Tag: women cycling

2012 Stat Check

2012 was the year of getting out and being active. My metabolism started junking out on me when I turned 30 a few (five) years ago and staying healthy is high on my priority list. Here’s a look back at What I Did this year:

 

i bike philly!
i bike philly!

 

Outside cycling miles: 1908

Trainer miles: 74

Total cycling miles: 1982

(so close to my goal BUT two hundred miles longer than the distance from my old house in Colorado to my new house in Pennsylvania. Chew on that symbolism!)

Total running miles: 7.5

Total walking miles: 269

Dancing: over 15 hours

 

my LEGO avatar
my LEGO avatar

 

None of these are overly impressive – I ride with folks who put up big numbers like 4,500/8,000/Turn It Up To 11,000 miles in a year. I run with people who eat marathons for breakfast. I talk a fine game – but in the end, these folks motivate me to higher achievement. They are the ones pulling me up the hill or racing me down the street or gleefully shouting “MILES FOR BREAKFAST” as we zip through town.

This is only Year One of actually being active on purpose since my teens and early twenties. I hope to continue to be active and healthy for as long as possible! More riding, more running, more yoga – balanced with staying involved in family and community life. No regrets.

(Actually, I am impressed with my walking miles. I walk to the train station when I commute by train and occasionally take a lunch break walk. Little things add up! )

 

log overs anyone?
log overs anyone?

 

Whatever your goals for 2013, whatever your stats for 2012 – wishing you and yours the very best!

 

Happy New Year! from Philly with love
Happy New Year! from Philly with love

 

Spinning!

I’ve managed to come down with a monster head cold – the kind that has a fever and aches and a head full of snot – so my new year’s eve will be low-key and probably end well before midnight. But before the festivities begin, enjoy this story about my first time spinning and riding in the snow:

 

I’ve ear-marked Saturdays in December for bike rides to get to 2,000 miles for the year. The reality is I sadly did not get out as much as I planned. Nonetheless, my intrepid commuter friend sent out an email Friday asking if anyone wanted to ride Saturday morning. A quick look at the weather report indicated a 90% chance of snow on Saturday – meaning all club rides would probably get cancelled. So I texted him about the weather. He countered with “come to spinning with me!”

I’d never been to a spinning class before and had all kinds of dumb questions. I previously avoided them because my primary focus is always Bike For Fun. Which is really a guise for I Don’t Want To Do Intervals. So of course I said “OK!”

The gym where we were taking the class is only a little over a mile from my house – so of course I just rode my Beast of Burden commuter bike over. The snow had just started to fall and it was lovely to glide down the street with snowflakes on my helmet. (It would be more ethereal to say in my hair but I had a barrier cap under my helmet and Cat Ears on my straps – decidedly un-ethereal and a little more Elvis)

 

she's smiling because class hasn't started yet.
she’s smiling because class hasn’t started yet.

 

The class itself was quite a workout – very different from going out and riding your bike or even watching a movie while spinning away on the trainer. Within ten minutes I was sweating like a pig – and the sweat just kept pouring. I had a headache and felt like I didn’t need to prove anything to myself so I took it easy on some of the “jumps” – going from a sitting to standing position rapidly – by staying seated and spinning as high a cadence as I could.

Couple things I learned:

1. You can’t coast. If you try, your bike will lurch and make a horrible clunking noise and the instructor will ask you if you are OK.

2. Spinning bikes have incredible momentum. According to the cyclometer, I went 26.9  miles in 68 minutes. I find that very hard to believe – although I suspect it’s similar to running on a treadmill. The machine keeps you moving at a steady pace.

3. I spin at a high cadence naturally. When the instructor wanted us at 90-100, I was at 110. When she wanted us at 115, I was at 123. Even when we were “climbing” she would ask us to be at 50-60 and I would end up somewhere in the 70s. If I were to do this again, I would finesse the gearing more and not listen to the gear she wants us to be in – because it was clearly too low. But as a newbie, it made sense to try to follow her direction.

4. Spinning is done in a small dark room (or at least this one was) and NO FANS. It would have been a world of difference to have a fan blowing on your occasionally to help relieve the heat of the room. I have one pointed at me at home when I am on the trainer – and it helps tremendously.

5. I would try this again. I suspect the class would have been significantly better if the instructor matched her cadence to multiples of the beat and better communicated what exactly we were supposed to do.

 

Post-class, we cleaned up and unlocked our bikes and rode over to the diner up the street for a bite. The snow was coming down harder now and in the mile it took to get to the diner our jackets and jeans were soaked. Commuter friend’s wife had already gotten us a table so coffee and assorted yummies were on their way. Wonderful breakfast with wonderful people!

