Category: Sidesaddle Blog

NEW CYCLISTS WELCOME HERE.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a new boom in cycling in the U.S., the third time this many people have taken to two wheels since the bicycle was invented.

The original fascination with cycling took off in the late nineteenth century. It launched an entire bicycle manufacturing industry, velodrome racing and women’s specific cycling gear, and helped fuel the women’s movement, amongst other things. It faded fast, once the automobile caught on as the fashionable way to get around.

The second boom took off in the 1970s, when gas prices, the fitness phenomenon and ecological awareness combined to focus on the bicycle as the answer to many problems, large and small. For a few years, bikes sold so fast manufacturers couldn’t keep up with demand, and millions of new cyclists took to the roads. Cities planned bike-first infrastructure projects, and it seemed the automobile age might be over. Unfortunately, once gas was abundant and affordable again it was all over.

Now cycling is booming again, with a new set of circumstances that make cycling an obvious great answer to urgent problems, and a fun, wholly beneficial thing to do.

This time people are pulling neglected bikes out for the first time in years, even decades, and emptying the racks in bike shops, all because of COVID-19. Cycling is a great alternative to crowded public transportation, gives people more space than busy sidewalks, and lets cabin-fevered people escape from isolation to get healthful exercise.

It seems more people are cycling now than ever before, and we at Terry are delighted that many of them have discovered us on their journey as new cyclists.

If that’s you, welcome! We’re glad you’re here, and we’re happy to help if you have any questions, especially about cycling clothing and saddles.
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Here are some resources to help you find your way as a newcomer to cycling.

A lot of the most important information for new cyclists is about how to ride comfortably, and avoid pain. You’ll find some great tips and resources here on our blog, especially in the Cycling Savvy category.

Here’s a selection of favorite posts, organized by the kinds of issues that cause problems for newcomers to cycling and experienced riders alike: bike fit, riding position, saddle choice, and clothing choices. These all work together to make cycling either a joy, or a literal pain in several areas of the anatomy.

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Good bike fit and comfortable riding position for new cyclists

Enjoyment of cycling starts with a bike equipped for the surfaces and terrain you will ride on, adjusted to give you a range comfortable riding positions. A properly fitted bike lets you pedal efficiently, with no straining to reach bars or pedals, and no awkward movements sapping your energy.

Bicycle Fit: Start Here in Your Search for Performance

Correct Bicycle Fit for your Upper Body

How To Avoid Cycling Discomfort – 7 Things You Need To Know to Be More Comfortable While Riding Your Bike

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Eliminating saddle pain for new cyclists

Eliminating pain at points of contact is a constant quest for cyclists. Maybe it’s a measure of how rewarding cycling can be that so many of us put up with so much discomfort before finally finding the right saddle and bike shorts. We love when customers let us know they are riding pain free now, and wish they’d found us years ago… it happens quite a bit!

You’re lucky – as a new cyclist who already found Terry, you get to skip years of discomfort and get right to the good parts: these posts will help you find the ideal saddle for your unique shape and the kind of riding you do.

HOW DO I FIND THE RIGHT BIKE SEAT FOR ME? – FINDING YOUR PURRFECT SADDLE.

10,000 MILES ON THE WRONG SADDLE. – now we don’t have to just put up with it any more.

The Terry Saddle Selector – answer 6 easy questions about how you ride, and get a personalized recommendation for your ideal bike saddle.

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Choosing the best bike gear for new cyclists

Choosing the right clothing for the job can also make or break the ride. The right cycling gear helps you feel comfortable in a variety of conditions, supports your movements, enhances your performance, and has features to make your rides more enjoyable.

These posts will guide you through the many options around the fabric, format, and fit of dedicated cycling clothing. You can decide which features matter to you, and see how the different choices translate to comfort and performance. You will be an expert cycling gear shopper in no time.

HOW TO CHOOSE BIKE BOTTOMS. – this one includes links to mini-guides on how to choose the best bike shorts, cycling knickers, and cycling tights.

HOW TO CHOOSE CYCLING TOPS. Sleeves or not? Athletic or Relaxed? This fabric or that? This post will help you prioritize and choose the bike jerseys you’ll love the best.

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If you need more help with product choices and fit, reach out to our customer service team – they have a wealth of knowledge and love to help.

Are you cycling again for the first time in years? Or for the first time ever? Let us know in the comments how it’s going, and what kind of information you would find helpful.

May 29, 2020
CELEBRATING OUR CYCLING MOMS DURING COVID-19 LOCKDOWN.

Happy Mother’s Day to all our Terry Moms – even on lockdown!

The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped our lives in so many ways, but Mother’s Day 2020 brings a poignant new twist – this is the first time there’s no possibility of booking a table for Mother’s Day brunch, and for many of us, no opportunity to give our Moms a hug, or even to get together in person at all.

On the other hand, some of us are lucky enough to have Mom be part of our “pod”, the circle of people we’re isolating with. Even so, options for gift giving and celebrating are definitely restricted this year.

Whatever the difficulties, gratitude and love for Moms abounds, and we’ll be celebrating. This calls for some creativity, but maybe the best approach is to get back to basics – as Natalie P. puts it: flowers, food, family – even if some of that has to be virtual now. And as always at Terry – bike rides.

Here’s what the team at Terry has in mind to make the day a special one for the Moms in our lives.

