Terry Peloton

Category: Sidesaddle Blog

  • Dear Dad, Thank You!

    In honor of Father’s Day I thought I would finally put into words a much overdue thank you letter to the person who got me moving on two wheels.

    Neither of my parents was standing next to me on my inaugural flight down the driveway sans training wheels, but it was my Dad who prepared and push me in my early stubborn and self sufficient way to get on that bike and begin to pedal. My Dad gave me all the encouragement I needed to believe that I could do it myself. He never promised it was going to be easy but he didn’t give up on me either and I know I wasn’t the quickest or best student. It took much convincing on his part and trust on mine to believe that this thing with two wheels that couldn’t stand up by itself really would move forward without falling with me on it.

    Once I was off and pedaling, my Dad’s commitment to my cycling life did not wane. He was the one who took me on my first “serious” ride; oh the days when 5 miles was of epic proportions! He showed me the exciting world of mountain biking, cleaning and taking care of my bike properly, how to ride while clipped into pedals, and so much more. Gone are the days when I throw a fit because he taped Paris-Roubaix over my Care Bears video, now our relationship has changed to: “Hey Dad, did you see the race today?” Or “Can you tape that for me?” He is now the one stealing my bikes for a quick ride while in town or calling to ask me for advice on a new part or accessory. I feel lucky to be able to share that with him.

    Though it is not verbalized, every ride I take I am grateful for the gift I was given, so thank you Dad! My life will forever be better because of something you gave me as a 5 year old. Big thanks also to every other father, mother, older sibling, or friend that has shared this with someone!! You are all heroes.

     

  • Fall 11 Preview

     

    Strada Jersey in Le Monde

     

     

    The Inspiration: European Heritage.
    Emerging out of World War II, a time of despair and pain, cycling brought life and hope to the world. Fans around the globe watched as these cycling gods raced through the landscape of Europe–Bartali, Coppi and Van Steenbergen setting records and making wins. Women also began to make strides in this male-dominated sport. In 1958, women competed for the first time in the Road World Championship held in Reims, France. Female cyclist Elsy Jacobs took home first place and paved the way for other women to leave their mark.

    This collection draws historical influences and fashion trends together in a presentation of rhythmic prints, vintage couture florals, and modern movement with dynamic color blocking and new silhouettes.

    Strada Jersey in Pixel Vibrato, Bella Knicker, Coppi Cap, Terry Base Layer
    NEW Le Midi knicker/skort, Terry Base Layer
    NEW Cadence Tunic & Actif Knicker
    NEW Cadence Dress, Actif Knicker
    NEW Southside Capri
    NEW Signal Hoodie

     

    NEW Thermal Tee
    Mandarin Thermal Jersey in Victoria, Coolweather Tight

  • Chip Seal: A Sign of Summer

    No matter what you call it, “chip seal”, “oil and stone”, “tar and feather” or “aargh, not my favorite road”, it affects all cyclists. When faced with a freshly chip sealed road, I try to be as pragmatic as possible. The more I know about chip seal, the more I’ll appreciate it.  Maybe.  I’m sharing this so your ride on chip seal will be better, too!

     

     

    Chip sealing is an inexpensive, quick way to maintain a road surface. How often have you thought to yourself, “Wow, I can’t believe they destroyed this entire road in just an hour….”

    Chip seals do not improve ride quality. No kidding — it’s not just the bumping along, it’s all those loose chips on the road. And the crazy drivers who bomb down the road, oblivious to all the flying chips they’re creating (technically known as “whip-off”). These losses are usually 5% on the low volume roads we ride.

    But those drivers are a critical player in making all the little chips embed themselves in the sticky binder.  Unfortunately, our bicycles just can’t do it. The goal is to embed 80% of the road volume, leaving a 20% void space.

    So what determines how many chips should be put down? Surely, like me, you’ve noticed that some road crews are absolutely miserly about the amount of chips they use.  But other crews must have an incredible budget based on the drifts of chips they spread. Luckily, for those who are inclined to use it, there is a formula to optimize the “aggregate application rate”:

     

    C= (1 – 0.4V) × H × G × E

    where:

    C = Cover Aggregate (kg/m2)

    V = Voids in Loose Aggregate (%)

    H = Average Least Dimension (mm)

    G = Bulk Specific Gravity

    E = Wastage Factor (%)

     

    Brooming can generally be done within 2 to 4 hours after sealing. Hot applied chip seals can be swept within 30 minutes while conventional chip seals can be swept in 2 to 4 hours. And here’s the big question: why does it take so long to sweep the road??? What is this, seal on Friday, sweep next week routine?  There are obviously no cyclists in these crews. I’ve often thought that our local highway department thinks it’s the job of the snow plow to sweep the chips. Given the safety issues for cyclists, motorcyclists and even cars, one would think the sealing would be done in the morning and the sweeping in the afternoon.  Grumble.

