The Gloves are On!

I'm so excited to have the privilege to review the newly designed Grail Glove from Specialized Bicycles.  My short review.... I love them!

I always wear cycling gloves.  They enhance hand/bar connection, increasing control and providing comfort.  But even with gloves, I experience hand fatigue, numbness and sometimes pain.  The Grail Glove is designed to prevent these common problems. 

The technology is simple.  The new teardrop shaped Equalizer pad fills in the hollow area of your palm so all parts of your hand are in balance with the bar.  The purpose is to significantly reduce  discomfort in your hands.

 

Now the long review.......

 

Once my gloves arrived, I got right to it with a hot 50 mile ride.   I wasn't disappointed.  My hands stayed dry and I didn’t experience any of the usual irritation or numbness.  Connection to the bar and hoods was excellent.  I liked them so much that I plan on buying long finger Grails for this fall.

 

I also like that they replaced the usual Velcro strap with an elastic opening.  No more curling strap that ends up getting stuck to socks in the laundry.

Ever wonder what the finger cuffs are for? I didn't and now I do!







Robin Williams: Cycling's Greatest Ambassador

To me a cycling ambassador is someone who soaks in all that is bike - it's history, machinery and cycling's glorious athletes.  They appreciate how bikes can build a better world and bring joy to people.  An ambassador doesn't have to be a great athlete themselves.  They just have to have a passion for all that is cycling and a desire to share that with others.

By now, if you didn't  already know, Robin Williams was a cycling ambassador.  He boasted a collection of over 50 bikes and he rode them all. Frequenting bike shows and chatting with designers about their works of art.  The local bike shop was his favorite place to hang.  A Tour groupie and the funniest and most enthusiastic ambassador the sport has ever known.  He was a star, and his celebrity and how he enjoyed bikes were interconnected.  He was lucky that way.  If I were that rich and famous you bet I would be velofied like Robin!

Williams understood the power of bikes.  In 2002 following his last stint in drug rehab he replaced his previous addiction with cycling.  Where once drugs provided relief to his internal struggles, a good ride would bring him joy  He loved to shared that experience with everyone who would listen.

Stocky and short, Williams was not the perfect picture of the lean and light cyclist.  Robin looked like an average man, but he was no poseur.  Williams had a decent sprint and aspired to ride 100 miles every week even when on tour or set location. A bike or two were always with him and often he would give one away to a potential rider.  On a group ride the conversation would always center around bikes.

As a child of the 1980s, I grew up on Robin William's comedy and later his immense ability to create some of the most dramatic moments on film.  He will continue to inspire me with his talent and his deep love of cycling.

Nanu Nanu Robin.  I hope you have found peace.  You will always be cycling's greatest ambassador.

Roadie Girl Turned Mountain Girl?

I’m a road cyclist who would like to mountain bike, for me, mountain biking has been on the list for a long time .  So why is it so hard to venture outside my comfortable road cycling box and hit the trails?  I groan as my mountain bike calls to me every time I pass it on my way to the kitchen. .  I love the trails and spend many hours hiking and running in the woods.  Mountain biking would add yet another dimension to my love of exploring nature.  With more and more women interested in mountain biking, what better time to check out trail riding?

How do I go about learning to ride trails?  Where do I ride?  Can I trust my bike to go over roots and rocks?  Is descending possible without feeling like I'm going to crash?! All these questions and more would go through my head.



Super Fast...Not really

 

The plan was simple:

• Get out on the trails.

• Find other women to ride with. 

 

So here is what I've been up to on the mountain bike......

Like most women getting into cycling I want to feel safe and comfortable.  Gratefully, I have a Specialized Fate, a mountain bike specifically designed for women. Along with the Body Geometry Fit from the pros at Specialized and Twenty20 Cycling, I feel completely comfortable on my bike. 

My beautiful Fate

 

Next step, to find other women to ride with and learn the skills I need to enjoy the trails. Social media is where I started.  After checking around I learned about several women's beginner clinics and group rides in my area.  Awesome!  That was easy.  It was also encouraging to hear that most of the clinics and even the women’s group ride would provide a bike if needed.  I invite a few road cycling friends to join me.

