In the spring of 1955, the Rambling Wheels Motorcycle Club was
chartered with the American Motorcycle Association. The group of twenty members, the
majority male, had similar beginnings as the Black Hawk Motorcycle Club. It was a group of
diverse friends who shared one main thing, the love of motorcycling. They met at
Hook’s BSA shop in Waterloo, although the club did not have an official shop
affiliation. All brands of motorcycles were welcome, and the club did not allow one dealer
to take over. As weather permitted, meetings were held at various public parks, as well as
public halls, members’ homes, and Erland’s cycle shop in Evansdale.
Unlike the Black Hawk Motorcycle Club, which followed the norms of their time, the Rambling Wheels was formed on the principle of gender equality. Women had the same privileges as men. It was one of the first clubs in the country to allow females a voice in the operations of a motorcycle club. Some women rode their own motorcycles, others were passengers, but everyone helped when it was time to put on races.