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We hope to get out on a bike ride and have a picnic if the weather is permitting. Here we are on our first family bike ride together from one month ago. Otherwise, Dani is hoping for a relaxing soak in the tub.

Nik H. – operations director
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I’ve been fortunate to be able to spend the last 10 years living near my mom and having her help me with Terry. She’s been the source of all kinds of assistance and my favorite motivating phrase, “Buck up!” Most recently, she provided some inspiration from her Basque roots for our newest summer prints. Although she’ll probably want to work on Mother’s Day, we are going to celebrate with a proper toast to her.

Paula D. – marketing v.p.
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My mom lives in Rhode Island, but frequently treks up the coast to come see me here in Vermont. Normally, we would likely spend Mother’s Day hiking, dipping our toes in the lake for the first time this year, vegging out on an epic charcuterie, and of course watching tearjerkers or 80s comedies together. In lieu of being able to be together this Mother’s Day, I cultivated a gift basket to send her with some of her Vermont favorites like: bagels from her favorite shop, crystallized maple sprinkles, small batch homemade marshmallows, a nice bubble bath from a local natural soap shop, and a gift certificate to our go-to wine bar. My mom is an incredibly giving and selfless person so it feels wonderful to spoil her with goodies, and it’s great to be able to support local businesses and the friends who operate them!

Camarin M. – customer care
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I couldn’t quite find any pictures of my mom on a bicycle, but if I could fit her in a tow behind buggy I would tow her around for a fun Mother’s Day treat. I anticipate heading to my parents’ house on Sunday to see my mom. My siblings and I will be outside occupying six sections of her rectangle lawn with a small fire pit in the middle, visiting but still social distancing. It’s as much for me as it is for her.

For me as a mom, I will also get to spend the day with my daughter and pup, as well as facetime with my older boys who are grown and out of the house. My granddaughter, Aria, almost three years old, will of course also be on the phone, a highlight of any day!

Danielle L. – controller
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If the weather cooperates, we’ll give Kathy the choice of a hike in a nearby state park where there’s enough space for good distancing, or the first family bike ride of the season. She treats us to gourmet meals all year long, but on Mother’s Day we’ll turn the tables and treat her to our best meal prep for brunch and dinner. Prosciutto wrapped scallops will be on the menu, along with strawberry shortcake. We’ll also give her plenty of time in the garden with some plants and maybe a new tree to commemorate – from a favorite nursery where shopping is by appointment now to keep staff and shoppers safe.

Colin D. – marketing
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We will be celebrating Mom’s birthday and Mother’s Day this weekend, and we have something new to celebrate… we have transported our spin bike to her living room and we have added a nice Terry Cite X Gel saddle.

For Mother’s Day and Mom’s birthday, my mom is planning to climb in the saddle for the first time in years, and celebrate another great year.

Lisa W. – customer care lead
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Since my Mum is pretty much at home these days, we’ll prepare a special dinner for her and support a favorite local restaurant – the Blue Paddle in South Hero. Fingers crossed for her first choice on their menu – lamb!

Colin S. – warehouse manager
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I plan on celebrating my Mom this year with some fresh picked spring blooms from the garden, homemade brunch, and a Zoom game night with the whole fam. Sticking to some Mother’s Day basics – flowers, food, and family!

Natalie P. – product development
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How are you celebrating with the Moms in your life this year? Let us know in the comments.

May 8, 2020
CYCLING GLOVES WITH HIDDEN TALENTS.

Do these Gloves Count as Multi-Sport?

Contributed by Kelly Kessler, Terry Marketing Communications Manager

An essential component of any cycling kit, gloves can play a key role in your comfort and therefore enjoyment of the ride. As Spring begins to bloom and the wheels are ready to roll once again (yes, I admit, I am a fine weather cyclist and let the skis navigate the snow), my go-to glove is the Full Finger WINDSTOPPER® Glove. It provides enough warmth and keeps the wind out, just as the name says, while the gel padding works to diffuse road shock. However, I recently learned something new about my go-to gloves – they make great lawn and garden gloves, too!

After a recent wind storm pushed yard clean up to the top of the list, I went searching for my garden gloves, and none to be found (kind of like that missing sock that you know is lurking somewhere). So instead I geared up with my trusty Full Finger cycling gloves to rake and prep the spring beds and clear away the fallen branches.

Holy cow! For the first time, my hands managed to stay unscathed from blisters and callouses, thanks to those magical little gel pads in the palms of my hands and a comfortable streamlined fit. Talk about relief after an afternoon of heavy yard work! From this year forward, forget the garden gloves – it’s cycling gloves for me… and now, I don’t have to worry about a myriad of missing and mismatched garden gloves. Talk about handy.

Anyone else discover surprising uses for their Terry cycling gear?

Find my new favorite gardening/cycling gloves here: Five Star Relief Cycling Gloves.

May 8, 2020
SELF CARE FOR CYCLISTS DURING COVID-19.
The last few weeks in lock-down mode have been filled with troubling news, inconvenience, or much worse.

Our hearts go out to those families affected by the loss of loved ones, or the distress of sudden hardship. Our hearts go out to those who work on the front lines in this pandemic – the people who care for us, feed us, and keep our society running.

