Gears Girls 2010 - Ride Leaders Wanted!

Hello Gears Girls and non-Gears Girls Members!

Seasons Greetings and Happy, healthy New Year to all of you!

We're in the process of planning for the 2010 Gears Girls season - I'll have some updates for you in the new year regarding ride days, membership fees, etc. In the interim, if any of you - members or non-members - men or women - are interested in helping lead Saturday rides please let me know.

If you, or someone you know may be interested in helping out, please email gearsgirls@hotmail.com. Leaders should be comfortable riding a minimum of 60km, be able to read a map and ride comfortably at the front or back of a group. Remember, this is a recreational ride, so you don't have to be fast to lead the group! We'll provide an orientation session for those interested in helping out. More info about being a ride leader will be sent out in the new year; I'm just trying to get a sense of how many people would be willing to help out with Gears Girls.

Merry Christmas and happy Chanukah everyone! Hopefully there's a new bike under the tree for some of you :).

Mel

Spin and Social Reminder - Wednesday, November 25th

Hi Girls.

Just a reminder that the Gears Girls Spin and Social will be on Wednesday, November 25th at 6pm. See below for details.

If you can't make it to spin, try to meet us at Snug Harbour at 7:15/7:30 for a drink or dinner. It's my birthday on the 26th so it would be nice to see all my Gears Girls for a pre-birthday drink :)

Hope to see some of you on Wednesday!

Mel

PS Don't forget that Simon Whitfield will be at Gears on Friday, November 27th at 6pm.

2nd Gears Girls Spin and Social - Change of Date/Reminder

Hi Girls.

Hope you're all well!

I had originally suggested Thursday, November 26th as our next Spin and Social. I haven't heard back from many (okay, any...with the exception of Mary) of you so figured perhaps I would try changing the date to Wednesday. Plus side of that is that Gears Girls member Eve Loek is the instructor!

So, with that in mind, the next Gears Girsl Spin and Social will take place on Wednesday, November 25th at 6pm. Class begins at 6pm at Gears Bike Shop. Call 905-271-2400 to reserve your spot!

Following the class, we'll head over to Snug Harbour (http://www.snugharbourrestaurant.com/index.htm) for drinks and/or dinner. Snug Harbour is located east of Gears, just on the other side of the bridge...loads of free parking next to the restaurant.

If you don't want to spin, join us at Snug Harbour at 7:15pm. Spouses and friends are also invited!

Drop me a line if you will be joining us on the 25th. Also, don't forget that Simon Whitfield will be at Gears Bike Shop on Friday, November 28th between 6pm and 8pm, signing his new book and showing off his Olympic medals.

Hope to see you all on the 25th!


Mel

2nd Gears Girls Spin and Social - And Simon Whitfield at Gears Bike Shop!

Hi Girls!

Thanks to everyone who came out for the first official Gears Girls Spin and Social. We had a great spin class then went for dinner and drinks to Snug Harbour. The next Spin and Social will be on Thursday, November 26th at 6:30pm. Joseph leads an awesome class on Thursdays – followed again at 7:30pm by dinner and/or drinks. Location to be announced closer to the 26th. Let me know if you’re interested in joining us!

Also – very exciting news from Gears Bike Shop! Simon Whitfield, Olympic triathlon champion, will be at Gears on Friday, November 27th, between 6pm and 8pm, signing his new book “Simon Says Gold: Simon Whitfield’s Pursuit of Athletic Excellence” (http://www.orcabook.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=644). Pretty cool Christmas present for all the triathletes, runners, cyclists, swimmers, etc. in your life! See the attached poster for additional information regarding Simon’s visit to Gears.

Talk to you all soon!

Mel

Gears Girls - first Spin and Social - October 27th

Hi Girls!

Hope you're all doing well! I'm missing our weekly rides...I'm already looking forward to next season.

Thanks so much to all of you for making our first Gears Girls season such an amazing success. I had no idea back in January that we would end up with 45 members - in our inaugural season we became one of the largest women's-only road group in Ontario. Wow!

