Hi Gears Girls.
Awesome first ride of the season this past weekend ladies! Yes, it was cold and wet...and then humid and wet...and then pouring and freezing...but it was a great ride nonetheless. Considering it was the first time most of us had ridden together, our group looked pretty solid.
As I mentioned before heading out on the ride, our goal this season is to stress the importance of working together as a group - for safety and effeciency reason. Going forward we'll really work on our paceline skills; more to come about this during our clinic on Saturday, May 15th (I'll send info out about this soon).
Also of importance...Bike 4 Betty taking place on Sunday, May 30th! As Founding Sponsors, Gears Bike Shop plays a major role in this annual charity event raising funds for the Betty Walllace Women's Health Centre and the Betty and Buster Lockwood Cancer Detection and Treatment Centre - help support the store that made Gears Girls possible! Check out the website and see if you're interested: (http://www.bike4betty.com/index.html)!
There are ride options for everyone of all ages and all abilities. Keep in mind that the 75k and 100k routes are both hilly, challenging rides. I will be registering for the 75k route - please feel free to join me, but only if you have comfortabley ridden this distance before. If you feel you will require additional support, are not able to ride those distances, or are uncomfortable riding in a paceline, please choose a shorter route. Be sure to ride within your limits!
If you're interested in participating in this event, please register online at http://www.bike4betty.com/index.html. Also, drop me a line to let me know you've registered and which distance you've registered for. As the date gets closer we can make arrangements for a meeting location.
Looking forward to our ride next weekend!
Mel
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Road Cycling/Group ride etiquette
Check out this great article about Road Cycling/Group ride etiquette written by Rob Narejko, president of the Oakville Cycling Club. I recommend all Gears Girls read it before heading out on their first group ride!
Mel
Mel
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
First Gears Girls Ride of the 2010 Season!
Hi Gears Girls and friends of Gears Girls!
This Saturday (May 1st) will be the first Gears Girls ride of the 2010 season. We'll be leaving at 10am from Gears Bike Shop. For the month of May, we'll be riding at 10am - starting in June, we'll move the rides to 9am.
Before the ride, we'll spend some time reviewing club etiquette, safety, rules of the road, etc. Following the talk, we'll head out for about 2 hours.
I'll be at Gears rain or shine. Hope to see you there!
Mel
This Saturday (May 1st) will be the first Gears Girls ride of the 2010 season. We'll be leaving at 10am from Gears Bike Shop. For the month of May, we'll be riding at 10am - starting in June, we'll move the rides to 9am.
Before the ride, we'll spend some time reviewing club etiquette, safety, rules of the road, etc. Following the talk, we'll head out for about 2 hours.
I'll be at Gears rain or shine. Hope to see you there!
Mel
Thursday, April 22, 2010
WELCOME TO GEARS GIRLS!
Great meeting all of you at the meet and greet on Wednesday. If you couldn't make it to Gears for the meet and greet, no worries; we have the whole summer ahead of us. Here's some important information to note:
FIRST RIDE OF THE SEASON:
Our first Saturday ride will take place on Saturday, May 1st at 10am. For the month of May, all Saturday rides will start at 10am. Beginning June 5th, Saturday rides will start at 9am. Club rides were originally advertised as starting at 8:30am, but many of our members live outside the GTA - starting at 9am will allow them a bit of extra travel time in the morning. Wednesday evening rides will start the first Wednesday of June at 6:30am.
For those of you nervous about our first ride of the season...don't be! I did a test ride of the route on Saturday - in the rain and sleet no less! The first ride will be approximately 40 to 45kms - no major hills or difficult terrain. We'll keep it simple for the first couple of rides until everyone feels comfortable and gets used to being back out on the road. Starting in June we can start introducing further distances, different pace groups, and destination rides that start away from Gears.
MAY 15TH CLINIC:
Free for all Gears Girls members, we'll be running a clinic/refresher session on Saturday, May 15th. Details and location to follow as the date gets closer!
OAKVILLE CYCLING CLUB:
If you have paid to ride with the OCC in addition to Gears Girls, I will forward your name and information on to their membership coordinator. You can start riding with them anytime! The OCC's Tuesday night and Sunday morning touring pace rides have started for the season - check out their website http://www.oakvillecc.com/ for additional information and for start locations.
GEARS GIRLS CLUB CLOTHING:
We have jerseys, shorts, arm warmers, knee warmers and vests available for sale at Gears. We have run out of medium jerseys and will be re-ordering them this week. If you have already paid your membership fee but did not receive a jersey, we'll let you know when they arrive!
If you have any questions about Gears Girls let me know. Also be sure to check out our blog: http://gearsgirls.blogspot.com/ for regular updates. If you have friends that would like to join Gears Girls, please let them know they can become a member anytime. Have them either send me an email at gearsgirls@hotmail.com or drop in to Gears to fill out a membership form and pay the fee.
