Velo Girls Coaching Announces Summer/Fall Camps + Clinics

What a year it's been! Through the end of May, Velo Girls Coaching Services has presented 13 clinics for women and men, racers and recreational riders alike. That's about 250 riders who've participated in one or more of our Bike Skills series of clinics. And the fun just keeps rolling!

We've got some fabulous new offerings for 2009, including Bike Touring 101, an Alpine Altitude Adventure weekend (aka Death Ride Camp), and a women's camp in Bear Valley and another one in Santa Barbara.

I'm pleased to announce our summer/fall schedule of camps + clinics. All events are co-ed unless specifically noted for women or for men:


Bike Skills 101 -- Individual Bike Handling Skills
June 6th, August 2nd, October 17th


Bike Skills 102 -- Mountain Bike Skills
August 9th


Bike Skills 103 -- Cyclocross Skills with guest coach John Funke!
August 16th


Bike Skills 201 -- Climbing + Descending
June 27th, August 2nd, October 18th


Bike Skills 301 -- Group Riding Skills
July 19th


Bike Skills 302 -- Racing Skills + Tactics
July 26th (separate sessions for women and men)


Girls Got Skills -- Two-day Women's Cycling Clinic
June 13th + 14th (SOLD OUT), September 26th + 27th


Girls Got Race -- The Tri-Flow Women's Development Racing Program
Dunnigan Hills Road Race -- June 29th - August 15th


Bear Valley Women's Cycling Camp
September 10th - 13th


Santa Barbara Women's Cycling Camp
October 8th - 11th


Click on over to Sportsbaseonline.com to register!

Girls Got Skills sells out with an international participant list!

Girls Got Skills! This is the clinic that started it all -- our cornerstone, two-day women's cycling skills clinic. In this fast-paced, git er done world, there's just something very special about setting aside two whole days for yourself, learning, enjoying the sport, sharing the company of like-minded women, and thinking about nothing but you and the bike. Ah, bliss!

I designed this clinic in 2003, based on the skills training I had developed for our very first racing team. We've made some refinements over the years, but the content is still basically the same: individual bike handling skills, group riding skills, and climbing + descending. We throw in some fun and informative special topic discussions to fill out the complete cycling experience. Since our first clinic in 2003, more than 500 women have participated in Girls Got Skills!

Over the years, the women who participate in Girls Got Skills have primarily been from Northern CA. We've had a random participant from Hawaii, Virginia, and southern CA, but the majority of our participants are local to the bay area. Bicycling Magazine recently recognized Girls Got Skills as one of the top camps for women cyclists (right up there with offerings from Chris Carmichael). And suddenly, more than 50% of our participants are from out of the area. In June, we'll ride with women from Oregon, Arizona, British Columbia, and every nook and cranny of California. Pretty cool, no?

Girls Got Skills is sold out. A waiting list has been opened. The next session will be September 26th and 27th.

And if you want just a little taste of the cycling goodness only Velo Girls can provide, there's still space available in our co-ed Bike Skills 101 clinic on Saturday, June 6th. This 4-hour clinic focuses on individual bike handling skills and you'll ride away feeling safer, more confident, and more connected with your bike. You might have some fun, too!

Details and registration for all our camps and clinics can be found here: https://www.sportsbaseonline.com/Series.aspx?id=438

Bikes + Burgers = Fun!

Join Velo Girls and Mike's Bikes for a fun event next Saturday, June 6th at Mike's Bikes in Palo Alto -- the Big Huge Bike Drive BBQ! We're collecting bikes for Mike's Africa Bike Drive, and we're going to have a lot of fun, too! Join us for these fun events throughout the day:

12:00 - 2:00 Free BBQ

1:00 flat changing clinic

2:00 co-ed group ride led by members of Team Velo Girls (road + mountain)

4:30 flat tire changing contest

5:00 raffle

More info at http://www.mikesbikes.com .

Can't make it to the event, make a tax-deductible donation to the Africa Bike Drive here: http://mikesbikes.com/itemlist.cfm?category=293

Today is the last day to vote for Velo Girls!

Velo Girls has been nominated for the San Francisco Chronicle's Bay List 2009! Please click on the banner above to vote for us in the Bay Area's Best Sport and Social Club category. Voting ends on May 29, 2009 -- yeah, that's today!