While the outdoor cycling season is over for Gears Girls, we can still ride inside. Please join me next Tuesday (October 27) at Gears for a spin class with Darren at 6pm - followed by a drink and get-together at Snug Harbour (http://www.snugharbourrestaurant.com/index.htm). If you are unable to make it to the spin class, meet us at Snug Harbour for 7:30pm. Feel free to invite your spouses and friends!

If you plan on spinning Tuesday (or any day), please call Gears to book a spot in the class (905-271-2400). Individual classes are $10 - you can purchase packages at a reduced rate. Bikes are outfitted with regular or spd pedals. If you plan on wearing your cycling shoes and they have road cleats - bring your own pedals. Arrive early if you bring your own pedals do so that you can have them put on the spin bike.

If you're thinking about joining spinning at Gears on Tuesday, drop me a quick line.

Hope to see some of you next week!

Mel

Gears Girls Update - Week of September 14 to September 19

Hi Girls!

That was a great ride on Saturday - good turnout, great weather, beautiful route. And of course everyone looked so pro in their new kits :)

A couple important points to consider:

Please let me know asap if you will be joining us for the Niagara-on-the-Lake Gears Girls weekend October 3 to 4. I would like to get an idea about numbers so that I can make dinner reservations for Saturday evening (Oct 3). If you have any preferences regarding restaurants let me know (otherwise you'll just have to trust me :) Please also let me know if you have any preferences for rides on the Sunday - some of you mentioned wanting to do more of a "wine tour ride"...which I think would take a bit more planning (and I might have to practice carrying drunken individuals and their bikes on the back of my bike). I'm not sure about room availability at the Hilton Garden Inn (in NOTL) - I suspect they might now be booked for that weekend. I booked three rooms (two of which are spoken for) - if you would like to join us but can't get a room at the hotel please let me know as soon as possible and I'll give you my remaining room. For more information about the NOTL weekend, please see the blog: http://gearsgirls.blogspot.com/2009/08/niagara-on-lake-gears-girls-fall.html

NB: After this week we will only be riding Saturday mornings! This will be the final Wednesday pm and Friday am ride of the season!

Here's the update for this week:

Wednesday, September 16, 2009:

Meet at Gears at 6pm, ride at 6:15pm. This will be our final Wednesday evening ride of the season.

Friday, September 18, 2009:

Meet at Gears at 9:15am, ride at 9:30am. This will be our final Friday morning ride of the season.

Saturday, September 19, 2009:

Meet at Gears at 8am, ride at 8:15am.

Hope to see lots of you out for the rides this week!

Ride safe!

Mel

Saturday's Gears Girls Ride...and other Cool Stuff!

Hey Girls.

The ride this Saturday (Saturday, September 12th) will start and end at Dundas and Walkers Line at 8:30am. We'll meet in the Longo's Plaza on the southwest corner of Dundas and Walkers Line in Burlington (http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=dundas+and+walkers+line+burlington+ontario&sll=49.891235,-97.15369&sspn=41.711424,113.994141&ie=UTF8&z=16&iwloc=A). Meet in the parking lot behind Tim Horton's/in front of Longo's at 8:30am. The ride is approximately 60km but can be extended depending on the what the group feels like doing. This is a nice ride - a few challenging sections but nothing you can't all handle - on quiet, rolling, rural roads out towards the escarpment. Brunch/lunch at Sunset Grill or Cora's following the ride if anyone is interested. Nothing better than pancakes and bacon after a ride in the country :)

Other exciting news: check us out on Canadian Cyclist 4 Women: http://www.canadiancyclist.com/cycling4women_features.php?id=17476. What a cool article about Gears Girls!! Thanks to all those that contributed quotes to the article; reading them brought tears to my eyes (tears of joy of course!).

For those of you that were on the Wednesday night ride that Tim filmed with the helmet cam - you can view the footage (to hipster music no less) on the RaceDayRush.com website: http://www.racedayrush.com/train/. You need to sign up for an account, but it's free...and pretty cool! Once you log in, go to the road bike section (left hand menu) - there you'll find our ride labelled "Brisk Urban Ride with the Ladies".

