Hi Girls.
Another great week of riding! A couple of you have asked for the route map for the ride we did on Saturday, so here you go: http://www.mapmyride.com/route//on/mississauga/463128321648140263.
TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT RIDES:
I know that last week I announced that our Tuesday night rides would end this week, but due to popular demand...and because both nights were so well received...I've decided to continue on with BOTH the Tuesday and the Wednesday night rides through to the end of September. Starting tomorrow, Tuesday and Wednesday night rides will leave Gears at 6:15pm sharp. We only have limited light available in the evening, so it's important we leave by 6:15pm in order to get in a decent ride. Please note the change in time from 6:30pm to 6:15pm!
SATURDAY RIDE:
This Saturday we will do a route similar to the one we did this weekend - 100kms from Gears to Campbellville, with an option to turn earlier and do a 50km ride. As this is a long weekend and many people are out of town, please let me know if you plan on riding so that I have an idea about numbers. We'll leave from Gears at 9am as usual.
TOURING PACE GROUP THOUGHTS AND IDEAS:
Looking back over the 2010 season, I'm amazed at how the group has developed and evolved. Turnout to all rides has been impressive as have the levels of improvement of both the individual rider and the group as a whole. We have become a true road group!
I do also realize that not all of the club members are comfortable with the "group riding" mantra. Drafting, single and double pacelines, higher speeds, tighter packs, etc. are not necessarily everyone's idea of a good time. A couple members have asked if next year we could add a "touring pace" group to Gears Girls - that would be a group that offers a more relaxed ride style, no drafting or pacelines, less intense pace and distance - but still offering the safety, friendship and educational aspect of Gears Girls. I believe there is definitely a need for a group like this and would be interested in adding a touring group to Gears Girls in 2011.
But, the only way we will be able to offer touring pace rides is if we have committed ride leaders able to help out. If you are interested in helping to form a touring group next year, please drop me a line.
While it is too late in the season to start adding new groups to the mix, women looking for this type of group can still get in a couple rides before the end of September. Gears Girls member Mary Costa has kindly offered to help coordinate and lead a ride this Wednesday night at 6:15pm. If there's interest, Mary (and anyone else willing to help out) will coordinate several touring pace rides between now and the end of September. Please send an email to gearsgirls@hotmail.com if you're interested in a touring pace ride this Wednesday OR if you're interested in helping out. In order to make a Touring Pace group possible next year, we will need committed ride leaders!
If you have any questions or comments regarding the above information, drop me a line at gearsgirls@hotmail.com.
See you on the road!
Mel
http://gearsgirls.blogspot.com/
Monday, August 30, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Gears Girls Update for the Week of August 23rd
Hi Girls.
Hope you all had a great weekend. I heard the ride on Saturday went well - I'm glad you all survived without me :)
This week will mark the end of our Tuesday night rides! Tomorrow (August 24th) will be our final Tuesday night ride. Starting next week, we will only be riding on Wednesday evenings. Wednesday night rides will remain the same pace (the faster of the two nights) as they have been throughout the summer; Tuesday night riders who have been coming out regularly throughout the summer should not have a problem keeping up with the group. Please drop me a quick line and let me know if you will be joining us on Wednesday nights.
Saturday, August 28th:
I had originally announced that we would be riding from Terra Cotta on Saturday, August 28th. It appears that many people will be out-of-town or unable to ride next weekend, so I think we will postpone the Terra Cotta ride to September. The Saturday ride will now start and end at Gears but we'll still do a 75km to 85km ride. The route will follow the Bike 4 Betty route (which takes us out to the Escarpment) so will offer some good hills and challenges along the way. Please let me know if you'll be riding on Saturday or if you have questions about the route.
End of season rides:
The final Wednesday night ride will be on Wednesday, September 29th. The final weekend ride will be on Sunday, September 26th (there will be no Saturday ride on the 25th).
Let me know if you have any questions!
See you all soon!
