No boyz allowed!!!

It's been a very slow process, but more and more bike and apparel manufacturers as well as tour companies are recognizing that there's a barrier for women to embrace and become cyclists. They are now doing more than "shrink it and pink it." Bikes, apparel, and saddles are now designed for a women's body proportions, apparel is becoming more feminine (not just pink) and clubs are organizing women's only rides or clinics.

Women's only clinics, tours and camps are a great way to gain skills without crazy testosterone added to the mix. Several years ago I attended a Vision Quest camp out in Santa Rosa, CA. The vibe was amazing. Women want to learn, we are like sponges. Throw men into the mix and you've got everyone just trying to bump up the pace and be KOM. Don't get me wrong, I love riding with both men and women, but there's always a time and a place for each.

Now that I'm learning to ride single track, I want to find an environment that isn't intimidating. Last summer I went to a Dirt Days event. It's a group of women who MTB and want to encourage more women to try out the sport. They encourage women of all levels to come out for a day of trail riding and coaching. They provided tips to improve my bike handling skills and how to read the trails.

Then in early March I went to Ray's MTB Park for a Women's Weekend Clinic. (January 26 blog) and (March 6 blog). The camp and the clinics were a relaxed and non-intimidating way to learn and better my skills.

If you are looking for a women's only event, ride or camp, you'll find a host of  companies and organizations that now cater to women. Just Google "Women's Cycling Tours" or "Women's Cycling events" and a huge list appears. Terry Bicycles also has a great list posted on their site.

In the midwest, two women's cycling organizations have recently popped up. Women Bike Chicago and Wisconsin Women Cycling. And The Chainlink has added a women's resource area to their site.

There's also a bulletin board specifically for women cyclists -- Wheelwomen Switchboard. You can post questions, jobs, rides...anything related to women's cycling. I used it when I was planning a trip out to South Dakota last year and wanted some suggestions on areas to bike.

And of course there's countless blogs and Facebook groups for women cyclists. One I've joined is called For the Love of Her Bike.

Many companies are also launching ambassador programs. Women cyclists encouraging and promoting cycling to other women. Pearl Izumi, Liv, Ella Cycling, and Pactimo are just a sampling of companies with ambassador programs. 

I’m proud to say, I was one of the women selected to be on the 2016 Pearl Izumi Ride Champion team. As a PI Ride Champion we are committed to spread the love of cycling and encourage other women and girls to try a sport they may never considered or were afraid to try. Using a one on one approach, the word is spread through our riding and community. And since women tend to communicate differently than men, social media channels are the key to messaging. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and Strava are all ways the Ride Champions will share their experiences and passion for cycling. Keep an eye out for #EndureAndEnjoy and #Ride365.

Finally, check out the League of American Bicyclists 2013 study called Women on the Roll. Here are just some of the findings from this report.

• 82% of American women have a positive view of bicyclists From 2003 to 2012, the number of women and girls who bicycle rose 20%, compared to a .5% decline among men 
• Women are the new majority: 60% of bicycle owners aged 17-28 years old are women. 
• Women accounted for 37% of the bicycle market in 2011, spending $2.3 billion. 
• 45% of local and state bicycle advocacy organization staff are female. 
• 89% of bike shop owners are male, but 33% of shops are run by a husband/wife team. 
• Women are still underrepresented in leadership positions, including the boards of national industry and advocacy organizations -- and their membership.

As female cyclists we owe it to the sport to encourage that next generation of girls to embrace  cycling. It doesn't matter if it is for recreation or competition, everyone should experience the freedom, thrill, and empowerment a bicycle provides.

Enjoy the ride,
Sheri

Come on. Mama needs a new pair of shoes.

As many of my friends know, I love shoes. I have well over 100 pairs. I've slowed down buying shoes when I started working from home. Barefoot is more to my liking these days.

But I've been looking at buying a new pair of cycling shoes. I'm always amazed at how expensive they are. More than a good pair of Italian boots and definitely not as pretty. I still haven't made the switch to road shoes and opt for MTB with SPD. I find the MTB style easier to walk in with the recessed cleat. Also I would have to change the pedals of at least 2 road bikes. An added expense I have yet to justify.

Another issue with cycling shoes is they don't come in larger women's sizes. I'm 6' tall and wear a women's 12M shoe. As a result I'm stuck buying a men's shoe and wearing thicker socks because they are too wide. About 3 years ago I switched to SIDI brand with the ratchet closure at the top. But you could never tighten the Velcro bottom straps enough to avoid your foot from sliding around.

