The Ladies of Harley are a unique sisterhood; a family of sorts.

“We’re tied together not by blood but by motorcycles,” Rebecca Wilkinson-Huffman said.

Mitzi Tuck elaborated: “We’re not just women who ride bikes. We’re women who enjoy life and happen to ride bikes.”

To be part of LOH, women must first be associate members of the roughly 500-member Roanoke Valley Harley Owners Group. Since its formation in 1988, LOH has grown significantly, reflecting a larger trend in the rising number of women who ride motorcycles. The group has more than tripled to about 26 members since five years ago, Tuck said.

It is a diverse group.

Some members are married; some are divorced. Some have children; some don’t. Some work at in the health care industry while others work on production lines or as full-time moms.

One woman is getting her doctorate degree while another is the president of a corporation, Tuck said.

They range in age from their 20s to their 60s, and their reasons for joining also vary.

Diane Crosier joined when she was 60 to prove she could, regardless of her age. Now 65, she has clocked roughly 50,000 miles.

Meanwhile, Terry Arehart started in order to spend more time with her son. Many other women became members because of their significant others.

At least two-thirds of the women ride their own bikes, while others prefer to be passengers.

“Some of use are riders, others of us have drivers,” joked Linda Puckett.

Still, all of the ladies face similar challenges associated with being a female rider. Tuck described the fear that if you drop your bike, people will say, “Oh, that’s just a woman riding a motorcycle.”

They are also connected through a certain Honda Rebel 250, which many learned to ride on, and a whole lot of pride.

“Some women are afraid to ride. They think they can’t ride. Every one of us who rides used to be those women,” Tuck said. “It’s a big deal to ride a motorcycle.”

The group has grown recently, not just in numbers but also in commitment and enthusiasm.

Last December, members decided to change the group’s format. While they used to focus primarily on fundraising, they now want to expand their efforts to tap into the women’s unique resources and connect in different ways, Tuck explained.

At each monthly meeting, a member or two now hosts a certain activity. So far, they’ve had makeovers at Simply the Best Salon in Roanoke and a session on communication skills. Other scheduled events include cookouts, horseback riding and skeet shooting. They also enjoy unplanned activities like playing hooky to ride together on nice days.

But the group is about more than just bikes and fun. It’s also about a whole lot of support.

Ginger Echols knows that well.

She joined LOH through Brian Echols, her ex-husband and the father of her two children, who died of lung cancer in January 2007.

A dedicated HOG member, Brian Echols started to ride with Ginger in 2002. Soon, they began riding every Sunday, even after he became ill.

After Brian died, Ginger Echols put on an inspired funeral for him with the help of HOG members. It included a 50-bike procession and a Harley priest who wore black leather chaps with his collar.

One of Brian Echol’s good friends even drove Brian’s Harley into the church and then out at the end of the service.

Before he died, Brian Echols made arrangements for Ginger to become a HOG and a member of LOH. He knew the group would support her.

“They’ve given me a purpose and a reason to go on,” Ginger Echols said. The ladies even paid for her membership and first year dues without her knowing.

“They’re just wonderful people, and I would fight anyone to my death if they said otherwise."