May 27, 2008
LEHIGH VALLEY WHEELMEN KICK BUTT
Over the holiday weekend the Loveman and I managed to ride three times. That's very exciting for a couple with 4 monkeys. The riding in the Lehigh Valley is pretty hard to beat. For those of you that don't know the Lehigh Valley it is known as being a big training area for cyclists.
The evening we arrived we did our own ride and then on Saturday we decided to hook up with the Lehigh Wheelmen Association. They had a scheduled 45 mile hilly ride which we thought sounded like fun. Yes I know, to most people it would sound like pure torture but to us it sounded like fun.
Now when one arrives at a group ride (especially where people don't know you) you expect to get the cold shoulder accompanied by some disapproving look at your bike as if it isn't good enough for "the club ride". I knew we had one thing going for us, we ride kick ass bikes. I ride a Trek Madone 6.5 WSD and the Loveman rides a Calfee and I knew no one would have a thing to say about our bikes. If they did I would have kicked their ass.
The first guy that arrived was the group leader Neil. He walked over to us, shook our hands and was thrilled to death that we had come out for one of his favorite rides. He was genuinely pleased to have us there as special guests.
As the riders assembled (about 7 of us) each and every rider said hello, shook our hands and introduced themselves. At one point I thought maybe they were getting ready to kill us, throw us in a ditch and steal our bikes. How could they be so nice? Come on this is a group ride. Isn't anyone going to be mean and nasty?
Neil put together an amazing route that blew the Loveman and I away. Yes, the route was tough and had a ton of climbing but it didn't matter a bit. It was a great group to ride with, we had a perfect day...and the best part of the ride was that there was another women! The Loveman and I looking forward toor next ride in the Lehigh Valley with the Lehigh Wheelmen Association.
May 20, 2008
BIKE TO WORK DAY
Last week was Bike to Work Week. Last Friday, May 16th, was Bike to Work Day. Bike to Work Day is celebrated across the country and is getting bigger every year.
Bike to Work Day
participants help raise awareness of using alternate forms of
transportation which promote clean air and reduce traffic congestion.
Biking to work also improves your health and saves you money. Kind of a no brainer, right?
The night before Bike to Work Day I asked my son Liam if he had any desire in participating in the ride and rally with the Loveman and I, reminding him that I would be waking him up at 6am. Of course he enthusiastically said yes, which is exactly what I had expected him to say.
The next morning it was pouring rain and the Loveman suggested that I not wake him. I knew if I didn't wake him that he would be very upset so I went into his room, told him it was raining and asked him if he still wanted to participate in the ride. He said said yes, just like I thought he would.
We rode into town in the pouring rain and he couldn't have been happier. When we got to the rally people were snacking on bagels, donuts and bananas and drinking juice and coffee. Liam was the only kid there and he was taking it all in.
A few announcements were made, awards were given out and then there was a raffle. There were lots of cool prizes as well as a new bike for the grand prize. As they announced the final number for the new bike Liam held tightly onto his ticket. Low and behold they called his number! He couldn't believe it...actually none of us could believe it. The bike shop owner told him that he would take the adult size bike back to his shop and let Liam pick out a bike his size. What a happy day!
He rode all the way back home in the pouring rain and as he got ready for school he said, "Mom, this was totally worth getting out of bed at 6am." Now if my kid can do this so can you. We all can make a difference if we try. Now hop to it!
May 5, 2008
LACK OF LUBE IS NOT GOOD
I have always appreciated every bit of bike maintenance that Loveman the Tech has done for my bikes. After riding the bikes in Sedona I appreciate what he does more than ever.
Before I start complaining about the bad bike maintenance in Sedona I must preface it by saying that there is red clay, dirt and dust everywhere. With that being said I have never been on a bike with dryer chain in my entire life. I could actually see the dust all over the chain and it was not gliding as nicely as it should have been. It was painful to watch the chain move through all the crap on it. Of course, this affected switching gears, the brakes and in turn the overall performance of the bike. I honestly think that the people that work here just sign out the bikes and never look at them nor do they ride bikes. What a shame.
So - Here's a little basic mountain bike maintenance from the gal that barely touches her bike. Even I can handle these easy steps.
- Clean your bike after a ride.
- Get a hose with a sprayer on it.
- Don't get too much water into all the sensitive spots.
- Get a little brush and work the chain a little.
- Dry your bike off. You don't want it to rust.
- Lube your chain very well.
- Enjoy a nice lubricated chain, a clean bike and a fab ride!
