SPONSOR HIGHLIGHT: WomanTours

WE Bike NYC is organizing ten women from five organizations to ride 262 miles on bicycles from New York City to Washington, DC to represent their communities at the nation’s largest annual bicycle advocacy event, the National Bike Summit on March 3, 2014. WE are so pleased to be supported by WomanTours, Bicycle Times Magazine, Pearl Izumi, Velojoy, and InTandem, and Transportation Alternatives. For more about the ride, check out our fundraising page HERE!

Now that you have gotten to know who we are, learn more about us and our process. WE will be rolling out a series of guest posts from our riders and sponsors.

WE Bike NYC founder, Liz Jose, tells us about her relationship with one of our sponsors, WomanTours, and how they came to be such a vital part of the #webiketodc team.

WomanTours had us at “first all women bike tour company in America.” When Laura met Jackie at the Philly Bike Expo, WE knew this was going to be a great partnership, but WE weren’t quite sure in what capacity.  Less than two weeks later, WE were calling them up to ask if they wanted to support a completely ridiculous, mid-winter ride from New York City to Washington, DC.  While the weather might be a bit of a challenge, WomanTours was on board as soon as WE told them about our mission to get more women involved in the national transportation conversation. Their expertise in route planning, packing and their donation of a 14 passenger van with 14 bike racks and two amazing drivers made this trip go from a “what if” to a “why not!”

Thank you WomanTours! WE can’t wait to spend 4 days with you!

Click HERE for a great video about their tours. I chose this one in Moab because this is one of my all time favorite places to be in all the world, ever. Next year #WEBikeMoab?

SPONSOR HIGHLIGHT: Velojoy

WE Bike NYC is organizing ten women from five organizations to ride 262 miles on bicycles from New York City to Washington, DC to represent their communities at the nation’s largest annual bicycle advocacy event, the National Bike Summit on March 3, 2014. WE are so pleased to be supported by WomanTours, Bicycle Times Magazine, Pearl Izumi, Velojoy, and InTandem, and Transportation Alternatives. For more about the ride, check out our fundraising page HERE!

Now that you have gotten to know who we are, learn more about us and our process. WE will be rolling out a series of guest posts from our riders and sponsors.

WE Bike NYC founder, Liz Jose, tells us about her relationship with one of our sponsors, Velojoy, and their impact on the female cycling community.

Talking with Susi Wunsch, the creator of Velojoy (http://velojoy.com/) always leaves me in a state of action!

I met Susi a few weeks ago to talk about our plans for 2014, as well as pitch our ride to DC and see if Velojoy was interested in being a sponsor. The conversation went everywhere from the best winter layers to the benefits of Citibike to the pros and cons of disk brakes to if gluten free cookies still count as training food.

Velojoy is a wonderful website because it combines hard core cycling knowledge about nutrition and technique with a style and grace that can only be called feminine in the best possible way. In a world where women’s cycling is constantly pigeon holed into “cutesy” or “butch, “ Velojoy provides another option. All you have to be on a bike is YOU!

And in case you aren’t quite sure about how to do that, Velojoy is there to help you do it.

Which commuter jeans are worth the money?

How do I stay warm on my winter commute?

Should I try cyclocross?

Where are my ladies at?

Thanks Velojoy for putting out great content, and thanks for being a sponsor of  WE Bike NYC and #webiketodc!

Long Ride Essentials

 

WE Bike NYC is organizing ten women from five organizations to ride 262 miles on bicycles from New York City to Washington, DC to represent their communities at the nation’s largest annual bicycle advocacy event, the National Bike Summit on March 3, 2014. WE are so pleased to be supported by WomanTours, Bicycle Times Magazine, Pearl Izumi, Velojoy, and InTandem, and Transportation Alternatives. For more about the ride, check out our fundraising page HERE!

Now that you have gotten to know who we are, learn more about us and our process. WE will be rolling out a series of guest posts from our riders and sponsors.

webike_longrides (1)

Life Lessons Learned

New to the world of long distance touring, Kristina shares with us some important lessons she learned on a botched century ride.

WE Bike NYC is organizing ten women from five organizations to ride 262 miles on bicycles from New York City to Washington, DC to represent their communities at the nation’s largest annual bicycle advocacy event, the National Bike Summit on March 3, 2014. WE are so pleased to be supported by WomanTours, Bicycle Times Magazine, Pearl Izumi, Velojoy, and InTandem, and Transportation Alternatives. For more about the ride, check out our fundraising page HERE!  Now that you have gotten to know who we are, learn more about us and our process. WE will be rolling out a series of guest posts from our riders and sponsors.

