Team Velo Girls: The Riders

Age: 46
Residence: San Francisco, CA
Disciplines: Road Racing

Why I ride:
Because I have always loved riding a bike.

Proudest moment on a bike:
Finishing the 57.5 mile Tour for Woodside in 2009; my longest and most challenging bike ride at the time.

Who's your favorite cyclist/cycling idol:
Alberto Contador

Favorite place to ride:
Hyvinkaa, my second hometown in Finland

Favorite cycling event:
Tour de France

Favorite off-bike activity:
Running

Proudest Moment off the Bike:
My husband and I completing a daylong hike down to the Colorado River and back along the South Rim of Grand Canyon, reaching the top right before sunset.

A bit about me:
I enjoy sports, travel, reading, writing, and volunteering.

Goals for 2010 season:
To have fun, and race well with my team.

Words to live by:
Everything is possible.

Age: 46
Residence: San Francisco, CA
Disciplines: Endurance Cycling (and running)

Why I ride:
I love the way cycling makes my body feel. That moment of achievement when you're on top of the hill that just 30 minutes ago looked impossible, is a rush I will never tire of. Ultimately, I love cycling because it gives me a place I can go where I have quiet time to think. Some of my most important and best decisions have been made on my bike.

Proudest moment on a bike:
Demanding that the paramedic not cut off my favorite bike shorts while they were treating me for a few broken bones and a concussion.

Favorite off-bike activity:
I love to hike and spend time with my husband and kids.

Proudest Moment off the Bike:
I am extraordinarily proud of my children every day, and watching them develop into smart, confident young women is extremely gratifying. With a childhood history of being uncoordinated, out-of-shape, and asthmatic, I have accomplished things that I never dreamed I would do. Like climbing Half-Dome when the poles were down, and meeting my future husband in a kickboxing class.

What's in my iPod (not when riding, of course):
600 podcasts from NPR, NY Times, and the BuzzCast.

My favorite season:
Anytime it is not raining.

A bit about me:
I've been living in San Francisco since the early 80s. I work for a small publishing firm as the senior operations manager. I spend a lot of time working with numbers, though ironically, I love words. My two daughters are 12 and 14. I took up cycling about four years ago -- there was a guy involved, but now I mainly ride with women. I got married in August. My husband does not ride a bike. And, yes, I've tried!

Goals for 2010 season:
As a ride leader with the endurance team, I see 2009 as an opportunity for me to pass on some of the support and coaching that I've received from so many great women cyclists.

Words to live by:
My two rules are: Does it make sense? Would I want my daughter to do that?

Age: 52
Residence: San Francisco, CA
Disciplines: Endurance

Why I ride:
The sheer joy of movement through the outdoors - it feels like how I imagine flying would feel.

Proudest moment on a bike:
Completing 158 miles in the 2-day Waves-to-Wine tour a few years back.

Who's your favorite cyclist/cycling idol:
George Hincapie, he's the ultimate team rider.

Favorite place to ride:
North Bay/Wine Country but I'm discovering the beauty and versatility of the Peninsula - that's what's so great about where we live.

Favorite cycling event:
I have many favorites for different reasons - e.g. the Waves to Wine and Tour de Tahoe for the incredible scenery and The Cinderella for women's camaraderie.

Favorite off-bike activity:
Outdoor sports (participating and watching) and cooking for family and friends.

Proudest Moment off the Bike:
Co-authoring a research paper that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine

A bit about me:
I'm married with no kids (unless you count my wonderful Labrador Bailey) and recently "retired" from a bay area biotechnology company after 20 years. Embarking on a new chapter in my life, my hope is to be open to and to balance, the "universe of opportunities" that are available to me - increasing my time on the bike and doing yoga, continue learning, giving back to the community and environment for starters.

Goals for 2010 season:
To improve my team leadership "skills" - e.g. to always be prepared, to know more about emergency bike repairs, and how to make new riders more comfortable with biking.

Words to live by:
Treat others' as you would like to be treated.

Age: 40
Residence: San Mateo, CA
Disciplines: Endurance Cycling

Why I ride:
I love seeing the world on a bike. ItÕs home for me. I can always go to it. I feel happiest when IÕm on a bike. I also love helping people to feel the same way.