In spite of everything, we feel there’s a lot to be grateful for. We cyclists have the additional gift of a favorite activity that lets us enjoy newly empty roads as we restore our balance.

Even so, we are dealing with extraordinary times with a lot of uncertainty. It’s a time for extra TLC, for those around you and especially for yourself. Here are some resources and tips we have gathered as we have worked on getting ourselves and our families through the Coronavirus crisis in good health.

Practical ways to take care of yourself

It’s important to maintain physical and mental health to help cope with stressful circumstances. Cycling certainly helps with that, along with other physical activities that get the heart racing and endorphins flowing. In fact, an innovative program was started recently in the UK, where doctors are actually prescribing cycling as a cost-effective, medication free treatment for some patients.

That said, it’s possible for too much of a good thing to take a toll. If you are cycling a lot more all of a sudden, outdoors or stationary, it’s a good time to pay more attention to rest and recovery.

Foam rolling – your new favorite post-ride activity.

Foam rolling is a key technique for physical therapists, and the secret behind the performance edge of many athletes who push their limits.

For the rest of us, foam rolling can loosen up the muscles and tissues that tense and tighten after strenuous workouts. Breaking up tight spots and clearing lactic acid from sore muscles can fix those creaky limbs and get you ready for the next ride much sooner.

Foam rollers are available in different grades of hardness, from soft to seriously ouch. The color indicates the grade – white is a good starting place. Try a cheap one to begin with, and upgrade if you find your technique or sore spots demand it.

This article on prevention.com gives a nice overview and some basic foam rolling exercises to start with.

Wearing a face mask while cycling

Here in Vermont we are now required to wear face coverings whenever we are in public places. This follows CDC recommendations, and some other areas are setting it as a mandate too. That raises questions for those who are outside getting some strenuous exercise. Should I wear a mask while cycling or running? Should I wear a mask the whole time like some authorities are saying, or just when I’m around people? Does wearing a mask actually help at all?

The last question is easiest to answer – masks definitely do reduce transmission of micro-droplets in the breath. Since it’s pretty certain that around 25% of people who contract COVID-19 don’t show symptoms, and almost everyone who gets it is asymptomatic for the first few days but can still infect others, wearing masks will slow the spread.

One thing to keep in mind is that wearing a mask is not really about protecting yourself from infection, but about making sure you don’t pass it to others if you already have the virus and don’t know it. It’s a gesture of consideration for the people around you.

Some guidelines suggest wearing face coverings at all times outside. This might seem pointless when the real danger is from being close enough to others where droplets could be exchanged – within the 6 foot radius and in enclosed spaces. Common sense might suggest wearing the mask only when close to others and not for the rest of your ride or other time outside. However, I think the guidance to wear a face mask at all times out of the house is given for a couple of reasons:

First, it removes any ambiguity about when to take the mask on or off. When your mask is on all the time there’s no need to decide if it should go on or come off to suit the circumstances. It removes the risk of getting it wrong.

Second, once worn, the mask should be considered to be a contaminated surface, and taking it on and off repeatedly means more possibility of moving microbes to your face, and undoing any benefit the mask gives you and those around you.

With those thoughts in mind, it makes sense for each of us to balance the benefits of wearing masks in proximity with others with the need to breathe while riding. On the down side, masks can get waterlogged from hard breathing, and a soggy mask is ineffective. People who wear glasses have an especially hard time with their masks fogging up.

Some cyclists find wearing a buff that can be pulled up quickly when needed is a good compromise. The material in most buffs is less than optimum for virus-trapping protection, but is certainly better than nothing.

Keeping a mask handy on a ride where you will only encounter others occasionally is probably fine. If you ride bike paths or trails where there are lots of others, or you won’t have time to anticipate and adjust, you might want to keep your mask on.

If you wear one, keep a keen awareness of where you touch the mask, and avoid touching your face with potentially contaminated fingers. If possible, touch only the tapes or elastic and not the mask itself.

The CDC has plenty of information about face masks, and the New York Times has some very helpful articles, like this one on how to make a face mask with easy to find materials.

Beyond the physical – taking care of your state of mind

This article in Bicycling magazine offers some good ideas about self-care for cyclists, particularly around easing off from racing and training to take some respite from the daily grind. The shut down may bring disappointments and inconveniences, but also presents opportunities to strip away the unnecessary and refocus on what’s really important in your life’s journey.

If you’re lucky you may actually be riding more now, and getting the benefits for both physical and mental health that cycling brings. On the other hand, many of us are juggling the competing demands of work, kids, and running a household with fewer resources. It may be possible to work in some sanity-time on a stationary bike, or with a core workout here and there, but in these times it might well not be enough to really overcome the underlying sense of uncertainty that many of us are feeling now.

Those feelings are distressing of course, so it can be tempting to avoid feeling them at all. That rarely helps in the long run.

Feel what you feel.

It’s important to allow yourself to feel what you feel – fully, but then to separate yourself from the feeling and let go of it. You are the feeler, not the feeling itself. The feeling will pass. First experience it, then consciously let go of it.

If that seems easy to say, hard to do, mindfulness exercises can help you get toward it.

Mindfulness is very helpful for achieving calmness, dealing with uncomfortable feelings, and regaining a sense of solidity in the present. It brings you back to what is, rather than what may be. My wife Kathy works with groups to encourage self-care, and has tons of great resources. She passed this one along: a link to an introductory mindfulness course she recommends.