Back in September 2013, I set out on my very first Century Ride. I met up with our long ride dynamo, Mary at Central Park at 5:30am to prep for the 7am start.

photo 1 (1)By 3:30, 54 miles in, I pulled off the route and called a friend to come pick me up. I have been thinking a lot about that “failure” while we prep for a ride 2 and a half times as long and infinitely more epic in scale. This is what I have learned: 1) Training is important. Prior to the Century Ride, the farthest I had ever ridden was 50 miles and while I was working out rather regularly, I wasn’t getting in a lot of miles on my bike. Training isn’t just about building muscles and cardio capacity, it’s about knowing when you need to take breaks and refuel, when to slow down and what to wear. It also is about knowing that spending the day before eating massive amounts of pork and drinking unlimited levels of beer will mess you up. 2) Knowing basic bike mechanics will keep you on the road. Somewhere around mile 20, my pedals stopped turning. It looked like one of the legs was loose. So, a marshall and I tightened it with our fingers. That only got me about 5 more miles before I broke down again. I had to walk my bike another two and half miles to a shop in Bay Ridge, who told me that despite being cleared for riding by my neighborhood bike shop, I had a piece of the crank that was cracked and finally gave up the fight. I was waylaid for over a hour while the mechanic searched his supplies to find a bolt that would fit my super old British bike. 3) Not taking breaks does not make you a superhero. Once my bike was functioning again, I was so angry about the delay that I put that rage into the pedals. I made to the Marine Park rest stop, chugged my water bottle, refilled it, had two bites of the bagel I horded and off I went towards Rockaway.  I ran into the Marshall that had helped me back in Bay Ridge. He told me my friends were not that far ahead of me and off I went again. And I kept going at top speed, despite an increasing dry mouth and cramping legs. photo 2 (1)

Bright eyed and well hydrated (Rest Stop #1)

photo 3

Tired and thirsty (Rest Stop #2)

4) Drink water and calm down. I did end up catching my friends in Jamaica Bay, thanks to their stop at Rockaway Taco. I wanted to stop for more water, but they wanted to keep going. I didn’t mention my powering through because I didn’t want to be behind again. We went about 10 more miles and my bike started wobbling because my legs were wobbling. 2 more miles and I was cramming an orange in my mouth for refreshment. 4 more miles and I was sitting in a McDonald’s in Glendale, waiting to be picked up. photo 4

Pissed and Delirious

5) Asking for help is not shameful. photo 5

Luckily, there is an app for that

Adventures don’t always go according to plan. The reasons for this debacle are obvious: I wasn’t ready mentally and that overrode my physical abilities; I wasn’t ready physically, operating on a body “fueled” by salt and alcohol; and my bike wasn’t ready, she’s 45 years old and repeatedly the victim of repair malpractice.

In later posts, WE will talk about what WE are doing to be ready and would love to hear from you in the comments about the important training lessons you’ve learned.

Large Tragedies and Small Victories: Why I Am An Advocate

Liz Jose, founder of WE Bike NYC, gives us further insight into her advocate philosophy.

WE Bike NYC is organizing ten women from five organizations to ride 262 miles on bicycles from New York City to Washington, DC to represent their communities at the nation’s largest annual bicycle advocacy event, the National Bike Summit on March 3, 2014. WE are so pleased to be supported by WomanTours, Bicycle Times Magazine, Pearl Izumi, and Transportation Alternatives. For more about the ride, check out our fundraising page HERE! Now that you have gotten to know who we are, learn more about us and our process. WE will be rolling out a series of guest posts from our riders and sponsors.

Yesterday, a young man was hit by a truck on Pennsylvania and Atlantic while a female cyclist celebrated a small victory when a cop car told an SUV to “let the bicycle pass” on Court Street. Our city, our struggles and our victories are often car related, even for those of us who can’t afford or chose not to ride in a car.

The car was and is an incredible invention that allows us to travel huge distances in short periods of time and allows us to do it on our schedules and on our terms.

However, as cities change, and more and more people move out of the suburbs back into urban centers, cars seem more and more foolish. It takes twice as long to drive anywhere in New York CIty as it does to bike or take the subway, especially when you factor in parking. And the cost of a car is far beyond what we think of as “gas and go.” There is, of course, gas, but there is also insurance, parking, tickets and tolls.

Cars are dangerous. They are expensive. And, while they are a great idea for going to the mountains, they take up an incredible amount of space in the city that could be better used for…just about anything else.

