I am a fairly ordinary 50 year old woman who happens to LOVE to ride a bike!  I grew up in a small town in upstate New York and discovered the joy of cycling at an early age. During my pre-teen and teen years, I spent countless hours on my bike exploring the country roads in and around my home town.
    Unfortunately, like many women, I found little time to exercise when I was in my 20's and 30's as a career and raising children consumed much of my time.  When I was in my late 30's, my son's Cub Scout den needed volunteers to take the boys on a 20 mile bike ride.  Although I hadn't been on a bike for a few years, I volunteered for the job (and hoped that I could actually ride 20 miles).  And I did!  My passion for cycling was suddenly reborn. 
     I then set a lofty goal for myself.  I decided that I would ride STP as my "ultimate" cycling goal.  I rode my first STP in 1999.  In 2010, I rode STP for the 10th time and turned 50 a few months later.  This year, I am participating in the BIG RIDE ACROSS AMERICA, a 7 week ride from Seattle to Washington, DC.
     Since my first STP, I have ridden in many organized (and some disorganized) cycling events.  I have found that cycling events have their own unique "personalities".  One of my FAVORITE organized rides has become Cycle the WAVE - it is truly an AMAZING event!  The ride is described as a "non-competitive women's cycling experience".  But it is so much more than that!
     Most of our local cycling events are "non-competitive".  However, these events attract many more men than women. STP typically attracts 10,000 riders and 75% of them are men.  That's a lot of testosterone!  What happens when you put 7,500 men on bicycles, tell them to ride 200 miles and tell them that this is a "non-competitive" event?  You get A LOT of men who DO NOT behave in a non-competitive manner!  And that is intimidating to a lot of women.
     By contrast, when you put a group of women on bicycles and tell them that they are participating in a non-competitive event, you get something quite magical.  You see and hear women cheering each other on!  There is a lot of laughter and a lot of fun.  But there is so much more to Cycle the WAVE.  The food is, by far, the BEST food at any cycling event in the Northwest.  The porta potties are clean and have flowers in them.  The routes are fabulous.  They were carefully thought out and are truly designed for women of ANY fitness level.
     If that was all there was to Cycle the WAVE, it would be remarkable enough.  But there is more to the story.  The mission of Cycle the WAVE is to increase awareness of domestic violence and to raise funds for Eastside Domestic Violence Program (EDVP) which has assisted more than 100,000 victims of domestic abuse.  This mission is near and dear to my heart.  I spent 18 years in a very bad marriage.  Although my husband was not physically abusive, he was verbally abusive.  I know firsthand how difficult it can be to get out of an abusive relationship.  And I am thrilled to be a part of Cycle the WAVE knowing that the funds raised will have an immediate and positive impact on the lives of women and children in our community who are affected by abusive relationships.
     I have two messages to share.  First, to all women, you are a lot stronger than you think you are!  You can push yourself physically far beyond what you think you can do.  And an event like Cycle the WAVE is a great place to do it!  And second, to women who are in an abusive relationship, you are a lot stronger than you think you are!  You can get out of the relationship, you will survive and you will end up in a much better place!

     This month we're talking about helmets. Of course, we know that you never get on a bike without one. But simply donning a helmet is not enough. For maximum protection in the unlikely event of an impact, it must fit properly and be in good condition.  

     When buying a helmet, plan to spend fifteen minutes or more to ensure correct fit. It should rest just above your eyebrows. While there is some ability to customize the fit by adding or removing padding, and adjusting the chin strap, it is important to choose the proper shell size and shape for your unique head. Have a friend hold the helmet in place while you shake your head "no." If you can do this easily, it's too big.

     When choosing a helmet, keep in mind that fit, not price, is the most important safety factor. The $35 model from the sporting goods superstore meets the same safety standards as the $200 models worn by the pros. More expensive helmets are lighter, have more air vents, and are sometimes more aerodynamic. And while the expensive ones often come in more fabulous colors, in the end, all helmets sold in this country must meet the same CPSC safety standards.

     Perhaps you have had your helmet for a while, you like it, and it fits properly. You're good to go, right? Well, yes, but only for a few years. Today's helmets offer a lot of protection with very little weight. But the material used to achieve this minor miracle only lasts so long, regardless of whether it's on your head or gathering dust in your garage. Most helmets have the date of manufacture on a label inside. If yours is more than five years old, replace it!

    Happy riding, and remember: take care of your bike (and your head), and your bike (and your head) will take care of you!  For more information, check www.helmets.org.

     Suzanne Reister and her daughter, Kalie Reister, will be riding together in this year's Cycle the WAVE Middle Sister route! That route is very appropriate since Kalie is the middle sister of three girls. Suzanne is a two-time grandma by her oldest daughter, Jamie Huber. Jamie (not pictured) will be tackling the Little Sister route this year.  None of these Wenatchee women has ridden in an organized bike ride previously. They were excited to receive their brand new jerseys from Cycle the WAVE and happily donned them for a photo opportunity!  Suzanne is a City Ambassador for Wenatchee and hopes to encourage lots more women to join her from Wenatchee as she rides this Sept. 18.  In case you see her on the ride, please wish her Happy Birthday as she is celebrating her big day with us!

     The Reister women are training for Cycle the WAVE by cycling "The Loop" which begins in Wenatchee and follows the back roads to Monitor and back. They also attend spin classes regularly and hike up to Saddle Rock. Suzanne mentioned that they also do some running but she cautions, "You probably shouldn't say that about us because they are going to think we are really buff. The truth is, we hope we can actually finish the Middle Sister route without embarrassing ourselves!"

     Cycle the WAVE is happy to welcome Suzanne, Kalie and Jamie to Issaquah for their first organized cycling event. What a treat they are in for!