Proudest moment on a bike:
When I finished the Triple Crown in 2005. The Triple Crown is 3 double centuries in one season.

Who's your favorite cyclist/cycling idol:
Anyone who has dared to use clipless pedals

Favorite place to ride:
Up Mt Tam on a clear day

Favorite cycling event:
Tierra Bella (my very first century)

Favorite off-bike activity:
Going to the movies. Reading. Playing with my dog. Hiking.

Proudest Moment off the Bike:
Doing things I never thought possible, which occurs quite often.

A bit about me:
I work hard (and smart!) and I would do anything for those I know are my true friends.

Goals for 2010 season:
Lead several series to help women who want to do a century. I'd like to complete 5 centuries myself.

Words to live by:
"Never, Never, Never Give Up" & "Conquer We Must, Conquer We Shall" -- Winston Churchill

Age: 31
Residence: San Francisco, CA
Disciplines: Road

Why I ride:
It's the next best thing to backpacking.

Proudest moment on a bike:
Passing a group of road cyclists on a serious climb while on my mountain bike.

Who's your favorite cyclist/cycling idol:
Annie Londonderry

Favorite place to ride:
Anywhere quiet that leads to great views and has a coffee shop on the way home.

Favorite cycling event:
Marin Century

Favorite off-bike activity:
Road trips with no actual agenda.

Proudest Moment off the Bike:
Remembering all of the moves to Nintendo's Power Pad Super Team after a 15 year hiatus.

A bit about me:
I love squirrels, hard candy, and coffee.

Goals for 2010 season:
Become a dominant force in the criterium racing scene (or...maybe just stay with the pack!)

Words to live by:
All good things in life come with a consequence.

Age: 38
Residence: Moss Beach, CA
Disciplines: Cyclocross, Mountain Biking

Why I ride:
To feel the wind in my face, I love bike(s), the challenge, the fitness, and the friends!!!

Proudest moment on a bike:
Riding with my sons, Malcolm and Nate.

Who's your favorite cyclist/cycling idol:
My husband

Favorite off-bike activity:
Drinking a beer after a cyclocross race, swimming, soccer, skiing, eating, and hanging with friends!

Proudest Moment off the Bike:
Watching my son Malcolm take his first lap around the track without his training wheels on his 4th birthday. I cried!

What's in my iPod (not when riding, of course):
Face in the Crowd, Little River Band. Hips don't lie, Shakira. A few country songs...did I just admit that?

My favorite season:
Fall, Cyclocross Season, Indian summer, and Halloween.

A bit about me:
It me 10 years to get through graduate school!

Goals for 2010 season:
To earn a place with the B riders in Cyclocross.

Words to live by:
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes"-Proust

Favorite recent book: Moloka'i by Alan Brennert

[ RIDER PROFILE COMING SOON ]

Age: 33
Residence: Redwood City, CA
Disciplines: Cyclocross, Mountain biking, Endurance cycling

Why I ride:
In order to use my own power to go up mountains, get the best views, and try bakeries in far-off lands. To prove my own toughness, or validate a certain stupidity, depending on the hill grade and weather.

Proudest moment on a bike:
Completing all five passes of the Deathride on the first try

Who's your favorite cyclist/cycling idol:
Jens Voigt

Favorite place to ride:
The hills of the Bay Area Peninsula

Favorite cycling event:
Cinderella Classic, so much positivity and fun

Favorite off-bike activity:
Brewing beer at home

Proudest Moment off the Bike:
Seeing my full-page picture in Fortune magazine when my company was chosen as the Best Place to Work that year. My mom just about exploded.

A bit about me:
I like to think of myself as a superheroine with a day-job who transforms into tight clothes to save the world on two wheels. The bright pink hair certainly doesn't hurt this image, but it only becomes a superpower when people are looking for me in a crowded movie theater. I get weird food cravings (bone marrow, anyone?), love a great movie, and will use any excuse to put on a silly costume.

Goals for 2010 season:
Get my feet on a race podium!