So that’s why I’m biking to DC. I’m biking because I believe that bicycles allow people to travel on their own terms and provide a sense of individuality and empowerment we all crave, while doing so in a safe, environmentally friendly, inexpensive and healthy way. And I want to make  bicycles a reality for people who don’t already have access. That is why WE Bike NYC runs programs for many different types of people, provides an opportunity to earn a bike in our Mujeres en Movimiento program and supports mothers and kids who want to move the next generation on two wheels. I work very very hard (I was going to say tirelessly, but I am often tired) here in New York City and I revel in the idea that I can bring my ideas and experiences to a broader community in DC. I want our voices to be heard not just in New York, but nationally, because I think WE have a lot to say.

Different Bikes for Different Reasons

WE Bike NYC is organizing ten women from five organizations to ride 262 miles on bicycles from New York City to Washington, DC to represent their communities at the nation’s largest annual bicycle advocacy event, the National Bike Summit on March 3, 2014. WE are so pleased to be supported by WomanTours, Bicycle Times Magazine and Transportation Alternatives. For more about the ride, check out our fundraising page HERE! Now that you have gotten to know who we are, learn more about us and our process. WE will be rolling out a series of guest posts from our riders and sponsors. Ayesha takes us through her expansive bike stable, including the bike she’s using for #WEbiketodc  I love all my bicycles , they serve four very different purposes. Here’s the breakdown of why I find it beneficial to own these four very different machines customized just for me!

Beater Bike (Albert)

My beater bike is the bike I’m not afraid to lock up in the streets of New York City (extra securely, of course). I find a single speed to be the best choice for my commuting purposes. Single speeds are very minimal, so there aren’t too many things that can break. This keeps maintenance costs very low. This particular bike has a “flip-flop” rear hub. That means I can set up my wheel to either coast with a free-wheel or never coast with a fixed cog. Currently, I’m rocking the fixed cog, simply because it’s fun. This means that so long as the bike is moving, so are the pedals. No coasting on a fixed gear bicycle! Since it’s a commuter, I’m still rocking a front brake.   Albert

Touring Bike (Gandalf the Grey)

Bike tours are so much fun. Living and commuting in the city doesn’t lend itself to a lot of open road, sometimes it’s nice to leave town and ride far away. This is the beautiful steed I’ll be riding to DC! He still needs to be outfitted with a rear rack and some panniers, but this Raleigh Port Townsend has been upgraded for both speed and comfort. I’ve upgraded to a Brooks women’s specific saddle and 10-speed ultegra!

Gandalf the Grey

 

Track Bike (Black Dynamite)

This is my hot rod. There is no practical purpose for it, it’s completely out of a need for speed and a desire for flashy things. This is the first bike I built myself. I picked the parts, and put most of them together. I’m very proud of this bike. I took my time and did it right. I think the results are beautiful. It rides like a dream, and without brakes I feel that I am in complete control. I’m pretty sure my mom would have a heart attack if she ever saw me riding through this city on this guy.

Black Dynamite

Road Bike (Eddy Merckx: Mexico Edition)

There are more than a few folks out there who think everyone should own a vintage steel road bike. I don’t know if EVERYONE should, but I certainly see the benefits of it. The nice thing about a roadbike is that you can go long distances, and not feel completely and utterly exhausted by hills. NYC is relatively flat, but once you leave the city, you’re going to want to take advantage of shifting up and down to keep a consistent cadence while you ride. I plan on participating in both track and road racing in the upcoming seasons. It’s such a thrill going as fast as this bike permits me to. Nothing quite like it.

Freddy Merckxury

Como Arreglar una Rueda Pinchada!

WE Bike NYC is organizing ten women from five organizations to ride 262 miles on bicycles from New York City to Washington, DC to represent their communities at the nation’s largest annual bicycle advocacy event, the National Bike Summit on March 3, 2014. WE are so pleased to be supported by WomanTours, Bicycle Times Magazine and Transportation Alternatives. For more about the ride, check out our fundraising page HERE! Now that you have gotten to know who we are, learn more about us and our process. WE will be rolling out a series of guest posts from our riders and sponsors.  Liz Jose, founder of WE Bike NYC, and the participants of Mujeres en Movimiento talk about the importance of knowing your bike mechanics.
One of the most important things about riding a bike, in my opinion, is knowing how to fix a flat tire. It doesn’t matter if you are going to get groceries up the block or biking all the way to Washington DC, being able to fix a flat gives me confidence to ride more often and explore farther from home, because I know, whatever happens, I can get myself home. So here is a crash course on fixing a flat with the help of the WE Bike NYC: Mujeres en Movimiento, our Spanish Language earn-a-bike program in Queens.