Hope to see a lot of you out for the Saturday ride. Feel free to bring husbands/partners along...just warn them that they might not be able to keep up!!! :)

Ride with you all soon,

Mel
gearsgirls@hotmail.com

Gears Girls Update - August 31 to September 5

Hey Girls.

Glad so many of you could make it out to pick up your kits. They look awesome!

Gears Girls Kit Information:
There are about 10 kits that still need to be picked up. For those of you who couldn't make it out, you can pick them up at Gears whenever it's convenient. Vests are still available for $90. Additional kit items can be purchased for the following prices:

Evolution Custom Jersey $110
Evolution Custom Shorts $100
Matrix Custom Arm Warmers $45
Matrix Custom Knee Warmers $45
Shift Vest $90

NOTL Trip - October 3-4:
For those of you who are interested in the October 3 - 4 Niagara on the Falls trip (refer to the blog for details: http://gearsgirls.blogspot.com/2009/08/niagara-on-lake-gears-girls-fall.html) - be sure to book your hotel rooms early. Rooms can be cancelled up to 24 hours in advance so better to book now in order to avoid disappointment. Hotel information is available on the blog.

Spinning:
With daylight becoming a premium, it's time to start thinking about how to stay fit over the coming winter months. If you're thinking about spinning, Gears has offered one free class to all Gears Girls members who purchase a multiple class spin card.

Here's the update for the upcoming week:

Wednesday, September 2, 2009:

Meet at Gears at 6:15pm, ride at 6:30pm. NB: we're losing evening light quickly. We can either start meeting earlier at 6pm, or for those interested, Neil teaches a great spin class on Wednesday's from 7pm to 8pm.

Friday, September 4, 2009:

Meet at Gears at 9:15am, ride at 9:30am.

Saturday, September 5, 2009:

Meet at Gears at 8am, ride at 8:15am. As it's the long weekend, I'm wondering if many of you will be out-of-town. If you plan on riding on Saturday, send me an email so I know how many to expect. For those interested, I'm proposing coffee and/or breakfast after the ride...a nice way to start the long weekend!

Hope to see some of you out for the ride on Wednesday!

Ride with you all soon!!!

Mel

Gears Girls Kit pick-up information

Hey Girls.

The Gears Girls kits are here and they look awesome!!! Check out the posting below!

Your kit includes a customized Gears Girls jersey, shorts, arm warmers, and leg/knee warmers. We have also ordered a limited number of vests (great for the Fall - there's a couple pics of the vest on the blog) that can be purchased at Gears for $90.

Kits can be picked up Wednesday, August 26th and Thursday, August 27th - between 6pm and 8pm both nights. If you are unable to pick up your kits on either of those days, alternate dates and times will be available once we see how many kits are remaining after the 27th - I will keep you posted with details.

Many, many thanks to Lucinda Wallace and Anne Guzman for designing the kits and to Ira for organizing absolutely everything with Sugoi (and of course for putting up with me - never an easy task) - we couldn't have done it without you guys .

Can't wait to see everyone out riding in their new kits!

Ride with you soon!!

Mel

Kits are here!!!! Check them out!

Jersey and Shorts - view from the back

Jersey and Shorts - side view

Jersey and Shorts - front view

Full kit with vest - side view

Full kit with vest - front view

Niagara-on-the-Lake Gears Girls Fall Getaway October 3-4‏

Hi Girls!

Lots of you have emailed or told me that you're interested in the Niagara on the Lake trip I proposed for the Fall so I went ahead and made some initial inquiries. The majority of you seem to be available the weekend of October 3rd, so with that in mind, here's some information to consider:

Where: Niagara on the Lake

When: Saturday, October 3rd to Sunday, October 4th

Who: All Gears Girls members, spouses, partners, and Gears staff are invited!

