Polka dots signifying the King/Queen of the Mountain – wherever did this come from? The maillot a pois rouge is a fairly recent addition (1975) to the long-standing competition for King of the Mountains in the Tour de France. There’s a very informative and entertaining historical recap by Simon Crisp here>.
Today, the iconic use of polka dots can be found in all manner of cycling products and applications. Here are the most fun we’ve found this year…
Dude Girl
One of the first companies to popularize dots on cycling clothing for women, and still doing it best. Each year Kim and her team introduce some new and wonderful graphic treatment.
And why not? Seattle is a creative city and a cycling hub – an ideal place for this highly skilled, service oriented bike repair shop. Check out the Dot if you’re in the area.
Bikes To You, located in Grinnell, Iowa, has been an official bicycle shop on RAGBRAI since 1994. RAGBRAI has a significant economical impact on each community the ride passes through. Cyclists come from all over the United States – and world – to ride RAGBRAI each year. Locally, many cyclists begin training to ride RAGBRAI each spring, usually logging more than 500 miles before the ride begins the last full week of July. The team at Bikes to You helps first time riders prepare for their first RAGBRAI as well as helping veteran RAGBRAI riders upgrade to the latest and greatest bicycles, accessories, and apparel. Craig and April Cooper, store owners, started the business in 1992. April has made the shop one of the premier women’s cycling clothing stores in Iowa and shares a few secrets here:
Why do you think women choose to shop at your store?
I’ve been told that we have the best selection of women’s cycling apparel in the state of Iowa. I take special care to display our cycling apparel in an thematic sense. I also hold special Ladies’ Nights which provide an evening of socializing and shopping with other women in a fun environment. For the past two years, I have sponsored a Fashion Show featuring clothing from Terry as well as other vendors at the Iowa Bicycle Expo/RAGBRAI Route Announcement Party in January.
Why do you sell Terry?
I sell Terry apparel because of the quality, functionality, fit, and comfort. Every woman deserves to have access to fun, stylish, colorful, exciting, and quality cycling apparel no matter her level of fitness. I sell Terry saddles because of their high level of comfort and the Ride It & Love It guarantee. In addition, Terry merchandises beautifully in my showroom.
When a new-to-cycling female customer comes in, what’s the first thing you tell her about cycling?
Cycling is fantastic exercise and is FUN! We tell our new-to-cycling female customers that we want them to be comfortable on their bike and that the “fit” of their bicycle is extremely important when just starting to cycle.
Eyes in the back of your head – wishful thinking for a cyclist (come on evolution, help us out here). We all know how vulnerable we are on the road. We wear bright clothing, seek out quiet roads, always ride single file and obey the rules of the road. BUT, we are still vulnerable to what’s going on behind us. In my 20 years of working and riding with Georgena Terry, I never saw her without a helmet mirror, and while it may not be the sexiest accessory you ever added to your bike kit, it can give you the visibility and confidence to be aware and offensive. From old school super cheap to new smart technology, here are some great options for getting a better view:
Reflex Adjustable Helmet Mirror
Adjustability + Visibility – the Reflex helmet mirror at $20 is a no brainer. Get them at your local bike shop or REI.
Hubbub Helmet Mirror
Complete with a really nice video for easy installation advice, and available from directly from Hubbub Custom Bicycles.
Sprintech Bar End Mirrors
Road Bike Bar Ends from Sprintech Racing are easy to insert and provide an on-bike alternative. Available from a variety of online retailers.
New, Varia Bike Radar from Garmin
While we haven’t tried this, the reviews are very positive and it’s a giant technical step forward that’s exciting to consider. Here’s a wonderful article by blogger, DC Rainmaker that spells it out. Depending on whether you get both pieces, you’re looking at a serious investment (radar only $199; radar + display $299).
In celebration of our favorite cycling month, we’ve just made it easier to get what you need, when you need it, and for free. No minimum, no promotion code, just free. Go wild until Sunday 7/24 at midnight!
Each Thursday during the Tour, we’ll be introducing something very special, available only on our website in limited quantities. If you missed it, here’s numero uno and it’s a really good one:
Gino Bartali was a champion cyclist from Florence, Italy with multiple victories in the Giro and Tour de France prior to WWII. What most people don’t know is that he repeatedly risked his life, using his bicycle and his fame during the war to save the lives of Italy’s Jews.