Is Bicycle Racing in your Future?

If you've been riding your bike a while, you've probably thought "what next?" many a time.

At first, we go longer. We start with 10 miles, then 20, and before you know it you've ridden over the mountain to the coast. Maybe your goal was to ride a century or even a double century or to complete the California Triple Crown.

Then, we go faster. Now your goal might have been to complete a 5-hour century or a sub-8 hour Death Ride or a sub-25 minute Old La Honda.

And then we might explore multi-day riding, like the AIDS LifeCycle, and Undiscovered Country Tours trip down the coast, or even some self-supported touring.

But at some point, you probably hear a little voice whispering in the back of your head: "I wonder if I could race?"

Bike racing isn't the easiest sport to gain entry to. It's confusing. How do you find the local race calendar? What about joining a club? How do you learn the rules of the sport? What type of race should you try? What if you wear the wrong thing? Not to mention the fact that bike racing can be a dangerous sport.

And so most of us forget about that little voice and just keep doing what we've been doing.

But I want to help you fulfill that dream of racing. I want to unravel the mysteries. I want to teach you the secret language. And I want to make sure that you don't crash yourself or anyone else out in the process. There's an easy way and there's a hard way to do anything. I'm going to teach you the easy way to race your bike.


BIKE SKILLS 302: RACING SKILLS & TACTICS
May 23 (separate clinics for women and men)

This four-hour clinic will teach you all the individual bike-handling and group riding skills you'll need to race your first (or your 10th) criterium or road race. In addition to skills & drills, you'll receive expert coaching on race preparation and logistics, and an introduction to tactics. We'll finish the day with a training race followed by a de-brief. Pre-requisite: Bike Skills 101 or equivalent experience.

Register online: https://www.sportsbaseonline.com/Item.aspx?id=3033



TRI-FLOW WOMEN'S DEVELOPMENT RACING PROGRAM
Dunnigan Hills Road Race -- June 29th to August 15th

Introduced in 2006, this award-winning program is designed to help you bridge the gap from club rider to team racer. In a six-week series of workshops, clinics, and rides, we'll teach you everything you need to know to begin road racing and then we'll support you at your first race. This program is limited to eight riders each session. A solid level of fitness is required. Program includes team kit (shorts and jersey), USA Cycling License, race registration, 12 group training sessions, and a group training program. Since 2006, more than 60 women have competed in their first race as part of this program, many still racing in Northern CA as CAT2 - CAT4 racers.

Register online: https://www.sportsbaseonline.com/Item.aspx?id=3026

Get high with Velo Girls!

You heard that right! Velo Girls wants to get high with you. Altitude, that is. By special request of my coaching clients and Velo Girls club members, I've put together a fabulous altitude training weekend June 19th - 21st in Markleeville (home of the Death Ride). This is some of the most spectacular riding in California, and I'd love to experience it with you.

This is a co-ed camping weekend with daily mileage options from 25 - 75 miles (and lots of climbing). I've designed this camp to help prepare participants for the rigors of endurance riding at high altitude.

Your registration includes camping on Friday and Saturday, SAG on rides, cycling nutrition by GU Sports Nutrition, Saturday breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Sunday breakfast, and lots of fun with cool folks! Thursday and Sunday camping are also an option for anyone interested.

You're responsible for your own camping gear and transportation to/from Markleeville, but I'll play matchmaker with other participants to encourage carpooling.

Registration is open now! Space is limited so I would encourage you to register early.

https://www.sportsbaseonline.com/Item.aspx?id=3283

Racing and Touring -- it's all good!

Whether you want to race your bicycle or tour with your bicycle, Velo Girls Coaching Services has some great programs on the calendar for May.

Bike Skills 302 -- Racing Skills + Tactics
May 23rd (sessions for men and women)

This four-hour clinic will teach you all the individual bike-handling and group riding skills you'll need to race your first (or your 10th) criterium or road race. In addition to skills & drills, you'll receive expert coaching on race preparation and logistics, and an introduction to tactics. We'll finish the day with a training race followed by a de-brief. Pre-requisite: Bike Skills 101 or equivalent experience.

