Meet Tabitha from Athens, Georgia/U.S.A. The Co-Founder of Chic Riot, a women’s motorcycle fashion brand, that isn’t just safe but is beautiful too. As a Fashion Designer, Tabitha know’s how to make Motorcycle Gear look good. Being a mother of 3 has not stopped Tabitha from going after her dreams, showing all women out there that you can enjoy the best of both worlds. Learn more about Tabitha and Chic Riot in the interview below. And Yes she is a Petite Biker too.
How tall are you?
5’2
What bike do you ride?
2020 Yamaha MT-07. I am still fresh to riding as I have only been riding a little over 2 years
Why did you choose this bike?
The reason for choosing my current bike is a bit by accident (pun intended) and something about it caught my interest after visiting a motorcycle dealership. My previous motorcycle (Buttercup, a Ninja 300) was deemed a total loss after my accident; I was then on the hunt for something new. This motorcycle offered me more torque, a new style of going “naked”, a different sound, and a few technological upgrades from my 300 which lead me to say, “yes!”
What inspired you to get your license?
What or rather I would say, who inspired me to get my license was my husband, Kidd. I honestly would have never begun this journey of riding if it wasn’t for him. After numerous times of parking lot practice, acquiring a motorcycle permit, and actually riding on the street with other vehicles (let’s admit that can be intimidating lol) I knew I had to get my actual motorcycle license.
What is it like for you, being a motorcycle rider?
I would have never thought in my future I would be riding a motorcycle! And now I can’t see a life without me riding! It has definitely brought so much joy. Who would’ve thought a 400 lbs machine would make me itch for more time to spend on it?!
What were your biggest challenges with motorbiking?
My biggest challenge in the very beginning of riding was learning the clutch and throttle relation. I was stalling out all the time lol. Once I understood that…it made my experience a lot better. Overall, my biggest challenge has to be my height as most motorcycle seat heights are made to fit “normal” size people. Learning my foot placement when stopping especially on hills and being strategic when parking has definitely made me work on those skills, so it will no longer be a challenge, but an accomplishment.
Tell me a little more about Chic Riot and what inspired you to start it?
Chic Riot is a women’s motorcycle gear brand. We started out with just creating motorcycle jackets, but we recently introduced pants to our collection. We were inspired to create this brand after seeing the lack of flattering, chic, and safe riding gear for women. We (Kidd and I) are both creatives and coming from a world of fashion we felt that we could contribute to the women’s motorcycle community. This has definitely been one of the best decisions we could have made!
How did you pick the name - Chic Riot?
The name Chic Riot /SHēk rīət/ stemmed from us wanting to create a brand name that represented what we would portray as a brand. The feminine and fashionable side of a woman who is going against social norms “riding a motorcycle, that’s a guy thing” lol. During one of our brainstorming sessions we came up with the name Chic Riot and it stuck!
Were you previously working within the fashion/gear industry?
Neither of us had previously worked in the gear industry, so we had a lot of work to do before we could even launch Chic Riot. I am a fashion and bridal designer by trade so that portion of Chic Riot came easier to me, but with a lot of stipulations; fabric choices are limited, no short cuts even for samples, and each design has to be functional for a rider (easy to get in and out being the biggest).
How would you personally, best describe the current Fashion scene when it comes to women’s motorcycle gear?
The current fashion scene for women I believe is divided into thirds. One third are older women who have been riding for years and leather vest, jackets, chaps have always been their norm; another third are women who are subjected to wearing gear that was originally designed for a man, but “shrunken and made pink” for a woman; and lastly, women who opted not to wear gear because they want to look like a woman and nothing on the market seems appealing. We are striving to fill that void for all of these women and we are slowly seeing more brands blossom with the same intentions.
Finally, what advice would you give to someone starting their motorcycle journey?
For anyone starting their motorcycle journey my advice would be to learn at your own pace, but be willing to push yourself; keep advancing your skills because you can never learn enough, and if other people are enjoying this sport/lifestyle find out why…due to personal experience. 😉
If there is anything you would like to add, a questions you feel may benefit the petitebiking community
Also, I would like to add the fact I am a mother of 3 kids with one on the way 😉 that keeps me busy! So for all the women who are just beginning or thinking of riding it is quite possible to add riding to your list of amazing things you do!
Do you have a question for Tabitha? Leave a comment below.
No questions, I just wanted to say that I enjoyed reading about Tabitha & love the brand
Love it Tabitha !