As you may have guessed, the snow was coming down even harder now and an inch of snow had accumulated on our rides. We brushed them off and Commuter friend rode with me most of the way back to my house.

I’m a fairly independent girl but I was glad for the company for no other reason than it was probably not the smartest idea to be out on a bike on the roads. We were on our hybrids with wider tires but the roads were slick and cars were sliding all over the place around us. One guy sped up to turn in front of us and skidding through the whole turn. We managed to pedal up one of the three hills to my house, turned the corner and there was a line of cars stopped for other cars that had slid all over the road. I only lost traction a couple of times but didn’t crash or fall.

We went our separate ways – he back to his house and me dismounting and walking the last two hills (and one downhill which would have been a suicide mission to attempt on my bike) home.

I can’t dismiss that it felt very awesome to be out riding in the snow. It wasn’t terribly brilliant nor would I recommend it as a routine thing to do without proper gear (i.e., fat fat fat tires with excellent traction) … but it was very very very fun.

She got me everywhere today safely!
She got me everywhere safely!

 

See you on the road next year!

2013 Goals

Friends, as we start to wind down the year I am increasingly more aware that I want to set some goals for next year. I am currently about 175 miles short of 2000 miles this year, which is over triple my total mileage last year. Today’s brunch ride was cancelled due to rain, wet roads and patchy fog … so now I have to find new and innovative ways to complete my goal!

 

I’ve also started looking at events for next year. Here’s my preliminary goals for 2013, in no particular order:

 

Other events I’m planning to register for – many repeats of this year:

  • Bike NYC – Five Borough Tour (lottery system) – May 5
  • Elephant Rock Ride – June 2
  • Cycle Bucks County – late June
  • The Lemon Ride – late July
  • Scenic Schuylkill Century – early September
  • BikeMS: City to Shore Two Day experience w/century option – late September
  • Covered Bridge Tour of Bucks County – early October

 

Still looking for an event/ride in August. This is all in addition to of the BCP club rides and weekend brunch rides that I’m hoping to work in as well.

I’d love to hear your goals for 2013!

 

See you on the road!

 

The Road Less Traveled

… or, there are too many others out on the damn trail.

Today I attended my first mountain biking skills clinic, run by our excellent friends at Cadence Cycles in the Manayunk section of the city. I was pretty nervous – being from Colorado means everyone thinks I mountain bike/ski/snowboard/trail run/uber-outdoor-athlete stuff … but the reality is, I took all that open space and facilities for granted. I only started riding my bike for fun (not just transportation) in May of 2011. So yeah – I have never mountain biked before. And I didn’t want to make a fool out of myself and fall – either in general or off the side of the trail.

Falling is fine – just not in front of 30 other people.

So my commuter friend and I rode in the 10 miles to the bike shop. We arrived a little early because we needed our clipless pedals transferred to the demo bikes and seats adjusted. I was able to demo the Fuji Belle, a full suspension bike. Not sure why I had a full when others had hardtails, but it was nice!  Note to self: try not to wreck the $2000 bike. There were many others who signed up – some cyclocross racers, some road racers, some newbies like me, and everything in between. Fortunately my skills were in the middle of the newbie range.

We rode about a half-mile or so to get to the trails, using this time to get used to the thumb shifters. Didn’t take long to get the hang of it but once we were out on the trails, I kept to the lower end of the gearing. Made it so much easier to get up the hills.

The first hour was spent just going up and down a hill with lots of roots, rocks, and turns. It was sharper but really honed in on the skills you need to successfully get up the tiny steep portions of a climb, over small obstacles, and getting back downhill.

The second hour was a short trail ride – this is why people love mountain biking! Being in the woods, pedaling and feeling like you are floating over the debris, finding your line and the thrill of successful execution. The leafy single track was just fun. I am not even sure I can adequately describe how exhilarating it is to crank up a steep, rocky incline – unsure you will make it over the top – and then trust your bike as you rip down the other side, rocks and roots and debris be damned.

Skills taught to more experienced riders included log-overs, stairs, and getting enough momentum on a short, steep downhill to get up the next hill. Maybe another time when I feel more confident and ready to take my off-road riding to the next level. Today was about trying it out.

Instead of riding out for lunch with my commuter friend to discuss our new-found skills, my husband picked me up and whisked us to our daughter’s swim lessons. Tomorrow we will get a lunch ride in.