If you want to be completely blown away, add this incredibly well done documentary to your Netflix list and watch this legend hailed by history as a true hero of humanity: My Italian Secret. The Forgotten Heroes. I don’t want to ruin one minute of the surprise and intrigue resident in this 2014 film narrated by Isabella Rossellini, but suffice to say that you will see both archival footage and reenactments of events with Bartali’s bicycle as a key piece of the heroics. Fantastico.
Steeped in all kinds of history, the Normandy region of France kicks off this year’s Tour de France AND served as the inspiration for one of our favorite new jersey prints. If you’re a Terry regular, you know that we always design a new collection each summer with the Tour de France as a central visual theme. Here’s how Normandy came together.
Getting Inspired
Our creative input to our designer, made simple by Pinterest.
Round 1
Our fabulous designer gave us too many options. These were the top 4 and it was SO HARD to narrow down, but there were definite reactions to the giant lions (which are really leopards). In the end, consensus drove us to option C…
Round 2
Now the hard part – fine tuning the scale (size of the print background), placement (positioning of the various elements) and choosing which body (Sun Goddess or Breakaway) to apply it. More head scratching…oh, and we’re a little pinked out…
Round 3
Can we see it in red?
This is where the fine tooth comb comes out. PMS 185C vs 186C – a big discussion but a unified decision…
The Result
Four weeks and one sample later, we got it nearly perfect on the first try (had to move the badge a bit so it didn’t collide with the collar).
Enter to win a Terry Symmetry! On rare occasion, we offer up one of these out-of-circulation collector road bikes for contest purposes. Get your name in, and invite your friends to do the same. Contest ends July 31st. No purchase necessary but you must live in the US and be 18 years of age or older. Enter Now>
Ready, ladies? It all starts Monday with our week-long pro deals during the Tour de France. In what has become a tradition at Terry, each week, we will follow the stages of the Tour with specials, promotions, web exclusives, contests and lots of interesting social trivia, all designed in celebration of le Tour.
Studies have shown that cyclists, like all outdoor activity enthusiasts, are vulnerable to an increased risk of skin cancer. There are plenty of options available when it comes to sunscreen and application methods, but we find that inevitably, it doesn’t last all day. That’s why we make – and wear – UPF 50+ bike apparel that keeps you fully covered. Our Soleil Tops are wonderful through the summer, providing lightweight, cool-to-the-skin, total coverage. I find that when it’s over 90, a little cold water down the back of my neck is an instant relief. And it’s super versatile – hiking, water sports, you name it!
You can lose up to 2 quarts of fluid per hour riding in very hot weather. Replenishing is critical to avoid dehydration and heat stress. We find that moving from water bottles to hydration packs is the best solution, and this season, we have a couple women-specific packs from Osprey that carry a 3-liter reservoir. Use Polar Bottles in your water bottle cages. They’ll keep your liquids colder (I like to freeze mine in the summer when I mountain bike — stays really cold the entire ride).
Tip: drink at least 16 ounces of fluid right before and after your ride.
Heat Reduction
Weird factoid: Formula 1 race car drivers face some of the most extreme heat conditions of all athletic endeavors. They actually swallow an electronic pill that monitors their core body temperature (which can exceed 105 degrees during a race). Fortunately, we don’t have to deal with anything remotely close to that since we can count on convective heat loss (air flow across the body) to help cool things down.
Other tips:
Cool down your core: take a cold shower before you ride, drink a slushie, eat something cold.
Ride early: avoid the scorch zone of 3:00 pm.
Wear synthetics that wick moisture. Our Echelon bottoms (available in short, knicker or NEW full length tight) are made of ColdBlack®, a heat-reflective fabric with a 3-5 degree cooling effect.
Ventilate: full length zippers on jerseys, mesh side panels, cutaways through saddles – it all enhances breathability and air flow which can help in thermoregulation.
Finally, if you’re going on a big, hot ride, avoid alcohol for 24 hours prior to. Alcohol dehydrates and your body will definitely be the worse for it.