What: Fun times with the Gears Girls in Niagara on the Lake! Arrive in Niagara on the Lake (time to be decided) on Saturday October 3rd. Ride from the hotel to downtown NOTL to the Falls (approx. 75km return) Saturday. Dinner and drinks somewhere in NOTL Saturday night. Breakfast at the hotel (good pre-cycing buffet breakfast!) Sunday morning. Ride around wine country, Jordan, Welland Canal, etc. (route to be determined) Sunday. NB: I've ridden from NOTL to Port Credit/Gears - it's approximately 120km (but truthfully, not the most exciting route). If some of the guys (Mark, Eric, Tim...you know who you are!) come out that weekend, I suspect they might want to do the ride back - that would work too.

Hotel info: Hilton Garden Inn, Niagara-on-the-Lake: http://www.hiltongardenniagara.com/ - Toll Free: 1-866-777-9877. Rates compared to all the other Niagara on the Lake hotels are very reasonable. Rooms with two queens or 1 king are generally $150 to $160 - I booked a room for $159 but you might be able to get something cheaper online or with certain memberships. The hotel is located directly off the QEW (across from the White Oaks Resort) - lots of free parking, easy access to cycling routes, pool, hot tub, etc. Plus you can bring your bikes to your room!

If you're interested (or even thinking about it), I would suggest booking your room now - you can cancel up until 24 hours prior to arrival. If you're a Hilton Honors member you'll get free breakfast included with the room - if you're not a member, let them know when you book the room that you would like the bed and breakfast deal and I believe they'll add an $8 charge on to your room.

Let me know if you'll be joining us and whether or not you've booked a room at the hotel. We can finalize arrangements and itinerary as it gets closer to October 3rd. I think this will be a lot of fun!

Mel

Gears Girls Update - Week of August 17th to August 22nd

Hi Girls.

Hope you're all well and getting some good riding in!

Here's the update for this week. I've added a note at the bottom with regards to a weekend trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake I'm proposing for the Fall. Let me know what you all think!

Keep in mind that this week is going to be hot and humid so be sure to bring two bottles of water on every ride - preferably with a good quality electrolyte powder in one of them. Also be sure to pack a high energy snack or gel - you definitely need extra fluids in this type of heat!

Wednesday, August 19th:

Meet at Gears for 6:15pm, ride at 6:30pm.

Friday, August 21st:

Meet at Gears at 9:15am, ride at 9:30am.

Saturday, August 22nd:

This ride will start and end at Dundas and Walkers Line in Burlington. Meet at the Longo's Plaza (southwest corner of Dundas and Walkers Line - park behind Tim Horton's, in front of Longo's) for 8:30am.

Here's a link to google maps: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=Dundas+St+%26+Walkers+Line,+Burlington,+Halton+Regional+Municipality,+Ontario,+Canada&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=50.37814,113.994141&ie=UTF8&cd=1&geocode=FWEclgIdAPw9-w&split=0&ll=43.392949,-79.818914&spn=0.011382,0.027831&z=16&iwloc=A

The ride will be approximately 60km - we can increase the distance depending on what the group would like to do and what the weather is like. The route we're planning is towards the Escarpment so will be challenging, but nice - I think you'll all enjoy it! We'll see about making a stop in Carlisle for coffee or a cold drink so be sure to bring some money. As with all rides, bring two bottles of water, a high energy snack, a spare tube, and a CO2 cartridge. Let me know if you're going to join us on Saturday or if you'd like more info.

Trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake:

Would anyone be interested in doing an overnight trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake in the Fall? I'm thinking late September, early to mid October. Arrive Saturday early afternoon - do a ride somewhere in the area, go for dinner, spend the night (very reasonable rates at the Hilton Garden Inn, just off the QEW), then do another ride on Sunday.

Spouses/partners/friends/Gears staff are more than welcome - they can ride with us and/or just enjoy the area. If the group is interested, I'll start investigating group rates at various hotels, and maybe even a trip to a winery or two :). Let me know what you all think!!!

Ride with you soon!

Mel

Gears Girls Update - Week of August to August 10 to August 16

Hey Girls.

Here's the latest Gears Girls update.

