New Year 2007

May all of our cycling friends enjoy many miles of super riding in 2007!

I took this photo at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge while visiting there last year on a winter escape from cold, dreary upstate New York. Michael Hutchinson, who so eloquently captured my innermost feelings about a good bike ride, is a well-known cyclist in the U.K. This excerpt is from his book, The Hour: Sporting Immortality the Hard Way, an eminently readable and enjoyable story about cycling's hour record.

Ride a few miles for all of us at Terry!

Tailwinds,
Georgena

talktous@terrybicycles.com
www.terrybicycles.com

In the Kitchen

My continuing search for fitness on the bike is always leading me down new paths. All are appealing, but some entail dredging up baggage I'd just as soon not have to bother with. This happened just a few weeks ago when Graeme Street sent me his new Cyclo-FUEL program. What could be better? Three different nutrition regimes: weight-loss, maintenance and performance; DVD lectures on the basics of nutrition; and demos by Graeme himself in the kitchen....cooking.

My downfall is cooking. And there's a good reason for that. I think you "inherit" your cooking nous from your mom. The only time I ever saw my mom in the kitchen was when she was passing through it on her way to another part of the house. My idea of fancy cuisine is serving the finished product in a dish rather than eating it straight out of the pan. Still, I can't say I feel deprived. Simplicity is elegant. Wiliams Sonoma would make a fortune if I ever took a shine to this kitchen routine.

Back to Graeme's nutrition program. It was clear to me this might fit my lifestyle when I watched the DVD of Graeme in the kitchen preparing a salad. Here's a handful of arugula; put it in a bowl. Grab a tomato, hack away at it, plop it in the bowl. Want some seasoning? Here's a block of cheese, chop a little off with a knife. Salad in 30 seconds. Was that hard? Music to the ears of one who looks forward to spending time in the kitchen about as much as I do swabbing the bathroom floor.

Don't get me wrong. Despite my reluctance to cook, I do eat healthy meals. There's just not much variety to my repertoire. But with Graeme's take-no-prisoners style in the kitchen, I think I can overcome this. Besides, he's big on leftovers. Cook once, eat for weeks. And juicing. Imagine this: oranges, lemons, pineapple and........kale! Bet that caught you off guard, didn't it? Try it -- it's invigorating! Now if I could just figure out how to use that juicer without having to wash it each time.....

Tailwinds,
Georgena

talktous@terrybicycles.com
www.terrybicycles.com

October in Vermont

There's something very relaxing about escaping for a few days to the colors of Vermont with a group of people you've never met before. It never ceases to amaze me how we immediately feel we've known each other for years. It must be the love of cycling that does it. That along with fresh air, good food and a teasing hill or two to promote bonding. Not to mention locking the keys in the Bike Vermont van and trying to figure out how to break in! Oops -- I wasn't supposed to bring that up.....

This year, our friend from W.L. Gore came with a can of compressed air for Windstopper® demos. If she could have figured out how to bring the Gore "rain room" with her, that would have come too. After a day in the saddle, relaxing with a glass of wine and hearing about the technical intricacies of fabrics hits the spot. Following dinner, it was on to the "trunk show" -- you ask to see it, we bring it! Breakfast the next morning looked like an advertisement for Terry and Gore.

Bike Vermont hosts this tour for us every year. We ask them to go above and beyond and they always do. The food was healthy and plentiful. Our leaders, Danielle and Bill, must have been cloning themselves, because they were always on top of things. Except for that locking the keys in the van incident. Drat, there I go again. Kudos to Bill: any man who comes to dinner each night wearing a kilt has my respect.

When I was a little kid, I remember going to visit friends with my parents. Inevitably, it was time to go home all too soon. My father always said, "Leave while you're still having a good time, then you'll always want to come back". Each year after this tour, those words come to mind. It's the last real "event" of the year and we come home on a real high, with plans to make the next year's tour even better. 

Tailwinds,
Georgena

talktous@terrybicycles.com
www.terrybicycles.com

This is Why We Sponsor a Team!