A LITTLE BIKE MAINTENANCE GOES A LONG WAY! DO YOURSELF A FAVOR! KEEP YOUR BIKE CLEAN!
May 1, 2008
THE LOVEMAN MAKES A COMMENT
A few weeks ago the Loveman posted a comment on my blog for first time. He didn't make a sweet and loving comment but instead he poked fun at me. I had written a blog (see How Bad is Bad? blog) about an intense mountain bike ride that put me over the edge. He sure had a good laugh that day. For those of you that didn't get a chance to read it his comment, here it is.
One could imagine that hanging with Susan on a regular basis for the
better part of twenty years you automatically become a funnier person,
simply by osmosis! I thought I was real witty on this particular ride
as I gave Susan the new moniker, "The Trek Woman Who Walks!"
I think I need another 20 years with her as you could guess from the tone of the blog she didn't think this was funny. My bad!
About a week after the Loveman posted this comment he was riding his mountain bike in our driveway. He had just rebuilt his bike after getting his frame back from the bike shop. He decided to take the bike for a little spin. He popped a wheelie and promptly flipped back on his bike forgetting how light the bike was as well as forgetting he was clipped in. Yes, he fell right on his ass.
I received a phone call a few moments later requesting our insurance information as the Loveman was headed to get his pelvis x-rayed. He thought he had broken his hip but luckily he just badly bruised his back end.
I'm still trying to figure out what's worse, being called "The Trek Woman Who Walks" or "The Guy That Falls on His Big Butt?
April 21, 2008
REACTIV CYCLE JACKET
This whole story totally had me cracking up. An American inventor, Michael Chen, that lives in the UK has won an international design competition. He won a £6,000 prize for his Reactiv cycle jacket, which changes color as the cyclist brakes.
The inspiration for the jacket came from wanting to feel safer when cycling the streets of London. He said, "I cycled round London in the dark wearing my first
prototype. It was a £10 waterproof jacket with LEDs stuck on by gaffer
tape." He continued, "For the first time, I noticed that cars passed me
more slowly, gave me more room, and that the drivers and passengers
were even making eye contact."
Here's how the jacket works. It uses an accelerometer to sense movement, changing the
color of LEDs on the back from green when accelerating, then to red
when braking. A tilt switch in the jacket also makes LEDs in the arm flash amber when the wearer lifts their arm to indicate a turn.
Clearly this guy is onto something. How many times have you attached a blinking light to a pocket on your jacket? I'm thinking of contacting this guy to see is he'll design one for me. If not, I'll give the Loveman some gaffer tape, a few LEDs and tell him to get on it! After all, he is Loveman the tech and this should be right up his alley.
April 6, 2008
DEMO DAY IN THE PARK
What a happy day! Yesterday I had the pleasure of driving 35 minutes from my house to Patapsco State Park. The event? DEMO DAY AT PATAPSCO PARK with Bella Bikes and Race Pace! It was about 60 degrees and the sun was shining. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.
When I arrived I checked in at the WSD Demo trailer with Chris "shop girl" Garrison. After a big hello she noticed Slick (my Trek 2008 Madone 6.5 WSD) leaning up against a table (a big bike no no). Chris belts out, "Who propped their bike up like this?" Yep it was me the total bike moron. I couldn't even blame it on my kids because they weren't even there yet. She then explained to me the proper way to lean your bike. Always on the back wheel. That way you aren't leaning the frame or front of the bike on anything. She demonstrated (see photo) several different places she could stand my bike up while leaning it on the back wheel. To tell you the truth I always felt like whenever I leaned my bike anywhere I would cross my fingers and hope that it wouldn't fall. Thanks Chris for a simple yet very valuable lesson. Duh. See...and I'm not afraid to share that I had no freakin' clue how to properly lean my bike. Shop Girl is a wealth of information.
Next I had her check my gears, take apart my headset and straighten it out and I even had someone else put air in my tires. I'm such a bike diva. Once I was all set up I took a nice long road ride and got to do the biggest baddest kick ass climb in the area. Its an 18% grade long climb and it really wakes your legs up. Can you say fun on a bike?
After my road ride I headed back to the demo trailer and Shop Girl souped me up with the Trek 2008 Fuel Ex 8 WSD (have I mentioned that there is nothing like this bike?). I've been on this bike before but I swear to god its like being reunited with an old flame. UNBELIEVABLE!
Then the spoiled bike diva (that's me) got to go out and hit the trails. I rode with Angela from Trek Travel who hadn't been on a mountain bike since she was 16! She was a little nervous at the start and I helped her work through it and she did awesome. We had a ton of fun and chatted the whole ride. Needless to say she was high as a kite when we were done and I guarantee her butt will be back out on a mountain bike within the month. It's so addictive!
