When Winning isn’t the Goal

It’s just after 7:00 a.m. on Day Three of the Geico Adventure Rally in Julian, California. I’m half asleep, waiting to get coffee with my teammate Fernanda, who is equally in need of caffeine as we prepare to gear up.

Suddenly, Justin steps directly in front of me, smiling.

“You’re chipper for this time of the morning,” I tease.

He rolls his eyes. “You have a chance to win the industry division if you get enough points today.”

Fernanda grabs my arm. “What?!”

His coy smirk gets wider. “Just thought I’d let you know,” he remarks, then disappears into the breakfast line.

I glance at Fernanda, and she is flabbergasted. Our team hadn’t come here to win, but if the prospect was within our grasp, we couldn’t let it slide away. “Let’s get the girls,” I declare, grabbing a coffee.

Like all rallies, the Geico Adv Rally has its distinct vibe. It’s a one-two punch, consisting of a scavenger hunt through the vast terrain of SoCal and one of the final hoorah weekends of the riding season. Riders form teams, earn points reaching on and off-road targets designated on the event map, then document their conquests via social media. It’s fun, challenging, and has a tendency to get competitive… fast.

The Geico Adventure Rally is fun, challenging, and has a tendency to get competitive… fast.

At the start, Team Trash Panda put our drive to win on the back burner. Our focus was a film project highlighting women in adventure riding. We were fortunate to collaborate with EcoFlow, off-grid power solutions enterprise that was our title sponsor, and Alpinestars, Sena, and Harley-Davidson Pan America, who provided our four 2021 PanAms for the rally.

Justin, our fearless leader, managed to piece together the only all-female team from different areas of the motorcycle world: Maggie the moto gypsy, Staci the traveling foodie, Fernanda the spicy road demon, and me, the scrappy renegade. Each of us had our own experiences with ADV riding, some more seasoned than others, and along with tackling unfamiliar terrain, we were also hopping onto 550-lb. motorcycles we didn’t own. It was going to be one hell of a weekend.

Justin, our fearless leader, managed to piece together the only all-female team from different areas of the motorcycle world.

We woke on Day One of the rally to a brisk 38°F, intermittent rain, and wind gusts at 15–30 mph. For reference, my seat was completely frosted over, so we layered ourselves with every thermal we packed to stay warm.

The event staff gathered teams to hand out our maps and scorecards, and by 10:00 a.m., regardless of the temperamental weather, camp emptied in pursuit of victory. Team Trash Panda congregated to do our homework first, checking weather patterns and evaluate how best to earn points while avoiding the gales of the desert and mountains.

Our decision? An all-pavement loop down to the Tecate border, one we would have to ride expeditiously to make the 5:00 p.m. cutoff. While we froze most of the afternoon, we destroyed our goal, reaching every pinpointed destination and roaring into camp at 4:50 to beat the deadline.

Day Two was a change of pace. In order to get our demo ride points in with Harley-Davidson and knock out a few off-road targets, Justin Kleiter of Pan America took the Trash Pandas on an adventure route toward the Anza Borrego Pictographs. Initially, taking large, heavy motorcycles through deep sand was intimidating, but the team had a blast once we had a few minor drops and wipe-outs under our belts.

By the end of the day, we were professionals at lifting those 550-lb. monsters, laughing over our coms when things got squirrelly beneath the tires, and cheering each other on as we tackled obstacles. It was certainly a team-building exercise, but more importantly, it was a bonding experience that set the foundation of friendship for our ragtag crew.

By the end of the day, we were professionals at lifting those 550-lb. monsters.

Cut back to the morning of Day Three, when our objective abruptly shifted as a win seemed increasingly feasible. With rising enthusiasm, we mapped a route to gain the most points possible, geared ourselves up, and took off in haste. With Maggie navigating, Staci and Fernanda on her tail, and me sweeping the rear, we reached each planned target, survived another two demo rides, and attempted (botched) a round of games before we turned our scorecard in. Later that evening, when it was announced that the Trash Pandas won the industry division, the four of us were astonished and exhilarated—some of the best moments truly come from unexpected successes.

Team Trash Pandas celebrates their win in the industry division.

In conclusion, I know I speak for the Trash Pandas when I say, that while I am proud of our win, I am even more grateful to ride away from the weekend with some incredible friendships, born from a love of motorcycles, adventure, and experiencing life to the fullest.

Until next time. Live wild. Ride free.

---

Grace Schuessler, aka “the graceful renegade,” is an author, vagabond, and adventure motorcycle rider, exploring the world on a Honda CB500X. Follow her journey on YouTube, Instagram, or  TheGracefulRenegade.com.