Comfy Cozy is Worth Every Penny

When is this cold weather going to leave us? I know, I know... I'm Canadian, this is like summer to me.  BUT IT ISN'T. Living the past 13 years in Los Angeles has thinned my blood and I am the first person to complain when the weather gets cold.  I have this fabulous little heater than sits on the counter next to my desk. I named him Sherlock and he is my lifeline. Perhaps I am mildly dependent on him but he is always there for me, keeping me warm, happy and with a smile on my face!

I wrote my name on it and made him my own.

I can't always be sitting in front of my computer with Sherlock blasting heat onto me. Even though it is a happy place, I would much rather be on my bike. BUT IT'S COLD OUTSIDE! Time to layer up. I'm such a wimp!!

I rode with the boyfriend a week ago and I took every piece of clothing I could find and slapped it on in an effort to stay warm. Needless to say about half way through the ride my temperature was rising and I was wondering, if just maybe, I might have put on one too many. You're probably thinking, she looks fine. Well... you tell me!

At this point I really didn't care. Nothing could ruin my day more than by having cold fingers and toes. I'll take you all through my awesome outfit. The more I look at it, I'm quite proud!

Bare with me.. some of this I have mentioned before but there's no harm in sharing again (in a little more detail)!

1. LAS Victory helmet (retails for around $150). Great helmet. Love the little spike design at the back. I crashed in a LAS Victory helmet and it kept my noggin safe and sound. Expensive, but aren't you worth protecting to the fullest? Only downside I found (and I didn't learn this until I chopped my hair off and needed a pony tail at the base of my head), is that it's become a pain to get it on in the right spot, with the right fitting because of the ponytail. Before my hair was always in a long braid so this was never a problem. It's still a great helmet and I recommend it to everyone. It's light weight, has plenty of ventilation and comes with swappable liners.

2. Oakley Jawbone custom sunglasses (retails for around $200-$250). I had to get a pair to match my bike. I just had to! But then I went and swapped out my bike. At least the new bike (a Giant TCR Advanced) is black and white and goes with EVERYTHING! Color matters. These shades are great for cycling. You can swap out the lenses whenever you want. They've got vented lenses (in 6 different colors no less), polarized and photochromatic. The choice is yours. I won't ride without them, eye protection is crucial, and since I suffered an eye injury back in 2009, I won't ever leave mine unprotected again. You never know what a rock is going to kick up and smack you in the face!

3. Base layer and jersey. The jersey is a no brainer but when you start riding the wind just cuts right through the damn shirt. I get why, but on a cold winter day, it's not going to cut it. I don't have an officially legit base layer, so if Rob doesn't have a clean one for me to borrow, I reach for one of my thick dryfit workout tanks.

4. Pearl Izumi Women's Elite Softshell 180 jacket (retails around $175). BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER (boyfriend Rob scored beaucoup points with this one)! I needed a jacket and so this was the perfect gift for me, and it came in the perfect color ever. It's a great jacket, comfy and fits well. I'm a "smedium" so I got a medium in this. Fits great in the length of the jacket, sleeves and bust, but I wish it was a little more fitted in the mid section. Since I won't be racing in it, I'm not too concerned. It's fabulous, pretty and I love it!

5.  Pearl Izumi's Women's Cyclone Gel Glove (retails around $40). These gloves are perfect for the cold weather. A little thicker than my usual gloves, they provide excellent wind protection and moderate water protection. And... they just so happen to match the jacket. SCORE!

6. Pearl Izumi's Women's Elite Cycling Bib (retails around $145). Super comfy, love the clasp at the front that brings the straps together atop my boosum. Much more comfortable than having the straps on the outside of the girls, rubbing up and chaffing on my side boob and arms. NOT FUN!

7. Pearl Izumi's Elite Thermal Knee Warmers (retails around $35). Now, you probably already know how I feel about this if you read my other post about Cold Weather Riding Blues. They aren't female-with-thighs friendly. They cut, they irritate and jack up my blood flow. Not cool! But, they kept me warm and since I didn't have another option (I really need to invest in cycling pants), the do just fine.