What a great day, what a great life, what a good time!!! Now get out and ride dammit!
March 17, 2008
JUST DRINK THE KOOLAID
In case you haven't figured this out yet, I'm an enthusiastic person. I get excited about pretty much everything. I love life, I live in the moment and I love to share how I feel. Some people like it and I'm sure others find it annoying, and that's ok.
Jim and I have been friends with a couple, Jen and Ron, for a little over a year. They are a very physically fit or should I say "naturally" physically fit. They have both been runners their whole lives and they're a bit high strung (in a good way) so they are always burning calories. I shared my love of biking with Jen and took her on her virgin ride months ago (see Lose Your Panties blog) and she totally got hooked. She now has a bike that the Loveman built for her and she rode 17 miles on Sunday. GO JEN!
Her husband Ron was on the cycling team at Penn State. Can you say gifted? Nothing like a guy that is 6'1" and weighs 170! Poor thing! Ron was always intrigued and excited about the Trek gig (one of my biggest blog fans) and the Loveman and I begged him since the day we met him to go riding with us. He was always full of BS excuses such as "My bike is so old" or "I have no time" or "I don't know if I can do it anymore." Loveman and I kind of laughed in his face and said, "If you hopped on a bike today you could easily kick either of our butts."
The day I got back from the National Bike Summit we had dinner with Jen and Ron and my biking enthusiasm was oozing out of every pore. Ron said, "I need to get a bike." His wife agreed that it was a life or death situation. For real. He had been sucked into the corporate treadmill and never had any time for years to do something that was so near and dear his heart. The Loveman and I told him he needed a Madone andtheLoveman agreed to take him out shopping the next day.
The next day I called a new friend and Trek dealer, Jeff Dalik from the Bike Doctor in Linthicum, that I had just met at the National Bike Summit and asked him if he had a Madone 5.1 size 58cm. Jeff laughed and said, "I have one Trek Madone left and that's the one."
Needless today they drove 45 miles that day to get the bike and Ron hasn't been the same since. He's like a little kid or happy as a pig in *&%#! He says the bike "takes off and rides by itself". It all sounds vaguely familiar but so true. Bottom line, I'm just thrilled that Ron has gotten his life back and I can't wait to attack him out on the road....and then feel the wrath of the counter attack! Look out!
January 30, 2008
THE LOVEMAN IS LEAVING ME
While I was in the Bahamas the Loveman was pretty sick and did the majority of his weekend childcare from his bed. Of course I felt horrible when I heard this. There is nothing worse than watching four kids when you feel like someone has beat the crap out of you.
Today he left work early and went to the doctor. When he walked in the door he looked pretty bad. He told me that he had strep throat and the doctor said he had to stay home for at least 24 hours. He was truly bummed about this but relieved to know that this was why he had been so sick.
About 20 minutes before he walked in the door I received an email from Trek letting me know that my brand spanking shiny new 2008 Madone 6.5 WSD was on its way to my house. After reading this email I just about cried. I started thinking about where it would live in the garage, how I would feel when I saw it, what would I wear when I rode it and would my helmet and shoes match the bike. I felt like a new mom bringing a baby home from the hospital. I was so excited I could barely contain myself!
So after Jim told me about the strep he said, "Well, how was your day?" I didn't know what to say. I hated to hit a man while he was down but I was overflowing with joy and happiness...so I told him. "My new bike is on its way!" He stared at me in disbelief for about five minutes. Finally he cleared his soar scratchy throat and said, "You suck." I clearly wasn't feeling the love. He then told me he was going lick my keyboard, steering wheel and anything else that I was about to come in contact with. He was not so pleased with his bike spoiled Woman Who Rides.
The bike should be here in a day or two and I trying to butter him up and get him ready to assemble the bike as quickly as humanly possible. I guess putting up with his crankiness for a little while is a small price to pay for a fabulous new 2008 Madone 6.5 WSD. I'm thinking about letting him take it out for a spin. We'll see.
January 18, 2008
DON’T MAKE FUN
A couple of months ago I received a Trek care package and in it was a bright yellow florescent all weather jacket. When I modeled it for the Loveman he chuckled and made fun of it a little bit.
When I spoke to Krista, the Trek WSD brand manager she said, “Tell him it’s not for fashion but for safety.” Yes, the Loveman knew that but he just felt the need to tease me a little.
