Our latest Ride it Forward℠ winner, Sam, was nominated as the The Most Joyful Young Cyclist by proud mom, Denise DeGhelder. Her winning entry won her daughter a brand new 2012 Burlington Terry Bicycle! Read Denise’s entry: This is my wonderfully amazing and resourceful daughter Sam. She is seen here on a bike trip up the coast from CA to Canada that was funded through a grant she wrote and was awarded as part of her undergraduate degree in Social Ecology. She is riding an old Fiji touring bike of my husbands that she rigged up to work for her through the bike co-op at her college (Truman State) that she helped start. The tours purpose was to visit sustainable organic farms and farmers markets and document their practices. The entire trip was documented in the student visitors center after she graduated… including her helmet and and other memorabilia. She camped all but a few nights on this 5+ week trip! She has rode this same bike on many shorter biking trips for fun, in a Bike MS fundraiser with me and it’s her only form of transportation in Columbia Missouri where she works for AmeriCorp as Urban Farm Outreach VISTA coordinator. I could not be more proud of the strong, independent, caring person she has become or think of a more worthy, inspiring person to be awarded one of your bikes. Thank you so much for your consideration!
To be the best bike shop for women it takes a holistic approach: luscious inventory and warm hearted men embracing customers from all walks of life, supporting the community seeking “Reasons to Ride” and creating a friendly, joyful environment that makes all kinds of people just want to come and hang out with bikes and each other.
When I arrive – by bike – a bright light in his eyes and kind smile signal I am about to meet a joyful, charismatic person.
With an engaging voice full of light emotion, he begins to tell me about his bicycle shop, prefaced with the simple, uninhibited acknowledgment that he has Parkinson’s. Tremors today are worse than usual.
Bicycles Plus welcomes Terry Bicycles
But the story is the store; ”All the experts advise you to focus on inventory turns. My mother, also a retailer, told me ‘you can’t sell what you don’t have’, so me, I love inventory.”
Bikes on hardwood floorsHuge selection of Oakley sunglasses
And he does have inventory, merchandised to captivate a broad audience and induce a woman to indulge, including the most enormous glass case of every style Oakley has to offer.
Waving his hand at the Specialized rep un-boxing and setting up bikes on the floor, he reveals another truth of his success, “Reps are so important because I do business with people, not with brands”.
The vibe in Bicycles Plus, owned by this former BMX pro and a National Bicycling Hall of Fame inductee, is like no other. He hangs a sign of the times, “unattended children receive an espresso and a free puppy” below bowls of candy on the counter.
Make it fun!
All names end in “o” in honor of Armando, the manager: Steve”o”, Shane”o”.
Armando and Liz
These wrench wielding guys, including Armando, are learning great life man lessons from a mentor they so obviously love, including how to wear your heart on your sleeve, how to say yes to everyone in need and make all who walk in the door feel like they are meant to be there and will find joy, no matter how novice, riding a bike.
Steve-"o"
With a smile and all attention to detail on a really hard day, he hosts his Bodacious Biking Babes and me for an evening of wine and cheese, leading the discussion with questions he has drawn from this group of 50 women in advance. Heartfelt emotion comes alive as women speak of cycling and how it has changed their lives, helping them to move forward through divorce, illness, obesity and depression.
Bodacious Biking Babes with vintage Terry jerseys.
Choked, he expresses gratitude for the Terry recognition and for the support of these ardent Babes who not only frequent his store, but ride for his reason, and have raised over a half million dollars for Parkinson’s research. Vicki, who started it all, Debbie who brought in the old Terry jerseys, Susan, Kathy, and Lori who submitted the winning essay are among the women who grew into cycling with his care.
Lori, Liz and John
There is room in my life for very few heroes, but John Crews in a matter of a few moments made my list and so I immediately understood why this large cadre of women – customers, fans and cycling friends -nominated and so vigorously voted his bicycle shop, Bicycles Plus, Terry’s Best Bike Shop for Women.
The outdoor industry’s bi-annual fashion fest was just held in Salt Lake City. The season, fall 2012. Here are the trends we spotted and the things you’ll be seeing on the slopes, on the trails, in the bike lane and hopefully in your closets 8 months from now…
TREND #1: ELECTRIC COLOR IN ECLECTIC COMBINATION. Arcteryx.Cool blues in all hues at SmartWool.Quite an array at AdidasTREND #2: COLOR BLOCKING. At Lole.And at Mammut!TREND #3: THE WET LOOK IN OUTERWEAR. 66 North.Full length at Lole.Even in accessories at Patagonia.TREND #4: THE POOF. Puffy skirts over tights.Here's one in action. And in pink!TREND #5: ILLUMINATION. Jewelry that lights up from Illuminite.Reflective Zippers in a variety of applications.TREND #6: WEAR MORE WOOL. Not just for fabric anymore, Ibex is promoting wool as "batting" insulation.But we still love it most on the outside!TREND #7: BOOTS THAT COMBINE SPORT & FASHION. Dr. Scholl's!Fly (girl) boots from London.Fashion Barn Boots from Keen.TREND #7: BIKES IN FASHION. Nau and forever…
Join us on October 14th for a fundraising ride around Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. It’s a spectacular way to enjoy fall cycling while contributing to a great cause!
