Changing Gears

Chapter 1 - Rider

Rider rubbed his hands dry with one of the worn rags kept in the garage ridden with grime and grease from years of use. He had just finished changing the oil on his bike and was eager to get out on the road and take it for a spin. Knowing that someone else would probably want to join him he strode to the club house which the garage was attached to. Many bikers had their own houses not far away but Rider chose to live in the club house. There were a collection of rooms upstairs but most of them lay unused. It was not uncommon to find a drunk biker passed out on one of the couches.

He entered the large communal room just in time to see Ink tackle Smokey of one of the bar stools. They both landed heavily on the wooden floor and began rolling about on the floor wrestling. The bikers just laughed and some even placed bets on who would win the brawl. Spying Hawk drinking a pint at the long table which filled the middle of the room, Rider trudged over to him, crashing into one of the wooden chairs which creaked and moaned under his weight. Rider had a large muscly frame like all the bikers which came from hours working in the garage. Although the chairs were sturdy enough the biker did not make the mistake of believing the chair would hold his heavy frame for ever. Many chairs have been broken in the club house, some many that they now sat on these shit wooden ones instead of their previous leather ones. However, with so many chairs being broke Wielder replaced them with the crap ones. A good call although Rider missed the comfy leather ones. Make no mistake the wooden ones were still ok enough just not the same as before.

A grinning Hawk turned and acknowledging Rider, and gestured to the men fighting on the floor where Ink was attempting to restrain Smokey in a head lock and then gesturing to the bikers making bets on would win.

'You want in?' he asked Rider as they watched Smokey land a hard right-hook to Inks right ear. The biker cursed returning his blow.

'What happened this time?' Rider asked rolling his eyes but emitting a low chuckle. His brothers always made him laugh. Hawk's grin grew even more if it was possible, his eyes flashing with humour, oh he was waiting to spill something good.

'Smokey told Ink that he was losing his touch with girls, that even his dead grandmother could get a girl to marry her before Ink could get one girl to go on a date with him' Hawk told him snickering. This news made Rider chuckle as Ink was the play boy of the club, he was always flirting. Usually he was lucky with girls but his last couple of partners had been odd even for him. The worst was the girl who could not leave him alone, kept ringing him up and even confessed her love before he finally broke it off – she was crazy, cropping him into photos and sending them to him with flowers. Ever since her Ink had received bad luck with the ladies. Usually Rider's money would be on Smokey as the ginger biker was quick and on his feet and sly with his moves. However, Rider took a chance, adrenaline could do a lot of things. Even help Ink take down Smokey.

'10 bucks on Ink' he stated watching the enraged biker land a powerful blow on Smokey's gut. Hawk simple smiled shaking his head as took a long gulp of bear. As the two watched, the bikers wrestled on the floor they spoke about the jobs to do. While many clubs run on the bad side of the road, the steel horsemen didn't do any of that. They weren't interested in drugs or weapons selling. They all had guns because there were many local gangs who tended to fly of the handle. The jobs their club did consisted more or oil changes for nice old ladies that brought fudge. Rider watched and cheered alongside his brothers as they watched Smokey and Ink exchange blows.

'Break it up you two' a gruff voice came from behind them. Wielder strode into the clubhouse and hosted the two bikers up of the floor to the dismay of the other bikers. 'How am I meant to get any work done when you two are at each other again." He lectured as they both sheepishly smirked at each other panting heavily. All the fights within the Steel Horsemen's club house were mostly play fights where the two brothers would sit and have a beer with each other after. 'both of you can go on gate duty tonight' he sated before stomping off to his office.

Wielder was a strong biker who tended to be defeated by paperwork which piled up. being the president of the club he made sure the club was held together tightly. He could do basically everything, a great mechanic, a shit scary biker and a mighty leader, give him a stack of paper work however and he would be resorted to a surly giant who no one wanted to mess with. He was in his fifties and Ruder was proud to be his VP. The man had seen a lot in his lifetime, he was a prospect for a not so good club before he stated up the steel horsemen. He had shared many stories with Rider, stories that made rider respect the aging man.

Rider's entertainment now trudging outside to man the gate, he stood up, remembering his prior motive for coming to clubhouse. Checking his phone for the time, he pocketed it and stride to the door he shouted over his shoulder to the laughing bikers

"I'm heading out for a ride anyone wants to come you have 5 minis to get your ass outside?' Hawk murmured a hell yes and he heard Tank shout across the bar that he wold come. Exactly 5 minutes later they were speeding through the gates in the fading light.