Well low and behold the first day the Loveman commuted to work he wore the jacket and looked great! When he walked in the door that night he was glowing in my bright yellow fluorescent jacket. He loves it and won’t commute without it! I definitely don't have to worry about people not seeing him! Safety first!
December 29, 2007
HAVE I LOST MY MIND?
Today is my wedding anniversary. The Loveman and I have been married for 17 years. Yes, I got married when I was 5 years old. In honor of our special day I felt the need to write about the Loveman.
The Loveman is the king of wish lists. He has running lists all year round and 90% of the things on his lists are either bikes, bike parts or bike clothing. I make fun of him 24/7. How can someone need so much bike stuff? How can someone need so many bikes?
This Christmas he had his usual big old list. One of the items was a Trek Portland urban bike. Big surprise.
He recently started a new job and it is about 8 miles from our house. He says that he has added time to his life with such a short commute. He also talks about how he is going to ride his bike to work. Within the same breathe he talks about the perfect commuter bike, the Trek Portland.
Yes, he has several bikes but shouldn't he have one specific to each and every riding occasion? I guess so. Needless to say, Santa brought him a new bike for Christmas. I think I may have lost my mind...or I'm the greatest wife in the world. Now I know why he has hung around so long.
December 25, 2007
MY WISH CAME TRUE
I woke up Christmas morning to the pitter-patter of my 7 year old’s feet. He was happy to inform me that Santa had come to our house. I was thrilled to hear that, as I knew it would have been a sad day if he had skipped us due to bad behavior.
We all received some super fab prizes such as a karaoke machine, a drum set, jewelry and stuffed animals. It was a fantastic morning. Just when I thought my day couldn’t get any better my neighbor and his wife called asking if the Loveman and I wanted to go riding. I couldn’t believe my ears! I had been secretly trying to figure out how I could sneak a ride in all morning. The power of positive thinking really works.
Within minutes my neighbor’s children were at the door ready to babysit our monkeys. The Loveman and I ran out as fast as we could and returned a couple of hours later. It was a beautiful ride and we had many chuckles over all of the “What the hell are you doing on your bike on Christmas day” looks that everyone gave us.
What a fabulous present and what a fabulous Christmas! The four of us had so much fun that we decided we need to make this a Christmas tradition. Count me in!
December 21, 2007
I DID IT!
I got up this morning feeling bloated and a bit hung-over from all the holiday partying I have been engaging in. I immediately started thinking about all of the things I needed to accomplish in the day. As usual, the list was pretty big.
Before I could get moving on anything I told the Loveman that I really wanted to ride Sweetness. He looked at me and said, “Well you can and you should.” With that he headed out to the garage to give Sweetness the once over.
I layered up my cycling clothes complete with toe warmers and booties and off I went for a ride. I rode 20 miles and it wasn’t fast and it wasn’t long but I got out for a ride. It was some of the most relaxing time I’ve had in a while. I was able to think about what I have ahead of me over the next few weeks and as well as what I need to accomplish over the next 72 hours. We’ll see how I do.
I’m already trying to figure out how to get out on x-mas day for a quick ride. It’ll be my present to myself.
November 20, 2007
GET OUT OF THE ROAD!
One of the most appalling things I have ever heard recently took place while the Loveman and our friend Jason were taking a ride. They were riding in one of our favorite areas on a paved road with a huge shoulder. They started to make a right turn and had to move a little toward the white line to avoid a large pothole. Suddenly they heard a voice come over a loud speaker. The voice said, “Get out of the road!” No it wasn’t god; it was a blue unmarked police car. Unfortunately, the Loveman and Jason were turning and were unable to get the license plate off the car.
When they came home and told me what had happened I was appalled. The police are the people that are supposed to protect us and keep the roads safe for everyone. What a great example they are setting. Clearly this officer missed the part about sharing the road during his training. What an idiot...and who uses a loud speaker to sneak up behind a couple of riders and scare the living daylights out of them? Give me a break!
Needless to say I was a little fired up about this. I called and emailed our local law enforcement agency and they too were appalled by the incident. They conducted their own internal investigation and sent me a very nice email.
“These types of actions by our law enforcement officers are by all means unacceptable and not to be tolerated. Public trust and confidence in our officers is paramount in our profession and actions such as this only diminish our standing. I will have each Patrol Supervisor go over the "Rules of the Road" with their respective shift at role calls and hope everyone gets the message.”
I hope everyone gets the message too.
November 14, 2007
SHE’S A MAN, BABY!
