Just for Women

Housewife on a Pink Bike: How Beer and a Creek Crossing got me through 15 Miles.

Submitted by Cheri Felix on

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I know you are probably wondering about my training regimen. How do I prepare for a 15 mile race at altitude? Well, it starts with me having a beer the night before in the Winterpark Village. The bartender asked what I was up to. I told him I was there for the Epic Singletrack race. With surprise on his face he said, “Wow. Cool.” I couldn’t tell if that was a “Wow. She’s so young and hot and she mountain bikes too?” or a “Wow. She’s older than my mom. She could break something.” Either way, I took it as a compliment. Someone else asked me if I had looked at the course ahead of time or read about it. Nah I said. This is going to be the like the three times I gave birth. No reading about it, no classes. Just show up and hope it all works out.

Somewhere between the start line and 20 feet up the trail I thought, "Why do I do this?” And then maybe around mile three I thought, “That’s it. This is my last race.” That happens sometimes. Negative Nelly shows up. I know you can’t believe that happens to this Pollyanna. But it’s true and rather than give you a bunch of bull crap about how every minute was amazing and beautiful and glorious, I will cut to the chase. It wasn’t. Some parts were really tough. And it wasn’t until about mile five or maybe it was the first creek crossing; I pulled my head out of my ass. Going through the creek with all my might was what Oprah calls my AHA moment.

Two Colorado Women Join the Reve Amateur Women’s Team to Ride Entire 2012 TDF Route

Submitted by Amy Thompson on

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In what is sure to be a groundbreaking moment for women’s cycling, a team of six amateur women, ranging in age from 26 to 40, will take on the ultimate road cycling challenge, riding the entire 2012 Tour de France route, one day ahead of the men’s pro peloton. Starting in Liège these six women, including two mothers, will complete the entire 2,162 miles of the 2012 Tour de France and will arrive in Paris on the 21st of July.

These women have been training for months and even met in Portland in April and Santa Rosa in May for team training camps.


Photo Credit: HardCastle Photography
Kristen (left) and Kate together in Boulder

Why are they doing this? In part to prove to themselves, other female cyclists, and women thinking about taking up the sport, that any bicycle dream is possible. They also hope to raise $60,000 for Bikes Belong, a non-profit cycling advocacy organization dedicated to putting more people on bikes more often.

The Reve team also has a Colorado connection. Two of its member are from the 303 area.

Kristen Peterson describes herself as a Pro Triathlete, Molecular Biologist and Bike Nerd. By day, she works at the University of Colorado in a microbiology lab. In college Kristen was a division I swimmer. After her triathlon career, Kristen plans to return to school for a PhD in order to become a Genetics Professor. Kristen recently wrote about her thoughts leading up to the big ride on her website:


Ok, I am. I confess, I’m really freaking excited to get this Reve show on the road. The work has been done, the legs have been trained, the brain has been prepared. Now let’s do this shit.

Kate Powlison aka “Muddy Legs” is a Research Analyst and Communications Co-ordinator for Bikes Belong in Boulder and is also an accomplished elite racer. Kate has a passion for cycling and loves to promote bicycles as an agent of change in America. Kate recently planned and completed the 500-mile Tim Johnson Ride on Washington as a warm up for the 2,162 miles of the Tour de France in July.

Kate was recently interviewed by
Girl Bike Love about her upcoming ride:

“That’s the thing, we are ordinary women” she started. “When they first said ‘ok’ to me joining the team, I wanted to say no… because of the stress of training, being off of work and away from home.”
“But my grandma and my mom… they don’t ride bikes and they are so excited. From their reaction I realized I could inspire the mainstream. To see their faces light up…” she turned her eyes up and shook her head...

Read more about the Reve Team.

It’s Not About the Bike. It’s About the Epic Singletrack Race: How a Housewife Plans to Survive 15 Miles of Racing.

Submitted by Cheri Felix on

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I have this thing. I sometimes complain. But one thing I won’t complain about is a long bike ride. Some of my best days on the bike have been 15+ mile days (hey, that’s a lot for mountain bikers). But it’s one thing to be on a ride with your best girl pals in the desert. It’s a whole other enchilada racing for 15 miles and at altitude to boot. And as the days creep closer to the Epic Singletrack race, I can’t help but think, “What was I thinking when I agreed to do this?”