Mel
http://gearsgirls.blogspot.com/
Hope you all had a great weekend. I heard the ride on Saturday went well - I'm glad you all survived without me :)
This week will mark the end of our Tuesday night rides! Tomorrow (August 24th) will be our final Tuesday night ride. Starting next week, we will only be riding on Wednesday evenings. Wednesday night rides will remain the same pace (the faster of the two nights) as they have been throughout the summer; Tuesday night riders who have been coming out regularly throughout the summer should not have a problem keeping up with the group. Please drop me a quick line and let me know if you will be joining us on Wednesday nights.
Saturday, August 28th:
I had originally announced that we would be riding from Terra Cotta on Saturday, August 28th. It appears that many people will be out-of-town or unable to ride next weekend, so I think we will postpone the Terra Cotta ride to September. The Saturday ride will now start and end at Gears but we'll still do a 75km to 85km ride. The route will follow the Bike 4 Betty route (which takes us out to the Escarpment) so will offer some good hills and challenges along the way. Please let me know if you'll be riding on Saturday or if you have questions about the route.
End of season rides:
The final Wednesday night ride will be on Wednesday, September 29th. The final weekend ride will be on Sunday, September 26th (there will be no Saturday ride on the 25th).
Let me know if you have any questions!
See you all soon!
Mel
http://gearsgirls.blogspot.com/
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Saturday, August 28th Gears Girls ride from Terra Cotta
Hi Girls.
Just a heads up that next Saturday, August 28th we'll be doing a ride in Caledon. My new chum Michele Torres from the Brampton Cycling Club has kindly offered to lead a ride for us in and around the Terra Cotta area. Distance will be approximately 85kms. Terrain will be hilly and challenging but definitely do-able if you've been riding regularly. Meeting time with be 8:45am, ride at 9am. I'll send out additional start location info next week, but in the interim, here's a map containing the meeting point: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=43.723956,-79.923756&spn=0.01087,0.027788&t=h&z=16&msid=111934508688109706876.00048e333dabb98a716f3. For most people, it will take about 45 minutes to get there, but I promise it will be well worth the drive!
More information to come early next week - just wanted you to mark this ride in your calendar. Drop me a line with any questions or to let me know if you'll be joining us!
Mel
http://gearsgirls.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Saturday Gears Girls ride
Hi Girls.
As I mentioned in my previous email, I don't currently have anyone that can lead the ride on Saturday. But, rather than cancelling the ride, I'm suggesting that anyone interested in riding meet at Gears for 9am ready to ride. I know that several girls will definitely be there so there should be a decent sized group heading out. If you would like to ride Saturday, let me know and I can put you in touch with the others that have told me they will be riding.
Ride safe on Saturday! Try not to miss me too much
.
Mel
http://gearsgirls.blogspot.com/
As I mentioned in my previous email, I don't currently have anyone that can lead the ride on Saturday. But, rather than cancelling the ride, I'm suggesting that anyone interested in riding meet at Gears for 9am ready to ride. I know that several girls will definitely be there so there should be a decent sized group heading out. If you would like to ride Saturday, let me know and I can put you in touch with the others that have told me they will be riding.
Ride safe on Saturday! Try not to miss me too much
.Mel
http://gearsgirls.blogspot.com/
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Gears Girls Update for the Week of Monday, August 16th
Hi Girls.
Great rides this week! I can't believe the improvement in both pace and ability that I've seen over the summer from all the groups. We did 85kms on Saturday at an average pace just over 26km/hr - awesome work to all those who came out! Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday rides have all been social, fun and above all safe. Once again, well done everyone!
TUESDAY, AUGUST 17TH AND WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18TH RIDES:
Tuesday and Wednesday rides will all leave from Gears at 6:30pm both nights. If you have lights, start bringing them as it's getting dark earlier these days. I suspect we'll have to move the start time to 6:15pm soon, but I'll keep you posted re any changes.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 21ST:
I'll be out of town on August 21st and I haven't yet been able to find a ride leader for Saturday's ride as many people in the group are also away next weekend. If you are planning on riding Saturday, August 21st please let me know. I don't want to cancel the ride altogether but if there's a group interested in riding I can make an announcement re meeting at Gears for a more casual ride.