Ok, so I clearly have a bladder control problem (see 10/15 blog) but I almost peed when I read this letter. It totally cracked me up. I just had to put it out there for all my peeps to read. Hopefully you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.
Bicycling Magazine – November 2007
“I made the mistake of purchasing my first road bike at a department store instead of a bike shop. I had no help deciding which bike would best suit my needs. Now I have a gorgeous Trek 1000 WSD. I am, however, not a woman. I will definitely buy from a bike store next time, but for now I am too embarrassed to take my bike in for help."
SSGT Charles Virgil, Ramstein, AFB, Germany
Charles won the letter of the month for Bicycling Magazine. Could this be funnier? I love it! Bottom line, the boys love the bikes too!... except 90% of the them are too afraid to admit to it. Bring on the WSD bikes! Everybody wants them!
November 10, 2007
TREK CARE PACKAGES
Part of being a Trek Woman Who Rides is that I get sent the most incredible care packages every couple of weeks. When I hear the rumble of the UPS truck I start to get the jitters. I stop whatever I am doing and run to the window to see if the UPS man is coming to see me. If I am not home Loveman the Tech takes it upon himself to receive and open my boxes. He told me that as Loveman the Tech he has every right to check out and test all my gear for safety and durability before I go anywhere near it.
Trek has given me some of the neatest stuff. In the last shipment I received nicely lined thick Trek leg, arm and knee warmers. I've never used knee warmers before but let me tell you they beat the heck out of a full leg warmer on an in between day. 
I also got a couple of WSD Trek winter jerseys with holes for your thumbs! I don't know what rock I have been living under but I have never seen such a thing! And the jerseys have hoods that fit nicely under your helmut. Yes, you look a little like a teletubbie but they keep your head, neck and ears really warm. On top of that I even got a fantastic rosey WSD Trek soft shell jacket and a nice black and red wool Trek cap that the Loveman would have stolen if I hadn't caught him.
When I got to the bottom of the boxes I heard a faint whining and then someone said "Hi Mommy!" I pulled
away some of the packing and what to my wondering eyes did appear but Kiley and Seamus! Now back on Halloween (See 11/1 blog) I had lost a couple of monkies during a haunted walk so finding them was quite a relief. How the hell they got to Trek I have no idea...but I do have my suspicions based on the photos. So thank you Trek for taking good care of my children and sending them back to me in one piece. I would have never found them without you!
September 17, 2007
LOVE ON THE BIKE
Sometimes when there is a lot of tension in a relationship nine times out of ten it is because the couple hasn’t had sex in ages. Sex in pretty important in keeping a relationship alive. Once you have sex it's like you have broken the ice and presto you like your partner again. It is a magical moment that immediately makes any wrongdoings right again. It is the cure all for the relationship blues. I’m sure that anyone that has ever been in a relationship can relate to what I am saying.
This past week was pretty intense for me. The show I was producing and performing in, Woman on the Rag, was opening and I was completely and totally out of my mind. I had a lot to accomplish before the show opened and I was working my ass off, not to mention I have four little monkies that needed some attention. The Loveman was very helpful all week. He was assuming his position as Susan Mele’s (a.k.a. Roxi Starr’s) personal assistant, father of our monkies, sound mixer for the show, punching bag when needed and of course, Loveman the Tech. Bottom line there was not a lot of time for intimacy and the tension was building. AND...I had not been on Sweetness in five days...not good.
Overall, my opening weekend went really well. I arrived home at 1am on Saturday night after my show. I was exhausted. The Loveman was up doing laundry and asked me to hang up a couple of random clothing items. Well that just set me off. I thought to myself, "Does he have any idea of what kind of a week I had and now he wants me to put away laundry?" Clearly the tension was building between us. I went to bed ticked off. I was lying there thinking about how I could throw him out of bed after he fell asleep. When I woke up I started getting ready for a 50 mile ride that we were doing with our cycling club. Because I am a woman I was unable to drop the fact that I was not very pleased with his behavior. Women have the uncanny ability to hang onto things for a long time...sometimes weeks, days and even months. We started to leave the house and I was not feeling a lot of love toward him if you know what I mean. I put my ipod on low and hopped on my bike. He looked (more like glared) at me then ripped out of the driveway in a huff and made me chase him to the club meeting spot. The whole way there my blood was boiling. How dare he leave me in the dust and ditch me before we even get to the meeting spot? When I arrived the ride took off. I was nowhere near him for fear that my my emotions would overtake me and I might get crazy and push him off his bike. But on a happier note my hormonal explosion was giving me a lot of energy on the climbs. Eventually the Loveman rolled up next to me and I started taunting him. Next thing you know we are having a full on ball busting nasty argument while we were riding. Once our discussion came to a lull my friend Jeff rode up next me and said, “I think next time you really need to tell him exactly how you feel.” Smart ass.
