Hi Guys

[MightyMitre]

Hi guys - well this really is a surprise. You don't know how long I've been surfing in an attempt to find a cycling forum, so finding one for women is totally amazing!!

I'm from Brighton in the UK where I'm in a minority group in a minorty sport so it's great to find loads of girlies that like bikes too.

Just to introduce myself, I belong to Brighton Mitre Cycling Club and do road riding -although I've also got a mountain bike for those occasions when all I want to do is go out and get muddy. I've had my road bike for just over 2 years but this has been the first winter I've been able to train properly and I'm looking forward to the start of my first full season.

Time trialling is pretty big here in the UK and I'm planning to do quite a few 10s and 25 milers. I'm also lucky enought to live in a region that has a good ( if small) womens road race series ,run on a closed circuit, so I maywell try my hand at that as well.

Looking forward to joining in the discussions....

Liz

[Susan126]

Welcome Liz!
Glad you have joined this forum and I look forward to hearing all about riding in the U.K. It sounds like you are training for a race? You'll have to let us know how you do. I do not race (started too late) I just get out with my hubby because we both love to ride. We ride both road bikes and mountain bikes. We love them equally. We are training for some long rides this year. The longest one will be in May, a two day event. We will have to bike 130 miles a day! The weather hasn't been cooperating over here so getting some saddle time in has become a challenge but we're managing. Again welcome!

Sue

Have you ever had the opportunity to see the Tour de France up close?

[lb satterly]

Welcome, Liz. It is good to have women riders to converse with. This is a great, fun and supportive forum. LB Satterly

[goddess1222]

welcome mighty mitre. we have a lot of fun on these boards. and we are all very supportive of one another. i look forward to your posts.

[MightyMitre]

Thanks for the warm welcome. There aren't many women into cycling where I live (- I'm the only girl in our club!) so it'll be nice to have other girls to talk to. The blokes in my club are all very nice but it'll be good to compare notes with other women riders.


Susan126 - a lot of the events our club takes part in are Time Trials 10 or 25 miles and sometimes 50 so I'm trying to improve my fitness and strength so I can have a go at some of them and put in reasonable time. There's also a road race league but I'm not quite up to that standard yet - maybe next year. For now I'm just trying to increase my miles and staminar. Your ride in May sounds pretty challenging - 130miles a day ! Phew - you must be pretty strong.

I've been to the Tour de France every year since 1998. I live on the South Coast of England so getting to France is very easy - only 1.5 hours on the ferry. I've been to the finish in Paris twice, a team time trial, a prologue and various other stages but I've yet to see them in the Alps or the Pyranees. It's a wonderful atmosphere -especialy in the small towns /villages when the whole village comes out to watch.

Last year we were going to watch a stage of the Womens Tour de France which is run a few weeks after the men's one but didn't quite make it. The year before I managed to see some of it on French TV at a French campsite and it was so inspiring - it just made me want to go out and ride.

[Susan126]

I guess I'm lucky that I belong to a bike club (actually two ... one road bike club and one mountain bike club) that have a lot of girls as members. But my main riding partner is Joe (hubby). On the mountain bike, I out ride him. He's a big guy (shhhh he's trying to lose 50 pounds) and his size limits his agility and speed through the woods. That's where my smaller size is an advantage. BUT on the road ..... whew! He rides an average 18 mph (he usually cruises along between 22-25 mph) while I average about a 16 for an average cruising speed. I usually ride between 18-20 on the flats. I can keep up with him on the flats at 23-25 for a while but I tire quickly....so he usually rides ahead of me and waits for me at intersections. LOL When we ride in a group or with the club he stays up front with the faster paced riders and I will hang in the middle with the middle paced group. It works out great!

MightyMitre, you must be in great condition to ride with all those men! Accolades to you!

Sue

[goddess1222]

ohhhhhh mighty mitre i would looooove to see the women's tour. i tried to get some up to date info during the stages at cyclingnews.com and the coverage was terrible.

[MightyMitre]

Susan126 ...Ah - thank you very much but l must put you straight, I have a very nice boyfreind who also waits for me at intersections and I certainly can't keep up with many of the guys (maybe one day )

They're a nice bunch of guys who'll usually wait for me and have even given me the odd push when I've been really suffering!

goddess1222 try this website . it's the official Womens Tour de france website but unfortunatly it's in French www.velo-feminin.com or for some good pictures try this one - it's a bit strange . www.geocities.com/jeanpba . You need to scroll down to nearly the bottom and look for La Grand Boucle Feminine a Grenoble.

I don't think they really have any TV coverage of it outside France - still if there's the demand. My boyfreind knows cyclingnews.com European editor. Maybe I he could make a few hints for this year !

[Susan126]

It's nice to have husbands and boyfriends who will wait for us at intersections.

You know I never knew there was a Woman's Tour de France until last year when I read about it in this forum! That's sad....I think it should have more coverage!

Thanks for the links, MightyMitre!

Just my two cents .... Sue