The weather is supposed to be hot and humid all week - with that in mind, be sure to bring water on all rides and a high energy snack or gel. NB: I've included a ride option for Sunday that a couple of us are doing. Let me know if you're interested in joining us - and feel free to bring a friend, spouse, etc.

Wednesday, August 12th:

Meet at Gears at 6:15pm, ride at 6:30pm.

Friday, August 14th:

Meet at Gears at 9:15am, ride at 9:30am.

Saturday, August 15th:

Meet at Gears at 8:00am, ride at 8:15am. We had a great Saturday ride this past weekend with a great route - I liked it so much we might do it again with a few small changes! Great work to all those who road on Saturday...everyone did great!

Sunday, August 16th:

A couple of us are doing the Fit for Heart Ride in Niagara on Sunday, August 16th. We're going to do the 60km route. There are various distances to choose from but the 60km route seems like a good distance for everyone in the group. I did the ride last year and it was nice - hilly - but nice. Check out the link to see if you're interested: http://secure.heartandstroke.ca/faf/help/helpEventInfo.asp?ievent=315785&lis=1&kntae315785=145C993B3F4A4DEAB81A7D49673BC6C7. The registration fee is $30 - no minimum donation required. Plus you get lunch at the end of the ride :) If you're interested in doing the ride let me know - feel free to invite friends and/or spouses!

Hope to see you all soon!

Gears Girls Update - Week of July 27 to August 1

Hi Girls.

Hope everyone had a great weekend - rain and all! Thanks to everyone that sent me email about Tour de Bleu. It was a great event - tiring, but really fun. We rode 100km on Saturday (check out the route if you feel like doing the ride next time you're in Muskoka: http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=290947) and then had a couple ride options for Sunday. I must admit that the number of hills we rode on Saturday combined with the relatively brisk pace wore me out. I opted to ride the more reasonable 100km route from Barrie back to Trillium Hospital (I was planning on doing the 160 km route but then had another think after the Saturday ride). It absolutely poured for about an hour but we carried on. There are some BIG, STEEP hills on Weston Road (I believe around Old Barrie Road) so I was thanking my lucky stars that I chose the shorter distance. The highlight was riding in the final 30kms with full police escort. There were about 35 of us and we had Hurontario heading south pretty much all to ourselves. Pretty cool experience overall! Thanks again to all those that made donations and sent me well-wishes!!!

Here's the update for this week's rides:

Wednesday and Friday rides

Start and end at Gears as usual. Depart at 6:30pm on Wednesday, and 9:30am Friday.

Saturday ride

Saturday we're going to head north. This ride will not be starting or ending at Gears. We'll meet at Sixth Line and Steeles (Hornby Park) for 8:45am and ride at 9:00am (the meeting point is a bit far for some members, so I thought the later start time would help). From Hornby Park we'll be riding north on Sixth Line, then west on 15th Sideroad to Moffat and then, depending on how the group feels (and the weather), we'll either take the same route back to the start or we'll ride through Campbellville. This is the same start location as the other ride we did to Moffat (for those of you that were on that ride).

Most direct route to the meeting point:

If you're taking the QEW from Port Credit, head west and get off at Trafalgar. Drive north for quite a ways (17kms) - cross Dundas, Lower Baseline, the 407, Britannia, Derry, and the 401, until you reach Steeles Avenue. Head west (left) on Steeles about 1km until you hit Sixth Line. Head south (left) on Sixth Line - immediately after you turn onto Sixth Line there will be a parking lot on your left (there's a ball diamond and athletic field) - we'll meet there. If you're coming from the 401 - exit at Trafalgar, drive north on Trafalgar to Steeles - follow the directions above to the parking lot. This map will give you an idea of where Hornby Field is, but you'll need to continue west on Steeles a little ways until you reach Sixth Line: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=hornby,+ontario&sll=43.516802,-80.056474&sspn=0.60349,1.760559&ie=UTF8&ll=43.566213,-79.835887&spn=0.009422,0.027509&z=15

NB: If you're thinking about taking Sixth Line north to Steeles...there's a fence up I believe going over the 407 - I wouldn't recommend taking Sixth because you won't be able to drive around, over, or under :) the fence.

