Motivational Monday with Michelle
What’s your name and location?
Michelle in Melbourne, Australia
What type of cycling do you enjoy?
Long distance endurance
What is your first cycling memory?
Riding in circles around our court trying to stay balanced.
Who inspires you to ride, and better yet WHY?
Dave Harrington and Peter Heals – they’ve ridden thousands and thousands of km only for the challenge
What has been your best moment on the bike so far this year?
Riding 360 km in 24 hrs on the Audax Flèche Opperman ride last weekend
Tell us all about your bikes
Commuter hack, long distance Shogun, TdF team spec Cannondale
Motivational Monday, a Monday tradition at Bike Shop Girl, my goal to keep you motivated and to be striving on the bike even during a hard week or long hours at work. Are you a woman that bicycles? Fill out this easy form and be part of our motivational movement!
Motivational Monday with Julie Paisant
Julie is a local lady I know from cyclocross. She fully embodies that of em:pwr cycling and motivating all. She’s out there ringing the cowbell and taking photos from the first race to the last. She also cheers you on when she passes you in her races! Kudos to Julie and all she does for women’s cycling.
What’s your name and location?
Julie Paisant, High Point NC
What type of cycling do you enjoy?
Cyclocross, Mountain XC and Road. (Listed in order of favorites)
What is your first cycling memory?
Feeling the freedom of riding my first bike without training wheels. Such a strange sensation. Sweet freedom!!!
Who inspires you to ride, and better yet WHY?
My husband inspires me to ride. He believes in me even when I don’t believe in myself.
What has been your best moment on the bike so far this year?
I first though my best moment on the bike was making podium for NCCX this year. (4th place). But then, that really isn’t a moment. It was at the NCCX race in Boone. Really good venue put on by Andrew Stackhouse, Pirate Race Productions. One section of the course had two nasty climbs for racers to tackle. One was not rideable. Barely walkable as far as I remember. I raced the Ridley and had a little trouble on the hill even with all the gears. Slick and rough at the beginning. I did the single speed race later that day and blasted up that hill each of the four laps. (Each time shrieking with joy! It was a short little shriek due to lack of oxygen. Possibly I was the only one that heard it). I was blown away at what I could do on the single speed bike compared to my geared bike. It made me realize I could be so much stronger on my geared bike if I just committed to the gear. I changed the way I trained for races after that and it really paid off.
Tell us all about your bikes
I am currently riding a Ridley X-Fire for Cyclocross. Also built up an old bashed up Redline frame for single speed races. I was surprised at how solid this bike feels. 05′ Santa Cruz Blur, mountain bike. It has been an awesome race bike but parts are breaking down over the years. Time for something new. Thanks to Mock Orange Bikes, I have a Kona King Kahuna 29″ hard tail on the way. It’s probably more bike than I will ever need. Now I shall fling myself into the bushes in 29′ style. Looking forward to it! My Road bike is a previously used LOOK 595. Extremely responsive. I enjoy racing criteriums with this bike. It dips into tight fast turns with such ease.
Motivational Monday, a Monday tradition at Bike Shop Girl, my goal to keep you motivated and to be striving on the bike even during a hard week or long hours at work. Are you a woman that bicycles? Fill out this easy form and be part of our motivational movement!
Motivational Monday with Katie Holden
I met Katie last year at Sea Otter. A kick ass, down to earth, downhill chick. She talked about mountain technique, safety and was a smiling face that many women need to see when relating to “GNAR-CORE” riders. Super approachable and always wanting to help other women get stronger!
What’s your name and location?
My name is Katie Holden and I live in Scotts Valley, CA (near Santa Cruz)
What type of cycling do you enjoy?
I was born and bred on Downhill but I like just about everything. I spend the majority of my time trail riding on my Specialized Safire…it can take you a lot of places a downhill bike can’t (ie. up) and it shreds on the downhills. Love pump tracks. You can also find me out on the road bike now and again.
What is your first cycling memory?