8. Electra Women's Koi Stripe Knee Socks. (Retails for around $20). CUUUUTE! Not cycling socks, but they worked for me. They covered me from where the knee warmers ended, all down to my tootsie toes. If they were black and blue striped versus the brown, they would've matched perfect. However, on the bike, moving at the speed of light (I dream), you could hardly tell.

9. Sidi Sock Shoe covers. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE shoe covers. Makes a night and day difference and worth the $30 bucks or so. If you are on a super tight budget, try getting a large man's sock and cut a whole in the bottom for the cleat. Get creative!

So all in all, it took a little digging and lots of creativity but I managed to make it work, keep myself warm, and stay on the bike in some sort of fashionable manner. At least I think so...


Pedal on, Lady Pedalers!

Lycra is For Lovers

Who knew lycra could be so amazingly comfortable, sexy and fun? When I first started riding, the one part of cycling that was holding me back was the lycra. I have never found it to be flattering, even on the fittest female form. Maybe I was wrong. It can't all be that bad, right? It's a men's sport and that is clear in many of the kit designs I have seen out there.

In my mind, this is how I would look in lycra.

Well, I admit that maybe I was wrong about it all along. It's not that bad, and if you are willing to make the splurge, it can be amazing. Especially when you have someone like Jenny, the Graphik Deziner (check her out peoples of the cycling world) designing the kit. She just finished H&S Bicycles 2013 men's and ladies Giordana kits and they are AMAZING. H&S opted for the pricer Giordana brand this year and so far, nothing but rave reviews. They're comfy and the SEX APPEAL?!?! Apparently there are some guys in their H&S kits now breaking PR's on Strava.... Hey... we can dream but I would have to say there is a correlation between feeling sexy and riding faster. I know a lot of ladies in the group have purchased the new kit. It's time to try this theory out!

When I first was getting used to the idea of lycra, I started out simple with the Pearl Izumi Sugar shorts, as I know I have mentioned many times. They are a great short, however, originally designed for spinning. What I love about them is the short cut, so when I ride in the summer I don't get that funky cyclist tan. Eventually I upgraded to Pearl Izumi's Elite Cycling Bib. I felt like an idiot. These shorts are comfortable and designed with a female form in mind. Can it get any better than this?  Apparently so!

Giordana... If you could talk, I am sure it would be in a soft, romantic tone that would cause me to melt. The name itself sounds so regal. GIORDANA. It gives me chills...

So, here's the new 2013 H&S Bicycles ladies kit. I have to brag, lycra has done wonders for my backend!

2013 H&S Giordana Ladies Kit

2013 H&S Bicycles Ladies Kit

I'm picky and, thank his lucky stars, I love the boyfriend's new kit. Colors are simple and well placed. The design isn't over the top, and the new logo has a hit of softness that, as a lady, I can appreciate.

If you have a favorite big, kit, jersey or short, tell me about it and show me some pics! In the meantime, here are some to make you laugh, courtesy of Tubulocity.com.

Word can't explain... I thought a true cyclist doesn't show?

Not a fan of the diaper-esk design.

He borrowed it from Heidi Klum. I still think she pulled it off better HERE.

So which one has to ride backwards? 

Introducing the Flaming Mangina!

Why? Why, why, why?!?!?!

Grr baby. Not sure what is more impressive. The tiger or the stash.

All I Want For Christmas is Some Sweet Bike Gear

...not my two front teeth. I have those.  Well... one is a porcelain veneer because I knocked it out in the 3rd grade running up a metal slide, but still. I want some sweet bike gear! To be honest, I picked a lot of these things based on looks. I am visual. I want to look good and DAMN IT! I deserve it! And so do you. I hope to get my hands on these items and let you know my true thoughts as we all know that some things aren't always as they appear. But for now, check out my list of what I have my eyes on.

