On Tuesday, I went with Melanie and Beca to tour the Genuine Innovations facility. Marty gave us LOTS of really cool product, but I must confess, I do have a favorite. (My mom says it’s not nice to play favorites, but she’s not here…)

Anyway, I love tools. In fact, should I ever get married, the first thing I’ll register for is a cordless drill. (Great for taking things apart, which I’m really good at, and also perfect for putting things together, which may or may not be my strongest skill.) However, there is definitely not room in my jersey pocket for a cordless drill, and Cerulean tells me that the weight of the drill and its battery are counterproductive to the ever-illusive strength-to-weight ratio we’re striving for. Enter my new most favorite multi-purpose tool, posing on dear Cerulean’s saddle:

Here are some key things you should know about the Genuine Innovations FlatStack mini tool: [Read more →]

This week, Judy, Beca, and I headed down to Genuine Innovations right here in Tucson, AZ.  Genuine Innovations is one of our new sponsors for 2010, and they are sure to keep us on the road with their high pressure CO2 and valve inflation technology.

When we got to Genuine Innovations, we met up with Marty Mares who, in addition to helping run Genuine Innovations, is a great supporter of racing and super nice guy.  He gave us a tour of the Genuine Innovations Plant, and he also showed us how to use some of the product we will be getting.

Marty shows us all the product made by Genuine Innovations.

Genuine Innovations doesn’t just stick to cycling inflators, they make products with a variety of different applications from the medical industry all the way over the to tattoo industry.  They make keg chargers, motorcycle tire inflators, and so much more!

[Read more →]

2009 is quickly coming to a close, and the Specialized Designs for Women p/b Bicycle Haus team is very excited about 2010.  We recently got together for a team ride and meeting up in Phoenix.  The weather was fantastic, and we had a great ride, lunch, and meeting.  Here are a few photos from the day, compliments of Heather.

Heading out.

Judy and Mary are all smiles.

[Read more →]

I love the Tucson Bike Swap Meet!  I got my 2nd road bike there for like $650!

It’s this Saturday, November 14 on 4th Ave. from 8am – 2pm.

Sell your stuff or buy some new-used stuff.  Best of all, have fun and mingle with cool bikey-folk.

Also, if you can’t make it but need to get ride of some old gear, consider donating it to the UA Cycling Club.  Contact Us for more details.

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.

I came across this article in Velo News today by Monique Ryan about bone density in cyclists:

A sports nutritionist looks at the problem of low bone density in cyclists and what they can do about it.

There is definitely a lot of debate over the issue of bone density in cyclists and many conflicting studies.  However, this article points to a few key things that cyclists can do to help improve their odds.  For example:

• Repetitive impact activities, such as running
• Calcium intake
• Eating enough

The issue of bone density is especially important for female cyclists, as females in general are at a greater risk for developing low bone density.  Read more about women as endurance athletes in this article by Dr. Sal Tirrito.

Cramping is no fun, plus you lose calcium! Photo credit: Brian Meyer

For most of us, it’s the off-season, so now is a great time to add some different types of activity into your training regime.  Try going for a run or a hike, or maybe hit the trails on your cyclocross bike!

Remember being a cat 4 cyclist and having dreams of being a champion? Well, if I can’t be a champion, at least I can surround myself with them. I have raced three UCI cyclocross events the past three weekends, and the pros were there: Natasha Elliot, Maureen Bruno Roy, Katerina Nash, Mary McConneloug, and Amy Dombroski, just to name a few. I am “name dropping”, but I’ve only seen them in pictures, now I’ve watched them race!

As for me, I placed 44th 3 weeks ago at the UCI Verge series in Vermont, and this past weekend placed 22nd in Providence. It’s a blast!

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.

My favorite part of the off season is hitting the trails near my house in the McDowell’s.  It’s a nice break from the road bike and a great way to keep fit.  I spend most of my time on the road bike and I’ve never really put much thought into fine tuning my mountain biking skills – just point it uphill and ride hard then point it downhill and scare myself.  Just kidding, I’m not really THAT bad, but I’d like to get better and I think someone out there can help me (I know I have some teammates who can)! 

Tight switchbacks kick my butt.  I do fine decending, but don’t do quite as well when I’m going uphill.  Does anyone have some tips for navitating a switchback – let’s say going uphill and downhill?