We continued riding another 30 miles. My endorphins were flowing and I was totally in the cycling groove. I was having a blast chatting with friends, Sweetness was performing nicely and I couldn’t have been happier. Every time the Loveman came near me we would harass each other in a playful way. I think I may have even smacked his butt a couple of times. When the ride ended we stopped with the group for coffee and had a nice casual ride home. It was as if we were never even pissed off at each other. The ice had been broken and the tension relieved…by working it out on the bike. A good ride can be like sex…and yes, it can also lead to sex if you’re not careful. Beware, the bike can be more powerful than you think.
September 12, 2007
THE NEW MAN IN MY LIFE
After I won the Women Who Ride contest we were all asked to pick a local shop that we wanted to use as our personal bike shop. They wanted this shop to be a place that we were familiar with in our area and felt comfortable using when we needed bike help. Loveman the Tech had pretty much been to every shop in Maryland. (As a matter of fact, I think all the money we have saved for our monkies' education has already been spent supporting bike retailers). I had only been to a few shops in our area and after I mentioned it to the Loveman he said, “Well, who are you using?” For me, this was a no brainer. I immediately said, “Joe’s Bike Shop in Mt. Washington.” He nodded his head and told me I had made a good choice. He had been to Joe’s Bike Shop (also known as Mt. Washington Bikes) several times and I had only been there a couple of times.
The first time I walked into the shop was a few years ago and I remember thinking “I wonder if I’ll get to meet Joe?” I’ll admit I was a little nervous at first. 
I can’t help it but I kind of feel like all the guys in the back snicker when I woman walks in. Sorry, but some chics feel that way and a lot of guys do stupid stuff like that. You know, the male intimidation factor. But much to my surprise I met a nice, handsome, soft-spoken, easygoing guy.
When I left I thought, “I wonder is that was Joe?” Being a little shy (which I am normally not), I never asked his name. The second time I met him I was at the 2nd annual She Got Bike Festival. He was hanging in the Trek demo trailer answering all the women’s questions about bikes, bike maintenance and god knows what else. This guy totally knows what he’s talking about and he says things in a non-condescending manner that doesn’t make you feel like a total bike idiot….a very impressive quality. So of course, when I had to pick a shop Joe’s Bike Shop came to mind.
When I walked in the shop yesterday I was a little anxious because I knew I had to tell Joe what was wrong with Sweetness. I had gotten caught in the rain on a ride and my shoe slipped while getting back into my pedal. Loveman the Tech had looked at it and said, “Wow, that must have been a pretty good fall. It looks like you bent your rear derailleur and I don’t have the tool the fix that.” I took a deep breath and told Joe what happened.
I was ready for him to laugh outloud and then run to the bathroom and laugh even harder. He did no such thing. He put Sweetness in the repair stand, fixed the rear derailleur, cleaned the chain and gave me a really sassy Joe’s Bike Shop women’s t-shirt and a cool cap for the Loveman and I to fight over. He even said he was going to try and see Woman on the Rag. Sweetness looked so great that we even posed for some photos. As Joe walked me out to the car I thanked him and thought to myself, “Watch out Loveman the Tech…it looks like you’ve got some real competition.”
When I got home I told the Loveman about my visit with Sweetness just to see if I could get a rise out of him. He turned me and said “Don’t worry honey I’ve got an awesome set of tools.”
September 10, 2007
WHY THE HECK DID SHE WIN?
OK ...Here’s my essay. 
When I first saw your ad for Trek Women Who Ride I thought to myself, “this is so me”. I am definitely the poster chiclet for Trek. No, I am not some buff athlete that races for a living. I am the mother of four small monkies who has used her bicycle as her saving grace. Without my bike I could easily become a horrible, fat, angry, out of shape mother and wife. Who wants to be around that person? Not me! Through my bike I have been able to channel my mental, physical and social needs in such a way that it has completely changed my life.
Over the past seven years I have been pregnant for forty months, gained two hundred ten pounds, lost two hundred ten pounds and nursed for a total of forty eight months….not to mention my body has a been a hormonal battlefield. My bike has gotten me through all of this. Without cycling I would be a mess. Some women eat, some take happy pills and some beat their husbands. I made the decision a long time ago that I didn’t want to do any of those things.