Electra Ticino 7D in Glacier Blue. I know, this is a bike, not bike gear but it would be nice to have something for a casual ride to the grocery store, right? I fell in LOVE with this bike when I was at H&S Bicycles 2 weeks ago. What a beautiful bike! I have a thing for blue anything. The color is so soothing! Electra makes 3 different models of the Ticino (20D, 8D and 7D) and to be honest, I chose the 7D because I feel in love with the color and the hammered fenders. The 20D, of course, appears to be the much better bike, offering 20-speed over 7 or 8 and additional accessories, such as the Ticino alloy rear carrier. However, none of that stuff is super important for me. I can add on the accessories that I want when I want. I think this would be a cute bike to tote around town on while chasing my 5-year old on her bike. I would love to get on one of these bikes and see if there is much of a difference between the 7 and 8 and note the drastic difference of the 20, if any.







Pearl Izumi's Women's Elite Barrier WxB Jacket. Baby, it's cold outside! I need a versatile jacket like this one to keep me warm when I'm on (and off the bike). It's light enough to wear on a cool fall day and durable enough to block the wind on a winter ride. It's waterproof and has a breathable 2-layer knit face fabric with Titanium for thermal regulation. FANCY! It's got a retractable drop tail which comes in handy for those wet rides (planned or unexpected) and has reflective elements for low-light visability. You don't need to wear white to be seen anymore. I dig the red and black... H&S Bicycles colors. Thanks Pearl!













Cat5Gear Cyclist Case. A virgo's dream come true. I'm always on the go with my bike. Sometimes I take my gear to work and ride on my lunch break, or I drive to meet up with friends. I even flew for the first time with my bike this past September. When I'm on the go I ususally just throw everything into a too-small gym bag that I can't get to zip up. I came across this case where you can neatly store all your cycling gear: shoes, helmet, garmin to Gu's. It's all there. Leave it to my native homeland (O-Canada!) to get it right. I approve (and I would LOVE to get my hands on one - hint, hint).












Sidi Moon cycling shoes. To be honest, the only interaction I have had with Sidi thus far is my amazing Sidi shoe covers that are covering my BOOORING white Shimano cycling shoes. If you want a way to look expensive and elite, Sidi shoe covers, no one will know what's underneath them! Shhh! But seriously, I've heard nothing about amazing things about these shoes, so of course I am curious to get a pair. Based on looks (I'm a female, of course I want something that looks HOT). I'd get the Moon. Metallic silver. What's not to love? I saw this in person yesterday, My Super Fave Bike Nerd Hero Jenny ('memba her?) picked herself up a pair. LOVE cannot describe the look of these shoes. I hope to bless my toesies in a pair, but in the meantime I will have to fake it with my Sidi shoe covers over my Shimano shoes. In the meantime... tell me Jenny, what do you think?

Cold Weather Riding Blues

It's getting cold out and it's time for me to start layering up. I am not a fan of cold weather (it's one of the reasons I moved from my hometown in Beautiful British Columbia, Canada to Sunny (and warm almost all the time) Los Angeles. By my hometown's standards, Fall/Winter in LA is like Summer/Spring in Canada. But I've been here 13 years now and I've adapted all too well. So what on earth do I need to keep myself warm? Honestly at first I didn't know, so I borrowed Rob's base layer shirt, knee warmers and windbreaker, mixed with my usual jersey and bib, and threw on a pair of Pearl Izumi arm warmers that I bought for when I did my September ride around Lake Tahoe. It worked, but I realized I need my own things, designed for my body.

For instance, I used his Pearl Izumi knee/leg warmers. They did a great job at keeping me warm but the bad at the top cut into my thigh and not only created a hideous indent in my leg but the pressure it put around my thigh at the band was distracting and messing with my pedal stroke. I get why the band is there, to hold them up, but they are not lady friendly! I don't have big thighs either. Pearl Izumi, what gives???

A had a similar situation with the Pearl Izumi arm warmers, but it wasn't nearly annoying and didn't affect my comfort level on the bike. The only time they became a problem was when I got a flat tire. It took over 30 minutes to get that tire changed (something I need to learn to do - but I did learn a bike tire makes a horrible hula-hoop) and in that time, as my arms got colder, the arm warmers slowly began to slide down. I don't see this being a big problem in the future, assuming I learn how to change a flat in 5 minutes...regardless, I'll still wear them. They do what I need them to do.

