Thursday, July 31, 2008

Aug 2 ride update

This ride is approx 36 miles, if you want a shorter ride, will pick up riders at 9 am at Shaws Bridge. Ride is a nice flat ride around Chester County.

Seagull Century update

Ellen and I are registered for the ride plus a dinner Friday night. I booked a Hampton Inn in Seaford for $125 per night with AAA discount. Hotels in Salisbury required a two night stay at a much higher fee.

So we are about 20 miles north of Salisbury. Better than driving from West Chester!

Looking for ladies to join us, not necessary to ride the Century, can do a shorter ride. Ride offers a metric century of 62 miles.

Now there is no guarantee Ellen and I will make 100 miles, but that is our goal. I guess if we run into trouble, SAG can pick us up.

Plus this is a flat ride, can have head winds or bad weather. If it gets too bad, we can abort if needed. Ride costs $55. If worse comes to worse, we lose that.

Seagull Century


Ladies

Ellen Z and I are registering online for the Century and booking rooms at the Hampton Inn. We are driving down together. Any ladies wishing to join us can stay at the Hampton as well and we can ride as a group.

http://www.seagullcentury.org/

This should be a very fun time and great chance to stretch yourselves in biking. The weather will be cooler and the ride should be flat as we are on the bottom tip of the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Should see lots of migrating birds as well.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

New things happening


Ladies

Rode today with Ellen and Sara, Sara is just back from the ride across Iowa and she said she had a blast. Ellen mentioned the Seagull Century instead of the Lake Nockamixon one in August.

I am now officially changing from the Lake Nock ride to the Seagull Century. Between getting sick and my son having to return to Florida, I need to make changes.

Here is the link to the Seagull Century,
http://www.seagullcentury.org

for details. Apparently fellow WCCCer's go this century. Now this century requires an overnight. But when I looked on the map, I discovered that this Century covers all the area where my mother was actually born and raised. This is the lower portion of the Eastern Shore of Maryland.


So October 4, 2008 is the date, Ellen wants to go and I am hoping some other chicks will want to go as well.

There are many rides options besides the century. Come try, all we can do is not make 100 miles, but better to try and fail than to not try.

Rides for next week, Aug 3-9

August 3, OOPS, just found out the She Rox Triathlon is on Aug 3, will just go to Manyunk and back
so I will be riding the Schuylkill River Trail again but not all the way to Phila, meet at 7:45 am at Betzwood, email me for details and driving instructions and email me IF you are going, please!!
It is 35-40 miles round trip but you can turn around at any point and head back. Lots of fun. Manyunk is lots of fun. We can get breakfast in Manyunk.


August 6 - Wednesday morning, 930 am, meet at Northbrook Orchard Store, we are doing the Dog Daze ride to test the course. 25 miles, finish at Northbrook, stay and eat lunch or ice cream.
Ellen runs the Dog Daze and wants to ride the course as she does not get a chance on the day of the ride.

August 9 Dog Daze Ride, sponsored by the Brandywine Bicyle Club, 730am at Brandywine Valley Nature Center on RT 842. This is a very fun ride and lots and lots of WCCC folks come out for it.

I plan on riding the 50 miles but there is a 25 mile ride, 77 mile ride and 100 mile ride.

SO come on out, look for me near the sign up table. I get there early to get a close parking spot.


ICE CREAM CONE RIDE

IS BACK ON, August 24, 10:30 am, leave Hot Foot lot in WC boro, pick up riders at Shaws Bridge at 11:00. Bring cash as the ice cream store is cash only. May be a long line at ice cream shop, so be prepared time wise.

More details later, mark your calendar.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Is this why you are not biking??

START SEEING YOURSELF AS A BIKER and not a couch potato afraid of how you look, the busy roads and whatever other excuses your are using to keep from biking.

from http://freybird.blogspot.com/

A problem I see with amateur triathletes and with "out of shape" looking trainees is that they let their appearance become a self-inflicted handicap.

Imagine a hypothetical 45 year-old Mary comes to Aquacrest pool to start a swim program. Out of shape from birthing and actually spending time raising three kids, Mary tells herself it's time to get back in shape. Mary keeps it to herself, but she knows it would be incredible to race a triathlon like some of those fit-looking ladies down in lane 1 and 2. But, looking at herself in the mirror in her size 40 speedo, she imagines the subtly degrading comments from her friends and family if she were to declare such a brazen goal. So, based on what she sees in the mirror, she cages her triathlon goal, telling people, "I'm too slow/fat/old to swim with the masters program, I'll just do some kickboard work down here in lane 12."

Based on what she sees, Mary protects herself from imagined criticism by limiting her explicit goals. Because she judges herself unathletic-looking, she falls into a self-fulfilling cycle of remaining relatively unathletic.

