Category — Bicycle Advocacy

Heidi is doing much better and is walking! We all knew she could do it! She will be leaving the hospital this week, transferring to a rehab center in Mesa! She will be there for a couple of weeks and then hopefully, back home with her daughter! Thank you to everyone for your support and concern for Heidi – she really appreciates all of the warm wishes she has received.

Be careful out there — please!

Yesterday, I mentioned in our Redlands Prologue post that our teammate Heidi Clayton was hit by a pickup truck while on a group ride. Fortunately, Heidi made it through a long, hard surgery last night and can wiggle her toes. She has a broken back, but there is no paralysis. Heidi is going to have a long, hard road to recovery, but she is an incredibly tough woman and will pull through.

Nonetheless, she could certainly use some support! Below is some information the team has received with instructions for helping Heidi and her family during this tough time.

Updates are being posted to the Ahwatukee Cycling Group on Facebook. Here is the latest: [Read more →]

To all the ladies who want to see more women riding bikes, I encourage you to take this survey from the Association of Pedestrian and and Bicycle Professionals. The point of the survey is the help the APBP assess what factors need to be addressed in order to encourage more women to ride their bikes and to do so more frequently. It only took me a few minutes to complete the survey. Enjoy and pass along!

SURVEY

Please enjoy this guest post by one of our readers – Gaylen Hasson – about the Little Red Riding Hood ride, which takes place in Utah and helps raise money for women’s cancer research. Gaylen was kind enough to share her experience on the ride with us, and we hope that the LRRH ride this year is another great experience for Gaylen and all of the other participants. Thanks for sharing, Gaylen!

Little Red Riding Hood is an all women’s ride that takes place in the beautiful Cache Valley north of Salt Lake City. Women of all ages and abilities can choose from 5 distances, and the feeling surrounding this event is hard to describe. ‘Girls Ride’ with lots of love!! The past several years LRRH has become involved in raising funds for women’s cancer research.

There is a wonderful sense on camaraderie that starts Friday afternoon on the drive from SLC to Logan ‘ cars with bikes and women all heading north to Logan, UT. The anticipation and fun for me begins each year when the jersey design is posted. [Read more →]

I’ll be honest; I’m pretty biased on this one.

Nine years ago I lost a dear friend in a drunk driving accident. I, like anyone who has lost a loved-one, realize that nothing can bring my friend back to life. It sucks, it’s tragic, and it’s final. My friend’s sudden and early death caused untold amounts of pain in the lives of those who knew him, especially in his family. We all have choices in handling this sort of grief’anger, self-pity, despair, etc. However, as I’ve watched his family, I’ve learned a lot about productive mourning. For years his mother has traveled to schools, telling future drivers the story of her son’s death in hopes of sparing other families from similar tragedy. It’s undoubtedly painful to relive the experience over and over again, but she’s chosen to selflessly use her anguish. Though her son’s unnecessary death was the result of someone else’s poor choices, she’s chosen to use his memory for the benefit others. I will never forget her example.

[Read more →]

One of our great sponsors – Bike Shop Hub – is currently hiring! The position is for a person with great writing skills and a passion for cycling. To learn more, check out the listing – http://www.biketrailershop.com/catalog/about.php. It’s a great company and a great place to work!

More sad news in the Arizona cycling scene. Doug Flynn, the founder of the Yuma Bike Club, was tragically killed in an accident while cycling. Doug was an important leader in the Yuma cycling community and a great advocate of youth cycling. Doug will be deeply missed.

To honor Doug, the Yuma Bike Club is hosting the first annual Carrera de San Luis Fun Ride. The ride will take place this Saturday, November 7 in Yuma, Arizona. In honor of Doug, the first annual “Doug Flynn Award” will be given to the lead rider in the adult male, adult female, junior male, and junior female categories. Registration is available at Active.com. All proceeds from the event will go to benefit youth cycling in Yuma. There will be T-shirts and a catered meal for participants as well.

If you are unable to make the ride, please consider a donation to Doug’s family through CARD (Cyclists Against Reckless Drivers). You can also visit Doug’s memorial site.

Rest in peace, Doug.

A few months ago, I posted a story about Colleen Whealdon-Haught, a local Arizona racer who was battling metastatic breast cancer.

It saddens me deeply to report that Colleen lost her battle this week. Throughout her battle with cancer, she was a tough fighter and always so incredibly positive, kind, and smiling. She will live on forever in our memories as an example of a great cyclist and one amazing individual.

If you are in the Tucson area, please come out to support Team Colleen on October 18 from 4 – 7 pm at the Bluepoint Kitchen and Bar. All proceeds go to the Livestrong Challenge, which Colleen was very passionate about, having raised more than $40,000.

And may Colleen rest in peace and ride on forever in our hearts.

Hi ladies, I have made the trip across country and am now living in Weymouth, MA and started a new job. I’m just getting back to riding and training. I’m lucky to have a training crit for cat 3-4 cyclists only five miles from my house. I went for the first time a few weeks ago and was the only girl! Being the only girl, I didn’t feel so bad when I was dropped three times. I went back the following week and was only dropped once. All of the guys have been great, they even move over so I can have the wheel for the draft. I feel safe riding in the pack and everyone has decent bike handling skills….so, ladies on the east coast, join me on Wednesday nights at Wampatuck state park. You can find all of the info at NEBRA.org!

As you are browsing the blogosphere, please take some time to check out this new site dedicated to the practice of utility cycling: www.utilitycycling.org. Utility Cycling is dedicated to defining the movement of utility cycling, which encompasses the bicycle as a means of transportation, function, service, mobility, fun, and much, much more.

Although our focus here at Women’s Bike Talk is specifically devoted to women’s cycling issues, there are many ways in which the two sites are complimentary. For example, some of the writers here at Women’s Bike Talk are dedicated bicycle commuters. Others are dedicated mothers who are well-versed in the way of bicycle cargo of all types. And yet others use the bicycle as a vehicle for empowerment. All that in addition to bicycle racing!

So take a moment to think about how you use your bicycle. We’d love to hear about it, so please tell us your utility cycling story by commenting on this post.

Until next time, use your bike!