Here's a link to the route we'll be following: http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=228491.

The Saturday ride will be approximately 55km return. It's a really pretty ride with some nice rollers, and a couple decent sized hills - and the halfway mark features an awesome bakery!!! Bring some money if you want to buy yourself a treat or a cold drink (great buttertarts!). Also, be sure to bring water, a spare tube, and perhaps a small high energy snack.

Let me know if you'll be joining us!

Mel

"Group Riding 101" Clinic - Pictures from July 11th

Gears Girls Kit Designs - the coolest kit in town!

Jersey

Shorts

Leg Warmers

Arm Warmers

A couple pictures from last night's ride...

"Group Riding 101" July 11th Gears Girls Clinic!!!

Hi Girls.

Gears Girls is pleased to announce that on Saturday, July 11th, from 8am until 1pm, members will have the opportunity to take part in a "Group Riding 101" clinic being hosted by the Mississauga Bicycle Racing Club (another Gears sponsored road group http://www.mbrc.org/index.php). This clinic will be exculsive to Gears Girls members!

This 5 hour clinic will teach participants the basic skills needed for effective bike handling and group riding. We recommend that all Gears Girls members participate in this course. Topics will include:

#efficient pedaling
#advanced cornering
#advanced braking
#obstacle avoidance
#bumping
#following a wheel/drafting
#paceline riding
#single line echelons
#double line echelons

The cost of this clinic is $40 per person; payment can be made in person at Gears Bike Shop. If you would like to take part in this clinic, please RSVP to gearsgirls@hotmail.com no later than July 7th. NB: Payment must be made by July 7th in order to guarantee you a spot. Space in this clinic is limited so register early to avoid disappointment. Details regarding the meeting location - around Winston Churchill and Burnhamthorpe - (http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=sladeview+crescent+mississauga+on&ie=UTF8&z=15&iwloc=addr&om=0) as well as other information about the clinic will be emailed out to participants prior to July 11th.

Feel free to email me with any questions you might have or to RSVP for this clinic.

Mel

Gears Girls Update - Week of June 29th to July 4th

Hi Girls.

Hope you're all having a great weekend! Here's an update for this week:

Wednesday evening ride:

Gears Girls will NOT be riding this Wednesday (July 1st). But don't let this dissuade you from heading out on your own, or with friends or family for a Canada Day ride!

Friday morning ride:

Same time (9:30am). Same place (Gears).

Saturday morning ride:

Also same time (meet at 8am, ride at 8:15am). Same place (Gears).

Hope you all have a great week!!!

Safe riding.

Mel

Sneak peak at Saturday, June 27th ride

Gears Girls Update - Week of June 22nd

Hi Girls.

Hope you all had a great weekend! Saturday's weather was lousy but yesterday was beautiful -- hope you all had a chance to get out for a ride!

Ride Info:

The weather looks good all week!!! Our Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday rides this week will all start and finish at Gears - same start times as always. It's calling for hot, humid temps all week -- remember to bring water (preferably two bottles) and some sort of high energy snack on every ride.

Route Info:

If any of you have a favourite ride or a route you'd like to try let me know. Due to traffic, road conditions, time restraints, etc. we're somewhat limited on Wednesdays and Fridays, but on Saturdays we have options to start at alternate locations. Email gearsgirls@hotmail.com with any thoughts or ideas!

Kit Info:

Thanks to everyone for getting back to me with kit sizes. FYI, if you're still unsure about sizes you should go in to Gears to try stuff on! If I don't hear back from you by Thursday, I'll presume that all is okay. The final order will be submitted Friday morning.

Looking forward to a great week of riding!!!

Mel

Saturday June 20th Gears Girls ride - Cancellation due to weather

Hi Girls.

I've been keeping an eye on the weather tomorrow and it's not looking good at all! 90% chance of rain and thunderstorms tonight and all day tomorrow. So, with that in mind, we've decided to proactively cancel the ride we had planned for tomorrow (Saturday, June 20).

