Nicole: IT Security Professional & Adventure Lover
I have always been around motorcycles and a few years ago I moved to the front of my own cycle. As a female rider I encourage other female riders in the garage and on the open roads. It was towards the end of the riding season in 2016 when I picked up my new Indian Scout that I immediately started to search for a backpack. The Scout has saddlebags as an option but they are not appealing to me, and with living in the city I needed a pack to carry ‘just stuff’ in. I found a woman’s motorcycle gear shop — Wind & Throttle — and immediately began to support (a.k.a. stalk) their Instagram page. I had the opportunity to meet the owner Jen at a local showcase in Chicago where she automatically makes you her focal point to answer any questions or provide suggestions for gear as she also is an avid rider. I was explaining my needs for a backpack and she suggested the Lauren Bag by MotoChic®. I noticed the quality immediately. I loved the internal pocks and the weatherproofing. It had reflectors on it but I didn’t look like a school crossing guard. It is super sleek and also can be made into a purse in seconds. It’s unique. The straps are wide and padded so they don’t dig into my arms when I ride and it also comes with a chest strap which means it stays in place when riding at open road speeds.
There are many times I have been impressed by my Lauren Bag. First was when getting stuck in a downpour where I couldn’t see 10 feet in front of my face; it was a wall of solid rain and grey for over 60 miles. We couldn’t stop…all we could do was hunker down on the bikes and put our flashers on. I rode the entire way thinking that all of the electronics I had in my bag were ruined — cell phone, wireless headphones, iPad — all of it was going to be drenched including my extra clothes. We pulled off to a gas station, I got off my bike, and after dumping the water out of my boots I looked in my Lauren Bag expecting the worst…not one drop of rain got into the bag! All of my electronics were dry, my clothes were dry, and I didn’t even have the weather rain fly protector on it! My friends who had other backpacks on couldn’t make the same statement about their items being dry.
The second time I was impressed by my Lauren bag was when I was making my way into a Joan Jett concert. I walked up to security with the Lauren Bag in backpack mode and they said, ‘No backpacks.’ I explained I was on my bike and he still said, ‘No backpacks.’ As security started to argue with me I set my Lauren bag down, then unclipped the base of the backpack straps, tucked them into the zip pouch and pulled out the purse straps. He just looked at me, blinked and said, ‘Purses are acceptable; enjoy the concert.’
Another reason to love my Lauren bag…when out on the bike running errands I was able to fit all of this into a stylish and sleek backpack: one wallet, one 2lb bag of coffee, one dozen eggs, one bushel of carrots, two salmon filets, one pound of bacon, one package of microgreens, one bag of broccoli florets, one package of mushrooms, one package of mozzarella, one bottle of sauce…and I didn’t break any eggs.
I have ridden 13K miles with the Lauren bag on my back or strapped to my luggage rack, taken it to work, a Joan Jett concert, camping, and at least 10 states including visiting Death Valley. It has been used as a carry-on flying from coast-to-coast. It is used as my errand bag, grocery bag, hardware store carryall, and just a ton of uses! xo Nicole
Nicole a.k.a. @nova_vixen is a leader in the IT Security profession and an amazingly inspiring female rider who belongs to a great riding group called Gasoline Dames Car and Cycle Club, which encourages women to get into the garage, to build machines, have fun, make connections with other women, and to learn a new trade or make a career in the automotive industry.