Physically I have used my bike to keep me in shape during each of my pregnancies. I rode until my sixth month of each pregnancy and then stopped riding when I could no longer reach the handle bars….of course I continued taking spinning classes up until the day I delivered. Once I delivered I was back on my bike within seven days and I even have the pictures to show it! I knew it was the only way I could get out of the house and remain sane as well as drop fifty five pounds. Unfortunately I am not one of those women whose baby weight just falls off. I needed my bike and luckily I was able to lose all of my weight after each pregnancy.
Getting up and out of bed, managing my family, holding down a part time job and keeping my life together is pretty hard. Getting my kids taken care of, preparing my bike and riding for thirty miles every other day is even harder. But I do these things because I know I can eventually get out on the road, get some good exercise, clear my mind, get my endorphins going and feel totally refreshed when I get off my bike. I am always a much nicer person to be around after a ride. I not only ride for myself but for my seven year old Liam, my five year old Fiona, my three year old Kiley, my eleven month old Seamus and of course my husband Jim.
I am a huge advocate for using your bike to make a total lifestyle change. My bike is my life, my religion and my world. There is nothing I would love more than to share these passions and my story with Trek.
September 7, 2007
FEAR OF THE FLAT
Yesterday I went out for a ride in the morning. I only had an hour because I had to be out of the house in 2 hours to get my four monkies to a shoot for a national butter commercial…which is a whole other story. They had to be clean, happy, dressed, fed and well groomed. Not an easy task for anyone, even their mother. The kids were almost ready and the Loveman was home. I promised them I would be back in an hour. I was looking pretty hot in my new Trek discovery jersey that I had just gotten in the mail. I was having an “I love Trek so much” moment and I needed to ride my bike especially since I knew that the rest of my day was going to be about all about kid wrangling on the set. As I rolled out of the driveway I said to myself, “The only thing that can throw me off schedule would be if I got a flat”. I started my journey and after about 7 miles I heard a strange scraping noise. No, I wasn’t dragging one of my monkies behind me, I had a gotten a flat. A big old finishing nail was stuck in one end of the tire and coming out the other. I pulled over to check it out and assess the situation. I seriously thought about leaving the nail in because there wasn’t any air coming out. Yes, I know that’s a pretty stupid thought but bottom line is I hate changing tires. Why? Because I suck at it.
Time for a confession. Susan Mele, one of the 5 Trek Women Who Ride has only changed 4 flats in her life. I know what you’re thinking. “She is so lame!” Let me explain. First of all, I live with Loveman the Tech. Do you think I ever touch my bike? I have oiled my chain maybe once or twice and I put air in my tires on occasion if the Loveman doesn’t get around to it. I’ll admit that deep down I have a real fear of bike maintenance. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat thinking “Oh my god, if something ever happens to Loveman the Tech who will take care of Sweetness?"
As I was standing on the side of the road I decided to call the Loveman. I don’t know why or what I was even thinking. Maybe deep down I was just looking for someone to rip on me for being such a bike maintenance tard. To his credit, he was very nice to me. He kept asking me if I wanted to him to come, with all four monkies, and pick me up. I said no and about 10 minutes later I had the tire back on and I was about to fill it. In the past (when I changed my 4 flats) I had used a CO2 adapter that was not threaded. I didn’t bother to check this out and as a result I let all of my air out of the cartridge before I realized I had to screw the adapter on. Can you say dumb ass? At this point I had no choice but to call the Loveman. The whole family came to pick up mom on the side of the road. As he pulled up he rolled down the window and said “What did you do rub your chain all over your body?” After I got in the car and we reached the first stoplight he turned to me and said “I think you’ll be ok if you take your helmet off for the ride home. Your seat belt should do the trick if we get in an accident.” I guess I am a bit of a bike tard.
August 20, 2007
THE REAL LOVEMAN
Not many woman can boast of having their own bike tech. I am a pretty lucky gal. Without Loveman the Tech I feel like my bike would have fallen apart or I would have been stranded on several occasions. 
I would love to share a little bit about my favorite person and where he got the name "Loveman the Tech". Loveman and I have been married almost 17 years and we clearly enjoy each others company on and off the bike. He thinks I am a little crazy (because I am an artist) and I think he is a little bit of a mad scientist (because he is a biochemist). All in all we balance each other quite nicely...BUT when it comes to bikes he is a complete and total lunatic. He lives, eats, sleeps and breathes bicycles. Our garage has been transformed into a bike shop. We own 9 bikes, not including the kids bikes, and at any given time we can have an additional couple of bikes in our garage. Anytime he is talking bikes with friends (which is all the time) he always makes of point of telling them to bring their bikes over any time for maintenance. He loves fixing bikes, building bikes, cleaning bikes, racing bikes, talking about bikes and most importantly buying bikes. He knows more about bikes, bike parts and bike rags than I know about giving birth and I have four monkies! I am not sure if it is an illness that needs to treated or just something that I will have to live with for the rest of my life. About two years ago I realized that maybe there was no turning back for Loveman the Tech. 