All in all – excellent experience. I don’t have plans to go buy a mountain bike right this minute or anything – but I would like to include it in my goals next year. To get off the road a little more and into the woods. To feel more confident on the trails. To have MORE FUN on my bike.

Singletrack in the Wissahickon Valley
That is *not* me on the awesome single track in the Wissahickon Valley

See you on the road!

 

Daydream Believer

Sometimes I’m in my office at the high-rise monolith where I work, clickity-clacking away on my keyboard, and I stop to gaze out the window to think “Man, I would so much rather be out on my bike today.”

How luxurious to wake at a reasonable hour, fuel up on coffee and mini-wheats, throw on my gear and hit the road. Maybe a lunch break at the tiny bakery several townships (and 40 miles) over.

The smooth pedal strokes propelling me forward into the world, slicing through time and space.

Floating up hills … effortless.

Fresh air and sunshine. Or fresh air and overcast. Sometimes riding in the rain is delicious in its own right – surrendering yourself to just getting wet and muddy and relishing the moment.

Recounting the wildlife encountered: the herons and emus, deer families and foxes.

Laughter. Friendship. Fun.

It’s true that money can’t buy happiness … but it does buy a bicycle, which is pretty damn close.

this is my mom and her bike. proof my addiction to bicycles is hereditary.

See you on the road!

Coffee Break

Everyone has certain associations with Saturday mornings from their childhood. Mine were waking up so early the test pattern was still on the local affiliate station (does that even happen anymore?) and sitting on the couch with my sisters under homemade blankets, eagerly awaiting Saturday morning cartoons. My dad would get up around 8 to cook us breakfast – scrambled eggs, fried Spam or bacon, and all the orange juice we could handle. After breakfast was time to get dressed, do our chores and go outside to play.

My dad was more of an instant coffee drinker until I was in middle school – and it was around 8th grade or so that I sampled my first cup of coffee. To this day I can’t drink coffee black – I’m more of a “like my sugar with coffee and cream” kind of girl. For many years I would simply have a cup of whatever was in the workplace breakroom, regardless of the quality of flavor. Then I went on a several year hiatus and switched to teas, a second love. Ultimately I eventually got back on the coffee wagon, began discovering quality coffees and, since purchasing a coffee maker for our home a few years ago, I am simply unable to function without a daily dose of my drug of choice.

Through the magic of the internet (OOoooo!) the proprietor of Sip, Clip, and Go! coffee and I began to connect socially. As one who enjoys a quality cup of coffee regularly, and my current supply running low, I reached out to ask which of her coffees may be right for me. I enjoy middle-of-the-road flavor – not too light but not too dark. She recommended I try Off the Chain or Carbon Free Commuter.

Fast forward to a week ago and my supply is back to running low. Instead of heading for the local grocer, I logged on to Sip, Clip, and Go! and picked up a bag of coffee and a lovely travel mug advertised to fit in my water bottle cage.

Arrived just in time!

 

The package arrived the day Hurricane Sandy decided to also arrive on the East Coast and with my power out, I could only smell the smokey sweetness of the ground beans. Heavenly! Now that my power is on, it’s all I have been drinking. The beans are perfectly balanced, creating a wonderful beginning to a day at the office or on the bike. My house smells amazing while the coffee is brewing – definitely a reason to get out of bed for a delicious beverage.

 

Overall, this product is a Must Buy for any coffee lover and particularly those of the cycling variety – not only are the beans fair trade and organic, but a portion of every sale is donated to Bikes Belong. A win-win situations AND you get an excellent cup of coffee every day.

 

Thanks for sharing your coffee break with me – see you on the road!

Aftermath and Decisions

Just popping in to report that we weathered Hurricane Sandy fairly well. We ended up losing power around 7pm Monday night and didn’t regain it until 9pm on Tuesday night. Our damage is limited to two downspouts being ripped from the gutters and plenty of small limb debris in the yard. Cable and internet service finally came back last night; our cell service provider is still on the fritz in our area. We learned a few lessons along the way: camping gear and a propane grill mean hot food and cocoa; next time stock firewood for heat; don’t have Halloween candy readily accessible because you will end up eating it mindlessly.

We are thankful for our limited inconveniences and send positive vibes for our friends and neighbors who are still without power, heat, or have significant damages (like the neighbor with a massive tree resting on their roof). Our thoughts are also with our fellow brothers and sisters in New Jersey and New York.