     

    My thanks to the California Department of Transportation for educating me:

    www.dot.ca.gov/hq/maint/mtag/ch5_chip_seals.pdf

     

     

     

     

  • The New Rider: Finding My Cadence

    The New Rider - Finding my CadenceIt’s fairly easy to spot new riders on the road because they usually haven’t found their cadence yet. I don’t want to be that new rider that weebles and wobbles all over the place. I know there will be a bit of that while I am getting used to a road bike, but I would love to not look like a complete newbie if possible! I believe that I have an advantage over most new riders because I am starting with the best saddles made specifically for women and finding the perfect saddle is half the battle. While riding my bike with the Butterfly Saddle I noticed an immediate difference in my cadence. It was almost like my seat bones were glued to the saddle! It felt great. The saddle on my old mountain bike was WAY too big for me and it was very uncomfortable. I have a small frame and I guess you could say that I have a bony butt. Having a good saddle has made a huge difference in my comfort-level on a bike. Riding with a chamois was new to me, but I noticed a huge difference from that as well. I have logged about 40 miles or so over the past couple of weeks on my road bike and I haven’t had any complaints about my Butterfly saddle, but I am a little wobbly at times with my front wheel. I am mostly wobbling when the going gets tough. I feel really good while I am down on my drops. My weight is being more evenly distributed that way and it helps my legs to power along a little easier. I also feel like I am not working as hard when I am down on my drops because my body is compressed and I am not wasting as much energy. I am working on trying to keep my upper body more still when I start to struggle and when I have to really use my leg power. My immediate reaction is to sway from side to side trying to push my legs into over-drive, but I know that’s not right. I know that swaying is taking up too much of my energy and I should try to minimize my effort in my upper body and work my lower half.

    I am getting my confidence up while riding on the road. I am finding that I am VERY out of shape and my heart and lungs haven’t worked this hard in a long time, but it feels really good to finish a ride and to be able to go faster and further on the next ride. I have been tracking my progress with an app on my phone, which has been great for bragging rights with my husband who is also taking up cycling.

    It is great seeing the world by bike!

    What helped you find your cadence? Is it something that comes with miles?

  • Photoshoot – by bike.

    Chicago's Bikeshare – we love it!

    Just wrapped up our Fall Catalog photo session in Chicago and, while bikes have always been integral, for the first time ever we conducted a shoot via bike. Chicago’s pro-bike city planners made it possible with their new BIKESHARE program, an urban transportation alternative that’s popping up in the more progressive cities around the world. Bike stations throughout the metro area allow you to ride and drop at will, saving big on traffic, parking and the other nuisances of moving about a city. The bikes themselves are utilitarian with 3 speeds, baskets, locks and kickstands. Our entire team cruised about with equipment, clothing, props and huge smiles the entire day…quite a way to spend Bike to Work day.

     

     

    Here’s a preview of some of the great stuff we photographed…

     

  • Amy Petty’s Inspiring Story

    Those of you who follow Terry know we recently instituted “Ride It Forward”, an opportunity to reward a woman who encourages other women to ride through her own inspiring story.  Our very first, and very deserving winner of a Terry Symmetry bicycle is Amy Petty.  She was nominated by her friend, Laura Holt.  I’ve had the pleasure of speaking to Amy and I can’t say enough great things about her. Read Laura’s story about Amy and you’ll understand why:

    This is someone I am very lucky to call a friend, Amy Petty. I met her last year on a group bike ride in Oklahoma City. I fell in behind her and immediately could tell that she once had considerable weight, judging from the excess skin on her legs and arms. I didn’t know her name yet, but I was curious. I ended up speaking to another woman that night, who is one of Amy’s coworkers. I found out she is a survivor of the Oklahoma City Bombing.

    I was even more curious after that, thinking perhaps she had gained weight after the fact from depression or being bedridden from an injury. The next week during the group ride I made some small talk, which didn’t last long, before we hit 5 miles she was trying to convince me to do a charity ride the next weekend and join her for her first triathlon… in 3 weeks. “I can’t swim either, I just started lessons this week.” She said. By the end of the month, I learned she was 350 pounds when she was buried for over 6 hours, her leg pinned beneath 10 feet of rubble. The remarkable scar on her leg makes it unbelievable she has no permanent injury. She speaks publicly every month, many times, about being a survivor.

    This last month her hour-long speech was delivered from a stationary bike. An idea she was so excited about she couldn’t contain herself. I found myself joining spin classes in December for her prep. It was all she talked about, she would speak about taking on life challenges like a hill climb and she hoped people would be inspired by her love of the bike. While over all nutrition and fitness has made a difference in her physical appearance. The bike has given her such joy. It has been a great source of happiness for her and she strives to share that gift with others. She recently invited an overweight woman to join a group ride.