Author, Cheri Felix rides Fruita
Cheri will be taking on race #2 at the Epic Singletrack race series this upcoming Saturday in Winter Park.

40 minutes, 8 miles and 20 minute short track races. This is it. This is my race experience. If I was creating a match dot com profile for mountain bike racing, it would read pretty poorly. All I might garner are guys who like girls on the margins. The peripheral girl. Not quite a virgin but definitely not experienced. That’s me. The girl who is much like the old Sesame Street skit where there is one thing that’s not like the other.

It’s not that I don’t belong on a mountain bike or even in a race. It’s that I never quite seem like I’m in the right place. It’s like I’m in middle school all over again and I can’t seem to find my group. I’m not super cool. I’m not techy. I don’t wear a kit. My bike is older. Gasp, it’s NOT a 29er. And my bike is pink. I know what you’re thinking. “Really? Pink?” When I bought it, my husband said, “This bike is all pink. Are you able to commit to that for the long term?” I guess I was.

How a Carbondale Company is Changing the Way Women Look and Feel When They Ride

Submitted by Cheri Felix on

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Shredly Founder Ashley Rankin

This past spring a friend was in Grand Junction riding the lunch loops. She sent me a picture from a bike shop. Her message said, “You should test these Shredly bike shorts!” They were so unique I looked into it further and found out that Shredly is a Colorado mountain bike apparel company, founded by a Colorado native and made in the U.S.A. This was enough to peak my interest so I contacted the founder Ashley Rankin and asked her a few questions about her business, how she got started and what she’d liked to see for the future of her clothing company.

It all started when Ashley wanted some new mountain bike shorts and after a few seasons of not finding what she wanted (everything was black and boring), her idea of creating her own company started percolating. In the meantime, Ashley wore board shorts with a chamois. And then after receiving lots of compliments she took it one step further. She embroidered her Shredly logo on her board shorts. From there it was a matter of finding fabrics, a pattern maker and a production manager. When Ashley talks about the two women who fill these roles, you can hear the emotion. They are her mentors and her extended family. When one cries, they all cry. And speaking of crying, having a great idea and great fabric and a great team are all fine but who is going to pay for it all?

Beti Bike Bash from the Inside

Submitted by Cheri Felix on

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Photo Credit: Jendz Photography

My Beti Bike Bash: Race, Don’t Podium, Repeat. Why I Love to Race Even Though I Never Win.

My friends are amazed I race. It’s not that I race expert or that I always win. It’s that I don’t win. And I’m no expert. I’ve never won or been on the podium. Except once. Last year I placed first in my category at a race held at the Valmont Bike Park. O.K. So I was the only woman in my category. Oh well. It’s still the podium I guess. I think people think you have to win or at least come close to winning to want to race. That’s sort of like only trying things (like marriage, having kids, a new job,) if you think you’ll be good at it or be the best. Wow. Our country would go to hell in a hand basket if everyone operated that way.

Spending time with Nicole Duke Part 2

Submitted by Kris Thompson on

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Nicole during her downhill racing days

Part 2 of our interview with the lovely and talented, Nicole Duke is up and this one Nicole talks motorbiking at 7, soccer star in college to her start in mountain biking and downhill racing and finishing up with her cyclocross years. Thanks so much Nicole for giving us an opportunity to tell your story!

Listen to Part 2 of Nicole's interview

Interview with Georgia Gould

Submitted by Kris Thompson on

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Listen to internet radio with Mountain Bike Radio on Blog Talk Radio

Interview with Georgia Gould from Mountain Bike Radio

Georgia Gould joins us to discuss her start as a mountain bike racer, racing the Olympics, World Cup, and Cyclocross, as well as her backyard gardens, chickens, and bees.

Georgia is the reigning USA cross country mountain bike national champion. She has raced on the Luna Pro Team since 2006. Georgia is gunning to defend her national mountain bike title, win a World Cup mountain bike race, and earn a medal at the 2012 Mountain Bike World Championships in Austria. It is likely that she will represent the US at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Once fall rolls around, she will focus on cyclocross and the 2013 Cyclocross World Championships in Louisville, Kentucky. ?

Thanks Mountain Bike Radio


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