Como Arreglar una Rueda Pinchada!

How to Fix a Flat Tire!

por/by

WE Bike NYC: Mujeres en Movimiento

1.    Encontrar las Herramientos/Find the tools

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        • 2 llaves de llanta — 2 Tire Levers
        • Parches — Patches
        • Cemento — Glue
        • Lija — Sandpaper

2.    Sacar el aire de la cámara/Remove the air from the tire

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3.    Remover la llanta y cámara/Remove the tire and tube

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1. Primero, sacar la llanta con llave, introduciendo una extreme de la llave abajo de la llanta y otro extreme asequandolo en un rayo. First, remove the tire using the tire levers by putting on end of the lever under the tire and attaching the other end to one of the spokes. 2.b este paso tres veces hasta que se afloje la llanta y pued levantar la llanta. Repeat the first step three times until the tire loosens on the rim and you can remove it.

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3. Remover la cámara con las manos. Remove the tube with your hands. 4. Ten cuidado de remover la valula del rin cuando sacando la cámara. Take care when you are removing the valve from the rim.

4.    Identifcar el agujero usando uno de los dos métodos/

Identify the hole using one of two methods

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Ponerle el aire y puede pasar la mano y sentire donde está el escape de aire. Inflate the tube and pass your hand along the outside feeling for air. 
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Ponerle el aire y meterlo en agua y ve donde salen las burbujas. Fill the tube with air and place it in water and look for bubble emerging from the hole.

5. Despues de encontrar el ollo/After you find the hole…

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Marcar el ollo. Mark the hole. Sacar el aire. Remove air from the tire.  

6.    Preparar la cámara/Prepare the tube

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1. Lijar un area sobre el ollo más grande del parche .Use the sandpaper to rough up an area around the hole slightly larger than the patch. 2. Poner el cement en en forma de circulo en un area mayor del parche. Put cement in a circle around the hole in an area slightly larger than the patch.
93. Espera que el cement seque. Wait until the cement dries.

 7.    Aplique el Parche/Put on the patch

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1. Remover el parche del aluminio. Remove the patch from the aluminum backing. Pegarle del lado que está al lado aluminio. 2. Stick the side that was on the aluminum to the tube on the dried glue. 3. Esperar. Wait. 4. Cuidadosamente retirar el plastic. Carefully remove the plastic on top of the patch.

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8.    Re-poner la cámara y llanta/Replace the tire and tube

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1. Meter un lado de la llanta en el rin. Place one side of the tire in the rim. 2. Poner un poco aire en la cámara para que tenga forma. Put enough air in the tube that it has a bit of shape. 3. Meter la valvula en el rin. Put the valve of the tube in the valve hole of the rim. 4. Meter la cámara en la llanta. Push the tube into the open side of the tire. 5. Meter la llanta en el rin. NO USAR LLAVES CUANDO SE COLOCAS LA CAMARA DE REGRESO A LA LLANTA. Put the other side of the tire onto the rim. NEVER USE TOOLS WHEN PUTTING A TIRE BACK ON.

 

9. Chequear el PSI (Libras por pulgadas cuadradas) marcado en la llanta y llenar la camara del aire. Cada llanta tiene su propio PSI./Check the PSI (Pounds per Square Inch) marked on the tire and fill the tube to that pressure. Each tire has its’ own PSI.

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Why WE Ride: Gearing Up

WE Bike NYC is organizing ten women from five organizations to ride 262 miles on bicycles from New York City to Washington, DC to represent their communities at the nation’s largest annual bicycle advocacy event, the National Bike Summit on March 3, 2014. WE are so pleased to be supported by WomanTours, Bicycle Times Magazine and Transportation Alternatives. For more about the ride, check out our fundraising page HERE!

Now that you have gotten to know who we are, learn more about us and our process. WE will be rolling out a series of guest posts from our riders and sponsors. 

Kaelin Proud share more about her work with Gearing Up and what riding means to the women in the program…

Watching Gearing Up clients graduate over the past 4 years has taught me a valuable lesson: bicycles change lives.  And witnessing  women ride their way to sobriety and earn their own bicycles has opened up the cycling world to women all over Philadelphia – inspiring women to advocate for each other!

Trying New Things: Two Women Bike PHL Stories

WE Bike NYC is organizing ten women from five organizations to ride 262 miles on bicycles from New York City to Washington, DC to represent their communities at the nation’s largest annual bicycle advocacy event, the National Bike Summit on March 3, 2014. WE are so pleased to be supported by WomanToursBicycle Times Magazine and Transportation Alternatives. For more about the ride, check out our fundraising page HERE!

