Category — Bicycle Advocacy

…at my host house!!! One of my favorite parts of stage racing is host housing. Currently, we’re in Minneapolis, MN for the oh-so-rainy Nature Valley Grand Prix, and our hosts have a 1-year-old hound dog appropriately named Elvis.

Leah Guloien and I (Cara!) had a chance to race the Gatineau UCI race with the Canadian National Team. It was a great experience, especially racing with Clara Hughes. The race was very active and the Canadians were well represented in almost all of the moves. In the end, we finished with 2 in the top ten, with Leah Kirchmann just off the podium in 4th. Although I didn’t get a chance to rock my pink armwarmers, my totally awesome Zeal optics kept all the pesky Canadian blackflies out of my eyes.

Julia, Leah G, Clara, Leah K, Cara, and Annie

Ok . . . so the girls had a great run at Collegiate Nationals! Congrats to Anna McLoon (Harvard University) who won the Div. 1 RR! Rachel Warner (Lees McRae), 2nd, Melanie Colavito (University of Arizona), 4th and Judy Jenkins (University of Arizona), 10th! Here are some fun pics!!

We all have personal demons and we have a choice if we shall fight them or let them take a hold of us. Fighting those demons may be ongoing. To have the courage and motivation to fight is a challenge within itself.
This past weekend while racing an endurance mountain bike event called the Whiskey 50 I had a chance to fight hard against the demons I have been dealing with for over a year. Long story short I was told I would never ride again and certainly never mountain bike race again. Due to a horrible motor/bike accident which resulted in a fused spine that is now pinned/caged/and plated back  together riding did not seem to be an option.
I have spent the last year to prove those experts wrong! Fighting demons every single day – many times those demons won but only for a short time.
I am happy to say not only did I finish the race but placed third overall female! The fight is certainly not over but this small victory only motivates me to keep fighting and fight hard.
So with that said think about what your demons  are they holding you back or are you choosing to fight no matter how hard it may seem?
As I always say no matter what “keep moving forward” even if they are small steps the small steps eventually add up.

I had the great opportunity to chat with Diane of the Outspoken Cyclist the other day, and you can hear our conversation tomorrow online!  The Outspoken Cyclist, if you haven’t checked it out already, is a fantastic show about all things cycling – from industry to advocacy to training to racing and much, much more.  The show’s host, Diane, has 36 years of experience in the bicycle industry, and she brings great perspective, interviewees, and commentary to the show.

I was fortunate enough to be able to talk with Diane about one of my very favorite things: women’s cycling!  And Women’s Bike Talk, of course!  Check out my conversation with Diane tomorrow – Saturday, February 26 at 5:30 p.m. EST – http://www.wjcu.org/media/audio/shows/outspokencyclist

I also highly recommend that you check out some of Diane’s previous shows, as well.  If you have any remarks about how to improve Women’s Bike Talk or the sport of women’s cycling more broadly after listening to the show, feel free to comment on this post or contact us.

And last, but certainly not least, Women’s Bike Talk is made possible with the support of our sponsor Bike Shop Hub (which is run by my brother Josh Lipton, who is referenced throughout the interview).

Thanks and enjoy the ride!

I learned something today from 2 incredible mountain bikers that I would like, need, to share with my cycling friends…

I rode today with 2 paraplegic cyclists, not on the road, but on Trail 100… Yes, mountain hand bikes!  They were training for a race, just like me!  I’ll admit it and bite the political bullet and say that I was shocked. As I rode with them, my thoughts quickly turned into amazement as I watched them navigated tough terrain and conquer landscape that most mountain bikers can’t clean. WOW!!

It was once said that the sign of a true athlete is one who is dripping in sweat at the point of exhaustion when no one is watching!