    Amy’s joy was contagious; I’ve seen this new woman on two more group rides grinning ear to ear. Amy has an awesome story. She biked across the state, she completed two sprint triathlons, a half marathon, and she bikes to work daily during the spring, summer and fall. She advocates for cyclists, having a close relationship some state government officials, most recently involving a very important bike route bridge that is being resurfaced. If there was ever a woman worthy of recognition for her efforts in cycling, you couldn’t find a better candidate than Amy Petty.

    Congratulations, Amy, from all of us at Terry!

    Tailwinds,

    Georgena

  • Motherhood by Osmosis

    Mother’s Day was May 9, already long ago. Still, I don’t want to miss an opportunity to talk about a mother’s ability to influence a daughter’s life and lifestyle, particularly when it involves drawing a young girl into cycling.

    Ten years ago, both my teenage daughters fit the mold of rebellion to the parent’s lifestyle. “Mom, I will never be like you”.  Embarrassed too often by what I wore, what I said, these kids fought me on trivial issues. My response was to laugh at myself, wear the “right” jeans and belt width in their public, acknowledge they would do life their way, and bring their boy friends (no matter what) into the fold. Further, I simply lived the example I want to set for them.

    “Do as I say, not as I do”, has never worked in parenting. “Do as I say and as I do” can work because at least it is honest. Saying nothing while engaging them in ” Do as I do”  is motherhood by osmosis.

    Fast forward to their late twenties. Catie and Ruthie are both starting businesses, exploring taxes, finance and serious, life influenced political thinking, and planning for commitments and families. They now seek out my counsel, selectively (not unilaterally) adopting my point of view and my methods in life; they get up early, attack their jobs with optimistic energy, persist in adversity, and figure out how to overcome life’s challenges. Oh, as a mother, I am now all powerful again. But I use this power judiciously because I know one false move and I’m screwed, with little age trending chance to regain credibility. I can be the obsolete parent deserving of tenderness and care, or I can continue to influence these wonderfully opportunistic, self improving and society contributing young adults. By  leveraging their openness to at least some of my views, I invest in the future of our world.

    Two years ago I bought Ruthie a bike.  We started to ride together locally, and last year we rode the roads of Santa Fe. Ruthie now wears and swears by our Terry Bella Shorts. Gradually she evolves…riding in her neighborhood, riding the roads of the Champlain Valley with her mom, and even planning bike trips as part of her travels in the world.

    Every weekend, when work allows, Ruthie now makes a plan to ride, sometimes with me, sometimes not. She absorbs what I get from riding; a resilient heathy weight level while eating and drinking whatever I want, an immersion in our natural surroundings to support an optimistic point of view on the world, and a fortitude to be content with solitude.

    As Ruthie returns from a long sweaty run or ride, only to attack the next day’s agenda for her new business before going to bed, she calls me on the phone to say, “OMG mom, I am beginning to remind me of you”. What joy to know I’ve bred a budding cyclist because I know cycling will change her life, throughout her life, for the better.

  • The New Rider: Q & A with Georgena

    I started working as the Graphic Designer at Terry Bicycles in August of 2010. I have always been a mountain bike owner and recreational rider, but it wasn’t until working here at Terry that I desired to get on a road bike. Having the proper gear is half the battle in starting a new sport and I have certainly come to the right place. Now that I have a road bike and have access to the best women’s cycling gear I am ready to get my butt on a bike and ride much more often. I have always liked going fast! Come back regularly to read “The New Rider” series for my very raw and uncut take on becoming a cyclist. We all have to start somewhere and here I am!

    Before I bought my bike I watched Georgena’s fit videos and asked her what size bike would be best for me. I went for a ride with my husband this past weekend and my mind went crazy with ideas for a new rider blog series. I have so many questions and I want to start this series by asking Georgena for some advice.

    One of the things that makes me most nervous about cycling is being clipped in to my pedals. I know I don’t have to put them on just yet until I get comfortable, but how would you suggest easing into clip-in pedals?

    I’d start by putting one on the bike at a time.  That will give you time to get used to the feel and concept.  Add the second one when you’re ready.  It’s also important to know that the tension can be adjusted on the pedal, meaning that you can make it easier or harder to click in and out.  You might want to start with an easy setting at first.

    Terry offers so many saddles. How do I know which one I should start with as a new rider?

    For the kind of riding you’re doing, I’d start with the Butterfly CroMoly Gel. The shape of this saddle seems to have a universal appeal to a lot of women.  The gel in the saddle is just enough to dissipate pressure and absorb shock without being bulky and heavy.

    As a new rider I feel a little uneducated about chamois and there seem to be a lot of options. I have only tried the Bella Knickers and I can definitely say that I have never felt more comfortable on a bike in my life. Are there different types of chamois for different kinds of riders?

