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Me, my "bowling injury", and the rental Black Market Three57 22 (<–xoxo!)

Ladies weekend was great!  I finally “get” street riding. I’ve always liked watching BMX. But - when I thought about doing it myself - I’d end up counting the teeth I’d miss. That switch flipped on Saturday.  Add another bike to the wish list!

This was our second trip to Ray’s, and Ashley and I both felt much more confident on the bikes and on the obstacles. I’ve learned so much from men who ride - and there really is something different about talking about bikes with another woman.  Maybe it’s because women use their bodies differently?  I don’t know why - but some of my best results have come from listening when another woman explains to me how she rides. Ray’s is already planning another Women’s Weekend for next February, the weekend after Valentine’s. I’m already planning to be there.

Smashley on the rocks

Ladies weekend is like an excuse for hilarity to ensue.  A photographer from Maxim was there, and ladies obliged by riding the rocks and catching air.  Smashley and I won huge, furry, ear-muff headphones in the raffle. When the guys were allowed back in at 4:00 PM on Friday evening, it was like a tidal wave of testosterone hit the place.  Girls even overheard local guys complaining to out-of-towners that this was “Our Ladies Weekend!”  The expert track got crazy and so did everything else.  It was great fun.

One of the boys from Ray's jumps the lady experts

I have to thank one of the expert girls in particular, though I don’t know her name.  On Saturday, I talked to her at the pump track.  She kept her back really level and straight when she went around, and she was going alot faster than most of the guys. She told me that Jill Kintner had helped her out with her technique at the ‘08 Ladies Weekend. (!) Talking to her for just a couple minutes was great help for me.

Ray’s Ladies Weekend ‘09 - Claire on the small box jumps from velocorapture on Vimeo.

So here is the blah, blah, blah about what I changed. Or, if you know how to jump, your chance is now.

Before, I had been doing OK with my arms.  People had explained the arm thing. I had the timing right, and felt fluid - but I just wasn’t that fast.  She walked through her own motions with me and I realized she was explaining using her whole body, not just her arms.  Pushing down into the slope with her legs.  I tried it and I almost flew off the track I went so much faster.  After a couple laps, she added how she digs into the banked turns - first arms, then legs.  Again, it was amazing how much faster I went.  Instead of losing speed through the turn, I was going so much faster coming out of it that I had to adjust my aim to keep from flying out the top of the bowl. I could finally win a race without pedaling. I still have a lot to improve on the pump track, but it was a big step forward.

The same motions translated into the box jumps.  I could lift the back wheel with just my legs. FINALLY. I’d never been able to really do that reliably, and I was so happy to “get it” that I rode the jumps for hours on Saturday. I even graduated to clearing some of the bigger jumps on the expert/intermediate track by the afternoon.

I still don’t have my timing right, and I was so focused on using my legs that I’ve lost the fluid timing in my arms. Maybe I can put it all together on our next trip to Ray’s?  You can give me pointers based on the video if you want.  But no “wipe that crazy grin off your face!”, ‘cus I know, OK?

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Added 2/25/09:

twinsix.com

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I have this elaborate Rube Goldberg device (about the size and shape of a laptop computer) that rings a little bell when it might be possible to ride outside. This morning the bell went off, and I stepped outside (casting blinding white reflections off my ghostly pallor) to confirm that the temperature had indeed risen all the way to 37.

riding next to snow at the water's edge

Actually, that’s a lie. I’ve been checking NOAA since Saturday and eagerly awaiting this afternoon - hoping to catch the warm air before the snow falls. Especially since the only other long ride I will be doing for a while will be in the car on the way to Ray’s this weekend for Ladies Night.

The only catch was a strong south wind. I decided to head into it. I don’t ride south that often, so I checked some routes, and took it easy on the way out of town. I guess I ride alot slower with a strong headwind and listening to This American Life, than with a strong tailwind and listening to Darkest Hour.

just off the Oak Creek Parkway

The Oak Leaf trail south of downtown was pretty nice. I rode the mountain bike with cross tires because we changed them on Friday night just in case the Ronsta ride was not snowed in. I’ve had alot of practice changing tires recently, actually. But that one in the front required dish soap and some pretty funny squeaking, hissy noises from me. After all that fuss, I was gonna ride them this week. Plus, it’s just really nice to have the Paragon back in action.

highway 32 was smooth going

looking back towards Milwaukee from Windy Point

I stuck it out into the wind as long as I could, knowing the way home would go by too quick, but eventually ran out of plan. When I had looked at the map before setting out, I didn’t figure I’d get as far as Windy Point. The way home was wicked fast!

It was sunny and warm on Sunday.  I only wore one coat when we went for a ride, which was a wonderful break from coming home and struggling out of so many layers I reach Narnia before I can get in the shower.

I was looking forward to breaking in my first pair of real road shoes with real road pedals!  And, because I was the slowest, I was expecting to spend a couple hours working on drafting and maintaining a steady pace on the way to Paoli and back.  Matt, wanting to even things up, suggested that the boys could roll cross tires while I sported slicks.

Boys arrived and coffee was finished on the front porch.  And then, while I was inside grabbing the water bottles, the route changed.  Although I did not know it when we set out, circumstances had conspired to scrap the road ride. Instead, we took a tour of the many snowy and icy spots along Madison’s bike paths.  I eventually asked whether this was the secret route to Belleville…

Geo and Neal take on the bike path

I’d never ridden most of those paths. It was pretty and fun. Geo, who rode his studded commuter tires, left skid marks on every piece of ice he could find.  Eric laughed when he realized I was on slicks.  (But Eric does backflips.  On skis.  And this.)  The boys played in the snow. And fell over.

At one point, two of them went down on an insanely slick hillside ahead of me, and I put a foot down. My new road clips started sliding backwards and soon I looked like one of those nature films featuring a trembly-legged newborn giraffe, except that I was also unable to stop laughing. They eventually pulled me off the ice using my own bicycle as a rescue-line.

I’m beginning to suspect my super-duper chicken thing may actually be a superpower, because I was the only one who did not fall on the ice.  It doesn’t prevent flats, though.

It is gorgeous outside! Yesterday it was sunny and almost 40. Instead of taking the bus to Madison, I decided to ride. We decided it would be fun if I rode out to Waterloo to meet Matt. The route was easy, about 69 miles.

Matt came out on his new bike and met me around mile 55, and (God Bless wonderful boyfriends) took my pack. I had to bring a few things for the weekend, and about 5 minutes into our ride he was like:

“This thing must weigh like 30 lbs! Why didn’t you just put it on the Badger Bus and pick it up at the depot when we got to Madison?”

“Uhhh….?” Next time. But, after the monster pack was off my back I felt like I was flying, which was helpful in trying to suck wheel. Even on a mountain bike, he still tried to drop me on the hills. Sucker didn’t know I’d packed all those lead weights for a reason.

A long ride was just what the doctor ordered. I felt amazing afterward. One of my favorite things about a good ride is how it makes everything better. Shower, soup, chairs and backrubs were all the best ever. I even won at cards.

Today he’s out on a long ride with the guys, and I’m going to put my new road pedals on the Madone and do some isoleg that I’ve been putting off. And tomorrow we’ll probably ride past Belleville. I’m learning to believe in the power of drafting. Yesterday my watts dropped from 290 to 47 when I caught his wheel, and if that doesn’t convince me, nothing will.

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