Can't wait to get out on the road with all of you!
Mel
FIRST RIDE OF THE SEASON:
Our first Saturday ride will take place on Saturday, May 1st at 10am. For the month of May, all Saturday rides will start at 10am. Beginning June 5th, Saturday rides will start at 9am. Club rides were originally advertised as starting at 8:30am, but many of our members live outside the GTA - starting at 9am will allow them a bit of extra travel time in the morning. Wednesday evening rides will start the first Wednesday of June at 6:30am.
For those of you nervous about our first ride of the season...don't be! I did a test ride of the route on Saturday - in the rain and sleet no less! The first ride will be approximately 40 to 45kms - no major hills or difficult terrain. We'll keep it simple for the first couple of rides until everyone feels comfortable and gets used to being back out on the road. Starting in June we can start introducing further distances, different pace groups, and destination rides that start away from Gears.
MAY 15TH CLINIC:
Free for all Gears Girls members, we'll be running a clinic/refresher session on Saturday, May 15th. Details and location to follow as the date gets closer!
OAKVILLE CYCLING CLUB:
If you have paid to ride with the OCC in addition to Gears Girls, I will forward your name and information on to their membership coordinator. You can start riding with them anytime! The OCC's Tuesday night and Sunday morning touring pace rides have started for the season - check out their website http://www.oakvillecc.com/ for additional information and for start locations.
GEARS GIRLS CLUB CLOTHING:
We have jerseys, shorts, arm warmers, knee warmers and vests available for sale at Gears. We have run out of medium jerseys and will be re-ordering them this week. If you have already paid your membership fee but did not receive a jersey, we'll let you know when they arrive!
If you have any questions about Gears Girls let me know. Also be sure to check out our blog: http://gearsgirls.blogspot.com/ for regular updates. If you have friends that would like to join Gears Girls, please let them know they can become a member anytime. Have them either send me an email at gearsgirls@hotmail.com or drop in to Gears to fill out a membership form and pay the fee.
Can't wait to get out on the road with all of you!
Mel
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Meet and Greet Reminder...and club clothing!
Just a quick reminder that the Gears Girls meet and greet is taking place this Wednesday (April 14th) at Gears Bike Shop. Drop by Gears anytime between 6pm and 8pm to meet new and returning members; renew or purchase your 2010 club membership; purchase club clothing; and of course, chat about the upcoming season.
NEW THIS SEASON!
In addition to Gears Girls kit items we will also have Gears Girls "casual items" for sale at the meet and greet. Check out the attached Gears Girls order form for pictures and prices of the newly designed, totally awesome Gears Girls technical tee (for all you Gears Girls runners!) and yoga jacket (the perfect pre and post-ride jacket!). I will have samples of both items at the meet and greet as well as sample sizes available to try on.
PURCHASE/ORDER INFORMATION:
Gears Girls kit items can be purchased at Gears at any time (provided we have availability). If you would like to purchase one or both of the casual items (technical shirt or yoga jacket), order forms and payment should be brought to the meet and greet or can be left for me to pick up at Gears anytime between tomorrow and Monday, April 26th. Payment can be made by cash, cheque (made payable to Niko Apparel Systems), visa or mastercard. For casual items, please complete the attached order form, along with payment method, credit card number and expiry date (if applicable) - and place everything in an envelope labelled "Gears Girls/casual clothing". Clothing will be ready for pick up in 3 to 4 weeks once the order has been placed on Tuesday, April 27th. If you can't get to Gears and would rather email me (gearsgirls@hotmail.com) your order, that's not a problem - you can either email me your credit card information or I will give you my cell number if you prefer to call me with the information.
As I mentioned in earlier emails, if you want to start riding with the group at the beginning of May, you must be a paid Gears Girls member. I have attached the membership forms for those of you who haven't yet paid - please drop them by Gears as soon as possible in order that we get your OCA coverage in order.
If you didn't receive the meet and greet evite, check it out for more details: http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/GEFUQDZIXGKWLWBNSVYS/gearsgirls. Please feel free to forward this email or the evite on to any friends that may want to join Gears Girls or to anyone (men or women) you think might be interested in helping out with the rides.
Looking forward to seeing all of you on Wednesday at the meet and greet!
Mel
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Important Information for New and Returning Gears Girls members
Attention all new and returning Gears Girls members!
Many of you have asked about starting the Gears Girls season earlier than the end of May (which was originally announced). I know that many of you are participating in the Ride to Conquer Cancer and Bike 4 Betty, so getting on the road earlier is a definite bonus! With that in mind, I am happy to start the Saturday rides on May 1st (at 9am), but I will need all of you to either renew or pay your 2010 membership so that everyone’s OCA insurance is up-to-date. You cannot ride if you do not have OCA coverage!