Katie Monroe shares two major highlights from her work with Women Bike PHL.

Part of why I love biking is that it exposes me to new people, places, and things ALL THE TIME. With Women Bike PHL, one of the goals is helping more women to try new things via bicycles — together! Here are two of my favorite “trying new things” stories from the last year of Women Bike PHL:

1) The Mullica Hill Women’s Triathlon Club is an inspiration to start out with — what started as four women in 2009 has grown into a positive, supportive club for 700+ women from the New Jersey and Philadelphia region working toward their personal fitness goals. One experience that not a lot of MHWTC ladies have had, however, is riding a bicycle in the city. Women Bike PHL offered a few urban rides for ladies from Mullica Hill last year. One of them looped around Philly’s gorgeous riverside paths on either side of the Schuylkill River, and wound its way through West Fairmount Park. Most of the women had never seen this part of Philadelphia before — I was especially excited to share the gorgeous, tucked-away ‘Pavilion in the Trees,’ a treehouse-inspired sculpture by Martin Puryear in West Fairmount Park. It’s not something one would be likely to run across without a bicycle and a sense of adventure. It was so gratifying to be able to show these women who were totally badass cyclists (they can go a heck of a lot faster than I can, that’s for sure) to a different type of ride, and a new perspective on Philadelphia.

mhwtc

2) In early December, Philadelphia hosted the Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships, a crazy party of a bike race where the competition is real — but so is the silliness. Women Bike PHL led a ride starting from a centrally-located bike shop and heading up to the race (to spectate, not participate). Personally, I’d never seen Cyclocross before. When we pulled up to Belmont Plateau, where the course began, I couldn’t believe my eyes — there were hundreds and hundreds of people on bikes all over the Plateau, and they were all wearing RIDICULOUS costumes – everything from a lobster, to Dick Cheney, to a gorilla, to ET. As the men’s race began, snow began to fall lightly, and then harder. Some of the more scantily-clad riders seemed in danger of frostbite, but I think they had a lot of beer in their bellies to keep them warm…It was definitely one of the more surreal events I’ve ever attended. A cohort of riders (including myself) ended up having to head back a bit early to avoid getting stuck in the snow — even so, making it home in the snowstorm was some of the most treacherous (and fun) riding I’ve ever done. I don’t think I would have attended this event without the support of a group of women bicyclists going with me. And I’m so glad I did!

cxrace

It was exciting to realize that the community that Women Bike PHL is creating can give back to all different kinds of cyclists. Triathletes get to explore explore Philly’s hidden gems, commuters like me can check out crazy Cyclocross races. There doesn’t seem to be a limit on the new experiences that bicycles can connect people to. The ride to DC will be one more such “new experience” — and I can’t wait.

An Audience of One

WE Bike NYC is organizing ten women from five organizations to ride 262 miles on bicycles from New York City to Washington, DC to represent their communities at the nation’s largest annual bicycle advocacy event, the National Bike Summit on March 3, 2014. WE are so pleased to be supported by WomanTours, Bicycle Times Magazine and Transportation Alternatives. For more about the ride, check out our fundraising page HERE!

Now that you have gotten to know who we are, learn more about us and our process. WE will be rolling out a series of guest posts from our riders and sponsors. 

Casey Ashenhurst is back, talking about what you talk about on long solitary rides…

Cycling is both a social activity and a solo adventure for me, depending on what I’m doing. When I’m biking by myself, there will be times when I talk to myself—give myself pep talks, sing to myself, just to keep myself occupied when the going gets tough, or the road is long, or the surroundings are boring. I’m a very social and verbal person, so it doesn’t strike me as particularly odd that I like to express things in an auditory way while riding, even if there’s no one else around. I don’t feel weird about anyone hearing me; because I’m on a bike, even if they do I’ll be long gone so who cares! However, if you were a bird perched on my shoulder while I was riding, here are some things you might hear, besides the occasional yell at a car:

1. “I’m alive, I’m alive, I’m so glad I’m alive,” in a singsong voice after a particularly hairy encounter with traffic. It’s a good luck charm. 2. “When I’m Gone,” the song, sung panting and out of breath when I’m trying to go really fast up a hill. 3. Me using a sportscaster’s voice to narrate my commute in the third person like I’m in a race—I always win. 4. A re-enactment of the Al Pacino’s halftime speech in Any Given Sunday, when I feel like I just don’t know if I can go anymore- and then I grab that inch and I do! 5. Humming “We Are the Champions” when I’m coming up to my destination and I’ve made good time.