“Anxiety is basically holding space for too many What Ifs. Come back to What Is.”
– Rachel Meisels

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Another key to self calming is truly simple – breathe.

Remembering to breathe fully is tough when the pressure is on, but paying attention to how you inhale and exhale has great benefits.

First, it is truly calming. Navy Seals use these same techniques to maintain clear, calm thinking in the middle of a firefight.

Second, the techniques for filling your lungs transfer to cycling. Better breathing can make a real difference, especially on those long hard climbs where getting extra oxygen to your muscles really counts.

We tender hearted cyclists can learn a lesson from this battle tested Navy Seal’s video, shared with me by a friend. If you prefer a different guide, try searching on box breathing technique, or yoga breathing.

Key points to take away:
- Breathing with attention lets you fill your lungs more completely, and exchange more air.
- Deep breathing supplies more oxygen to the body, and takes the body out of stress mode, right down to the cellular level.
- Breathing through the nose rather than the mouth makes more oxygen available in that breath, and activates parts of the nervous system that reduce stress response.
- Five minutes of deep breathing with attention can make a real difference to your state of mind for much of your day.
I hope these self-care nuggets help you cope in these strange times. Working together, we’ll get through it, and eventually we’ll be stronger for it. There’s a lot to look forward to, especially the time when we can celebrate our collective resilience and endurance in person, with races and group rides, cook outs and dinner parties, without Zwift and Zoom.

In the meantime, take care, and be kind to yourself.
April 18, 2020
GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT.

Partner Spotlight: Message Factory.

Julie Rochefort, Message Factory Founder & CEO

Julie Rochefort has some pretty lofty goals. Her vision for Message Factory is to make a difference for people — those who work for her, those who buy from her, those who live near her. She designs her own fabrics and has them knitted in Montreal, prints with water-based inks, uses organic fibers and recycled materials. Everything is made locally, sustainably and lovingly. Not only is it eco-friendly and socially responsible, but each piece also contains messaging that’s good for the soul.

Terry’s collaboration is cycling-centric, of course, and each season we work with Julie and her team to create one-of-a-kind items that tell a beautiful story. This season, it’s about intuition and listening to our inner voice. In Julie’s words:

You are the smile around you. You are intuitive. You are a soothing hand. You are peace. You are strength. One pedal at a time, you have the power to make a difference.

A liberal use of bamboo and organic cottons, loose fits and interesting asymmetry, wheels and bike love throughout…

Charme – simplify with a one piece

Bea – free in a flowing shift

Sweet Pea – perfectly framed

Walnut Top + Immortelle Skirt

Take flight in the Mandarine + Daisy Crop

April 17, 2020
WHAT’S NEW IN BIKE SHORTS?

You don’t have to be a princess to feel every stitch of a bike short after about mile 30. Leg bands seem to get tighter…waistbands start to dig and feel like they may be making a tattoo on your skin…fabric starts to itch…chamois, well, you don’t even want to think about what’s happening down there. We live and breathe bike shorts at Terry and are always on the hunt for ways to improve them so that you don’t even have to think about them when you ride.

We start the process with a list of issues we’re trying to solve and create a brief that goes to our design team. Schematics are built with specifications for details that can inform our manufacturing sample rooms. From there we work with fabric companies from all over the world to get access to the latest in technical improvements, sometimes developing our own fabrics for specific uses. At the same, we work closely with a chamois company in Italy to create new shapes, densities and ventilation zones for testing. All this takes at least 9 months, many samples and repeated fit sessions.

The result: new and updated Terry bike shorts with all kinds of innovative features for 2020:

New Fabrics

For longer distance cycle touring, we wanted a fabric that felt great against the skin, and was soft but with enough compression to provide muscle support for long days. Our new Wayfarer Short features the resulting French Meryl® nylon in a satin, matte finish. We decided it needed to be a color so behold, Indigo. This is one beautiful, comfortable, high performance bike short – and already one of our best sellers this season.

Additionally, we’ve upped the performance options on liners with the new Aria. Liners normally tend toward the entry level in terms of fabric and chamois, but we wanted to develop something new that you could actually ride in for several hours. By their very nature, liners add heat and bulk so the fabric we selected is a unique open mesh made of a nylon/spandex blend that feels great against the skin and definitely increases the ventilation factor.

Leg Bands

We’ve experimented a lot with leg bands and use many different types of them in our line. The main challenge is to keep shorts from riding up as you pedal, without binding/pinching against the leg (the dreaded sausage effect). Many of you are also unable to have silicone against the skin and most leg grippers use this in some way. We’ve developed a couple of new ways of dealing with leg bands. You’ll find them resident in our Chill Program (built-in leg band which doesn’t require a separate seam but has silicone sprayed in a 2″ pattern at the inside hem), GORE’s new C7 (which uses silicone strips rather than seams to secure the hem and keep shorts in place), as well as the Wayfarer and Bermuda (no gripper, just a turned up, zig-zag hem and a lot of tailoring finesse).

Waistband

We’ve come to the conclusion that short of going the bib route (which effectively removes a waistband altogether), higher and wider is more comfortable when you’re in the bike position. The key is shaping and structuring without adding heavy elastic. It takes some rather sophisticated sewing techniques to make it feel like there’s slight elastic in the band so it stays put, without actually having to use it. Our manufacturer in Spokane has that figured out for us and that’s what you’ll find in both the Holster Hi Rise and new Holster Prima Capri. And GORE offers a new stay-put feature in waistband design with the application of silicone to the inside rear waist in the C7 Short.

