Girls Gone Riding - Women's Cycling Community

FIVE Bicycle Resolutions for 2012 - Number Five

2011-12-28T08:40:00.000-08:00

Resolve to clean your chain a minimum of every other ride. One of the most costly components of your bike is your cassette. If your Dad is anything like my step dad, you have been cajoled, lectured to, pestered and demo'd the value of having your car's oil changed every 3500 miles. Your bike's cassette is another system--just like your car's engine-- where dirt, grit and grime can wreak havoc on

Would I be a nut for cycling if I still lived in PA?

2011-12-10T13:08:00.000-08:00

Sure, I rode bikes when I was a kid...first a teal blue Schwinn that I got when I was five and then a bright orange Sears Roebuck 10-speed in sixth grade. It was the orange one that led me to kill my front tooth in seventh grade. I was riding it home from my girlsfriend's house while carrying my red Ambridge jacket (not wearing it because for some reason at that age I felt wearing jackets and

You gotta have a dream...

2011-10-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

There was a time about 20 years ago that I got into a crazy multi-level marketing scheme with my then husband. In retrospect, besides being very clean (there were terrific soap products involved) the leadership outfit or 'upline' of the group encouraged us to read positive books and listen to tapes of speakers from the organization who had ACHIEVED and were purportedly rolling in cash. Anyway,

Barks and bikes: when bikes and dogs clash! What to do...

2011-07-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

In the orthopedics's office today, I glance over to see an attractive woman with her left arm in a sling, a bandage over some road-rash-looking-bruises on her shoulder and more of the same on her left side. At the risk of thinking everyone in a orthopedics's office is there because of an unwanted relationship between a bike and as semi, I smiled and continued to read emails. Until I heard another

Sedona Bike Festival Ride this Saturday - FUN and Beautiful - two options! FREE!

2011-05-25T13:01:00.000-07:00

WANTED! ROAD RIDERS Celebrate May as our NATIONAL BICYLE MONTH! May 28th, 2011 (Saturday) * 2 SATURDAY MORNING ROAD RIDES IN VOC/SEDONA * ORGANIZED BY: Verde Valley Cycling Coalition Come join with the VERDE VALLEY CYCLISTS COALITION (VVCC) & friends Saturday morning, May 28th to participate in a bike ride through the beautiful red rock region of Sedona AZ. Sponsoring a choice of 2 GREAT

May 2011 - Girls Gone Riding Newsletter

2011-05-09T15:15:00.000-07:00

Click on the caption of this cheesy photo of me after my first 100-miler three years ago to read May 2011 GGR Newsletter! My cheesy grin after my first 100-miler three years ago!

It's like falling off a horse, you have to get back on...

2011-04-25T16:25:00.000-07:00

Despite the fact, that I have logged under 200 miles in the last two months, I finished 65 miles at the Ride For the Children this past weekend. I was shocked that riders finished after me cause I was pretty sure Peggy and I were the last riders. What's worse, we snuck out early. Not by much, but we wanted to avoid that mass start of tangled wobbly, hurried, bicycles. (It's like being in a

Jersey is ready to order today on GGR Blog!

2011-02-24T08:11:00.000-08:00

Didn't raise enough to get your jersey for free this year? Order one today and have it in time for March riding! Just $65 plus $5 shipping/handling. Look for the Buy Now Button on this homepage!

FEAR cannot motivate but a 69-year-old man in drag on a bicycle can...

2011-02-22T13:30:00.000-08:00

Fear can drive people to do some crazy things. Those are often terrible things that people regret. Fear can also prevent people from doing some crazy things. Most of those crazy things are the very essence of greatness. Recognizing that fear is having the effect on you and your actions that you DON'T want is so important. When you recognize it, you can change it. It's often hard to know

Which body part must one train to be a successful cyclist?

2011-02-03T12:52:00.000-08:00

Some will say the core muscles are the most important to work to be a strong rider. Others will say, the calves, the thighs, the glutes... Surprise! None of these. The most important body part to be trained for cycling is: The BRAIN. I know this to be true from my very beginning into the endeavor of cycling. Prior to any group ride, I had a series of questions that I required be answered

Redemption looks like a red tricycle...

2011-01-05T17:25:00.000-08:00

I lie in bed and all I can think about is cycling again. I know I should be thinking about work. I know I should be sleeping. I know I should be contemplating many things that are more significant than my butt on a bike saddle. But I can't. I imagine the Arizona sun playing hide and seek among the jagged mountains at South Mountain Park at the end of the day and zooming down San Juan Road toward

I am ambivalent about my slippers...

2011-01-03T15:39:00.000-08:00

You might wonder why I am ambivalent about my Ugg slippers. Seriously, what did they ever do to not be fully embraced? Sure, they are Uggs, not really glitzy or very feminine. In fact, one might say they are downright ugly what with their scuffed hide and he-man looking woolen cuffs. There are many more attractive slippers that also can keep one warm, that's for sure. But the sheer appearance of

It's been a while...