I participate in a clinic sponsored by an organization dedicated to getting more women on mountain bikes.  Perfect!  I arrange a meeting with one of the founders for a pre clinic ride.  Although I was nervous, I loved my ride!   We start out easy and then hit most of the basic skills needed to navigate the local trails.  There definitely was a bunch of things going on in my head while I rode. Rocks, roots, streams and clipping in and out without falling, to name a few.  The clinic the following weekend reinforced what I had learned and more such as trail etiquette and group riding.  It was great to ride with other women learning to mountain bike.

Now it's time for my extreme mountain biking video........



Ok, I'm not jumping a log an then landing on a Grizzly's back but I can see that in my future...minus the Grizzly part!  I'm on my 29er and I'm enjoying the trails and my beloved woods!

Time to break it down....

At one of the clinic leaders suggestions, I removed one of my fears about not being able to clip out by switching to flat pedals.  Just getting that out of my head helped.  On my own I work on the skills one by one.  I have several short trail loops that require skills that are hanging me up. The more I ride the more comfortable and enjoyable the experience has been.  Through all this I've connected to other women who want to learn to ride trails.  The experts at Twenty20 Cycling continue to provide support with advice about how to make my mountain bike journey the best.

I can't say I'm mountain biking with complete confidence, but I'm definitely on my way.  Whoo Hoo! Mountain biking!   It's fun and not as hard as I expected.



Definitely Roadie Girl Turned Mountain

 

Exciting News - I Am Specialized!

 

 

While in Southern California on spring break with my family, I was elated to receive a short note from Specialized Bikes:

 

"Dear Leslie, Congratulations!  You have been selected as a 2014 "I Am Specialized" Women's Ambassador.  I'm so excited to have you join the ambassador team and I am looking forward to working with you over the next year....  I hope you are as thrilled as I am."

 

Whoo Hoo!  Yes, I am completely thrilled to have this opportunity.  Specialized is a top-quality brand that I believe in deeply.  My first road bike was a 2008 Dolce Elite that I purchased for my first triathlon.  My Dolce and I shared many  memorable miles training and racing together.  I'm currently riding a 2014 Amira Pro and I hope for the same experience.  I feel so comfortable and at one on Specialized Women's bikes.

As Ambassador, I will continue to work closely with Twenty20 Cycling in Baltimore on the women's ride and other exciting events to introduce women to cycling.  Twenty20 Cycling's owners operate with a deep passion for customers to feel confident and happy.  They care about the Maryland/DC community and advocate for safe roads and expanded infrastructure for all disciplines of cycling.  Twenty20 Cycling has the best offering in the region.  And it's a pleasure to partner with co-owners Kris Auer, Norman Brach and Johnny May.

A year ago, Kris introduced me to the debut of Specialized Women’s Ambassador program.  With the exciting prospect to jointly represent Specialized Women through Twenty20, I applied.  But I faced two challenges.  I only had three days to respond and I had just completed treatment for breast cancer.  While it was disappointing not to be selected, I was relieved.  I wasn’t my usual energetic self.  I needed time to physically recover and to process everything I had been through. 

This year, Kris and I were on an early lookout for the announcement.  While he was on the west coast visiting Specialized, Kris contacted me immediately about the 2014 "I Am Specialized" Women's Ambassador program.  He also had an opportunity to share his support for me with his Specialized contacts, for which I am truly grateful.  As I was reflecting and writing about my passion for cycling, I felt proud to share my true voice and my dedication to women's riding.

What's next?  I've been invited to visit the home of Specialized Bikes and, in a few days, I head to Morgan Hill, CA.  I feel like a kid who's parent's just told them they are going to Disney World.  I'm excited to meet everyone at Specialized, connect with my fellow Ambassadors and begin our journey together.  We have two and a half days of riding, bike fits, promotion, product education and even a wind tunnel tour! 

I'm humbled by this opportunity and thank all of you who encouraged me in arriving at this moment.  Whoo Hoo!