There are events going on all weekend, so come to Cambridge and be a part of the celebration!
This bicycle tour for women takes place in and around Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Cambridge, Maryland on the Eastern Shore. It’s a spectacular way to enjoy fall cycling while contributing to a great cause — Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. Since the inception of the ride, we’ve raised over $75,000 for Blackwater.
We will update this page with more information as it becomes available, so please bookmark it! Registration for the ride will open in late February.
Start/Finish
The ride begins and finishes at the Cambridge/South Dorchester High School, 2475 Cambridge Bypass (Route 16), Cambridge, MD 21613. Registration will open at 7 am. You can also register on Saturday from 2 – 5 pm. You can choose from rides of 18, 24, 43 and 64 miles.
Nearest Airports
BWI – Baltimore – 75 miles
DCA – Regan (DC) – 95 miles
IAD – Dulles (DC) – 120 miles
Bike Rentals
On the Rivet Cycle and Sport, 2833 Route 50, Cambridge, MD 21613, 410-221-9981
In the early days of Terry, I can remember spending hours with a photographer who wanted an edgy photo of me surrounded by bicycle wheels. I have so little patience for sitting, smiling, raising my chin a bit, turning my head this way then that way and waiting for lighting and backgrounds to be adjusted. It would be so much more fun to be out on a bike ride, wouldn’t it?
So I surprised myself when I agreed to be the subject of a short video. I know from the videos I make for YouTube that many minutes of film have to be shot to create something substantially shorter. This proposed five minute video could mean hours of taping.
But after exchanging a few emails and trading links to “cool” videos, I felt it was well worth my time to invite Amanda Zackem, the producer/director of the video, into my personal world of bicycling. Amanda was completing her master’s degree at the S.I. Newhouse School at Syracuse University.
The whole experience turned out to be thoroughly enjoyable, from beginning to end. Amanda is incredibly creative, yet down to earth and fantastically good-natured and generous. It’s exciting to work with someone on the verge of a great future.
The video was shot in western New York and Waterford Cycles in Wisconsin. Waterford builds our Valkyrie, Isis and Fast Woman bicycles.
A lot of riders feel a little uncomfortable the first time they use bar end shift levers. Here’s a technique to keep you from wandering all over the road when you’re shifting.
Our most recent winner is Lori Scheel, who nominated Bicycles Plus in Folsom, California: “Why do I love Bicycles Plus in Folsom? Because they treat me like I am the most important customer they have, every time I walk through their doors. They happily change my flats, fix my gearing issues, and address my fit problems. They never charge me…they just believe in treating women with chivalry and respect. They offer free bike clinics for women who want to be their own mechanic. They also have the latest and greatest in women’s fashions for the road. Whether you are a beginner (as I was the first time I walked into their shop) or an expert, they meet you at your level, educate, advise and make you feel good about your choices, always respecting your budget. The bottom line is never the sale…it’s about what is best for you, the customer. If they can’t provide what they think is best for you, they will direct you to someone who can, even if it’s the competition. I love that. It screams, “We value YOU and think your needs are more important than our profit.” ”
But, wait, there’s more. When we emailed Lori to tell her she’d won a Terry Symmetry bicycle, she responded with this: “Thank you so much 🙂 I plan to give the bike away to a girl on my cycling team, The Bodacious Biking Babes, who has never had a new bike in her life. She rides a 50 pound clunker, owns no car, and she is as fit as they come! She can never ride with the rest of the team on our long rides because she is so slow on her 50 pound bike. NOT ANY MORE! She is a very deserving recipient and I can’t wait to tell her…she has no idea I even entered the contest, let alone that I am giving her the bike.”
Digging through bins of clothes added to the thrill of the tent sale
Sunny weather and perfect riding conditions along Maryland’s Eastern Shore once again stole the show at this year’s Wild Goose Chase, Terry’s annual fundraising ride to benefit the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. Even against the perfect backdrop, the joint Terry and Gore Bike Wear Tent Sale managed to bring its own source of excitement to the weekend’s festivities.
The sale featured deals on jerseys, shorts, accessories and casual clothing from past seasons as well as the chance to check out some of the new cold weather offerings for the fall and winter. Women of all ages dug through bins of cycling clothing and saddles, eager to find a bargain on another pair of their favorite shorts or a comfortable new seat for their bike. If the main space of the tent seemed busy, it was nothing compared to the fitting room, where the excitement of trying on dozens of outfits and the thrill of finding the perfect wardrobe addition reminded many women of shopping trips to Filene’s Basement: fast-paced and fun. The Terry T-Base Layer was a popular choice among this year’s new offerings, while classic favorites like the Terry Flare Skort remained a hot commodity. Although the weather forecast promised clear skies for the more than 700 women riding to benefit wildlife conservation, anticipation of the upcoming winter months made Gore Bike Wear’s windproof and water-resistant Phantom jacket another top seller.