I would although like to invite anyone who is interested to ride with my husband and I on Sunday (June 21st). Same start location (Hornby Field), same time (8:30am) - refer to the gears girls blog posting below (Gears Girls update - Week of June 15th posting) for additional info and direction. This will be an "unofficial" Gears Girls ride, so feel free to invite your spouses, partners, friends, etc. My only request is that they have a road bike in good working order, a spare tube, and a couple bottles of water. Oh, and if you bring your husbands along tell them no whining and that they can't get mad when we whiz past them on the hills :) Other than that, invite away! FYI, I'm not sure if the bakery in Moffat is open on Sundays - just in case I would recommend bringing along a small, cycling friendly snack.

I know people probably have Father's Day plans so we'll aim to be back at the parking lot for 11:30am. Let me know if you'll be joining us on Sunday just so I have an idea as to how many people we should expect. Should be a fun ride!!!

Hope to see a bunch of you on Sunday!

Mel

Gears Girls Update - Week of June 15th

Hi Girls.

Hope everyone had a great weekend! Our Saturday ride was super - good job to all those who made it out.

Our Wednesday and Friday rides will start and end at Gears as usual. Depart at 6:30pm on Wednesday, and 9:30am Friday. It's calling for rain on Wednesday but I'm no longer believing anything the weather men (surely women wouldn't lie to us) tell us these days so we'll play it by ear. If it's raining we won't ride - but if we're already at Gears we can always head out for a coffee!

Saturday we're going to head north for a ride in the country! We'll meet at Sixth Line and Steeles (Hornby Park) for 8:15am and ride at 8:30am - we'll be riding north on Sixth Line, then west on 15th Sideroad to Moffat. Most direct route to the meeting point: If you're taking the QEW from Port Credit, head west and get off at Trafalgar. Drive north for quite a ways (17kms) - cross Dundas, Lower Baseline, the 407, Britannia, Derry, and the 401, until you reach Steeles Avenue. Head west (left) on Steeles about 1km until you hit Sixth Line. Head south (left) on Sixth Line - immediately after you turn onto Sixth Line there will be a parking lot (there's a ball diamond and athletic field) - we'll meet there. If you're coming from the 401 - exit at Trafalgar, drive north on Trafalgar to Steeles - follow the directions above to the parking lot.

Here's a link to a ride my husband and I did from Hornby Park - our ride on Saturday won't be identical, but it will give you a better idea as to where Sixth Line and Steeles is: http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=228491 FYI - if you're thinking about taking Sixth Line...there's a fence up I believe going over the 407 - I wouldn't recommend taking it!!!

The Saturday ride will be approximately 60km return. It's a really pretty ride - and the halfway mark features an awesome bakery!!! Bring some money if you want to buy yourself a treat or a cold drink (great buttertarts!). Also, be sure to bring water, a spare tube, and perhaps a small high energy snack.

Please email gearsgirls@hotmail.com to let us know if you'll be riding to Moffat with us on Saturday.

Feel free to email if you need additional information or directions. Looking forward to riding with all of you this week!

Mel

Great ride today girls!

Trying to adjust Angie's seat...where's Scott when you need him!

A well deserved pit stop
Not really wanting to get back on our bikes...

Hey Girls.

Super ride today! You all did amazing - especially considering this was the longest ride a lot of you have ever done. Awesome work on the hills along Northshore - our coffee break at Second Cup was well deserved. Even with the few rides we've done this season, you've all shown a ton of improvement - we'll all be speed demons by the time the season ends :)

Here's a link to the route we took today: http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=239718.

Ride with you all soon!

Mel

Good luck Gears Girls!

Good luck to all the Gears Girls who will be participating in the Ride to Conquer Cancer this weekend! We'll be thinking about you on our ride tomorrow. We'll look forward to hearing about your adventures next week!

Mel

Saturday June 13 - Important ride information

Hi Girls.