Another evolution in the approach to waistbands can be found in the GORE C-5 Short which has an elastic-free front waist panel that’s very wide and made of mesh — a ventilation dream. It stays up by virtue of a well designed side/rear panel with reinforcement.

Chamois

As riding inside has become an essential part of our cycling reality, we’ve worked with our chamois manufacturer in Italy to develop a new concept intended for studio and indoor use. We’ve taken reticulated foam technology to create a pad that’s significantly thinner and lighter, more breathable and ideal for indoor conditions. Like the majority of our chamois pads, it features 4-way Elastic Interface Technology so it stretches with you. The shaping is narrower, seamless and has Terry’s innovative soft wing construction to minimize bulk between your legs. It has has an antimicrobial cover that inhibits the growth of bacteria while maintaining the skin’s normal bacterial balance. You’ll find the Reticulated chamois being used in our Studio Capri.

Alternatives to Lycra

Baggy shorts have also evolved. They’re no longer wide-legged man pants. Innovations here include fabrics with higher degrees of stretch, unique waist adjustability and stealth-y pocket integration. We’ve extended our Metro Lite line to include liner-less options that you can choose to ride commando or with a high performance liner like the Aria (above). The secret is a center gusset that runs the full length of the crotch, removing seams in key saddle contact area.

We have a dizzying array of great bike shorts for women this year. Take some time to shop the news and read the reviews of our tried-and-trues. Our team of experts can help if you find yourself having a hard time choosing, so when all else fails, call us at 800.289.8379 and we’ll help you find the right short for you – guaranteed.

April 15, 2020
CYCLING IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS.

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We’re all glued to the news, and naturally, we take special notice of stories from the world of cycling. Cancelations, restrictions, postponements are happening all over, but thankfully there are some brighter moments too. All in all, it’s still a good time be grateful for the healthful freedom cycling brings us, however we manage to enjoy it…

How to keep cycling during the Coronavirus crisis

With social distancing becoming the norm across the country, the likelihood of shelter-in-place requirements becoming more widespread, and self-isolation as a way to protect our families and communities, we’re asking what’s safe and best to do?

At least for now, our answer is to keep riding outside whenever it is safe to do so, and doesn’t conflict with the recommendations of your local health or other authorities. There’s hardly a better way to keep fit and lower your stress level than to ride a bike in the fresh spring air.

If you can ride outside – enjoy!

If it isn’t practical – or even allowed – to ride outdoors, here are tips from the terry team to help you get set up for indoor cycling, and to stay motivated.
Read more…
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There are some more immediately practical benefits of cycling too, as commuters in some U.S. cities would surely agree.

Bike share and commuter riding goes through the roof as commuters avoid subways

It was encouraging to see bike ridership double in many cities, as people avoided subways and car pools, taking to the bike lanes to keep a safe distance from others and avoid recirculated air. Many people dusted off long-neglected bikes, and bike-share racks were rapidly cleaned out. Perhaps they will rediscover the joy of cycling along with the benefits of bike commuting, and keep riding once the threats perceived in public transportation have subsided.

Cyclists facing fines in some regions

Much less encouraging, in some parts of the world cycling outdoors is no longer an option. In Spain for example, the situation has been evolving over the last week or so. At first, people were told they could bike to work or to go shopping, but could not ride for sport. In practice, some local police were far more strict, threatening fines for anyone riding a bike.

In France and Italy it’s still officially allowed to exercise outdoors alone, cycling included, though it may only be a matter of time before this changes.

It’s very hard to imagine a cycling nation like the Netherlands without bikes in the streets. For now, bike shops have essential business status, and are staying open while bars, cannabis cafés and sex shops are closed.

Here in the U.S. it’s even harder to picture restrictions on cycling like those in Spain. Even so, since California placed a shelter-in-place order on about 9 million people, and the same tactic to stem the tide of COVID-19 infections is being considered in other places, it now seems possible.

As in other sports, the Cycling season is on hold or canceled

The season opening French stage race, Paris-Nice, was wrapped up a day earlier than planned, and that may well mark the early end of the French professional racing calendar for 2020. In Italy, the Giro d’Italia was postponed until Fall, although no changes have been made to the Tour de France… for now.

One of the strong reasons accepted by the many professional cyclists who live and train in Spain is that any crash (an ever-present danger for those who ride at their limits so long and so often) would take medical attention and resources away from those battling for their lives with COVID-19 infection.

Since Italy and Spain were the earliest and worst affected countries in Europe, the restrictions have grown tighter as authorities try to slow transmission of the virus. Most people are now being told to stay at home except for pharmacy and emergency trips – cycling for any reason is not really an option any more.

Celebrate the freedom of cycling, even in a world of restrictions

As cyclists we know riding a bike is a healthy and energizing activity, a low-impact form of exercise that clears the mind and strengthens the body. Cyclists enjoy better health than many others, generally, and surely strong hearts and lungs can only be helpful in fending off the effects of the virus if we do contract it.

