Wigan biker chick ready for epic isle race

Susan Rigby and her fellow riders, who together make up the Rivi Kickstart Chicks, will ride at the C90 Plop Enduro event (named for the famous noise the motorcycles make when stationary) on the Isle of Man next month.

Racers will hit the track for approximately five hours in a battle of entirely 90cc and tuned 90cc bikes.

And, not surprisingly, Susan was thrilled at the prospect of racing in such an iconic place as the Jurby Motordrome race track on July 6.

Susan, who lives in Hindley, said: “I’m really excited, we all are. It’s coming up really fast,”

The Rivi Chicks quartet faced the prospect of being reduced to a duo for the race, as team-mates Deb Ward and Gaynor Parker cannot attend due to work commitments.

But riders from other teams volunteered to step in and ride with Susan and Joanne Brown.

This includes professional Manx Solo racers Ali Foster, and Carolynn Sells, who is the only female to ever win a race on the island.

Carolynn will be coming out of retirement to help the Rivi Chicks complete the epic race.

“We’ve got a good team going,” Susan said. We’re all very excited, but quite nervous too.

“It’s quite a small track, so you’re going round and round and round.

“Doing that will be quite testing!”

And Susan is hoping the Rivi Chicks don’t suffer the same fate as their last endurance race experience.

The quartet were racing in an event at Mallory Park in Leicestershire earlier this year, but had their race cut short when the team’s bike was put out of action during a collision with another rider. Thankfully, everyone escaped unscathed.

The team will be raising money for the North West Air Ambulance Service and the Blood Bikers charities.

To find out more about the team, visit facebook.com/rivi-kickstart-chicks