Were Mary not victim to people, judging amateur trainees spilling out of their spandex, she would more freely and confidently express her seemingly out of reach training goals. Viewing herself as an athlete, Mary would then put in the necessary work to be an athlete, training with more discipline, prioritizing her health, eating and resting appropriately.

Out-of-shape looking people wearing spandex should be commended. These trainees have taken the bold step of being an athlete, no matter what they may look like. Wearing spandex while cycling shows the athlete that there is nothing separating them from Lance Armstrong. Once the trainee becomes at athlete, they stop finding excuses (I'm too old, This knee won't hold up, I don't deserve a good bike, etc.).

Attitudes follow actions, so wearing the spandex leads to believing in ones limitless capabilities as an athlete.

When people make fun of their appearance, especially when respected coaches such as Cressey do this, it cuts that process off right at the roots. It kills the action, so the self-confident attitude will never develop.

Overdue quote of the week:

"Without belief, we would be left with nothing but an overwhelming doom, every single day. And it will beat you. I didn't fully see, until the cancer, how we fight every day against the creeping negatives of the world, how we struggle daily against the slow lapping of cynicism. Dispiritedness and disappointment, these were the real perils of life, not some sudden illness or cataclysmic millennium doomsday. I knew now why people fear cancer: because it is a slow and inevitable death, it is the very definition of cynicism and loss of spirit."

Lance Armstrong

Art Museum Ride and Rides for this week

NO CHICKS showed up, too bad, Alan and I had one fabo time. Alan rides with the B group so he and I were moving. The ride ended up being 51 miles, more than I thought.

We did the 51 miles in under 4hrs and had to race home when we saw the huge thunder clouds over northern Chester County.

Biking through Manyunk was sooooo much fun, tons of bikers everywhere, old, young, and in shape and out of shape, but they were all out having fun.

Rides for this week:

July 30 9:30 am at Shaws Bridge, 25 miles

July 31 5:30 pm at Hot Foot Lot, 20 miles, going out to Downingtown, make sure to have a back blinkie light, we go through a tunnel

Aug 2 8:40 am Hot Foot Lot

have not yet picked the cue for this ride, check back later

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Saturday and Sunday ride


Chicks

Doing a ride Saturday morning, 8:40 am from Hot Foot, cue # 4 - 30 miles, easy ride, few hills and an easy pace.

Sunday morning ride, 9:00 am leaving from Betzwood Bridge , Trooper Exit on Rt 422, doing the Schuylkill River Trail, plan on biking to the Art Museum and back. Trip will be around 40 miles, I think.

It is a great ride when you go all the way into Philadelphia and tons of fun.

It is all flat and an easy ride, in Manyunk, I will not be doing the tow path but biking right through Manyunk. Stopping somewhere on the way home in Manyunk can be a possibility if folks want to do that.

Bring money for a snack or lunch type snack.

Sunday ride should be easy and a good ride for those reluctant to bike on roads and hills in Chester County.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Ride up


Folks

Going to publish a ride for Thursday eve at 5:30 pm from HotFoot lot.

This will be an easy ride, so anyone sitting home and saying I cannot do it, Biker Chicks are too fast or are afraid, please

COME ON OUT.

We will do around 18 miles and it will be slow as I am still not up to snuff 100%.

Hope to see some chicks and some new chicks.

Libby

Sunday, July 20, 2008

picked up something on my trip


No rides posted yet as I came down with some kind of virus and spent the day in bed.

Hopefully will have something up later in the week. Anyone who wants to lead a group of chicks out, please post to me and I will put it up.

See you soon

Friday, July 18, 2008

No chick ride for Saturday July 19

Sorry ladies, I have no scheduled Biker Chick ride for tomorrow. I just got in from a long week and with this heat, I am not anxious to go out.

Rides will be again be up once I get back into the groove.


Join up with the C group if you want to ride.

Have fun!

Saturday, July 12, 2008

P-standingup for chicks only


Was biking today with men and women on our Dog Daze ride and marveled at how easy men have it when biking, find a tree and Voila'! Got on the Net and found this handy device for women. For chicks, this has to be a great invention when squatting is just not possible.

Pee like a man and enjoy some freedom when outdoors.

Press Release from

http://p-standingup.com/

May 8, 2007 Minneapolis, MN - Grizzly Creek Enterprises today announced that it will expand into a new venture, featuring a disposable paper device named P-Mate - designed to allow women to urinate standing up. This is a new division of Grizzly Creek, and will be named P-Standing Up. The product is presently showcased on the world wide web at p-standingup.com.

"We’ve found a revolutionary product; one that is quite well known in Europe, and I believe this will be just as popular with American women," said Jamie Holland, spokesperson and vice president for domestic sales. "This is a small, pocket sized and disposable device that allows women the freedom to enjoy all of the outdoor activities they always have, but without the restriction and complication of needing nearby sanitary bathroom facilities. "The days of struggling to find a sanitary place to urinate at festivals, while camping, hiking, boating, or other outdoor events are over,” she said. “With the P-Mate, you simply find an appropriate location and experience complete hygienic freedom as men have always done...pee standing up!”