* * * * *

This week was to be my glorious return to bike commuting since my husband is back in town but after the storm, I have been knocked off my rocker a bit. The kids haven’t been in school all week and I’ve spent my time trying to get back to normal as quickly as possible. Yesterday was our 15th wedding anniversary so my husband and I went out for an anniversary dinner for the first time in a VERY long time wherein he shared with me his concerns about my cycling habbit. Mostly time spent away from the family and other obligations, but also that it’s cold and dark now and often my bike commute leaves me physically exhausted (and essentially useless for the remainder of the evening).

He has valid points – as a team, we have to work together and find the areas of opportunity to ensure harmony. I have my own concerns with commuting/cold-weather cycling.

1. I have most of the gear I need for cold-weather cycling but need to invest in a few key pieces to be viable long-term: winter gloves, winter-weight socks, shoe covers, second pair of thermal tights and another thermal (or wool) jersey. A bike light that I can use to See AND Be Seen. A balaclava. Nothing major or seriously expensive but key to layering and staying adequately warm. I dislike being cold very much.

2. I dislike being so exhausted after bike commuting. Heavy Bike Is Heavy. I’ve done the commute on my carbon-fiber bike (which I don’t find approproiate for commuting in that it’s too light) and there is a 15-20min decrease in time spent commuting per day. The toll on my legs is significantly less (although the sweat factor remains constant). And honestly, it’s more fun to go a little faster or to not feel like you are dragging an anchor up a hill.  I’ve groused about this at length so I’m trying not to bore you about it – but it remains my #1 adversary outside of my schedule.

3. And there is my schedule. I’m trying to look ahead and see where a pattern opportunity exists so I can build momentum. I’m rapdily determining that maybe I need to just chill (HA HA) and resume biking to work in the spring. I have a lot going on. I don’t want anything to be half-assed. I need to be able to commit myself to key things for now and allow the bike to be a Nice Weekends kind of thing.

Because my bike will still be there in the spring. And my love of cycling will still be there as well. And hopefully a little disposable income as well to round out my gear. I admit it’s hard to say “yes, I need to stop trying to shoehorn riding my bike into my life right now.” After devoting so much time to this hobby, it hurts to put it on the shelf for a bit. I love the freedom of setting out with friends and not even thinking for a second about where we are going or how we are getting there. I get to be a follower for once!

And no, I’d prefer not to invest in a trainer to try to ride inside. I have a gym membership at work – if I feel the need to try spinning, there is an opportunity already paid for on Tuesday nights.

We have an older home that could use a little cash to repair and improve (little by little), a car that should really be taken in to the shop, kids who outgrow their clothing and shoes before you want them to, and pets. I’d also like to spend some time working yoga back into my life and actually having unscheduled down time. So important in our hectic lives.

 

Anyway, hope to see you on the road soon!

What’s Goin’ On

It’s really sad but I haven’t been on my bike in almost two weeks now.

The shop took a few days to put Electric Dream Machine together and I opted to have a basic fitting to get her specs back in alignment for Cycling Nirvana. And the next day I went on a non-cycling vacation.

But I promised a recap of the Travel with Your Bike experience.

  • The boxing/unboxing experience was probably the most painful part. I’m not mechanically oriented just yet – so I don’t feel comfortable disassembling/re-assembling my ride. It was ~$35 per instance to have the shop take care of that for me – so $150 total.  (Although making appointments for said services tended to speed things up. )
  • The box itself is moderately unwieldy – standing on its end it was almost as tall as I am. But it was surprisingly easy to wheel around and load into a mid-size SUV by myself.
  • Frontier Airlines was awesome. The box came in at 52 pounds (53.5 with my saddle bag included on the way back). Both overweight fees were waived – but I attribute this to having status on the airline more than a testament of the airline. Had I needed to pay the fee, it’s $75 each way ($150 total)
  • Having my bike to ride? PRICELESS.
Have you seen my ride? She’s beautiful!

So the question becomes – do I take my bike with me on my next vacation in July? Or do I rent one from a local shop? Financially it’s a toss-up – about $350 total for a week-and-a-half vacation. The edge goes to renting because there will be no delay in assembling or the hassle of schlepping it around with me while also trying to keep track of my kids. But it’s not my bike.

 

Looking forward to being back home for a few weeks to get back to cycling a few days a week. My son and I are doing the 25 mile route in the Cycle Bucks County event next weekend – will be  his first cycling event with rest/aid stations. He’ll be on his mountain bike and I’m committed to riding his pace to make this the most positive experience possible. We’re both pretty excited to do this event together.

