Day 4 - Strong Finish!

We made it!

I promise more details but for now, I need rest!

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

Finally time to ride!

Safely arrived in NYC yesterday to be greeted by 20 degree temperatures. Oh the joys of winter.  Had an opportunity to dine with our group and discuss today's ride.

Day 1 was planned for a 5am departure and 100 miles of riding. Based on the single digit wind chills, we've pushed that start to 7am and pretty sure we will decrease the mileage but will see once we get started. Lucky us!

Going to have coffee and breakfast before I hit the road. Hopefully it won't be too cold to get some pictures on our scenic ride through New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Thinking happy and warm thoughts (of course, I'm still in bed!).

@DCxFitChic

2 Days Before the Big Ride!

I'm leaving for NYC tomorrow.

Just finished packing my bags with full winter cycling gear which includes a rain suit, long winter pants, fleeced lined jackets, smart wool base layers and socks! I really hate socks but when the high temp is forecasted to be below freezing, than socks it is!

I'm also asking myself, why am I'm riding over 200 miles to reach a destination that is less than 6 blocks from my home, really? Obviously, I am committed to women and cycling and sharing with the masses that it really is easy to use your bike for transportation. 

So follow along for the next five days and lets see how it goes.

LeslyJ

@DCxFitChic

#WeBikeToDC

By the way.... This is what it looked like outside my window this morning. I can't believe that I'm actually going to ride my bike over 200 miles.

Worlds Worst Blogger!

I get so involved in what I'm doing that I totally forget to write about it.

Unfortunately, my ride training has been curtailed by cold weather. I expected this and of course, I have rollers but riding inside tends to be limited to 30 minutes or less. I just can't focus when I really want to be outside. Not really sure how that's going to translate to 50+ miles per day, for 4 days, in winter temps! I get cold just thinking about it. I am lifting 4-6 days per week, so that should count for something, even if it is indoors, right?

I did get outside today. A beautiful, sunny but cold ride through Rock Creek Park. Now I just need to build on that.  I keep reminding myself that I'll be the "old lady" in the group and thus have a built in reason to cry my way down the road.

Fun things are coming together and I hope to announce our upcoming fundraising event in the next few days, so stay posted. We need all the help we can get!

LeslyJ

Twitter:  @DCxFitChic

#WeBikeToDC