Ride Report

Had 3 chicks out and 3 men out for our ride. Tina and Libby and Frey and Ed did 43 miles today and came into town at above 12 mph. So we smoked the ride. We picked up Richard and Connie at Northbrook Orchards and they continued on with us.

Northbrook is very nice now, lots of drinks and fresh fruit and clean bathrooms.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Rides for the week of July 13


No Tuesday or Thursday evening rides as I will be out of town. Any chick who wants to lead a ride on either of these nights, post to me and I will put it up.

I will be back on Friday and plan on a ride for Saturday morning, July 19, 8:40 am from HotFoot Lot. I will post the cue later in the week. So check back.

Bug in the Ear Ride



OK, this is what it felt like, I got a bug in my ear and just about panicked. Luckily my son was with us and he remained calm. We flooded the ear and seemed to murder the little bugger.

I continued on the ride thanks to the clear thinking action of my son.

We then all witnessed a near miss accident when a car passed us in the left lane and stayed out there causing oncoming traffic to brake hard and squeal their tires. I had visions of the Chicks getting hit by these cars.

Again, my son told us to keep biking and not to stop which I was inclined to do.

Nonetheless, we all made it home. Charlene continues to amaze me. Charlene is the mother of the two young chicks who recently joined us on the rides. Charlene is on a cross bike and last night put on her cleat shoes and rode the entire ride with not one fall.

This lady is amazing. She keeps up with us and did 22 miles last night with the large climb up S New Street as well.

Now this is a chick!

Come on out this Saturday and have some fun.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Fun Stuff

Fun stuff when you are bored, this video is just the opposite of the safety video.

Bicycle Safety Video

Had a great ride Tuesday evening. Lots of chicks and a good pace. Chicks are definitely improving. Charlene U is doing one fine job while riding a heavy bike. Got some bad news from Elaine P.

She finally put her cleat pedals on and took a bad fall while practicing and has broken her elbow. She is out for 3-4 weeks and is very bummed out.

Below is a nice safety video I found on U tube. Take some time and view it as it is very informative on how to ride on the roads and not get hit by a car.

I take out lots of ladies and feel compelled to remind you about the safety issues on the road. If riding on the Tues and Thurs evening rides, you MUST get a front white light and a back red light. Take some time this week and go buy one. HotFootCycles has some nice rear view mirrors that attach to your glasses. BUY ONE and learn how to use it.

See you out on the roads, BE SAFE!

Sunday, July 6, 2008

One humdinger of a weekend for cycling

Ladies

The West Chester Criterium was beyond fun and exciting. Town was packed and everyone was having the best time ever. Working the race was so much fun. Tina and Alison were at our corner for the second shift and Alison's little son really got into the crossing guard job we all had.

He was such a huge help and just the cutest thing ever.

Today I lead the Society of Friends Tour with 7 riders. Two of the riders were out of towners. They found the Crit on the Net and found the Community Rides as well. They loved everything about West Chester. Such fun to meet soooooo many nice folks. Eileen H came out for her first ride. She was awesome. Such a tiny thing and cute as she could be in her Iron Hill outfit. I did not know they made clothes that small!!


She plowed right up all the hills, and was learning how to shift for the first time. What a Chick!

So nice to see a new lady out. She had a great bike and managed the 22 miles we did today. We visited all the Quaker schools and meeting houses that were on our route.

Check out the slideshow for pics of the weekend events.


Look for a Tues and Thursday evening ride, 530 at HotFoot

and Saturday will be the cue from last week.

Cue # 126 with TWO OPTIONS


1st option: leave from Hot Foot at 8:40 am and head to Northbrook Orchard store, on rt 842 past the Nature center.

2nd option: Pick up additional riders at the store at 9 am and do the Dog Daze ride which is about 24 miles starting at Northbrook Orchard store, (which is now re-open)

and you can park your car at the store and if open, there are restrooms and food.

July 6 Community ride Quaker tour IS ON

Ride is on for today, we do not get too far from home on this ride, come prepared with spare tubes and inflation system in case of a flat.

Pics of tour and West Chester Criterium to follow later.

See you at the Quaker Tour, Meet at Hoopes Park at 11:30 am


Libby

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Ice Cream Cone Ride


July 26, Saturday OR July 27, Sunday morning at 10:00 am Hot Foot Lot
10:30 am at Northbrook Orchard Store lot

Field trip to the Woodside Creamery. 40 miles round trip from boro and approx 30 miles from Northbrook.

Have not made the cue as of yet. Please post in the comments section if you are interested. The reason the time is 10 am is that the Creamery does not open till 12 noon. Post as to which day you want.

Tony O from the WCCClub has volunteered to go with us and my son as well. Bring hubby and or a friend.

Leisurely ride but there may be some hills. Once I drive the course I will know more.

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