We don’t know what the weeks and months ahead hold for us, but as cyclists we do have a sport/hobby that unites us in healthful activity, mental refreshment, community and companionship. We’re here to help you on your journey, so please stay in touch, keep riding as much as possible, and encourage others to do the same.

Here’s to tailwinds to come.

Read our top tips for making a fun indoor cycling set up, and staying motivated to ride indoors during the Coronavirus pandemic.

March 22, 2020
HOW TO CREATE A GREAT INDOOR CYCLING SET UP.
We may be a little biased toward riding outdoors, but quite a few of the Terry team actually do enjoy indoor cycling in the winter months, or as a convenient way to work out year round. Now that we’re facing increasing restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19, indoor cycling at home is an especially important option. We will ride outside as long as we can, but should the situation change we plan to be ready to keep riding indoors with a good indoor cycling set up.

We put our heads together to come up with some suggestions for setting up your own personal spin studio, and tips on staying motivated for indoor cycling during the Coronavirus pandemic.

How to set up your own personal indoor cycling studio

First, indoor cycling equipment doesn’t have to be expensive

There’s a lot of buzz these days about the Peloton bike, and new alternatives are popping up. The initial fee for the bike and monthly subscription for the service might seem a little steep at first glance, but it’s actually much more economical than a gym membership or frequent spin classes, with a number of advantages that are more important than ever now so many of us are spending so much time in isolation.

For one thing, people in a household can share the bike, and ride as often as they like. There are lots of choices of class leaders and music to keep it interesting, and the live performance stats can be very involving.

If that price tag is an obstacle, or you’re not sure you’ll use a Peloton enough, there are much cheaper alternatives – a bike on a trainer and a free online app can get you a lot of the same benefits.

There are often great deals on used stationary bikes to be found on Craigslist, and it’s worth looking for new options online. Many are quite affordable – maybe not top of the line equipment, but good enough to be serviceable for a few weeks or months.

Another option is to find a trainer that holds the rear wheel of a road bike and converts it to a stationary machine. Since it’s a relatively small piece of equipment, a good quality one is still a fraction of the cost of a complete stationary bike.

Bike rollers are another modestly priced option. Rollers mounted on a sturdy frame are connected by a band so your bike’s wheels turn as though you were riding on the road. The bike is free to move from side to side a little, so riding rollers calls for a higher level of skill. This makes it more challenging and interesting too – it feels much more like riding outside.
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Create a spin studio ambiance, and include audio/video

There are lots of great options online for apps and programs that bring a higher level of excitement and fun to indoor cycling, and other workouts too. See Dave H’s recommendations at the end of this post.

Alysia C., Graphic Designer:

Find an online program or teacher that you like. I’m a big fan of Les Mills On Demand Sprint and RPM. They are fun, motivating and always a challenge.

Set up a dedicated space in your house if possible so you don’t have to do a bunch of set up before a workout. Decide what days you’re going to workout ahead of time and stick to a schedule. Hang up string lights to give you that spin studio vibe.

They have extended the free trial period to 30 days (this link only) They have yoga, HIIT, core and a bunch of other programs too.

Alysia’s home indoor cycling set up.

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How to stay motivated to ride, and keep indoor cycling at home interesting

Indoor cycling is a great way to work off stress and maintain fitness and health while activities are curtailed. On the downside, compared to the variety of sensations and scenery you find outdoors, riding inside on a stationary bike can feel a bit boring. Also, riding in a group in a gym with a good teacher and a great sound system creates an energy level that’s had to match at home. If you find it’s a little harder to get motivated for an indoor ride, here are a few ideas to help you get in the mood and get going.

Break it up, mix it up – one benefit of cycling at home is that you don’t need to prep for the weather, wear a helmet, pack and check everything you might need, or even dress as though anyone will see you. You can just slip on your minimal kit and go. That makes it pretty easy to choose a series of shorter rides instead of one long one.

If it suits your routines, try riding for 5 or ten minutes two or three or more times a day, and get a good fast sprint going in each one.

This could have a couple of great benefits – it breaks up one longer, perhaps rather-more-dull-than-we-would-like ride into a series of much shorter sessions that aren’t long enough to get boring.

Also, especially important if you are working at home on the computer most of the day: research on work and exercise habits shows it’s better to get up and move every hour or two than to be seated all day and have one big workout. Finally, that could be easy to accomplish.

Build your routines and your space around your indoor cycling setup

Colin D., Web Marketing: My buddy Jack tells a story of finding his internet based lifestyle impacting his health and fitness after a few years, and having difficulty getting in the habit of using the exercise equipment he bought to get back in shape. His solution was very practical and worked wonderfully. He put the pieces of equipment right in the way of where he needed to go to move in and around his workspace. Instead of just leaving his office to refresh his coffee, now he had to actually climb over his treadmill, and walk under his pull-up bars. He used that as the signal to do at least one rep, or minimal distance, each time. Soon it was 10 reps, and it really wasn’t long before he had rewired his habits to include regular, creatively varied workout sessions throughout his day.

Consider rearranging your bike set up so that using it for a while is just a natural part of moving through your day. I bet you’ll get the same health and wellness benefits as Jack.

Use this time to create new routines that focus on health and self-care

One of the difficulties we face when switching to working from home and restricted activities is that our routines are completely different. Settling into new rhythms can be very calming, and we have an opportunity to choose new routines that support our well-being. Reducing stress, staying healthy, and enjoying as much as we can are going to be keys to coming through this challenging period together.