    There definitely are a variety of chamois shapes and densities that are offered for different rider styles and affect the price of the shorts quite dramatically. Endurance/distance riders like higher density, perforated chamois with air flow. Recreational riders can get away with something a bit less technical, but still comfortable. Chamois fit and seam placement are most critical. You want to be sure it’s wide enough in the rear so you don’t get seams underneath your sit bones. The Italians have cornered the market on 4-way stretch, which ultimately moves with you and disappears beneath you.

    Changing a tire. I suppose I need to learn how to do this. What is your best tire-changing tip for new riders?

    Read my Cycling Savvy eLetter on about this.

    How to Remove and Install a Tire

    Don’t go out on the bike until you’ve learned to change a tire.  Always carry the right tools for the job and a spare inner tube so you don’t have to take time to patch a tube on the spot.

    Thank you Georgena!

    These are all great answers and I am excited to get out there and start riding (after I learn to change a tire of course). I hope that the “new rider” series will inspire other new riders and help to answer some of the questions you may have. If you are a new rider and have questions or topics you would like me to cover I welcome suggestions!

     

     

  • Will Bike for Fashion.

    From the documentary, Bill Cunningham New York

    I saw a sensational documentary last night at the Eastman (Kodak) Dryden theater in Rochester, perfectly timed to kick off Bike to Work Week (check out the movie trailer here: Bill Cunningham New York trailer). Few people have the mastery of urban riding in NYC, let alone at the age of 80. Bill Cunningham, on his 29th bicycle, not only rides the streets of NY but has been doing so in search of fashion trends for the NY Times, Women’s Wear Daily and a host of iconic publications. A cross between a war photographer and a Manhattan bike messenger, Cunningham shoots around by bike, wearing trousers, industrial blue jacket (worn by the street workers in France), tweed cap, sensible shoes, a simple cross-body bag in which he keeps his camera and many rolls of film.

    You’ve no doubt seen the “on the street” page in the Style section of the Sunday New York Times or watched the onthestreet segments he narrates online. That’s all Bill, armed solely with a bicycle and his camera. This marvelous 88 minute documentary, Bill Cunningham New York, is a fashion joy ride that gets to the heart of his incredible passion and extraordinary humility. The world he sees is a delight for anybody who wonders how trends emerge. He lets the street to speak to him. He jumps off his bike and literally spins in a circle on a NYC street corner snapping photos of what he sees that’s fresh and original. He’s a fashion legend who attends all the best events but lives like a mouse without a kitchen or closet.

    The movie is full of colorful characters and a point of view about creativity and vision that’s really inspiring. A feel good, look good, ride good movie that I personally can’t stop thinking about.

    Currently playing at select theaters. DVD will eventually be available through Zeitgeist films or on Netflix.

  • Bikes for Women: Looks can be deceiving

    When I first started building bicycles for women some 25 years ago, it took only a quick glance at a man and a woman of the same height to see that her legs were longer than his.  Her shorter torso was clearly the reason why she felt “stretched out” on a bike and had to endure discomfort in her shoulders and back. So Terry bikes were built with shorter top tubes on all sizes to address this concern.

    Around 1990, I decided to get a more analytical and less anecdotal about the root causes of some women’s discomfort while riding.  There’s a lot of information about men’s and women’s anatomy and I was looking forward to finding out just how much shorter a woman’s upper body was proportionate to a man’s.  Guess what?  Women have proportionately longer arms and trunks than men.  Looks can be very deceptive, thanks to women’s higher waist lines.

    Yet, women’s discomfort on bikes was very real. But what was the underlying cause?  We were doing the right thing but for the wrong reason.  We needed to know the right reason.

    Enter Laura Lund, then working on her Masters in Mechanical Engineering-Bioengineering at Carnegie Mellon University.  She did some research and came up with some possible causes for women’s discomfort.  In doing so, she confirmed why our designs were working.

    So what was going on? It has to do with the distribution of body mass and the location of the center of those masses. They differ between men and women. More of a woman’s body mass is in her trunk than a man’s. And, speaking in simple terms, it’s higher on her trunk than on a man’s.  Think of it like this: if you put a five pound weight on your lower back and then bend over, it will be a lot easier than if you bend over with the same weight on your shoulders.  Your total weight is the same in both cases, but in the latter case, you’ve moved the center of that weight up and away from the muscles that are doing the work.  This higher “center of mass” means more effort is required by the lower back muscles.  A similar situation exists in the arms with regard to the forces exerted on the rider’s shoulders.

    Add to this the fact that women tend to have smaller muscles than men to support these forces. Not a good scenario!

    But the story doesn’t end there.  Stay tuned….

    Tailwinds,

    Georgena