This Saturday (June 13) Gears Girls will be offering a couple different ride options. You can choose to ride distances of 90km, 70km, or 40km.

If you would like to ride the full 90km, meet at Gears for the regular 8:15am departure – from Gears, we’ll head to Oakville to meet the ladies riding the 40km and 70km routes.

If you would like to ride the 70km or 40km routes, please meet at the Oakville Whole Foods parking lot (on the east side of the lot, by Starbucks) for 8:45am. The women leaving from Gears will ride to Whole Foods to meet the rest of the group between 8:45 and 9am. (Whole Foods is located at 301 Cornwall Road, Oakville, just off the QEW at the Trafalgar exit).

From Whole Foods, we’ll head west to Burlington and then on to North Shore Boulevard to Plains Road just east of Hamilton. For those of you that haven’t ridden along North Shore Boulevard, it’s a pretty ride along a nice, quiet stretch of road – with some nice rollers and hills that you can practice your gearing and hill climbing techniques on. If you ride to Plains road from Whole Foods, the total distance will be approximately 70km.

For those of you that would like a shorter more leisurely ride, you can head back to Whole Foods at Brant Street (there’s a nice Second Cup on the corner – which has a great patio and view of the water that you might want to stop at). This distance will be approximately 40km.

We're hoping that a number of you give the 70km or 90km routes a try. The ride for the most part is quiet flat – it’s not until you get to North shore that it starts to get hilly. And that section isn’t overly long. It’ll be a nice ride and for those of you that haven’t done any longer rides, this will give you a sense of what the distance is like.

Please email us at gearsgirls@hotmail.com to let us know if you will be meeting us at Gears or Whole Foods.

See you all Saturday!

Wednesday night "Hill Climbing 101" with Jen

Hi Girls.

Please join us Wednesday night (June 10th) for "Hill Climbing 101". Pro triathlete Jennifer Coombs-Amaral, Gears Girls team member, will be on hand to take us through some hill climbing basics. Meet at Gears for 6:15pm - at 6:30pm we'll ride west to the Lakeshore and Meadow Wood area. From there, we'll cycle through the neighbourhood and ride a variety of hills. Don't worry, it's not the Alps!!! The terrain (from easy rollers to steeper climbs) will give you a good opportunity to try out some of the gearing techniques learned in Derek's clinic last week. Don't worry if you missed the clinic, we'll review the basics! If you want to check out the area we'll be riding in, you can at: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2896510

Hope to see you Wednesday night!

Mel

Check out the ride maps

Hey Girls!

If you want to see some of the rides we've been on you can - check out the "Route Maps" link located to the right of the page. I just got a new device (a handy dandy Garmin 705) that captures all sorts of useful data. I'll be posting our rides (at least the ones that me and my Garmin are on) on the blog regularly.

Mel

Gearing Clinic - Monday, June 1st and Friday, June 5th

Great clinic last night ladies! About 10 women showed up to learn efficient and proper gearing techniques from Coach Derek. For those of you that missed the clinic, there will be another one offered Friday morning at 9:30am - meet at Gears. A short ride will follow the clinic. Derek will be posting notes, so don't feel left out if you missed both clinics. We'll also be working on gearing techniques on upcoming rides...and if you don't know ASK!!!! We're there to help.

Mel

Welcome to the new Gears Girls Blog!

Hey Gears Girls!

Welcome to the new Gears Girls blog. Here you'll find announcements about rides, clinics, events, technical tips, etc. As the season progresses, we'll also post photos, stories, ride tips and tons of other fun stuff. Please check back often to get the latest on ride times and other announcements. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed to get informed instantly when new posts are created.

Looking forward to riding with all of you soon!

Gears Girls Saturday Ride

Hey Gears Girls.

Awesome first ride of the season on Saturday! I didn't get a count, but I think there were about 15 of us - great turnout! I can't wait to get our custom designed kits - we'll look great riding as a group down Lakeshore.

Feel free to post a comment below...feedback, suggestions, comments, etc. would be appreciated!

Looking forward to our next ride.

Mel