My first bike memory is actually teaching my sister to ride a bike on our back patio in Ithaca, NY. I remember that experience quite vividly, it’s a little sad I cannot remember my own!
Who in the current cycling industry inspires you, and better yet WHY?
There has been an influx of quick girls the past few years which is quite inspiring. These girls are quick, driven, confident…it’s refreshing. When I first started racing, there would be 30+ girls at a national round and now you are lucky to get that at a World Cup round…it is so great that the numbers are going back up. When the depth of talent increases, everyone has to step it up a notch, that inspires me. You have train harder, go faster, push yourself out of your comfort zone…it’s a good thing! Progression is good. I think that now more than ever it is important for girls/women to work together and encourage each other. Often people don’t work together out of competitiveness (or fear) but what they are failing to realize is the quicker (and bigger) we go collectively, the more we will be taken seriously, the more we will get paid, the more we will be looked at as equals. That was kind of a roundabout way of answering the question but basically progression inspires me!
As far as actual people go, I have always been inspired by Jill Kintner for her drive and determination, Tracey Hannah for her pure talent on a bike (I have never seen raw talent like Tracey) and Rebecca Rusch because she is an incredible athlete and I have learned so much from her in one short year, I will always look up to those three but I am inspired by people on a daily basis!
What was your best moment on a bike in 2012?
Well the year is still young, but I just got back from a riding trip in Jamaica and it was so, so great.
In the next year, what are your goals with cycling and pushing yourself forward in 2012?
I want to be on the top of the podium…that is always the goal. Aside from that having fun and enjoying everything along the way is very important to me. i have never been the type to go to a race and hang out in the hotel room…I want to get out there, see cool stuff, eat good food, meet new people! Travel have been a huge partof my life since I was a kid, I absolutely love it…following that passion, I am working on doing some more bike/photo/guiding trips to mix it up!
Wanna Know About my Bikes?
I ride a Specialized Demo 8, Safire, SX Slalom, P.3 and Ruby!
I just want to give a huge shout out to my sponsors Specialized, SRAM, Camelbak, Scotts Valley Cycle Sport, Smith, DT Swiss, Gamut, Vans, Leatt, Navitas Naturals, Joby & Pro-Tec! Thank you all so much.
You can find more info on my blog www.katieholden.com ,facebook.com/thekatieholden & twitter.com/katieholden Photo credit: Ian Hylands
Motivational Monday, a Monday tradition at Bike Shop Girl, my goal to keep you motivated and to be striving on the bike even during a hard week or long hours at work. Are you a woman that bicycles? Fill out this easy form and be part of our motivational movement!
Motivational Monday with Miranda
What’s your name and location?
Miranda from Dallas, y’all
What type of cycling do you enjoy?
Relaxed rides on trails and around lakes, commuter biking, road biking.
Motivational Monday with Laurie
What’s your name and location?
Laurie in Ithaca, NY
What type of cycling do you enjoy?
Utilitarian (doing errands), backroads
What is your first cycling memory?
Getting the training wheels off as a kid and riding on my driveway!
Who inspires you to ride, and better yet WHY?
I see people of all ages and appearance on bikes in my town..riding to work on freezing cold windy days, out and about with young kids coming along behind..this inspires me because of my love of seeing people outdoors, not using gas, connecting to nature.
What has been your best moment on the bike so far this year?
I realized this summer that my dog enjoyed biking with me, clipped to my bike with a device called a Springer. She can’t run off and she can’t pull me over.
Tell us all about your bikes
An old secondhand mountain bike from a friend leaving town for $200. Got it tuned up and new tires for $200. Don’t even know the maker! Now I am planning a bike trip with friends for this summer. I might go to Cape Breton as the pictures are irresistible.
Motivational Monday, a Monday tradition at Bike Shop Girl, my goal to keep you motivated and to be striving on the bike even during a hard week or long hours at work. Are you a woman that bicycles? Let us know and I would love to interview you!