So what options do we have to stay warm? Long sleeve base layers, windbreakers, jackets, long pants, tall compression socks,  shoe covers and caps! Oh My! Wait. Assuming I bought one of each, I am looking at $600, plus another $50 or so in tax. Hmm... yeah that isn't going to happen. Oh Rob...?

So maybe I don't need ALL these things. Breaking down how I felt during my ride the other night, I am definitely thinking the first items on my MUST HAVE List are:

1. Shoe or toe covers ($35-$50). Who knew my cycling shoes had little air vents in them? My poor piggies are FREEZING!
2. Headbands to cover your ears or a cap ($17-$40).
3. Windbreaker or Jacket, something light to break the wind, maybe with a little liner to keep in the warmth ($70-$200)

After the essentials, my WISH LIST OF WANTS would be:

1. Short and long sleeve fancy base layer (for now I will use whatever is in the t-shirt drawer)
2. Long cycling pants with chamois (for now I use my favorite Pearl Izumi Elite Women's bib with a pair of Target Dry Fit workout pants over top)
3. Long sleeve jersey. Why not? I'm a girl. I like options!

Items I ALWAYS ride with and will NEVER be caught without (100 degrees or 40)

Mile 55 and I was feeling it. I look so serious!
But I'm wearing my LAS helmet, Pearl Izumi Elite bib and
arm warmers, my gloves and my Oakley's. I'm ready to roll!

1. Gloves. Originally I started with fingerless gloves so everyone could see my pretty nails but after I crashed I opted for the full finger gloves. Safe hands are pretty hands! Check out my nails off the bike.
2. Cycling bottoms with a chamois (my bib of choice is Pearl Izumi's Women's Elite. Remember, Love Your Lady Parts!
3. Oakley sunglasses (or comparable). I have cut my eye open once before (in a non-biking related accident) and ever since then I love to keep them protected. No glasses, no riding.
4. Most important - MY LAS HELMET! Got to keep the head safe. I don't care how much it costs, I want the safest because, damn it! My noggin is worth it.

Tell me about the items you can't ride without, and Pedal on, Lady Pedalers!

We All Go Down, Sooner Or Later

One of the very first things I was told when I started riding that when it comes to crashing, 

"It's not a matter of IF, it's WHEN..."

Sounds scary, I know, but not all crashes are bad. I've probably had about 2 or 3 "Zero Mile Per Hour" crashes in the past 5 months. You know, the ones where you slow down at a red light and think that you don't need to unclip because the lights about to turn green but it doesn't and you take a leaning dive for the curb? Yeah, I've been there.

For those of you that know me, or have been into H&S Bicycles in Burbank and seen their trophy "Wreck Relics" Wall of Fame (not shame, I take pride in my crash!), you've probably seen my jersey and heard about my crash.

I was finishing up a training ride from The Observatory back down into Griffith Park. The last hill is a wide open road with a few curves in it that I have rode many, many times (and if you are a local and watch Sons of Anarchy, you'll know this spot well).  I had each turn memorized and it was one of my favorite spots to test my limits. So, I set myself up and started my decent. There was another cyclist in front of me and I realized I was coming up behind him quickly. I changed my course and immediately after doing so I saw a HUGE pothole right in my path. I panicked. Simple as that. I panicked and made a rookie mistake, grabbing my brakes as hard as I could. Well the good news is my brakes worked, perhaps a little too well because the bike came to a stop and I didn't. Next thing I know, I am gazing out of my Oakley Jawbone Sunglasses (custom white and blue to match my bike of course) and everything is upside down. Well, this can't be good. To be honest, I am quite proud of how I dismounted myself from the bike. My feet became unclipped from my Speed Play clipless pedals instantly (I know that's a fear for many, but don't let it be) and I did a forward tumble like roll off the front. I managed to not hit my head at all but got some road rash from my right shoulder down to my left ankle.