2010-10-01T19:25:00.000-07:00

On August 21, 2010, I was struck by a grocer's tractor trailer while completing a metric century ride in California. It's been a journey of humbling, challenging days in which I have struggled to maintain a positive attitude. It's sort of like being on a diet--some days the 'woe is me' in me wins but most days it's the 'glass is half full' in me crossing the finish line first. Every day though,

Girls Gone Riding: Folks...You can wrap your handlebars yourself!

2010-07-16T14:52:00.000-07:00

So it's a cheap job...$8-$12 bucks to pay a bike shop...That's not the point... Empower yourself! Plus, you'll feel less guilty about changing your bar tape as often as you change your purse! It's fun and you can do it. Subscribe for me tips from Girls Gone Riding.

Women Cyclist Shifting Tips - Basics, Nevers and Always for Girls Gone Riding

2010-07-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

July 7th Wine Women and Wheels Shifting Clinic at Global Bikes in Gilbert, AZ Learning to shift is among the most intimidating of skills when first learning to road bike. When heading out on a flat beginner ride, there are not too many opportunities for dangerous mistakes. It's typically when riding steeper grades that being in the correct gear could cause some headaches or even a fall Here are

Trying to diet but still riding your bike? If you cycle, you gotta eat...

2010-06-23T16:23:00.000-07:00

If you want to perform well while cycling, a few celery sticks and a half cup of cottage cheese won't cute it. Watch this video to learn more about what to eat when you are riding.

Girl Gone Riding: Women--You too CAN change your own tire...

2010-06-08T09:48:00.000-07:00

Change your tire in less than 10 minutes....You can do it! Watch this and then try it yourself.Then practice, practice, practice...Have fun! --Sheryl

Ready yourself AND your bike for the summer heat

2010-05-17T08:41:00.000-07:00

If you're like me and ride year-round, you have probably noticed that you and your bike perform differently in different weather. That's why it makes sense to take a few extra steps to prepare you and your trusty steed for the summer weather. Let's start with the easier of the two, your bike. If you haven't had your bike in for a tune-up after the months of winter riding, it's a good time to do

A Gal's Glossary Guide to Cycling Jargon - C - clipless pedals

2010-04-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder why some terms sound an awful like the opposite of what they are? (Think jumbo shrimp..) Clipless pedals are bicycle pedals that work with a partner, the cycling shoe, with a special cleat affixed to the bottom. The cleat allows the foot to clip into the pedal offering the cyclist a firm fit and ability to push and pull. It was hard for me to understand WHY these were called CLIPLESS

A Gal's Glossary Guide to Cycling Jargon - B - butt butter

2010-04-21T09:30:00.000-07:00

Anyone can ride a bike. But, as anyone who adopts a road bike as his or her tool of choice will find out when beginning to do long rides, it can be punishment for your tush. There is a period of conditioning that really does not have any shortcuts other than spending increasingly longer periods on the saddle. However, there is a way to help provide some comfort. Cyclists should certainly invest

A Gal's Glossary Guide to Cycling Jargon

2010-04-19T14:59:00.000-07:00

In honor of Bike Month, for the next several weeks, I will be writing a few articles a week based on cycling terms and jargon. There's so many people getting into cycling and like anything else, the cycling community has made up its own language which often leave people wondering what the heck is being said. So make sure you turn your eyes to the Girls Gone Riding blog a few times each week to

Accomplishment is addicting

2010-04-12T15:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had the privilege of cycling with five women. A few of these women are new to group riding. Saddling up and riding with women who are just learning is a great reminder of how far one has come. I could see the uncertainty each of them had when we started out. Each and every one of them had something to say that reflected a self-questioning not unlike the feeling of being in seventh

Ever think about adding a bike for utility reasons instead of simply recreation? You should

2010-04-04T09:36:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, I found myself unemployed. I began seeking a new job, but also looking for a new career. Like many women, I started riding by buying a hybrid bike because I had a hard time ever picturing myself on a road bike. Of course, after trying to keep up on group rides, I eventually made the switch, but that's another posting...So I have this terrific Trek hybrid leaning against the

Commuter-friendly? I think not.

2010-01-08T15:38:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I don't carry my plastic bottles home from places that don't have recycling bins and I haven't figured out a practical way for me to commute the 30 miles to work yet. But, I have readied my hybrid so that I can take it to pick up the onions I forgot at the grocery store down the street or return the Red Box movie to the local Walgreen's. I thought it was good way to get a few more minutes

What does a Happy Baby and a Crow have to do with cycling?

2010-01-05T14:47:00.000-08:00

Do you ever have issues with your neck, hamstrings, shoulders or back when you are on your bike for long hours or are riding four or five days a week? Well, I do. I have developed creaks and snaps that are often calmed a little by massages or chiropractic adjustments but preventing these seems to be the key. And, an elusive element. I wonder why yoga has not been linked more frequently to