Motivational Monday with Karly Coleman
What’s your name and location?
Karly Coleman, Edmonton, Alberta Canada
What type of cycling do you enjoy?
commuting, touring, winter cycling
What is your first cycling memory?
Learning to ride by using a vegetable canner as a mounting block. I would ride around and around our yard, fall off, run back to get the canner, take it back to the bike… it was only years later as an adult I realized it would have been easier to take the bike to the canner!
Who inspires you to ride, and better yet WHY?
The way I feel when I ride inspires me, because it is so glorious and I can get so many places
What has been your best moment on the bike so far this year?
zooming around, staying upright and off the ice, and bicycle traffic reporting
Tell us all about your bikes
My everyday ride is a Mountain Equipment Coop Hold Steady. I also have a Brompton folder, a Pashley Princess Sovereign, an Electra, a Kuwahara Super Tour, a unicycle, and a mountain bike of some indeterminate age. My beloved and I also have a Belinky Viewpoint tandem.
Motivational Monday, a Monday tradition at Bike Shop Girl, my goal to keep you motivated and to be striving on the bike even during a hard week or long hours at work. Are you a woman that bicycles? Let us know and I would love to interview you!
Motivational Monday with Abbie Durkee
What’s your name?
Abbie Durkee
What type of cycling do you enjoy?
MTB, transportation, road, social riding
What is your first cycling memory?
losing the training wheels
Who inspires you to ride, and better yet WHY?
Women. I believe that clothing is the biggest limiter for most women to experience the joy of riding a bike. I put my heart and soul into designing My Alibi Clothing to fit and flatter all types of women so they can feel confident and beautiful on a bike. Get out, pedal and smile, it’s contagious!
What has been your best moment on the bike so far this year?
Riding my 4 year old home from school and counting 82 smiles we inspired
Tell us all about your bikes
I love my pink (Hunter) single-speed. It makes me feel in my element and still feminine.
Motivational Monday, a Monday tradition at Bike Shop Girl, my goal to keep you motivated and to be striving on the bike even during a hard week or long hours at work. Are you a woman that bicycles? Fill out this easy form and be part of our motivational movement!
Motivational Monday with Jen Charrette
What’s your name and location?
Jen Charrette
What type of cycling do you enjoy?
Everything, but mountain biking is my passion.
What is your first cycling memory?
It was my first big outing with my parents. I was maybe 8 and we were riding on a highway overpass and I fell off the sidewalk and into the lane of traffic. I was okay but banged up. My parents took my over to get ice cream and all was good.
Who inspires you to ride, and better yet WHY?
Most of my motivation to ride comes internally. I love the sport and the way it makes me feel. But I have to say that as a Mom of a 6 year old that is obsessed with riding he nudges me when needed.
What has been your best moment on the bike so far this year?
I just got back from a week in Tucson getting in some base road miles. It was in the 70s and I got 200 miles in… so it is looking like a great year for biking.
Tell us all about your bikes
Road- Orbea Orca SRAM Red
Cross- Jamis SuperNova
Mountain - Maverick Durance
Townie- Electra Karma
Motivational Monday, a Monday tradition at Bike Shop Girl, my goal to keep you motivated and to be striving on the bike even during a hard week or long hours at work. Are you a woman that bicycles? Fill out this easy form and be part of our motivational movement!
Calling Submissions for Motivational Monday
Motivational Monday, a Monday tradition at Bike Shop Girl, my goal to keep you motivated and to be striving on the bike even during a hard week or long hours at work. Are you a woman that bicycles?
Fill out this easy form and be part of our motivational movement!
Motivational Monday with Kathy
What’s your name and location?
Kathy in Philadelphia, PA
What type of cycling do you enjoy?
road, mountain bike, would like to try cyclocross
What is your first cycling memory?
Riding around and around and around the driveway with my sister on our first big wheels (or so the photos recall, I must have been about 2 or 3). I do concretely remember my first 10 speed, it was grey and pink of course. There may have been tassles but I choose to block that part out, definitely had those fluorescent spoke blings that would make all kinds of noise when I rode.