This says to me that being an athlete is for the self, not for the crowd, not for the fame, not for the medal… it’s about a commitment to oneself; a determination to succeed and triumph beyond the ordinary – it’s when your body and mind are begging for mercy, screaming to stop- it’s when you dig deep and find exactly what you need to continue –determination and self-dedication prevail. It’s this unbridled dedication to succeed no matter what that allows you to overcome any physical or mental obstacle that life has placed in your path… it’s you saying, go ahead throw everything you got at me, place all the obstacles you can in my path, I’ll go around them, climb over them or hell-I’ll even move them out of the way. I will persevere! [Read more →]

The world of women’s cycling suffered a great loss yesterday.  Carla Swart, 23, of South Africa was killed during a training ride in South Africa.  Carla was not only an incredible athlete, with a whooping 19 national titles in Collegiate Cycling in the four disciplines of cycling (road, mountain, cyclocross, and track), and a long list of other impressive results, she was also an incredible, vibrant, friendly person.

I got to know Carla a bit over the years through collegiate cycling.  Carla raced for the Lees McRae College, where she fueled her passion for the sport of cycling.  I vividly remember my first race against Carla.  She easily and smartly won the 2008 Collegiate National Road Race in Ft. Collins, CO, both outsmarting and outsprinting a pack of more seasoned riders.  She kept winning that particular race, in addition to many more, every year since then.

Here is Carla winning in 2008. Image credit: USA Cycling.

[Read more →]

Happy New Year from the ladies at Women’s Bike Talk! We are looking forward to 2011 and a great season of racing to come. We will be writing here soon with updates on the team roster, sponsors, race calendars, and much, much more. We hope your 2011 is a happy and healthy one, and of course, full of bicycles!

Dear Readers,

I’d like to bring your attention to a worthy cause here in Arizona. A young cyclist by the name of Thomas Jondall, with whom I’d had to pleasure to ride, is seeking support to race his bike in Europe with the US Junior National Team. Thomas is not only a very talented athlete, he’s a great kid with a lot of heart and potential. He’s worked very hard to earn the opportunity to race in Europe, but he needs a little dough to make it happen. I am personally going to contribute, and I’m sure he would appreciate any amount you can give, whether is $5 or $50. To learn more about Thomas, read on or visit the Thomas Jondall Donation Page. Thanks!

Hello,

My name is Thomas Jondall, I’m 18 years old and I race for Landis/Trek White Mountain Road Club. I’ve recently been selected to race in Europe with the US Junior National Team.The team will be racing some Kermesses in Belgium and then go to Italy for the Giro della Lunigiana UCI 2.1 and Giro di Basilicata UCI 2.1.It has been an exciting year for me and I’m looking forward to this new challenge. [Read more →]

Just a reminder that the 2 Wheels 4 Hope Mountain Bike Benefit Race & Fun Ride is coming up this weekend on June 5!

2 Wheels 4 Hope is a non-profit in Arizona whose goal is to help cyclists in need. This year, their benefit MTB race and ride will go to help our teammate Heidi Clayton who was hit by a truck on a training ride in March. Heidi has since been on a long, hard road to recovery, so 100% of the proceeds from this benefit will go to help Heidi and her family.

Event Information

When: Saturday, June 5, 2010

Where: McDowell Mountain Park – Competitive Track (Fountain Hills, AZ)

Events – Sunset Time Trial & Moonlight Fun Ride:

• Time Trial – Starts at 7:15 pm @ 20 second intervals / Long loop ~ 9 miles/ Categories: Pro, Cat 1, 2, 3, SS, Masters, kids race/ Awards 3 deep/ USAC License Required / $5 One Day License Available / Helmets and lights required.
• Fun Ride – Starts at 7:00 pm / Short & Tech Loops Open / Long Loop opens after TT – approx 8:00-8:15

Registration: Closes Friday, June 4 at 5:00 pm ET / Bike Reg

Fees: $20 minimum donation for time trial (includes Fun Ride) / $15 minimum Fun Ride donation / 100% of proceeds go to benefit Heidi!

Event Website: 2 Wheels 4 Hope

Please do consider doing this event or simply making a donation. Heidi is a wonderful woman, and this is definitely a very tough time for her. Every little bit helps, and we are so grateful to you for your support!