We don't sponsor a team with the idea of winning everything in sight. We sponsor a team because we've met some of the nicest, coolest people in the world as a result. Kerry Litka joined our Team Terry this year and has quickly become an invaluable member. Not only can she ride, she's a pillar of support on our Terry Forums and an endless source of ideas.

Kerry sent this to her teammates on the eve of a Vermont stage race:

Last year at this time I was racing at the Green Mountain Stage race. One of my memories from the race was watching Team Terry constantly attacking and being aggressive throughout the race. I was really impressed with everyone on the team.

After the Crit I watched the four of you stand together to get a team photograph. I stood off to the side and watched and wished that I could be part of such a great team. I was in awe of you ladies.

Now, here I am a year later, and I am getting ready to race once again at the Green Mountain Stage race...only this year, I GET TO REPRESENT THE PINK TEAM. Although I am sad that the season is almost over and that I won't get to see you all again for a while, I wanted to say how much fun this season was for me and how excited I am to attend this race as a member of Team Terry. It's unbelievable to me that a year ago I was dreaming about racing with you, and here I am today ACTUALLY DOING IT.

It really is a dream come true.

Thanks, Kerry! We're looking forward to riding with you again next season!

Tailwinds,
Georgena

talktous@terrybicycles.com
www.terrybicycles.com

Lunch in Vergennes

A couple of weeks ago, I went on a super bike tour in Vermont, organized by Bike Vermont. We started in Shelburne and made our way around the Champlain Valley, Middlebury and Vergennes.

You might remember that the weather was a tad warm here in the east that week. When it's that hot, I usually prefer something light and cold for lunch, so you can imagine my surprise when I arrived at the town green in the center of Vergennes and homed in on a hot dog vendor. If you read my blog about recovery, you know that I have a little gremlin in me named "Fast" who is a very bad influence.

Fast saw that hot dog vendor immediately and hummed into my ear, "I want one".

"No. Hot dogs are junk food. We'll eat at the Eat Good Food place with everyone else."

"I want a hot dog. Now. You want one, too. I know you do."

Truth be told, I could taste that hot dog. I did want one. On a 94 degree day??? Get real. Maybe it was the sodium calling to me.

"No, Fast."

"Yes. Get the hot dog."

"Okay."

I put away two of those babies. They were divine. Right down to the bleached white bread in the bun. I consoled myself by thinking that I'm not overweight, I'm burning lots of calories and if I'm craving a hot dog that much, there must be something in it I need.

The next day cooled down to 92 degrees and I found myself again in Vergennes at lunch time. Drat, the hot dog vendor was there again, too. It wasn't lost on Fast. "I want one."

"No. We had two yesterday. That's my yearly quota, all in one day."

"Make three your yearly quota."

"Okay."

I walked over to the vendor. Surprise! He had that hot dog wrapped in foil and in my hand before I knew it. I reached in my jersey pocket for money to pay him. He put his hands up. "Not necessary. Compliments of the gentleman with a rooster on his shirt."

I turned and looked across the street. There stood Gerry, another rider on our tour, with a big smile on his face and resplendent in a bright orange and red jersey with a road runner on it. (You may know Gerry as Elbert from yet another blog.) Apparently word had gotten around about my hot dog fetish.

Ah, Vermont! Never a dull moment. I highly recommend the area we were in for cycling. Pick up a copy of Northern Cartographic's Lake Champlain Bikeways Map and enjoy miles and miles of great riding. If you're putting together your own tour, make Vergennes your base. The Strong House Inn is a delightful place to stay: bicycle friendly with great breakfasts and wonderful accommodations. And there's this hot dog vendor on the town green...tell him the gentleman with a rooster on his shirt sent you.

Tailwinds,
Georgena

talktous@terrybicycles.com
www.terrybicycles.com

One Woman Copes: The New Bicycle

This blog was guest written by a long-time Terry customer and friend. Enjoy!