Membership fees for returning members is $50 – this includes OCA coverage. Fees for new members is $135 – this includes a Gears Girls cycling jersey and OCA coverage. Membership fees can be paid in person at Gears Bike Shop (www.gearsbikeshop.com). Please keep in mind that if you would like to start riding with us on May 1st, you will have to be a club member.
Following are some important dates that you might want to mark down:
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 – Gears Girls 2010 Meet and Greet:
Drop by Gears Bike Shop anytime between 6pm and 8pm to renew or pay for your 2010 Gears Girls membership; meet current and new members; purchase Gears Girls clothing; and of course chat about the upcoming ride season! Check out the evite for additional information: http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/GEFUQDZIXGKWLWBNSVYS/gearsgirls. Feel free to forward the evite on to anyone you think might be interested in joining or helping out with Gears Girls.
Sunday, April 18th and Tuesday, April 20th – Start of the Oakville Cycling Club Touring Pace season:
If you are a Gears Girls member and have also paid ($25 in addition to club fees) to ride with the Oakville Cycling Club, this is the start of their ride season. Check out the OCC website, specifically the touring pace page: http://www.oakvillecc.com/ for additional information.
Saturday, April 24th and Sunday, April 25th - Women’s Learn to Race/Ride Skills Camp:
The Eat-Clean Diet® Women’s Cycling Team – sponsored in part by Gears Girls – is pleased to host this awesome 2 day camp. You don’t have to be interested in racing to take part in this camp! Participants will learn intermediate to advanced bike handling skills…sure to make you a stronger and more confident cyclist! Only a limited number of spots are remaining – check out the website: http://www.womenscyclingteam.com/camp.html for additional camp information and online registration form.
Saturday, May 1st, 2010 – First Saturday ride of the 2010 Gears Girls Season:
Ride will start at 9am from Gears Bike Shop. This will be an easy ride to get the blood flowing after the winter followed by coffee at Starbucks or brunch at Sunset Grill. Be sure to renew or pay for your membership fees before May 1st so that you can participate in the ride. A full ride schedule for the 2010 season will be forwarded soon!
Saturday, May 15th, 2010 – Gears Girls refresher/warm up clinic:
Offered free to all Gears Girls members, this clinic (time and location TBA – will be before noon on the 15th) will teach you some on-bike cycling basics and work on important bike handling skills.
Sunday, May 30th – Bike 4 Betty:
Bike 4 Betty (http://www.bike4betty.com) is an awesome annual charity event that raises funds for Trillium’s Betty Wallace Women’s Health Centre and recently opened Betty & Buster Lockwood Cancer Detection and Treatment Centre. Gears Bike Shop is one of two founding sponsors for the event – this is a great opportunity for Gears Girls to help support the shop that made our club possible. If enough people are interested, we can form a Gears Girls team and participate; otherwise, we can register as individual riders. I would like Bike 4 Betty to be become an annual tradition and start of the Gears Girls season! If you’re interested in participating, please let me know as soon as possible!
Wednesday, June 2nd – First official weeknight ride:
Meet at Gears at 6:15pm, ride at 6:30pm. Depending on amount of day light, the ride will be either 1 or 1.5 hours. We will extend the ride to 2 hours as the season progresses and we have more daylight. Not a bad idea to bring lights if you have them – white for the front, red for the rear.
I will be forwarding a more complete schedule with information about individual rides and start locations soon. In the interim, feel free to drop me a line (gearsgirls@hotmail.com) with any questions you may have. Also, be sure to check out our blog: http://gearsgirls.blogspot.com/ for regular updates.
Looking forward to riding with all of you soon!
Mel
Many of you have asked about starting the Gears Girls season earlier than the end of May (which was originally announced). I know that many of you are participating in the Ride to Conquer Cancer and Bike 4 Betty, so getting on the road earlier is a definite bonus! With that in mind, I am happy to start the Saturday rides on May 1st (at 9am), but I will need all of you to either renew or pay your 2010 membership so that everyone’s OCA insurance is up-to-date. You cannot ride if you do not have OCA coverage!
Membership fees for returning members is $50 – this includes OCA coverage. Fees for new members is $135 – this includes a Gears Girls cycling jersey and OCA coverage. Membership fees can be paid in person at Gears Bike Shop (www.gearsbikeshop.com). Please keep in mind that if you would like to start riding with us on May 1st, you will have to be a club member.
