We Bike To DC is Over!

Yesterday, we completed our ride into DC. An awesome group of riders, from our BikeDC community, met us in Greenbelt, MD, for the final segment of our journey.  This included a quick spin past Lake Artemesia, one of my favorite rides just outside the city limits.  We arrived at the US Capitol for photo opportunities and then a short ride to our host hotel.

We've finished the ride but our mission is far from over.

Today we attended the Women's Forum at the National Bike Summit. Four of our ten riders presented. I had no idea I had been surrounded by such awe inspiring women for the past four days. It was so cold (yes, I'm still talking about the weather) that social/professional chatter was not high on the list. Even when we did talk, it was so muffled by balaclava's and other cold weather gear that I'm not sure I heard anything clearly. I chalked that up to old age, but in reality I think we all had frozen ears. Even without lengthy conversations we bonded.

I have formed lifelong friendships with women more than half my age. It was exciting to have an opportunity to participate on this ride but I'm more excited about things to come. Not only will our organizations continue to advocate for Women's Cycling, I've been invited by my new friends for bike rides to the beach this summer and the NYC Century in the fall. I'll also be attending a women's day at a velodrome. Though I don't race, and at my age have no desire to start, I've always wanted to ride a fixie on a banked track!

Thank you to Liz, Kristina, Casey, Kaelin, Katie, Laura, Ayesha, Mary, Nelle and our very own journalist, Karen for putting up with the old lady who required a slower pace and shorter mileage during the frigid temps. Arthritic joints just don't like the cold, but it also isn't a reason not to ride.

On one hand, I want to say let's do it again next year but unless The League changes the dates or location (California, Arizona, Florida ... I'm sensing a pattern) of the National Bike Summit, I may have to find a replacement for my slot. Of course, she must be at least 50 :-) 

Does the blog end here.....NOT.....I already have multiple rides planned for this year and hope to share more on my advocacy work to get additional women on bikes.

@DCxFitChic

Day 3 is complete .... One word, no two words ..... Overcoming challenges!

Our group has bonded as true sisters in cycling. I have a new NYC BFF and I can't wait to head north this summer for biking to the beach!  Ok, enough about me..let's get to the ride.

Each day we have faced and overcome challenges. We know bike infrastructure isn't great across the US and this is one of the many reasons we ride. We also know that because of poor infrastructure and safety concerns, many women don't ride. For now, we are riding on their behalf. We are challenging the Polar Vortex type weather (by now, you know I can't stop talking about the cold) to show that cycling is a great source of transportation.

Day 1 - Icy snow covered bike paths, park trails and pedestrian paths, with some pretty interesting debris. Really, New Jersey....that's how you roll? We helped each other and made it to a safe road. (We also had an awesome two woman team from Woman Tours to provide SAG support when needed. THANKS!) However, we all arrived in Philly.

Day 2 - The cold continued its hold but the wind died down a bit and of course, the wonderful folks at Coffee Station (Morton, PA) were there to provide a warm place to relax and refuel (BACON stop) from those brutal PA hills. Both of their locations provided amazing service. Oh and I can't forget to thank Freddie (also a native Californian) at Burrito Bandido, in Wilmington, DE, for some amazing lunchtime grub. But, we all arrived in Newark, DE.

Day 3 - Another cold morning but by now, cold is relative. 20 is way better than 10, and the high for today is above the freezing mark. Unfortunately, we had a little issue with road rash (not sure about road rash?, I have plenty, just ask me sometime and I'll show you, fortunately today's was not mine) and had to cut our mileage short for the day, even before some of us started. Again, the wonderful ladies from Woman Tours were there to provide support. We are in Baltimore and ready to ride tomorrow to the US Capitol.

I've received two amazing messages on this trip. One was a woman who saw us in New Jersey and was so inspired by our 'purple' sisterhood (thank you Pearl Izumi for helping us stand out in a crowd!), she went out on her lunch break and bought a new bike. The other was a SoCal resident who was so motivated by our story, she rode in a rain storm. Trust me, I'm a native Californian, this is a big deal. They rarely get rain and generally park their bikes because they are certain tomorrow will be sunny!  RIDE ON ladies and thanks for sharing your thoughts.

We will end with a statement tomorrow (you know DC is all about the statement). Our little group will expand, in numbers, for the ride into Washington, DC. If you're in the area, meet us at the Silver Diner in Greenbelt, MD, (6040 Greenbelt Rd) and help us celebrate this great adventure. Meetup time is 1pm, we roll at 130pm. 

Hope to see you on the road soon!

@DCxFitChic

BTW....I've committed to 30 Days of Biking in April. Yes, that means biking every single day during the month of April, regardless of weather. This trip has taught me that any weather can be handled with the right apparel. JOIN ME, it will be fun!

 

Day 2 Philly to Newark, DE is done!

When I agreed to a winter ride to attend the National Bike Summit, I'm not sure why my first consideration wasn't weather. I really don't like cold! Below 70, I'm actually kind of grouchy. Yes, I use my bike for quick trips in winter but this is crazy. We left our NYC hotel, Thursday around 7am and the first time the temperature hit freezing (that's 32, in case you don't know) was at 2:48pm today!! (Yes, there's an app for that)

I really could have walked to the National Bike Summit. The host hotel is a few blocks from my house, but this ride is not about me. It's about showing women (and really everyone) that cycling can and should be your first choice for transportation.

It's better for our environment (even my 7 yr old granddaughter knows that), it's better for both our physical and mental health, also important to many of us, in the current economy, it's better for your bank account.

Yeah, yeah, I know we all have many excuses why we can't ride, but they are just that excuses. There are women centric bike groups in many cities. I'm representing Black Women Bike DC on this weeks ride, Nelle Pierson from WABA's Women and Bicycles is with me. That's two powerful groups in our nations capital, advocating for women and bikes. We are riding with women who represent advocacy groups in both NYC (WE Bike NYC) and Philly (Gearing Up, Women Bike PHL).  Find a group in your town and join the cause.

By the way, it was about 10 degrees when we left our Philadelphia hotel this morning but we were met at Love Park by a hearty group of Philly Cyclist. Liz (sorry I don't know your last name) from Neighborhood Bike Works, led us on a ride out of the city. I can't THANK them enough for their support. It was a great start and we had a great day.

Tomorrow we head to Baltimore.

@DCxFitChic

Day 1 Is Complete!

So, we made it to Philly!

There were some missteps, or should I say missed turns, but we had an amazing day.  The biking sisterhood is alive and well and these women truly represented.

The temperatures were frigid, resulting in some severe knee pain for me, so I skipped the final 25 miles. SAG support is awesome! The ladies from Woman Tours have gone above and beyond to ensure we have what we need. I, of course, being a diva (or maybe just old) also have personal SAG support from my good friend Beverly.

Doesn't look like tomorrow's leg from Philly to somewhere in DE, will be any warmer but we're ready. I think it's super important to continue to show other women what an awesome mode of transportation is available on the good old bicycle.

Well, I better get to sleep as we ride at 7am and it's already passed my bedtime.

@DCxFitChic