Register for Bike Skills 302 here!



Bike Touring 101 (co-ed)
May 30th + 31st

Have you thought about touring on your bike but don't know where to begin? We'll unravel the mysteries of supported, fully-loaded, and semi-loaded touring for you. This new program includes a two-hour seminar on the topics of equipment, bicycle choice, what to bring, how to pack, camping, cooking, safety, and choosing your route. Then, we head out for a weekend of semi-loaded touring with a 50-mile hilly option or a 25-mile rolling option, both ending at Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel in Pescadero, where we'll have dinner, spend the evening, soak in the hot tub, and sleep. The next day, we pack up and return to the start. This is a fully-supported event and includes ride nutrition, dinner (Saturday) and breakfast (Sunday), SAG, and your accommodations at the hostel.

Register for Bike Touring 101 here!


Whether you want to go fast or you want to go long, I hope you'll join us for some cycling fun in May!

Discovering Discover Chiropractic

This from Team Velo Girls member, Jill Eyres:

Dr. Kam Leung of Discover Chiropractic in San Francisco hosted Team Velo Girls last night for an educational and fun evening. Dr. Leung practices both chiropractic and Active Release Technique (ART), which targets the tissues of the body. Using these complementary techniques, he said that “as long as it’s not broken or bleeding,” there are things he can do to help. For example, he estimated that 85% of headaches originate in the neck, which can be addressed through adjustment and ART. Even pregnant women can benefit – he said that breech births can be caused by misalignment of the pelvis that prevents babies from turning properly in utero.

Dr. Leung demonstrated ART on our teammate, Yari, who has had pain in various places along the right side of her body, including her knee and her back. He talked about the interconnections of the body, and how a problem with one part can cause problems in the connected parts as well. He started by working on her right ankle and calf, then moved up through the IT band and some other muscles and tendons that I’ve never heard of and/or have forgotten the names of (I think psoas was in there somewhere). For each area, the technique involved Dr. Leung applying pressure dynamically along the length of the muscles/tendons while moving them through their full range of motion. After Yari, Vanessa mentioned that she has had some problems with her hands associated with bike riding; Dr. Leung talked about how this was probably symptomatic of something going on higher up in the arm, in the forearm or just above the elbow.

One of the interesting things Dr. Leung talked about was how ART can be used to improve athletic performance by addressing adhesions and other conditions that prevent muscles from working to their full potential. He also talked about what athletes can do on our own to improve our health and performance. Stretching is important, particularly the day after a workout, in order to encourage muscles to recover and strengthen in a long position rather than in contraction. Dr. Leung demonstrated stretches for calves, quads, and hamstrings. Of course warming up properly before a workout is also important.

Thanks to Discover Chiropractic for a great evening and for supporting Team Velo Girls!

Don't Miss Bike Talk: 4-1-1 Women on Bikes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DON’T’ MISS BIKE TALK: 4-1-1 WOMEN ON BIKES

SATURDAY, 4/11 FROM 10AM-12N -- Streaming LIVE on the internet!

Bike Talk: Women on Bikes is the first ever live internet radio show in Los Angeles geared toward women. This week’s two hour show will cover the 4-1-1 on what is out there for women including how to get started riding, favorite bikes, shops, gear and fashionable and comfortable apparel. Learn about some fun rides and events and cycling clubs you can become a part of.

Featured Call in Guests:

Liz and Shay of CICLE.org (Cyclists Inciting Change thru Live Exchange) a nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles, works to promote the bicycle as a viable, healthy, and sustainable transportation choice.

Renea Nicodemus of Jamis Bicycles… a women-owned bike company reaching out especially to women by providing a wide range of fun and fast bikes!

Crystal Brown is co-founder of Rock N Road Cyclery’s Divas which supports for women cyclists including Diva Night socials and clinics and demo days. And stock bikes and gear especially for women at their four shops in Orange County.

Lorri Lee Lown - Founder of Velo Girls... the USA Cycling 2008 Women's Club of the Year. A cycling club for women and girls to share their love for cycling in a safe, friendly, encouraging environment. The club focuses on fun, recreational riding, with the opportunity to attend cycling skills and general fitness clinics to improve riding and overall fitness.