Cam M., Customer Care:

I’ve found adhering to my typical routine while working from home has really helped balance my mood. This includes hopping on my spin bike when I finish working to decompress from the day, figuratively and literally switching gears into a night of relaxation at home.

I open up the windows in my home studio, breathe in the fresh air, and imagine the hills I’ll climb later this spring. I have found some awesome free spin classes to follow on YouTube. Additionally, our local yoga studio, Sangha Yoga, has been offering free live streamed yoga classes that I have been attending. They offer a sense of community and relaxation without leaving the house! I am using this time at home to try out new healthy recipes that are outside my typical routine as a way to spice things up; tonight my partner and I are trying our hand at making take-out style chicken and broccoli and egg rolls!

Make your indoor cycling and workout space an environment that you enjoy using

Danielle L., Controller:
- Being active reduces stress. Extremely important right now.
- Try indoor biking while on FaceTime or streaming scenery.
- Try a treadmill or elliptical if you don’t have an indoor bike.
- I find good motivating music helps me escape the issues in the world for just a little bit.
- It can really help to get other family members to join you, so you can motivate each other, maybe even get a little competition going. Make a game while outside or riding.
- Try creating your own scenery in your indoor cycling space. Give yourself a challenge to create your perfect ride – by the water, the park – and make it a place where you like to spend time.
Mix it up and get the energy flowing with music

Phil D., Ecommerce Director:
- I prefer rollers over a stationary bike or trainer, I find the ride isn’t as boring. Although, you can’t stand.
- Download a good audio book or listen to a workout playlist of songs that get your blood pumping.
- I have different daily interval routines of varying degrees of intensity to keep things interesting.
- Use a heart rate monitor – the metrics make it interesting and give you another way to stay motivated.
- Incorporate other exercises for variety.
Find online apps to connect with other athletes and energize your indoor ride

Dave H., Sales:
- I prefer a stationary bike where I can use a cycling app and participate with others in the same situation.
- There are a large number of apps and programs available to choose from depending on your desire to be pumped up by music, the ride or other cyclists.
- The programs that tend to be used the most for indoor training are Zwift, Bkool, The Sufferfest, Concept 2 Logbook, Tacx Aps and of course Peloton.
- Here is a lengthy list of apps with their benefits and a link to their websites:
  https://www.strava.com/apps/indoor
Lisa W., Customer Care, asked: What is the best cost saving indoor program/entertainment? I’m looking for something free that I can watch on my laptop while I ride indoors on my spin bike? Good visuals/great tunes?

Dave H. replied: We are lucky that we can ride outside to breathe in some fresh air and let our minds wander, but if you need something free to enjoy on your laptop or tablet while you ride inside, here are a few of the least expense cycling apps I found:
- ERGVideo / Windows OS
  Software is free to use and ride power workout files. Supports up to 24 riders.
- BigRingVR / Mac OS, Windows OS
  7-day free trial
- Kinomap / iOS, Android
  Unlimited free limited access
- Bkool / Mac OS, Windows OS, iOS, Android
  30-day free trial
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March 22, 2020
CYCLING IN THAILAND – BEACHES, SUNSHINE, & KILLER HILLS.

Terry friend, Caroline Mangione, escaped the frozen north for an exotic cycling adventure, riding and island-hopping up the entire Thai peninsula. She discovered many delights and charms away from the usual tourist hot spots, and found some surprisingly steep hills along the way. She also took some Terry cycling gear with her and put it to the test. Let’s enjoy a vicarious bike vacation as Caroline shares her adventures cycling in Thailand…

Contributed by Caroline Mangione

Thailand: Beaches, Bikes, and Sunshine. The perfect mid-winter cycling destination!

Approaching the end of my undergraduate college career and the start of a PhD program in chemistry, time to ride and expendable money are two things I don’t have an excess of. Brainstorming some ideas for a bike trip with my riding partner Ben, Thailand came into the picture. Beaches, warm weather, and inexpensive cost of living made it an extremely attractive destination. Soon enough, we booked our plane tickets, and serious planning could begin.

I became familiar with Terry when I started at my first bike shop job in 2014. The Butterfly saddle was the go-to option whenever a female rider came in with complaints associated with their uncomfortable, stock, unisex saddle. Spoiler alert: it happened often, and I was one of those females.

Before long, I purchased one for myself. I still refer to it as my first “big girl” saddle, as it allowed me to turn painful 20 mile rides into century rides with no issue. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I could connect with Terry and be outfitted with some clothing for my trip.

With an above-average snowfall in Utah, training took the form of skiing, as road riding was nearly impossible. I eyed my warm weather riding clothes in the corner of my room for weeks: a Soleil Hoodie, the Bella, Bella Prima, Peloton, and the Holster Hi-Rise short. In addition to these, the oldest jersey I’ve kept is a nameless Terry short sleeve from at least 10 years ago, there was no way that wasn’t coming with.

