Hitching a Ride with Hell’s Angels & Friends

In early 1965, LIFE photographer Bill Ray and writer Joe Bride spent several weeks with a gang that still epitomizes our complicated relationship with rebels: the Hells Angels. Presented here, along with a collection of remarkable photos taken for LIFE but never published, Ray and Bride recall their days and nights spent with Buzzard, Hambone, Big D and other Angels (as well as their equally tough “old ladies”) in a time when the roar of Harleys and the sight of long-haired bikers were still fresh and completely bewildering for ordinary law-abiding citizens.

On a Friday afternoon, when the clock seems to move slower than ever and you can’t wait to get out of the office to start the weekend, the idea of leaving all your weekly worries behind by jetting off on a The cool set of wheels, with the wind blowing through your hair and friends by your side, becomes extremely attractive.

These are their favorite photos from a series discovered in the LIFE archives, which perfectly capture that Friday feeling…

You can find the full write-up here on LIFE.