Susan Otcenas - Founder of TeamEstrogen.com... a nationwide cycling and active apparel web resource committed to the comfort and confidence of women with the ultimate goal to see more women on bikes!


Saturday’s in studio panel will share their views and favorites:

JJ Hoffman works in Hollywood as a manager for writers and directors for film and television, and a lifetime bike commuter, and also an avid supporter of the LA County Bicycle Coalition’s LA River Ride.

Lupe Vela, Garvanza resident, single, walker/bicyclist, currently carfree, Policy Director for the LA River Ad Hoc River Committee - City of Los Angeles

Norma Garcia, Wild Women on Wheels: Local women’s group that likes riding and hanging out.- unofficial, fun, and eclectic.

Donna Cassyd - 65 and alive! Love to ride her bike!

Brett started Bikefit a service and web resource especially for the petite woman realizing the need to support women outside of the stock sizing most bike companies provide. Brett will help us understand the difference between bike size and bike fit.

Kris Quick – recently discovered cycling and now her passion to inspire others to ride as director of the MS So Cal Ride from Ventura to Sant a Barbara

Dot Wong – Moderator and Founder of Team CICLE... bringing community to all types of cyclists and supporter of CICLE with focus on supporting women new to riding.

The show is webcast live from Los Angeles from 10a-12n. More info can be found at: http://biketalk.us/

Let us know what you think! Call in during the show at (213) 252-0998

WHAT IS BIKE TALK? WHERE CAN I LISTEN TO IT?

Bike Talk! celebrates bike rides, bicycle collectives, activists, artists, commuters, enthusiasts, professional cyclists, inventors and repairers and, of course, the bicycle itself as an alternative human-powered mode of transportation.

Bike Talk! is streamed and recorded in the studio of Killradio.org - a community internet radio station. You can listen live, via streaming MP3, every Saturday morning, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Killradio.org Live Streams:

• Low-bandwidth 16 kbps Stream
• Medium-bandwidth 32 kbps Stream
• High-bandwidth 64 kbps Stream

You can also listen to Bike Talk! as a podcast download, as a service of KPFK.org.

Subscribe to the Bike Talk! Podcast hosted by KPFK:

Hear Bike Talk! on kpfk: http://www.kpfk.org/programs/170-bike-talk.html or see what's new with us at biketalk.us

# # #

Back on the hog and lovin' it! by Loren Uscilowski

Here's a great race report from Loren Uscilowski, one of the Tri-Flow development racers I coached who competed at the Bariani Road Race:


(On March 22nd) I completed my first road race after about a year and 1/2 hiatus off the bike (hog). My last race prior was The Dallas TX, U.S. Open Triathlon October of 2007. I finished the triathlon, two-stepped at the after party, and let the bike collect dust in the corner of my room for about a year and a half.

I can't really explain the time I took off the bike because I love riding, and although racing can be nerve racking, I do love to get out there and mix it up with the best of them. Maybe I just wanted to see how the other half lives -- not going to bed early on a Friday and Saturday night, because I have a long ride or race in the morning.

Fast forward to Jan 2009, I'm now living in San Francisco, having recently relocated from Los Angeles . Everyone is out riding their bikes and I can't stand the fact that I'm not doing it with them. Now I just need to figure out where to ride. I google San Francisco bike clubs and Velo Girls pops up. I click on the link and I see a bunch of girls in my favorite color - PINK! The team color is pink! How fun!! Then the first paragraph reads, Join the Velo Girls Development team. Is this weird or what? This is exactly what I am looking for!

Training officially started on a Wednesday six weeks ago in one of the team members' garages. The first night was a 20 minute time trial on our trainers to establish heart-rates for the rest of the training program. God that was hard. I left there feeling like I had just raced a real time- trial, feeling a bit dehydrated and sick, but most importantly I left wanting more.

Over the next six weeks all of us bike racing newbies got to know each other's personalities and riding styles on and off the bike. You could tell as we got closer to the race that we were all having pre-race jitters, along with many questions of the unknown. Lorri (our coach) must really have her team formula down, because something amazing happened during the fourth week of training as we were practicing. For the first time, I was riding behind teammates, not even thinking about how close I was to their wheel. It just came naturally, and I have to tell you that it was one of the best feelings in the world to finally not be afraid! We were all coming together as a team, just like Lorri assured us we would.