WEEKNIGHT RIDES STARTING IN SEPTEMBER:
Based on everyone's responses, our final Tuesday night ride will be on Tuesday, August 31st. After that date, we will only be riding Wednesday nights. Rides will leave from Gears at either 6pm or 6:15pm - time to be determined as it gets closer to the date. Wednesday only rides will week of September 6th.
WEEKEND RIDES STARTING IN SEPTEMBER:
Last year, turnout to Saturday rides past Labour Day was very low so I initially said that weekend rides would commence around that time. But, based on this years turnout to date, I think we'll be more successful on weekends. Please let me know if you would like to continue to ride regularly in September/October. Please also let me know if you are able/prefer to ride on Sundays rather than Saturdays - this is just an option I'm considering and will decide based on numbers.
Let me know if you have any questions or what your preferences are re the above.
See you all on the road!
Mel
http://gearsgirls.blogspot.com/
Great rides this week! I can't believe the improvement in both pace and ability that I've seen over the summer from all the groups. We did 85kms on Saturday at an average pace just over 26km/hr - awesome work to all those who came out! Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday rides have all been social, fun and above all safe. Once again, well done everyone!
TUESDAY, AUGUST 17TH AND WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18TH RIDES:
Tuesday and Wednesday rides will all leave from Gears at 6:30pm both nights. If you have lights, start bringing them as it's getting dark earlier these days. I suspect we'll have to move the start time to 6:15pm soon, but I'll keep you posted re any changes.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 21ST:
I'll be out of town on August 21st and I haven't yet been able to find a ride leader for Saturday's ride as many people in the group are also away next weekend. If you are planning on riding Saturday, August 21st please let me know. I don't want to cancel the ride altogether but if there's a group interested in riding I can make an announcement re meeting at Gears for a more casual ride.
WEEKNIGHT RIDES STARTING IN SEPTEMBER:
Based on everyone's responses, our final Tuesday night ride will be on Tuesday, August 31st. After that date, we will only be riding Wednesday nights. Rides will leave from Gears at either 6pm or 6:15pm - time to be determined as it gets closer to the date. Wednesday only rides will week of September 6th.
WEEKEND RIDES STARTING IN SEPTEMBER:
Last year, turnout to Saturday rides past Labour Day was very low so I initially said that weekend rides would commence around that time. But, based on this years turnout to date, I think we'll be more successful on weekends. Please let me know if you would like to continue to ride regularly in September/October. Please also let me know if you are able/prefer to ride on Sundays rather than Saturdays - this is just an option I'm considering and will decide based on numbers.
Let me know if you have any questions or what your preferences are re the above.
See you all on the road!
Mel
http://gearsgirls.blogspot.com/
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Gears Girls Update for the Week of Monday, August 9th
Hi Girls.
Hope you all had a great week! I heard from the ride leaders that all three rides went well...and it looks like the weather was pretty good too. I'm back from vacation - we spent 6 days in New Brunswick and a couple more days around Boston. The trip was supposed to be a cycling trip, but the weather wasn't great and it seemed like I spent more time eating lobster (not such a bad thing mind you) than riding. Alas, there's still plenty of time left to ride this season.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday rides will go out as usual from Gears at 6:30pm (Tuesday and Wednesday) and 9am (Saturday). Please continue reading as there's important information still to come!
Sunday, August 15th - Heart and Stoke Ride in Niagara on the Lake:
I've heard from a good number of you that are planning on doing the ride. Here's the website if you want additional details and/or directions: http://secure.heartandstroke.ca/faf/help/helpEventInfo.asp?ievent=428397. We'll do the 60km distance, but if you want to do a further distance, that's great too. There are lots of people out at the event so you certainly won't be riding alone if you would like to do the 100km or 160km routes! You can register day of the event at the door, so don't worry if you haven't signed up yet. We'll ride together as a group so be sure to wear your Gears Girls jerseys :).