We were at a bike race in Pennsylvania with our 3 monkies. I had been begging him for 2 months for a fourth monkey. His answer was always the same, "There is no way that we can afford 4 monkies". I had pretty much given up on him until I saw his eyes pop out of his head as he watched one of the riders speed by. He turned to me and said "That's my next bike". Of course I told him that there was no way in hell we could afford the bike and he wasn't getting it. I also pointed out that he already had 6 bikes. He then used his super nice persuasive voice and said "But this will be my midlife crisis bike". Now mind you he was no where near a mid-life crisis as he had just turned 39. Suddenly a light bulb went off in my head. I immediately turned to him and said "If you want that bike than I want a baby". Without skipping a beat he happily agreed.
Two days later we sealed the deal, 3 days later Loveman ordered his new bike and 9 months later Seamus Henry arrived. To this day Loveman believes that he got screwed in the deal. He thinks he should have asked for a new bike every year. Oh well, its too late now!
August 13, 2007
THE BEAST WITHIN
I have never had any real separation anxiety. I am not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. One day I snapped and learned something new about myself. After I had finished the California Aids Ride the Loveman presented me with a gift...a brand new carbon fiber gold Trek 5000. He figured that after I had
completed a 580 mile ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles that I deserved something really special. I am completely embarrassed to admit this but I was really upset with him when he gave me my new bike. In my defense, I was really attached to my Trek 2100 aluminum bike, it was the nicest bike I had ever owned. He tried to tell me that my new Trek had better components, was several pounds lighter and much faster than my old Trek. I didn't care. I didn't ask for a new bike and I didn't want a new bike. I was acting like a spoiled brat. To be perfectly honest, I couldn't get past the fact that I loved the midnight blue color of my old bike as well as the fact that my helmet and shoes matched perfectly. These are the things women think about. I wouldn't have cared if the new bike had rockets that shot out of the back or if it massaged my thighs while I was riding, I wanted my old bike back. How dare he screw up my perfect color scheme that I worked so hard to create? I had built an entire wardrobe around this bike and he was basically asking me to look like a color blind non-fashionable bike idiot. I was pissed off. Yes, I was acting like a total diva and really had no right to be. He kept trying to explain to me that I wasn't comparing apples to apples. Like a typical woman (never happy no matter what) I was ready to take the loveman's life. Poor guy...he was just trying to do something nice for me. Yes, I eventually started feeling guilty. I figured I would appease him and take it for a spin. He was right! The bike was really great and I felt like I had lost weight without ever losing any! A major selling point for a woman. A week later we had a garage sale and someone bought my bike rather quickly. I was sad but I swore I would never let go of Goldie...until I was tempted by the fruit of another, the Madone.
August 6, 2007
MY ENCHANTED LIFE
I was traveling for work in Las Vegas when I got an email from my husband. He wrote, "Since you live the enchanted life you should check this out and enter". At first I thought to myself, how condescending can a person be? I kind of understood where he was coming from. I had just recently become one of the 40 finalists for
Nickelodean's Funniest Mom in America and my luck was working for me at the time but my life was anything but enchanted. During the past three years we had lost our house in a hurricane, our daughter was almost killed, our dog was hit by a car and died, we had been robbed a couple of times, our car was totaled and we had four children under the age of six. I wasn't really thinking enchanted, I was thinking more like a train wreck. Of course my curiosity was peaked by his bold statement and I went to the Trek website to check out what he was talking about. After reading about the contest I figured it had my name written all over it. All I had to do was convince Trek that I was a strong, capable, multi-tasking woman who loved to ride her bike. Mind you, I couldn't win a race but I could ride for hours and talk a mile a minute the entire time. I kept reminding myself that it wasn't about competing, being fast or looking good on the bike, it was about loving to ride. So I wrote an essay and spoke from my heart about something that rocks my world . I have never knitted, sewed, crocheted or scrapbooked but heck I can roll out of my driveway and ride the hell out of my bike! As I emailed my entry I had a feeling in my bones that my life was about to become enchanted again and my husband was going to be really jealous.
