Last year I went on a very long cross-country tour with 11 other women. We didn't know each other before we began. Some were novices, some had touring experience, one was a racer. There was one touring bike, three mountain bikes, a couple of very good road bikes and some cheaper ones, and one ancient Schwinn that weighed a ton. Some had bike clothes, some didn't. Some were clipless, some weren't. Gears ranged from 10 to 27. Ages were from 20 to 50. We all came with different experiences, different pieces of knowledge. But the most important thing was learning to depend on one another for the support we all needed. Everyone learned a lot from one another about cycling, safety, health, repairs...but we learned more about what we had inside of us.

Enjoy!