So I've been eyeing shoes with boa closures. They bring the price up on the shoe, but I figured it would allow me to tighten it easier across the whole length of the shoe. The online reviews I read helped me decide to look at shoes with at least 2 boa closures so you can tighten/loosen both the top and bottom differently.

I ended up with a pair of Lake shoes. I choked at the price ($300 MSRP) but justified spending it because they were on sale, I'll use them a lot AND I'm worth it!!! I tried them for the first time last week during a CompuTrainer session. Figured using them indoors would allow me to return them if needed to as well as having my SIDI shoes ready in case the Lake shoes weren't feeling too good.

The two boa closures is what sold me on these shoes

I'm happy to report that the 2 boa closures really helped to get the shoe snug and my foot wasn't sliding around. They have the right amount of stiffness and seem to be able to transfer power nicely.

They aren't the sexiest pair of shoes in my closet, but definitely one of the more expensive. Maybe next year I'll try a road shoe. We shall see.

What shoe do you like and why? Share your comments.

Enjoying the ride with some new shoes,
Sheri

Puttin' on my big girl shorts

Puttin' on your big girl shorts and stepping out of your comfort zone is good to do from time to time. It adds a bit of excitement to a sometimes routine lifestyle. It's especially true as you get older, set in your ways and find it easier to "play it safe."

As I wrote in an earlier blog post, I've been riding my fat bike on trail rides. I'm perfectly fine on the double track trails but start to panic a little as we go to single track. I lack the confidence in my bike handling skills to relax and just have fun.

With road riding 5000+ miles a season, I'm perfectly comfortable sitting in a paceline, 6" off the wheel in front of me at 20 mph (as long as I know who's wheel), but am uneasy when it comes to flying down a hill on a narrow tree lined track. I do want to get better and more confident, but just going out there and riding single track only goes so far. This past summer I participated in an all women's Dirt Days. A group of women host a trail ride for any level female rider and coach them through different obstacles. I had a great time, learned a lot and was totally mentally and physically exhausted after the 2 hour ride.

I've been looking for another women's event and came across one at Ray's MTB park in Milwaukee. Each year they dedicate a weekend to a women's only clinic. I'm all registered and am looking forward to facing my fears and gaining new confidence. All while trying not to injure myself.

Ray's MTB Park is an indoor facility so I don't have to worry about snow and ice that weekend. Plus it is a more controlled environment. The clinic isn't until the first weekend in March so I'll blog about my experiences then.

Check out a recent article in SingleTracks.com on the 9 Great NA Indoor MTB Parks. Ray's is listed and there might be one in your neck of the woods.

I'm excited, yet nervous. But it's time to put on my big girl shorts and go shredding.  Well, I may need to bring an extra pair of short if it gets too insane.

Wish me luck and let me know how what you are doing to get out of your comfort zone.

Enjoy the ride,
Sheri

Endure and Enjoy

In Chicago it's hard to get outside for road rides in the winter. So I was excited to get a fat tire bike last year. My newest one is a Trek Farley and his name is Chris. He's large, slow and just lots of fun. Being a roadie for all these years, I had to get used to 9 mph being the new normal.

Conditions haven't been ideal with a bit of snow and then lots of ice. But I've gotten out to ride a number of times (100 miles so far). I'm slowly learning that the big fat tires grip pretty good and trying to let the fear of falling dissipate. Hard to do as you get older and bruise/break easier.

At the end of December, I participated in the Fatter by the Lake event hosted by Zion Cyclery. What a great sight to see, over 100 fat bikes riding along the Lake Michigan beach. It was my first time riding in sand. A blast!!!

I've been also learning to ride single track. It goes against everything you learned for road riding. You move side to side on your bike, lift out of the saddle a lot, and run over everything. I'm really trying to embrace this style of riding as it helps with bike handling skills that transfer over to road riding and extends my outdoor cycling season.

Rockin' Pearl Izumi winter jacket on my fat bike Chris

Cycling still seems to be a male dominated sport. For example, the last race I was at in Wisconsin had 9 women and over 80 guys. The low participation of women in cycling is why I applied to be part of Pearl Izumi's new Ride Champion Program designed to help promote women in cycling. As many of you know I was Strava's midwest cycling ambassador for 18 months. That gig is over and I'm excited to share with you I made the cut and am now a @PearlIzumi Ride Champion. They just launched a national cycling team for 2016 and I was one of 200 women chosen. Pearl Izumi is dedicated to celebrating women in the sport of cycling. As a PI Champion I will help spread that message. Super excited about what's to come.

Read more about PI Ride Champion program it here.

I look forward to encouraging other women to get out and ride and try new events. More to come.

Enjoy the ride,
Sheri