When the motion stopped and I realized what happened, I jumped up and grabbed my iphone, which had flown a little further downhill than myself. HUGE shout out to Otterbox. I have the slim Reflex Series case and my phone didn't have a single scratch on it, despite flying through the air and landing screen down on pavement. I dusted my shirt off (only really noticing the tear in my jersey on my right shoulder at first) and grabbed my bike. I jumped on, only to realize the derailleur was broke and my boob was hanging out (not literally but that would have been funny; My Target C9 Champion Seamless Cami sports bra held up and the girls were safely intact). My friends came around looking for me and my nurse friend (I am so glad I was riding with her that day) decided to call 911 to have me checked out. We'd been riding for 2 hours and it was already 100 degrees out. Nothing appeared to be broken but she wanted to be sure. The plus side to this was that I got to spend my latter morning with some hot LAFD firemen, which isn't a bad thing whatsoever. At the hospital I got checked out and had my road rash cleaned. BY FAR this was the only time during the whole day that I cried and screamed. The crash itself didn't hurt that much, it was the stinging, burning sensation of the rash, coupled with the nurse scrubbing it clean with what felt like a Brillo pad. Rob got there just in time to take the brunt of the cursing and screaming. Bless his heart for putting up with my less than pleasant demeanor.

My jersey. Perhaps a prototype for a ladies jersey complete with breathing room for our ta-tas?

Apparently I tucked and tumbled to the right, I was going for an "off-the-shoulder" kind of look.
I don't think it worked.

Road Rash is Bad Ass (a Cyclist's Badge of Honor)

All cleaned up and ready to go, I asked Rob if he brought me some clothes. This is when sending (or bringing) a woman to the hospital to collect me would have been a good idea. Rob showed up empty handed. I love him for being there when I needed him and for taking care of me, it's just these are things some guys just don't think about. 

At the scene of my amazing 10.0 Olympic dismount, Rob took my jersey and the hunky firemen cut the front of my FAVORITE Pearl Izumi Sugar Shorts. So I was just hanging out in my bra and half cut shorts, oh and the shoes had to come off because I ride on SpeedPlay and the cleats are on the outside of the shoe (not recessed) making them harder to walk in. The hospital was nice enough to give me neon yellow grip socks and a gown, but I am pretty sure I looked like a mess wandering out of the hospital alone, half dressed with massive helmet head while Rob fetched the car.

Now that you have read this whole story you are probably wondering why on earth I shared my darker cycling experience. It's not to scare you and nor should you be. All I could think about after the crash was how soon could I get back on the bike. My body and my bike needed some healing time, and I took it. But I knew I had to get right back out there. I would be lying if I said my crash didn't affect me. But I learned from it. I have become more cautious and am taking things a little slower until I feel I have put in the miles and built up my skill level. We all should be cautious and aware when we ride, and be patient if you are just starting out. It might be a little longer until I feel at complete ease going downhill at 32 miles per hour again but the most important thing is that I didn't give up and that I continue to ride, strengthening my skills each day to be better, faster, and stronger.

I'll leave you with this my Lady Pedalers... when you do crash, DO NOT take Road Rash wound care advice from a male cyclist. They will tell you to let it dry out and scab. Sure, if you want scars to remember your crash by you could follow their advice. I sure didn't. Keep those wounds clean and moist. Once you've done the initial scrub out, put some Neosporin on the wound, cover with a piece of Tegaderm (it's a fake skin like bandage that covers the wound but doesn't stick to it) and let them heal (changing the bandages regularly of course). Once the wounds have closed up, rub a little vitamin E oil or lotion on it for good measure.

Pedal on Ladies and ride safe!

