting before us is that Biker Belles continues to provide that safe space to gather, be inspired, RIDE, create, and experience joy. There’s always so much energy in that room and it feels sooooo good!!!”
Alongside the Founding Five, Toni has supercharged Biker Belles into a living, roaring festival of women, motorcycles, and unstoppable spirit.
Champions and Rockstars
Each year, Biker Belles honors a select group of women as Champions — riders, leaders, and advocates who embody the spirit of the ride and carry its mission into the future. They’re not just guests of honor; they’re torchbearers of the legacy the Founding Five set in motion.
Thanks to Toni’s guidance and the environment she helps cultivate, these women not only ride but mentor newcomers, share skills, and inspire one another. Riders like Diva Amy Skaling, Vicki Roberts-Sanfelipo, Gevin Fax, Moira Zinn, Marilyn Stemp, Betsy Huelskamp, Athena Ransom, Theresa Contreras, Jessi Combs through The Jessi Combs Foundation, Karen Davidson, Marjorie Kleiman, Ellie Rains, Gina Woods, Jacqui Van Ham, Savannah Rose, and countless others keep the energy, camaraderie, and passion alive. They embody skill, commitment, and fearlessness — rain or shine.
The Next Generation
When I arrived at registration this year, I met Kelly Yazdi. I was struck by a wave of raw energy — in her 30s, she’s already a dynamic, trailblazing force in the motorcycling world. Kelly is a stuntwoman and co-founder of Wild Gypsy Tour, the first all-women’s motorcycle festival and campout, which ran at the Buffalo Chip from 2017 through 2021. The tour is part of Kelly’s larger organization, Ride Wild, which empowers women in Powersports. That same year, 2017, she also rode in her very first Biker Belles.
“I remember being blown away by the power and the bad-assery of the women who participated,” Kelly said. “The relationships I made that first year still carry me further into the industry.”
Kelly also recalled that her debut Biker Belles coincided with meeting this year’s ride captain, Brandi Moya. Brandi had come to Sturgis in 2017 to join Wild Gypsy Tour, inspired by rider and influencer Leticia Cline. Eight years later, Brandi returned as a fearless leader, riding in from Las Vegas with seven other women — a mix of rookies and seasoned riders. Fierce in her commitment to building sisterhood on the road, Brandi even launched the first Girl Guides to Sturgis this year — a no-nonsense roadmap for women ready to roll into the rally with confidence and claim their space.
After the ride, I mentioned to Kelly that back in the 2000s, the industry’s goal had been to raise women’s participation in motorcycling to 20% by 2020. She just grinned and said: “That’s great, but let’s make it 51%.”
With trailblazers like Kelly and Brandi at the throttle, the next generation of Biker Belles is roaring onto the rally scene — bold, unstoppable, and ready to push the limits faster, farther, and louder than ever.
Full Circle
What started as a modest ride has grown into a legacy — a movement that honors pioneers, empowers today’s riders, and clears the road for the next generation.
With Cris as the inspiration, Meg the strategist, Gloria the legend, Lori the family, Laura the record breaker, and Toni the heartbeat, Biker Belles is more than a ride. It is history in motion, a roaring tribute to women who have forever changed the landscape of motorcycling.
Every August in Sturgis, when hundreds of women thunder out onto the open road, that legacy grows louder, prouder, and unstoppable.