Words to live by:
"There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them." - Denis Waitley

Age: 24
Residence: San Francisco, CA
Disciplines: Road

Why I ride:
I feel my absolute best physically and mentally when I get out and ride. The more I do it, the more I love it.

Proudest moment on a bike:
Finishing a tough climb with a smile on my face.

Who's your favorite cyclist/cycling idol:
My boyfriend, Stephen. He's my personal bike mechanic and cheerleader.

Favorite place to ride:
Living in California, it's great to have so many places to ride right in our backyard. If I had to narrow it down though, I love riding over the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin -- the views are absolutely breathtaking.

Favorite cycling event:
The Sea Otter Classic in Monterey because the whole event has such a fun vibe.

Favorite off-bike activity:
I love to swim, ski, and spend time with my friends and family.

Proudest Moment off the Bike:
Learning to wake board in a lake full of alligators!

A bit about me:
I believe the West Coast is the best coast. I've never lost a hula hooping contest. My bike has bright green handle bar tape.

Goals for 2010 season:
Build up my endurance and become a strong climber.

Words to live by:
If it's not fun, you're not doing it right.

Age: 58
Residence: Burlingame/Sausalito, CA
Disciplines: Endurance

Why I ride:
Because it is so much fun!

Proudest moment on a bike:
Reaching the top of Haleakala, Maui

Who's your favorite cyclist/cycling idol:
There are a few - mostly Velo Girls

Favorite place to ride:
San Mateo County coast

Favorite cycling event:
Ride FAR, a Massachusetts AIDS ride

Favorite off-bike activity:
Reading, preferably in the bathtub

Proudest Moment off the Bike:
Meeting my granddaughter shortly after her birth

A bit about me:
I run the family insurance business, which is actually very interesting and satisfying! I set out to get in shape about ten years ago. Two years into it, I got on a road bike, having no idea what was happening. I was 51. It grabbed my attention, and I am now entering my second year without a car, and have completed my fourth year of riding over 6000 miles. I love being a mom and a grandmother. Can't wait to get that helmet on my little granddaughter!

Goals for 2010 season:
Get a bit faster, get my climbing pace back

Words to live by:
Choose a suitable design and hold to it. - William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White, The Elements of Style

Age: 39
Residence: San Jose, CA
Disciplines: Road, Mountain, Endurance

Why I ride:
To feel unencumbered, to release stress, to be connected to my community, to have FUN

Proudest moment on a bike:
Riding my bike, 35 weeks pregnant, getting a condescending "you can do it" comment from someone passing me, then seeing his face as he realized he was passing a hugely pregnant woman.

Who's your favorite cyclist/cycling idol:
Marla Streb...she just rocks

Favorite cycling event:
Tahoe Sierra Century Favorite off-bike activity:
Reading

Proudest Moment off the Bike:
Winning Teacher of the Year for the second time.

A bit about me:
I'm a former teacher turned stay-at-home mom and Trek Woman Who Rides who aspires to try new creative endeavors and spends too much time writing rants to politicians and newspaper editorials.

Goals for 2010 season:
Start climbing like I mean it, and learn how to use the mechanics of the bike to my advantage

Words to live by:
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not. (from The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss)

Age: 43
Residence: San Mateo, CA
Disciplines: road, cross-country mountain bike, cyclocross, coaching

Why I ride:
Cycling has transformed my life and I can't stop!

Proudest moment on a bike:
Too many, really. One of the more recent experiences was racing in the Kern County Women's Stage Race in May - one year to the date of getting back on the bike after a couple of icky surgeries. I cried at the top of the 13-mile hill climb.

Favorite off-bike activity:
Playing with my puppy, Julie!

Proudest Moment off the Bike:
I can't think of one thing that stands out more than the others. I try to live my life so that my parents would always be proud of me. I try to make an impact in all that I do. I try to be good and positive and help others.

My favorite season:
When I lived in NY it was spring because spring was alive and new and green and marked the end of dreaded winter. Here in CA I'd have to say it's summer. The sun energizes me.

A bit about me:
I have the best job in the world! I help men and women improve their self-esteem and their lives by helping them succeed at cycling.