Let's plan on meeting just outside the clubhouse (you'll be directed there to sign in) at 10:30am. That will give us plenty of time to sign in and get on the road for the 11am start time. Registration is $40 per person. The website says there's a mimimum pledge requirement of $100 - but that's only if you want a t-shirt. Otherwise, anyone can ride provided they pay the $40 fee.
Please drop me a quick line to let me know if you'll be joining us on Sunday so I have a better sense of numbers and to know who to expect day of.
Weeknight rides in September:
Gears Girls weeknight rides were originally going to end just around Labour Day, but because the rides have all been really well attended, I would like to continue to offer a weeknight ride one night a week...at least until it gets too dark and too cold to ride :). We will have to move the rides to an earlier time though to ensure we have enough light to do a decent ride. We'll start with 6:15pm and possibly move the start time to 6pm later on in the month. If you ride regularly and plan on riding into the Fall, please let me know if you prefer Tuesday night or Wednesday night. Please also let me know if you would be able to make it for either 6pm or 6:15pm. Once I have an idea about what the majority of the group wants to do, I'll let everyone know which night we'll ride on.
Let me know if you have any questions or if you'll be doing the Heart and Stoke ride Sunday!
See you all soon.
Mel
http://gearsgirls.blogspot.com/
Hope you all had a great week! I heard from the ride leaders that all three rides went well...and it looks like the weather was pretty good too. I'm back from vacation - we spent 6 days in New Brunswick and a couple more days around Boston. The trip was supposed to be a cycling trip, but the weather wasn't great and it seemed like I spent more time eating lobster (not such a bad thing mind you) than riding. Alas, there's still plenty of time left to ride this season.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday rides will go out as usual from Gears at 6:30pm (Tuesday and Wednesday) and 9am (Saturday). Please continue reading as there's important information still to come!
Sunday, August 15th - Heart and Stoke Ride in Niagara on the Lake:
I've heard from a good number of you that are planning on doing the ride. Here's the website if you want additional details and/or directions: http://secure.heartandstroke.ca/faf/help/helpEventInfo.asp?ievent=428397. We'll do the 60km distance, but if you want to do a further distance, that's great too. There are lots of people out at the event so you certainly won't be riding alone if you would like to do the 100km or 160km routes! You can register day of the event at the door, so don't worry if you haven't signed up yet. We'll ride together as a group so be sure to wear your Gears Girls jerseys :).
Let's plan on meeting just outside the clubhouse (you'll be directed there to sign in) at 10:30am. That will give us plenty of time to sign in and get on the road for the 11am start time. Registration is $40 per person. The website says there's a mimimum pledge requirement of $100 - but that's only if you want a t-shirt. Otherwise, anyone can ride provided they pay the $40 fee.
Please drop me a quick line to let me know if you'll be joining us on Sunday so I have a better sense of numbers and to know who to expect day of.
Weeknight rides in September:
Gears Girls weeknight rides were originally going to end just around Labour Day, but because the rides have all been really well attended, I would like to continue to offer a weeknight ride one night a week...at least until it gets too dark and too cold to ride :). We will have to move the rides to an earlier time though to ensure we have enough light to do a decent ride. We'll start with 6:15pm and possibly move the start time to 6pm later on in the month. If you ride regularly and plan on riding into the Fall, please let me know if you prefer Tuesday night or Wednesday night. Please also let me know if you would be able to make it for either 6pm or 6:15pm. Once I have an idea about what the majority of the group wants to do, I'll let everyone know which night we'll ride on.
Let me know if you have any questions or if you'll be doing the Heart and Stoke ride Sunday!
See you all soon.
Mel
http://gearsgirls.blogspot.com/
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