Selene Yeager - Every Woman’s Guide to Cycling: Everything You Need to Know, From Buying Your First Bike to Winning Your First Race

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

No book is the product of one person. Without the support, assistance, and sometimes outright hand-holding of an amazing array of people, this book would not have come to life. I would like to thank my husband, Dave, my patron saint of patience; my daughter, Juniper, who though less patient is enormously understanding; my mom and dad for helping take care of life so I can work; my agent, Jeremy Katz, for making it happen; my editors, Claire Zion and Hilary Dowling, for sage wisdom and advice; James Herrera for brilliant programming and for overcoming insane obstacles to lend a helping hand; Liz Reap-Carlson for her indomitable spirit and skilled photography and editing; Steve Madden, Bill Strickland, and the rest of the Bicycling magazine staff who have taught me so much and always make me look good; and South Mountain Cycles and all the friends with whom I share so many miles and so much of my life. Its always a good ride.

Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel... the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood.

SUSAN B. ANTHONY

Destination Cyclist

You Need to Ride!

When I was a young girl growing up in rural Pennsylvania, my rst adult bikea silver ten-speed Schwinnwas my personal ticket to paradise. Id pull it out of the shed and off I went, away from the watchful eyes of my parents, away from all the pressures of high school BS, away to explore. I could dream and I could pretendthat I could y, that I was someone else living in some other more exciting place. My bike represented unlimited potential. Anywhere my parents took me by car, I could get by my bike. On it was the only place I felt completely free.

Flash forward ten years. I was twenty-ve, ten pounds overweight and coming out of a crappy job on the tail end of a bad mistake of a marriage. My bike, an okay Specialized hybrid, sat in the garage with a pair of ats. Free had fallen out of my vocabulary. Then I met some people who liked to ride bikes. They were much more serious cyclists, but they invited me to join them. Grinning like an idiot, I rolled along quiet country roads, huffed and puffed my way up hills, and swooped and whooped down the other sides. My wings were back! And I used them to lift my life to a much better place.

In the dozen years that followed, my bike has taken me around the world, allowing me to enjoy the sights, sounds, and rich aromas of some of the most beautiful places on the globe in a way that is impossible off two wheels. Ive used my bike to raise money to ght AIDS, cancer, and autism. Ive tested my physical limits on some of the hardest racecourses our country has to offer. Ive learned a lot about myself and have earned a few accolades along the way, not the least of which is being Bicycling magazines Fit Chick and dishing out advice to fellow cycling enthusiasts each month. My bike has given me the freedom to realize my fullest potential. I guarantee it can do the same for you.

THE FREEDOM OF RIDING

The simple act of swinging your leg over a bike and pedaling away delivers nearly instant freedom. Start cycling now and youll be free from:

ADULT DOLDRUMS

This is, hands down, the best part of riding. Feeling free from all the no-fun stuff of being an adult. The crushing responsibilities. The bills. The worries over the kids. The worries over aging parents. The worries over too many worries go out the window when youre on your bike. Nothing brings back that buried youthful exuberance like riding a bike. Nothing. Ride regularly, and you never have to feel like an overburdened adult again.

PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS

Too many women suffer from the I could never... syndrome. We have this idea of who we are all locked up, and weve locked up ourselves right along with it. The rst time you get on a bike and ride forty, fty, or even a hundred miles, youll never say, I could never again.

BODY IMAGE TORTURE

Fat thighs, droopy butt, jiggly arms. Oh my, we women can torture ourselves. The best remedy for a bad body image is appreciation for what your body can do. Its very hard to hate a pair of legs that carry you to the top of a mountain. Its hard to feel bad about a body that gives you all the happiness of cycling. Its impossible to bellyache about your behind when youre glowing from a great ride. The women I ride with exude more physical condence than all the dieting and plastic surgery in the world could ever provide.

WAISTLINE WOES

Okay. Ill fess up, it is easier to feel happier in your own skin when your skin isnt stretched over a couple more dress sizes than youd like. Cycling not only makes you feel better about your body; it makes your body better too. It burns fat, lowers blood pressure, rms muscles, and all those things that make you look and feel great. Avid cyclists are known for their voracious appetites and low body fat. Thats because even a moderate two-hour ride can easily kill off a thousand calories (thats about half a days worth for many of us!). None of the women I ride with ever goes on a diet. We use food for fueland, happily, we need a lot of fuel!

WOMEN ARE BUILT TO BIKE... ANDNOW BIKES ARE BUILT FOR WOMEN

Womens bodies are built to ride a bike. We have naturally strong legs, perfectly suited for pedaling across rolling terrain. Were graced with endurance and steady tness to go the extra milesometimes even when men cant. Were social. And few sports are more social than cycling. You can hear the laughter and rambling chitchat of a group of cyclists from a mile away. Finally, cycling is a gentle yet challenging sport that is easy on your joints, wonderful for your heart, sheds unwanted pounds and shapes a rear view youll love. Anyone of any age or any tness level can do it.

Theres also never been a better time to be a woman in cycling. When I rst started cycling seriously, I was one of only a handful of women on our regular local rides. Today when we roll out, the women often outnumber the men. Whereas the clothes used to be small mens stuff that was baggy and unattering and not quite right anywhere, todays women-specic gear is tted, fun, and full of air. Some of the prettiest tops in my closet are made for cycling. Even bikes themselves come in women-specic designs, which offer more petite proportions for smaller riders.

Yet, despite all these emotional and physical benets, many women remain hesitant to grab some wheels and go. Why? I believe it comes down to intimidation. They dont know what bike to buy. Theyre afraid of trafc. Theyre afraid of falling or having a sore butt. All legitimate concerns. And all easily overcome. All it takes is a little know-how (which youll nd in the pages to come) and the willingness to try. Dont believe me? Check out these women on wheels:

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