Love Your Lady Parts

Ladies, it's time we went there. LADY PARTS! It is not a mystery that saddles aren't forgiving to the lady parts region. There are several things that you can do to make yourself feel unbelievably comfortable down there. For starters, you've made a big investment in your bike and probably got yourself something that cost a pretty penny. If the idea of spending more money on your bike for comfort doesn't sound appealing, you need to stop and rethink the purchase. Don't get me wrong, I'm a coupon clipping, deal hunting, savvy shopper, so when it comes to spending money, I'm hesitatant. I weigh the pros and cons, do a little math and if I can't justify it, then I don't buy. However, your lady parts are worth it! Would you rather be uncomfortable, wiggling in your chair all day at work because the va-jay-jay is all achy and sore from the previous night's ride? Don't even get me started on saddle sores. They can ruin you for days, weeks, maybe even months, making you not want to ride, or be uncomfortable that you are cutting your rides short.

So what do you do?

1. SADDLE UP. Spoil your va-jay-jay to a saddle that makes her smile. I can't stress this enough. A happy vagina is a riding vagina. Go to your local shop (www.hsbikes.com for those of you in Burbank, CA) and get a demo seat, ride and try and ride and try until you find the one that makes you feel like you are sitting on a fluffy marshmallow cloud. I went through two before I found my magical seat and my comfort while riding has taken on a whole new level. What'd I end up with? Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow saddle. Specifically designed for a woman's derriere. If you want to take it one step further, did you know you can actually get fitted for a saddle? Oh yes, apparently when you combine your physical stats (age, weight, height, gender), type of cycling you'll be doing, your INTERROCHANTERIC DISTANCE (ummm.... what?), thigh circumference (Oh HELLLL no - remember my saddle bag chub rub debacle from my last post???) and pelvis rotation, you are given a recommendation as to what will work best for you. Now, if you are die hard and have to do everything 110% percent, then sure, do it, but I think it's a little much for the everyday, casual rider. I think you will be just as successful taking several different models out for a test drive until you find one that FEELS OH SO GOOD.

2. SLIP INTO LYCRA WITH A CHAMOIS (sounds so fancy, right? Your vagina deserves one. TRUST ME). Get your tush and lady parts into a nice pair of cycling shorts with a chamois for all the lovely cushion. And for crying out loud! Leave the panties at home. My lycra of choice is Pearl Izumi's Women's ELITE Cycling Bib. In the beginning I was anti-bib. No reason other than I thought it looked completely ridiculous. I rocked my Pearl Izumi Sugar Shorts and LOVED them. They are great for the summer as they are shorty shorts and are a little forgiving with the ridiculous biker tan you are inevitably going to get. Mr. Handsome Pants (aka the bike shop owner turned boyfriend of mine) kept swearing that "Once you wear a bib, you will never go back.". Being the stubborn A-type that I can be, it took me 2 months to give in (I wanted to be right SO BAD. I'm always right, damn it). I was about to ride my bike 72-miles around Lake Tahoe for JDRF's Ride To Cure Type 1 Diabetes and he kept repeating that bibs are better for longer rides like these. So I caved, and as embarrassing as it was to admit it, I'll sing it from the sky, I WAS WRONG! Bibs are my new best friend! If I could run through a field of daisies in a white summer dress, holding my bib hand-in-hand I would. I am happier than a woman in a tampon commercial. Those ladies are freakishly HAPPY!

3. SMOTHER THE HOO-HA WITH HOO HA.  The most amazing product in cycling that I have been introduced to thus far is Hoo Ha Ride Glide. It's like deodorant in that if you don't put it on before your ride, odds are you are going to be riding alone at the back of the pack (not because your vagina stinks but because she hurts and is hindering your ability to be awesome). Squirt some of the Hoo Ha cream into your hands, rub it on your lady parts, and then rub the left over on the chamois. You'll be overcome with a nice cooling sensation that gives a little numb support and prevents chaffing. Again. Leave the panties at home! As weird to some as it may sound (I admit it, the first time I road my road bike wearing cycling shorts I had on a Victoria's Secret lacie thong and got called out for it). Panties get all tangled, bunched and rub all the wrong places. Don't risk the chaffing and damage down there. Be FREEEEEEE!

These are my 3 splurges that I consider more of a necessity now than a luxury.