Bins of saddles and clothes before the chaos
The combination of gorgeous scenery and great deals on everything bike-related made the Terry/Gore Bike Wear Tent Sale a fun addition to the Wild Goose Chase weekend.
My collegiate cycling career began when I bought my first road bike at an outdoors store in Burlington, Vermont…in the middle of February. I did a few unsteady laps in the parking lot before packing my new baby in the back of a friend’s Subaru and driving home to wait for spring. It snowed the rest of the weekend and for much of the next two weeks, but even though I’d barely ridden on skinny tires, my friends on the Middlebury cycling team had already convinced me to sign up to race in the season opener for the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference (ECCC). I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but with a borrowed jersey and about five miles under my belt, I headed down to New Jersey to race at Rutgers University.
Collegiate cycling falls under the guidance of USA Cycling, the organization committed to developing competitive cycling in the United States. While the ECCC hosts bike races across New England and the mid-Atlantic, the group’s main goal is getting more people on bikes and having a great time while doing it. Like all USA Cycling races, there are categories for different levels of riders, but the ECCC takes racing a step further by offering an intro category for riders who have never raced before. Older, more experienced riders offer pre-race clinics to teach bike handling skills like cornering and to work on pack riding, something that’s pretty scary for most new racers. The race itself features a coached component where the same older racers ride alongside the group to make sure everyone is fairly comfortable before letting the pack loose for a short race.
I rolled up to the starting line still not quite knowing what to expect. The only bike racing I’d ever encountered was watching the Tour de France on TV…not exactly what I had in mind for my first time. The race was set up as a criterium, a “crit” for short. Riders line up together to take off for a set amount of racing time (anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes) on a closed circuit course about a mile long. The group sets its own pace, which the race officials calculate after a few laps and use to determine the number of laps remaining in the race. A sign placed at the start line counts down the remaining laps so that riders know when to sprint for primes, laps during the race where the winner for that time around gets a prize, and for the finish.
Great crit racing combines a high fitness level with strategic thinking and top technical skills. Yikes. I had managed to stay in shape thanks to training all winter with my friends on the crew team, but my understanding of strategy was minimal (you just go really fast, right?) and my only technical skill was my hyper-tuned braking reflex. I started out slowly, gripping the handlebars in fear, too afraid to look down and figure out how to clip in to my right pedal. By the middle of the first lap I was about a hundred yards behind the pack and didn’t think I’d be able to catch up. My heart rate soared as I pedaled wildly, not daring to take my eyes off the road or hands off the brakes. Fortunately, one of the coaches from the clinic, a grad student at Boston University who raced in the top category, pulled up beside me and talked me through taking a deep breath, slightly loosening the death grip I had on my bar tape, looking down for long enough to clip in, then building up speed to catch up to the rest of the racers.
I never caught up to the main pack, but I passed a few girls before the race ended. Afterward we spent some time talking about how we’d all just started cycling and we agreed that the intro coaches had been a huge help in making racing accessible and fun, too. It took me the rest of the season to get good at using clipless pedals and many miles of riding through the Vermont countryside to get comfortable on my bike, but I knew I was going to keep racing as much as possible in the future. I love riding my bike, and collegiate racing has provided me with a new network of friends (and friendly rivalries) along with the chance to develop my fitness and competitive skills.
Feeling much more relaxed on a ride near Middlebury this past fall
ECCC intro races are open to women of all ages who’d like to try racing. The 2012 road season schedule will be on their website by the end of 2011. Check out this link for more information: ECCC Women
The modern Cyclista Tee — a perfect mate to the new Burlington bicycle.
For the love of the bike :: the new European heritage.
Cycling heritage and a sense of nostalgia for the roots of the sport are being honored and reinterpreted in new and contemporary ways as more people look to the bright future of cycling. Communities around the world are taking a fresh look at alternative transportation and the health and happiness of their citizens. With this New European Heritage collection available in early 2012, Terry honors the history of cycling as we excitedly pedal toward the future. Our photo shoot in bike-friendly Chicago last week was electrified with color, new products prints and bikes all designed to celebrate urban bike life and the beauty of cycling.
"Wheels are wings" in the Red Nostro Peloton with custom graphic panels. Fast Woman bike.Meet the new Echelon collection: SS jersey and all-new Coldblack short.Mandarin Jersey in Parisian Pied a Terre.Ride like a girl in new Signature Kit. Flat Bar Symmetry.New Signature Tri kit says it all.Mesh Top in new Bike Shadow print. Shown with Stretch Mini, Euro glove. Susan B bicycle.New Bella Halter with Bella Short-Short.Freedom of expression in le Midi skort/knicker.Shorter hemline, high performance, Coldblack Echelon Skort is NEW for 2012.New Tri Tank in blue/black, shown with Terry Tri Short and Tailwind bike.Bike tunic in Topo Rose with Terry Actif Knicker.