The much anticipated Bariani Road Race day finally arrived and it was sunny. I couldn't believe it! The forecast called for rain all week but today it was beautiful. The course was a 10 mile loop starting at The Bariani Olive Oil farm and we had to complete it three times.

I felt a little off all week and was unsure of how the day would unfold. Lorri had us set goals and my main one was to ride safe and finish with the main pack. One of my teammates Katie, made rice krispy treats so that was my other goal, finish the race and then I can eat those yummy treats that had been staring me in the eye since yesterday.

Upon arriving we located the Kenda Velo Girls tents and all my teammates were already setting up bike trainers to warm-up before the race. I quickly gathered my things noticing that my heart was starting to beat faster in anticipation of the race ahead of me. Once the warm-up began all the leg pain I had felt earlier in the week and the tiredness from not sleeping much the night before seemed to go away. Then I knew things were going to be o.k. All the girls seemed very focused during warm up. We had practiced this same regimen during our Wednesday night workouts, so I just pretended it was a training session and only once did I secretly wish that I wasn't going to have to race after I got off the trainer. It looked like what you see at the Tour De France when the camera flashes by Lance Armstrong and his team all warming up before the race. Pretty cool feeling. I think what kept me going was the fact that we were all just as nervous as the other becauseof our new adventure and there was no turning back now.

Before I do any race I seem to have this little freak out session. I misplace everything I need. If it's a triathlon, I lose my goggles. For today's bike race I couldn't find a shoe. I took a deep breath, gathered my thoughts, found my shoe, and was off to the start line.

All the velogirls lined up together on the right side. We all lined up in the right side and listened to the refree's instructions. I couldn't really talk to anyone because I was now in "race mode" and knew it was time to get down to business in just a few minutes. I must say having all of my Velo Girls teammates around me really helped with the nerves and I almost felt protected in some weird way.

The gun goes off, so many thoughts are going through my head especially the one that keeps repeating, "don't wreak". I managed to stay up front the first lap and even did some pulling. Whenever I saw Emily (another Velo Girl), I felt a sense of security, that all was going to be o.k. She was like my security blanket out on the race course.

Into the second lap, I'm thinking, "That wasn't too bad, just two more to go, I can do this!" As we are riding down this long stretch of highway with massive wind gusts, I see this black helmet head cloud to my left that looks like Joan Jett's hair and it's right over top of us. "Hmmm, where did the sun go? Could this be the storm weather.com said would come in the late afternoon? Please don't be that storm." All of a sudden I feel my arm start to sting. Everyone is stinging and we realize that we are in a hail storm. Holy crap! I thought this stuff only happens in Ohio! I look around and take a quick inventory of the "smart" girls, unlike me, they're all wearing arm warmers. Why did I opt to be cold rather than smart? Now the pace really slows down because the wind is forcing us sideways and we are all just trying to stay up right. After about 10 minutes it passes but all of us are now really cold and wet. There is much chatter about the strange weather that tried to put a damper on the race but everyone is pushing forward and game is on again.

Fast forward again to the final lap and hill climb. Mission accomplished, I get to the top with the lead pack. I see my teammate Emily. We try to discuss strategy and all I can tell her is I need to rest for a second. I tuck in behind her and catch my breath but I get anxious. I start to jump knowing we had practiced this long straightaway many times and it is pretty far until the final turn for the sprint finish. Emily jumps on my wheel, I think? We make the turn, and by now all the girls are going for it, giving teammates lead outs. I wish I could have led Emily out more but I was pooped. She races past me giving it her all. I try and stay with her as long as I can yelling for her from behind. We did it! Emily got 4th and I got 6th. That final sprint was a real rush.

Overall it was an amazing past six weeks that climaxed with the Bariani road race. I was very proud of all of our teammates that day and give major kudos to all the Velo Girls new and old, who supported me through this entire journey. We wouldn't be a team without the support of our great sponsors: Tri-Flow, Mike's Bikes, Kenda, Gu, BicycleLawyer.com, and many more. And last but not least the woman who got us all here, Lorri Lee Lown. You're the best! Thank you! Now put me back in the game coach!