I also signed up for the Scenic Schuylkill Century this fall – need to finish 100 miles in 9 hours or less including rest stops! I’ve built my base miles pretty well recently –  50 miles is completely manageable now. Time to start adding miles for endurance and working on speed to get to about 13-14 mph over the entire ride (finish in about 7-7.5 hours). I’m at a verified 13mph average over 50 miles now. Planning on a 63 mile ride in about a month (self-mapped and with friends) and then meeting up with another local female rider on weekends to increase to a consistent 75-80 miles per ride.

So look for more talk of training rides and elevation gain all kinds of stuff that really only is interesting to me. 🙂

See you on the road!

Girls on Wheels

So, why do you think there aren’t as many women cyclists?

I was out on a group ride chatting with another woman when she posed this question to me. It’s a great question. How many times have you seen singletons, duos, and full-on pelotons of guys screaming down the road at all hours of daylight? Sure there’s usually a few women sprinkled in there for good measure – but you don’t usually see a lot of swarms of 15+ women barreling down the street like bats out of hell.

I guess I never really thought about it because many of my girlfriends in Colorado cycle.

A couple of thoughts came to me initially:

1. Comfort. Not only on the bike, but with the bike, with traffic, with being away from responsibilities. Taking time (sometimes significant time) for herself.

When I was first buying a bike, I didn’t want to spend too much money on something that would spend a couple of years in the garage. I questioned my commitment to getting out and riding outside of with my kids. I already have so much to do to keep our family running – working, volunteering, chauffeuring the kids to their classes and events, household chores, etc. Is it really in my best interest to take a Saturday morning for myself and ride around town?Did I even WANT to do that?

By starting on a comfort hybrid, I balanced the price with practicality. I wouldn’t secretly hate myself for spending $500 on a bike that was ridden maybe 5 times. Disappointed, but it wouldn’t be a sore spot.

I also was on platform pedals (easy to get on and off) and riding on bike paths (don’t worry about getting hit by a car). Being in a safe environment built confidence in my abilities and allowed the love affair with my bike to grow unhindered by fear.

2. Dress Code. Not everyone looks great in spandex. In fact, I’m not sure anyone looks awesome in spandex – it has a tendency to highlight our flaws and put them on display for all to critique.

But after one ride in all cotton shorts and tank top (and a backpack!), I realized there is value in dressing appropriately for the sport. I picked up a cheap jersey ($35) and a cycling skort ($50) and suddenly it wasn’t so gross to go out and ride. Until you get off the bike, then you realize how sweaty you are and how badly you want a shower.

The good news is now you don’t have to look garish in cycling apparel. There are some great companies out there (TwinSix is my favorite) making kick-ass products. Don’t want clingy jerseys? Get mountain bike apparel – just as wicking but looser fit.

And what I’ve found the more I get out and ride in groups and in events, cycling embraces everyone of all shapes and sizes. No one is looking at your butt because we all have our assets on display (sorry – couldn’t help it).

3. Unspoken “rules”. No one likes to look or act like a noob. But there isn’t infrastructure to guide someone who knows how to ride a bike into the world of cycling. Yes, the basic functionality is the same – balance, put your feet on the pedals, push down with one foot, repeat with the other, and off you go. But cycling is so much more than just riding your bike. Unless you already know someone who cycles and can guide you, it’s going to be trial and error. Which is a turn off for a lot of people.

Attending a beginner’s clinic was so critical to my comfort level with my abilities because I had a safe place to fail first. Beginner clinics aren’t commonly or regularly on the schedule. How cool would it be to have a beginner clinic monthly at the local cycling shop so neophytes to the sport have a safe place to learn good cycling habits and feel confident about their skills before heading out? Keep the fee reasonable, though. Consider offering a women’s only class as well as a mixed class. Work with the local cycling clubs to get the word out and promote – no one will show up if no one knows about it.

4. Other Women. . Many women prefer to do things among their fellow womenkind because the truth is, dudes just don’t get it. And being surrounded by dudes you don’t know can be very intimidating. Guys are (in general) stronger than gals and tend to not have the same issues with getting out on the bike that women do.

I love riding with my guy friends – they are my greatest inspiration to push myself harder, farther, longer. The rides with my girl friends are more socially based – a chance to catch up, talk about everything that’s going on in our lives and the world while enjoying fresh air and sunshine, less about seeing who can go faster or farther.

I am looking for my source, but I read recently that even in two-cyclist families, the women gets out less than the man. It makes sense – many of the women you see out cycling are child-free or their children are grown. The rest of us are usually helping out with homework, science fair projects, sports practices and games, doctor’s appointments, and any number of obligations that come along with being a sherpa to future civilized adults.

I’m very curious now though – what do you think? Post your thoughts in the comments!