When Pearl retired last year, Elbert tried to buy her a new bike. As we know, Pearl has never met a bicycle she didn't like, probably as a result of having to wait till she was 10 to get her first "2-wheeler". We also know Pearl has a stable of bikes and doesn't need another one, but since others she knows have 5 Arab horses, she sees no problem with multiple bikes and they eat far less than horses. Anyway, the particular bike Pearl wanted was not available in her size anywhere in the country so she had to wait until this year. In April it arrived at her local bike shop and Mike, the bike shop guy, put it together for Pearl. All bike shop guys are either Mike or Dave. He is happy since he gets tired of working on WalMart specials.

This new bike is made of scandium - an element known only to bike snobs - and aluminum with other exotic elements making up various parts. It is guaranteed to fly uphill and scream downhill. Pearl will settle for not walking uphill (she buys her bike shoes for walking comfort); she has, however, been known to scream loudly when going downhill at any speed over 20. The bike is named for the Egyptian goddess of fertility and Pearl hopes that is not an omen or she will be in the next Guinness book of records. It weighs only 18 lbs - if Pearl would stick to her diet, she wouldn't need such a lightweight bike to haul her extra 25 lbs uphill.

Pearl happily gets on the bike for her first ride on a short, but hilly cruise in her favorite national park. She has adjusted the clipless pedals so that they will release at the first twinge of panic and adjusted the seat height properly. The first mile Pearl goes uphill in a harder gear and faster than she ever has on the particular stretch of road. Pearl is jubilant.

The second and third miles are increasingly hard - Pearl is concerned, but then realizes that she didn't tighten the seat bolt enough and the saddle has gradually slipped. Another inch and the bike will be a recumbent and her knees will be hitting her chin. At the half-way point she meets Elbert and they readjust her saddle, fiddle with the grips, swig Gatorade and eat PowerBars (breakfast of champions). A few yards into the return trip, Pearl realizes that a) the handlebars are too low, and b) the seat is now slightly too high. She wishes she had worked on triceps and biceps more at the gym since she is now holding a push-up for 5 miles. Back at the car with hands (and other parts of her anatomy) numb, Pearl loads up the bike and heads for the bike shop for a bit of tweaking. The bike shop guy will order a gizmo so she can raise the bars.

One week later, the gizmo arrives and is installed. Pearl does another tweaking ride. Since Pearl lives in the desert and spring was a week ago, she must start her ride at sunrise to avoid the heat. The gizmo works fine and Pearl rides a big 16 miles. Whoo hoo! The bike now has 43 miles on it, which brings the cost per mile down to ...uhh... we won't go there.

Tailwinds,
Georgena

talktous@terrybicycles.com
www.terrybicycles.com

Who's It Gonna Be?

If you've read my blog before, you know I'm hooked on Graeme Street's Cyclo-Core programs for cyclists. I'm a member of the Cyclo-Core "team". We don't race, we're just a cross section of male and female riders of all shapes, abilities and ages who share a love of riding and a commitment to fitness through Graeme's programs. The cool part of being on a team is having Graeme as a coach and wearing the team jersey.

Like all coaches, Graeme seems to anticipate my shortcomings as a cyclist. Just last week, I was thinking to myself that I'd been letting a few things slide, like periodic stretching and recovery. I mean, really letting them slide. No sooner had I started to feel guilty than an email from Graeme arrived. Just a reminder that if you're not a flexible cyclist, you're not as strong as you could be. And I quote, "A stiff cyclist is a restricted cyclist and even though you may have strength and fitness, the lack of flexibility will always hold back your true potential to perform and ride with more strength and power." What a waste. I made a mental note to stretch after every other ride.

The second part of the email was a little harder to digest. Recovery. As in, stay off the bike for a day here and there. Yes, I know this is important. Why just yesterday I read an article about Dave Lloyd, a former TI-Raleigh pro rider who now coaches racers. Dave said, "The most important sessions are rest. You have to train hard, but you have to give your body time to adapt. I didn't do that, and sometimes it cost me."

But Graeme, I live in an area of the world that doesn't see the sunny side up until June. And even then the season may only last three months. And you're asking me to watch a day of that go by without being on a bike? Without feeling my tires humming down a favorite road? Without the fragrance of summer flora teasing me on?