Following are some important dates that you might want to mark down:
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 – Gears Girls 2010 Meet and Greet:
Drop by Gears Bike Shop anytime between 6pm and 8pm to renew or pay for your 2010 Gears Girls membership; meet current and new members; purchase Gears Girls clothing; and of course chat about the upcoming ride season! Check out the evite for additional information: http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/GEFUQDZIXGKWLWBNSVYS/gearsgirls. Feel free to forward the evite on to anyone you think might be interested in joining or helping out with Gears Girls.
Sunday, April 18th and Tuesday, April 20th – Start of the Oakville Cycling Club Touring Pace season:
If you are a Gears Girls member and have also paid ($25 in addition to club fees) to ride with the Oakville Cycling Club, this is the start of their ride season. Check out the OCC website, specifically the touring pace page: http://www.oakvillecc.com/ for additional information.
Saturday, April 24th and Sunday, April 25th - Women’s Learn to Race/Ride Skills Camp:
The Eat-Clean Diet® Women’s Cycling Team – sponsored in part by Gears Girls – is pleased to host this awesome 2 day camp. You don’t have to be interested in racing to take part in this camp! Participants will learn intermediate to advanced bike handling skills…sure to make you a stronger and more confident cyclist! Only a limited number of spots are remaining – check out the website: http://www.womenscyclingteam.com/camp.html for additional camp information and online registration form.
Saturday, May 1st, 2010 – First Saturday ride of the 2010 Gears Girls Season:
Ride will start at 9am from Gears Bike Shop. This will be an easy ride to get the blood flowing after the winter followed by coffee at Starbucks or brunch at Sunset Grill. Be sure to renew or pay for your membership fees before May 1st so that you can participate in the ride. A full ride schedule for the 2010 season will be forwarded soon!
Saturday, May 15th, 2010 – Gears Girls refresher/warm up clinic:
Offered free to all Gears Girls members, this clinic (time and location TBA – will be before noon on the 15th) will teach you some on-bike cycling basics and work on important bike handling skills.
Sunday, May 30th – Bike 4 Betty:
Bike 4 Betty (http://www.bike4betty.com) is an awesome annual charity event that raises funds for Trillium’s Betty Wallace Women’s Health Centre and recently opened Betty & Buster Lockwood Cancer Detection and Treatment Centre. Gears Bike Shop is one of two founding sponsors for the event – this is a great opportunity for Gears Girls to help support the shop that made our club possible. If enough people are interested, we can form a Gears Girls team and participate; otherwise, we can register as individual riders. I would like Bike 4 Betty to be become an annual tradition and start of the Gears Girls season! If you’re interested in participating, please let me know as soon as possible!
Wednesday, June 2nd – First official weeknight ride:
Meet at Gears at 6:15pm, ride at 6:30pm. Depending on amount of day light, the ride will be either 1 or 1.5 hours. We will extend the ride to 2 hours as the season progresses and we have more daylight. Not a bad idea to bring lights if you have them – white for the front, red for the rear.
I will be forwarding a more complete schedule with information about individual rides and start locations soon. In the interim, feel free to drop me a line (gearsgirls@hotmail.com) with any questions you may have. Also, be sure to check out our blog: http://gearsgirls.blogspot.com/ for regular updates.
Looking forward to riding with all of you soon!
Mel
Monday, March 22, 2010
Gears Girls 2010 Meet and Greet
Thinking about joining Gears Girls for the 2010 season?
Drop by Gears Bike Shop on Wednesday, April 14th, anytime between 6pm and 8pm to meet current and new members; ask questions about the group; pay membership fees; buy Gears Girls clothing; or just chat about the upcoming cycling season!
If you have any questions about the meet and greet or about Gears Girls, drop us a line at gearsgirls@hotmail.com. Also, be sure to check out the Gears Girls blog at http://gearsgirls.blogspot.com/ for regular club updates.
Check out the evite for additional information about the meet and greet: http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/GEFUQDZIXGKWLWBNSVYS/gearsgirls.
Feel free to extend this invitation on to anyone who might be interested in joining or helping out with Gears Girls!
This is going to be a great season. Looking forward to riding with all of you soon!
Mel
Drop by Gears Bike Shop on Wednesday, April 14th, anytime between 6pm and 8pm to meet current and new members; ask questions about the group; pay membership fees; buy Gears Girls clothing; or just chat about the upcoming cycling season!
If you have any questions about the meet and greet or about Gears Girls, drop us a line at gearsgirls@hotmail.com. Also, be sure to check out the Gears Girls blog at http://gearsgirls.blogspot.com/ for regular club updates.
Check out the evite for additional information about the meet and greet: http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/GEFUQDZIXGKWLWBNSVYS/gearsgirls.
Feel free to extend this invitation on to anyone who might be interested in joining or helping out with Gears Girls!
This is going to be a great season. Looking forward to riding with all of you soon!
Mel
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