Who inspires you to ride, and better yet WHY?
My husband who’s gently but steadily encouraged me to ride with a healthy bit of tough love, but mostly me for riding through some challenging life events, and the mental release I feel when I’m riding. Also, watching bad ass cyclocross ladies compete, because they like hilly courses and dirt.
What has been your best moment on the bike so far this year?
Riding my first 2 day total 160 or so mile ride after a summer of health issues that kept interrupting my training plans. It didn’t hurt that it was a ride for MS with total strangers cheering me on at the finish as if I wasn’t already getting a little emotional.
Tell us all about your bikes
Cannondale Caad 4 S1000 with a sweet limited edition red, orange and black fade paint job (a tad too big for me but has served me quite well)
2011 Specialized Stumpjumper 29er (my new and first mtb bought as a bike shop demo sell off on which you will find me smiling and laughing on the Wissahickon trail loving this new ride) and also pennies being saved for a Specialized Ruby (or other ultimate road bike I will find to lust after)
Motivational Monday, a Monday tradition at Bike Shop Girl, my goal to keep you motivated and to be striving on the bike even during a hard week or long hours at work. Are you a woman that bicycles? Fill out this easy form and be part of our motivational movement!
Motivational Monday with Robin
What’s your name and location?
Robin – New Jersey
What type of cycling do you enjoy?
Most passionate about mtb – but love road riding and now cyclocross
What is your first cycling memory?
My banana seat coaster bike…going airborne and breaking my leg (both shin bones)…spent 11 weeks in casts…and I still went back for more!
Who inspires you to ride, and better yet WHY?
my friends support me and inspire me…my coach…I want to improve for myself. I keep reaching for new goals.
What has been your best moment on the bike so far this year?
so far?!? the year isn’t over…
Finishing 3rd in the local mountain bike series as a Cat 2 racer…finishing my First endurance race…first podium in cyclocross.
Tell us all about your bikes
I have five bikes…yes five. Each one has a purpose…lol.
1) Gary Fisher Hi-Fi Deluxe FS 29er (this is the “beast”)
2) Motobecane 29er HT (this is my race bike)
3) Misfit 29er fully-rigid (this is my fun bike)
4) Cannondale Caad X Cyclocross bike
5) Specialized Dolce Elite road bike
Motivational Monday, a Monday tradition at Bike Shop Girl, my goal to keep you motivated and to be striving on the bike even during a hard week or long hours at work. Are you a woman that bicycles? Fill out this easy form and be part of our motivational movement!
Motivational Monday with Tianna Meilinger
What’s your name and location?
Tianna Meilinger of Vaya Bags Ridgewood, NY
What type of cycling do you enjoy?
I like going to different bike trails such as Caumsett Park in Long Island. I also love running errands in NYC on my bike. Its really the best way to get around the city. I also commute to and from work at Vaya Bags, where I handmake bike messenger bags.
What is your first cycling memory?
I used to go camping in the Florida Keys with my parents every winter and my first memories of riding were there, on the Behia Honda campsite.
Who inspires you to ride, and better yet WHY?
My good friend Rachel who is a bike messenger in New York City is very inspiring to me. When I get out on my bike in the rain, I think of Rachel hauling ass in the rain, snow, and sleet all winter long.
What has been your best moment on the bike so far this year?
My husband and I rented bikes while on vacation in Lake Tahoe. It was pretty awesome riding around, seeing the beautiful scenery and smelling the fresh mountain air.
Tell us all about your bikes
I have a 1969 Vintage Holdsworth, that I found at a garage sale for six bucks and I love it!
I also have a Specialized Crossroads Hybrid which I use on trails.
Motivational Monday, a Monday tradition at Bike Shop Girl, my goal to keep you motivated and to be striving on the bike even during a hard week or long hours at work. Are you a woman that bicycles? Fill out this easy form and be part of our motivational movement!