A mental tug of war ensued. Graeme on one shoulder, the "dark side" (personified by VW's "Fast" for some unknown reason) on the other. Graeme wouldn't be deterred: "Your fitness will slide, you'll become a grouch, you'll be tired, you won't be able to sleep, you'll feel like you're on a treadmill; why are we doing all of this if we're ignoring recovery?" Fast just growled into my ear, "Lose this guy. I want to ride."

Graeme, can we compromise? Does a four hour ride in Zone 1 constitute recovery? What do you think? Would that be okay? I won't push it or anything; I'll go very easy. Graeme? Graeme? Aw, come on, Graeme..........

Tailwinds,
Georgena

talktous@terrybicycles.com
www.terrybicycles.com

We just want to ride

This morning I was cycling along the Wildlife Drive at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. Coming toward me were two cyclists, looking like serious types and riding really fast for this road, which is a great place to cool down and mellow out after a good ride. We traded the usual wave and hello in passing. I looked back and saw they had turned around and were coming back my way, so I stopped and waited for them.

"Do you know where we are?" one of them asked me. "I can't find it on the map." He hauled out a map of bike rides around the county. "You're on the Wildlife Drive. How did you get here?" "Dunno, but we don't know where we are." Sure enough, the Wildlife Drive isn't on the map, so I showed them where we were.

"Where do you want to go?" I asked. They both grinned from ear to ear. "We don't care, we just want to ride." Ah, I understood. This wasn't about sight seeing, this was about riding long and riding hard. About going for a solid burn, from legs to lungs. Yep -- that would put a grin on any cyclist's face.

So, I showed them a good route that would take them about 60 miles and off they headed. I found myself thinking about them as I continued chasing a little burn of my own. Did they find shelter from the brief thundershower that blew through around noon? When they got to Hooper Island, did they stop at the little convenience store for a snack? Buy something and ask politely and the guy behind the counter might let you use the bathroom. In Vermont, they call that "Snickers bar diplomacy".

And when this great day on the bike inevitably came to an end, did they think, like me, how lucky they were to be cyclists?

Tailwinds,
Georgena

talktous@terrybicycles.com
www.terrybicycles.com

No Whining

A few years ago, one of the cycling magazines ran a cartoon entitled "First Hill of the Year". It showed a steep, serious looking hill dwarfing a tiny anxious cyclist at the bottom looking at a sign which read, "You are here."

Not that we have any hills to speak of where I ride, but I was smiling and thinking about that cartoon a couple of weeks ago when we had one of those rare warm Saturdays in January that makes you reach for the bike and head out on the roads you ride regularly in season. I was smiling because that usually means that although I'll enjoy the ride, I'll be doing a little whining later on when I encounter some inclines and headwinds. But that didn't happen this time. As a matter of fact, I didn't feel a whole lot different than I feel in the middle of the season.

A week prior to that, I had ridden two back to back long rides in Maryland. Granted, it was dead flat there, but I rode in two days what I normally ride in about a month in January. No whining there, either.

Holy cow, Batman! It works! "It" being not something I bought on eBay, but a structured, cycling-specific off-season training program. The little "testers" Mother Nature allowed me really brought the point home. Just hopping on the trainer and plugging away is better than doing nothing, but not much.

In an earlier blog I wrote about the importance of core strength and flexibility. I put that to the test this winter by committing to one of Graeme Street's twelve week off-season programs. It was written by "Coach Al" Lyman. It's where Graeme's Cyclo-Core and Cyclo-Zen programs meet you and your bike on your trainer and encourage you to have fun and get fit for the season ahead. Just follow the simple instructions, stay hydrated and keep smiling.

Well, I'm sold. And I still have six weeks to go. Just how good is a ride going to feel by the time spring comes? I'm more convinced than ever that a good fit and good performance on the bike can't be left to adjusting saddle and stem and hoping for the best. Your body needs some tweaking too.

Tailwinds,
Georgena

talktous@terrybicycles.com
www.terrybicycles.com