Goals for 2010 season:
My primary focus is on helping our team succeed in this new structure. As always, my goal is to get more women to ride and race their bikes!

Words to live by:
You only have one opportunity to live today. Don't miss it. You can't get it back. Run, ride, walk the dog, smell the flowers, live life everyday! This is something I wrote as a daily reminder and it pops up in Outlook every morning. I went through a period when I needed to be reminded that life is wonderful.

Age: 31
Residence: Fremont, CA
Disciplines: Mountain Biking

Why I ride:
Don't remember how young I was when I started riding, but my bike has always given me freedom. Whether it's zipping by cars trapped in traffic, going to my friends' house by myself as a kid, cruising downtown at 2 am with confidence, or reaching off-road destinations my feet alone couldn't take me.

Proudest moment on a bike:
Anytime I conquer something I could'a swore was impossible. Fast downhills, long climbs, remembering to unclip my shoes before stopping at an intersection.

Who's your favorite cyclist/cycling idol:
Dave Mirra, Missy Giove

Favorite place to ride:
At my parents' ranch, with the dogs; avoiding mesquite and wild hogs.

Favorite cycling event:
I love watching Downhill, BMX, Trials... I love riding single track... no specific event.

Favorite off-bike activity:
Making stuff with my hands: metal sculpture, gardening, tinkering with my bike, building furniture. I also love going to sprint car races and hearing live music.

Proudest Moment off the Bike:
Conquering the impossible...

A bit about me:
Passions: biking, outdoors, art education, travel, Texas chili. Pets: 2 box turtles, ball python, bearded dragon, uromastyx lizard, and a great pyrenees. Peculiarity: someday I'd like to try taxidermy.

Goals for 2010 season:
Finish every race I start, getting faster and building technical skills along the way, and have fun so I'll wanna do it again and again.

Words to live by:
"Dirt is for racin' - asphalt is for gettin' ya there."

Age: 33
Disciplines: Mountain Biking

Why I ride:
For fitness. I'm an ex-runner who turned to cycling when I couldn't run anymore.

Proudest moment on a bike:
Finishing my first race, despite the cold, rain, and hail!

Who's your favorite cyclist/cycling idol:
My fiance

Favorite place to ride:
Demo Forest

Favorite cycling event:
Sea Otter... it's great to see so many people who share a common love of bikes.

Favorite off-bike activity:
Hanging out with my beasties (dog & horse).

Proudest Moment off the Bike:
Hiking across Switzerland (the skinny part).

A bit about me:
I'm a Seattle native who moved here for work and stayed for the weather.

Goals for 2010 season:
Stay injury free!

Words to live by:
"We are what we think. All that we are arises from our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make our world." -Buddha

Age: 30
Residence: San Francisco, CA
Disciplines: Road Racing

Why I ride:
Because itÕs fun, you see places you could never experience in a car and you get a great workout!

Proudest moment on a bike:
Finishing my first century...alone.

Who's your favorite cyclist/cycling idol:
My father. He was a racer in the 70's and at 65 he still does multiple day rides in the Rocky Mountains. I hope to make him proud.

Favorite place to ride:
Marin Headlands. It's such a beautiful ride so close to home.

Favorite cycling event:
Cinderella ride. I love my tutu!!

Favorite off-bike activity:
Sitting on my couch with my boyfriend.

Proudest Moment off the Bike:
Opening an artists division at my new job.

A bit about me:
Two years ago, I moved to San Francisco from New York. While I was searching for a job, I started riding around the city on my hybrid. One day photographer Erik Butler told me about the Velo Girls and the rest is history.

Goals for 2010 season:
To race well. If I can stay in the peloton, I will be happy.

Words to live by:
Keep cycling fun. -Charles Osborn

Age: 51
Residence: San Francisco, CA
Disciplines: road biking, endurance

Why I ride:
It's fun!

Proudest moment on a bike:
Finally learned how to descend not like a weenie

Who's your favorite cyclist/cycling idol:
Has to be my husband/bike mechanic. He keeps my bike in top shape and taught me to descend not like a weenie.

Favorite off-bike activity:
Cooking for my family.