Our plan was to fly into Phuket, a resort island off the southern coast of Thailand, flying out of Bangkok, in the north, 17 days later, with a combination of ferry rides, islands, and about 500 miles of road to cover in between. A “credit card tour” is what we had in mind: only packing clothes and toiletries, eating and sleeping wherever struck our fancy that day. The map shows a rough map of our route, courtesy of Google.
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For reference, this is what we left behind. Winter jackets and sweatpants were shed as our friend dropped us off at the airport, as there was no way we’d be lugging sweatpants up the coast for the next few weeks.
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22 hours of travel later: a sigh of relief when the bikes showed up intact (note: bike boxes fly free on international Delta flights). After a taxi ride to our first hotel and assembling our bikes in our bungalow room in Phuket, the maiden voyage was a ride to “Big Buddha”: the third tallest statue in Thailand, overlooking the entire island of Phuket. The ride was a kicker, featuring tight switchbacks, roadside elephants, and 16% grades. It was a killer of a first ride of the trip (and year!), but my granny gear saved the day.

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A couple nights in Phuket allowed us to adjust to the time (they’re +14 hours from MST) and more importantly, getting used to riding on the left side of the road.

Island hopping meant lots of ferry rides:
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Khao Phanom was next. Roadside fruit was a huge theme of the trip, as many homes had a fruit stand right out front. Coconuts, watermelon, mango, jackfruit, durian, bananas, etc., all for about 40 baht ($1.27 USD).
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Nearly everyone rides on mopeds in Thailand, and the roads felt much safer because of them. Slower speeds on average, and the few cars on the road were much more aware of slower vehicles on the shoulder. Road quality was great the whole way: smooth sailing for our heavy, loaded bikes.

Another ferry ride brought us to Kho Phangan: one of the most scenic places I’ve visited to date. Between the lush green jungle and clear blue waters, every direction I looked was postcard worthy. The island had about 50 miles of paved roads in total, but not without plenty of elevation gain. Islands in the Gulf of Thailand seem to shoot up from nowhere, and Kho Phangan was no different.
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Our last ferry ride landed us in Chumpon; a coastal city and the start of the bulk of our mileage. This sign right as we exited town was a great send off: “HAVE A GOOD TRIP” in English underneath the same message in Thai. I was initially nervous about traveling somewhere with such a different language, but most signs were like this one: written in Thai with an English translation underneath.

The next day was planned to be a bigger one, 96 miles from just outside Chumpon to Prachap Khiri Khan, with a mid-day stop at Baan Krud beach.

55 miles in and 40 to go, a nap in the shade was necessary. Temperatures reached over 90°F most days, and the sun was inescapable. Sunscreen on my legs and a baggy sun-proof hooded shirt is my go-to outfit on long days like this one (enter the Soleil Hoody and Peloton short, amazingly breathable and so lightweight).
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The next day involved riding through Khao Sam Roi Yod National Park. The coastal landmark is home to large cave systems within the giant mountains that shoot up into the sky. Although time didn’t allow us to fully explore the trails, riding through the park was a treat. (Note: we did not find the monkey.)
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Hua Hin was our destination that night. This is where I experienced a true night market for the first time. For reference, this was on a Monday night; these nightly markets allow locals to buy fresh produce and meals from neighbors, in addition to souvenirs and keepsakes for tourists. The woman with the vegetable-covered bicycle was my favorite.
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Another market was on our must-visit list: the Mae Khlong Train market. This market still serves the local population as a standard market, but its unique location makes it a tourist attraction as well. This market has long been a central location to trade seafood. Not long after the market was established, train tracks were placed right through it, in 1904, for the transportation of goods. In resilient fashion, the market stayed put. The tracks now provide a walking path for customers in between passes of the train, which happens eight times a day. Canopies are retracted and tables of goods on roller tracks are pulled back to allow for the train to pass. Business resumes just as quickly as it was paused.

The final day of riding was from the railway market to Bangkok. 55 miles, two flat tires, and some tired legs later, we made it to our hostel where we would spend the next five nights of our trip. The off-bicycle time was split between bunches of new restaurants, street food vendors, markets, temple visits, postcard writing, a cooking class, and souvenir shopping.
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As exciting as Bangkok was, I am equally in awe of the less traveled areas of Thailand. Experiencing both urban and rural Thailand in the same trip was extremely special, and doing so by bicycle made it that much better. Many of the coastal tourist attractions are accessed by bus, meaning the average tourist doesn’t stop in between these hot spots. Between these spots were where most memories were made: roadside fruit stands, friendly street cats, waving hi to groups of children playing soccer by the road, riding through the coastal salt flats and being greeted by smiling faces of the workers, and being fed out of the living rooms of the locals, made for some unforgettable memories.
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Thanks again to the team at Terry for the excellent riding gear that made this trip that much sweeter!
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March 21, 2020
TUNE IN AND TUNE UP.

It’s a Great Time to Get Productive.

Getting your bikes into proper shape for the season is a necessity and and can be truly rewarding if you have enough patience and a little guidance. We’ve ferreted out some of the better youtube videos that provide tips and step-by-step instructions. If you have a bike stand, that’s a plus, but don’t let that stop you — it’s not a must. Bucket, brushes, hose, dish soap, chain lube and that’s really about all you need.

Take an additional step and start the season with new handlebar tape and new saddle — cheaper than a new bike and a definite improvement to key touch points.

Chain cleaning: Georgena’s classic how-to:

Pro Bike Cleaning with Deceuninck/Quick Step:

Replacing Handlebar Tape:

Choose a New Saddle (use our interactive saddle selector):

March 19, 2020