Proudest Moment off the Bike:
Lost 35 lbs., thereby avoiding becoming an old lady and requiring a major overhaul of above favorite off-bike activity.

What's in my iPod (not when riding, of course):
To my dismay, lots of oldies. I think I need to update.

My favorite season:
Summer! No rain and lots of daylight!

A bit about me:
I am a securities lawyer and mom of two daughters, Rose and Grace, and lots of pets: two dogs, Conan and Chaz, two cats, Frankie and Jonnie (I did not choose those names) and numerous fish (They have names but I don't know what they are). I love to cook (and eat).

Goals for 2010 season:
Complete the Cinderella ride with my 13-year-old, complete AIDS/Life Cycle, complete Death Ride

Words to live by:
It's not worth doing something unless you were doing something that someone, somewhere, would much rather you weren't doing. (Sir) Terry Pratchett (English Writer, b. 1948)

Age: 26
Residence: Mountain View, CA
Disciplines: Mountain biking with a little road biking

Why I ride:
I just love being outside and riding lets me enjoy the outdoors while covering some miles.

Proudest moment on a bike:
Completing a 24 hour adventure race where I biked my way through the night.

Favorite place to ride:
Skeggs. I also love the riding in Oregon, specifically the Umpqua river was breathtaking.

Favorite off-bike activity:
Catching up with my wonderful friends.

Proudest Moment off the Bike:
Spending 3 months in Southern India

A bit about me:
I simply enjoy being active outdoors and taking on new challenges.

Goals for 2010 season:
To push myself to actually MTB race as I have only biked recreationally until now.

Words to live by:
It is what it is.

[ RIDER PROFILE COMING SOON ]

Age: 30
Residence: Santa Clara, CA
Disciplines: XC Mountain Bike

Why I ride:
The challenge of the race, improving my fitness, and meeting new friends - plus it is FUN!!!

Proudest moment on a bike:
Finishing my first XC race - it was raining, I didn't know anyone else and I was very nervous.

Who's your favorite cyclist/cycling idol:
My husband because he challenges me to do more than I think I can! Rebecca Rusch, Heather Irmiger & Willow Koerber are in a three-way tie for who I want to be when I grow up.

Favorite place to ride:
It is a tie between Wilder Ranch, Corral Trail to Powerline in South Lake Tahoe, and Tractor Trail in Demo.

Favorite cycling event:
Racing the CCCX XC series is a blast - great people, everyone cheers for each other and the courses are sandy and fast.

Favorite off-bike activity:
Cooking and enjoying gourmet meals with family and friends, shopping at my farmers market, wine tasting, watching Motorcycle racing and playing with my dog!

Proudest Moment off the Bike:
Attending my first Weight Watchers meeting - it was a hurdle I needed to go over and I was the only person who could make me do it!

A bit about me:
I grew up in the Bay Area surrounded by bikes - my father raced road and track for the US Army in the 1960's. I started mountain bike riding in 2007 and am now into XC racing. I got my first road bike in 2009 to step up my XC training and found the I enjoyed riding on the road as well. I am a proud wife, older sister, a mom to our dog Lily and in my day job I am the Human Resources Manager for a law firm.

Goals for 2010 season:
To take my fitness to the next level, race Sea Otter and have fun!

Words to live by:
"You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think." - Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh

Age: 47
Residence: San Francisco, CA
Disciplines: Endurance

Why I ride:
I ride because it is fun and challenging to me.

Proudest moment on a bike:
Finishing my first AIDS Lifecycle in 2006.

Who's your favorite cyclist/cycling idol:
Alberto Contador

Favorite place to ride:
Along the Peninsula

Favorite cycling event:
Anything that is local and accessible

Favorite off-bike activity:
Hanging out with family and friends

Proudest Moment off the Bike:
Achieving my second degree black belt in Taekwondo

A bit about me:
Live in SF and work in Palo Alto, work in medical field.

Goals for 2010 season:
To get better on hills

Words to live by:
Life is like riding a bicycle - in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving. - Albert Einstein

[ RIDER PROFILE COMING SOON ]

[ RIDER PROFILE COMING SOON ]