Congratulations to TANYA MACNEIL for winning the most votes on the Velo Girls club jersey design contest.

Click here to see all the design submissions. And pre-order your jersey today!

Now is the time to prepare for your best cycling season ever and private coaching will help you get there in the most effective way possible. Both racers and recreational riders will benefit from focused, supervised training.

January 15th -- March 15th: for all new clients who sign up for a six-month coaching package, we'll waive the set-up fee ($150 value) and reduce the monthly coaching fee to $200/month (regularly $250).

Email coaching@velogirls.com for more information and to schedule your initial coaching consultation.

The 2008 club jersey design entries are in. Cast a vote for your favorite design. The poll closes on January 15, and the winning design (and the identity of the designer) will be revealed shortly afterwards.

Click here to see the designs and to vote.

Happy 2008. To help you meet your goals and keep your resolutions, Velo Girls Coaching Services is pleased to announce a full schedule of cycling clinics.

The new year marks the return of the Tri-Flow Women's Development Racing program in three Girls Got Race™ series of programs, and an all-new Women's Duathlon development racing program as well (take your pick from four series!). Men and women alike will benefit from the new series of Bike Skills Modules, each designed to train new racers and non-competitive riders in safe riding technique. Non-competitive riders seeking general skills and technique improvement will enjoy the return of our always-popular Girls Got Skills™ clinic.

Online registration is available and now easier. $20 instant savings are available just for registering before each clinic's signup deadline. Click here to learn more about the specific programs, schedules and registration.

For the second year in a row, Velo Girls (and some of our favorite Velo Boys), joined other northern California cycling clubs and corporations to help build bikes for at-need children. The Turning Wheels for Kids Bike Build has become a fun holiday tradition for us.

Each year, Turning Wheels for Kids receives donations to purchase bikes for various groups of at-need children. Last year was the third year of this program and they delivered 1,000 bikes to children. This year, they outdid themselves again, providing 1,800 bikes!!!

Read more...

Coach Lorri Lee Lown was recently invited to be one of a handful of presenters at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs in January 2008 for the three-day Enhancing Leadership in Womens' Cycling Conference presented by USA Cycling. Lorri jokes that this is a great honor since she's only an MBA (and most USAC presenters are PhDs). However, she has successfully charmed Sam Callan (Sport Science and Coaching Education Manager) over the years during her many visits to the Olympic Training Center as a participant in other coinferences. Lown, founder of Velo Girls, who also happens to have an MBA in Gender Relations, will be presenting on the topic of gender differences in cycling and how to develop a successful women's cycling organization.

The conference is open to coaches and non-coaches alike. If you'd like more information about registration, contact Sam Callan.

Winter is the ideal time to perfect your bike fit. Proper fit will allow you to ride comfortably and efficiently. Do you want to complete longer events in 2008? Maximize your power and speed? Then now is the time to dial in your fit and to incent you to do this, we've reduced the price of our bike fit to just $100!

USA Cycling Elite Coach Lorri Lee Lown has performed bike fit on women (and men) since 2001. She utilizes a CompuTrainer to help you optimize your pedal stroke and efficiency. She understands the unique demands of racing (road and mtn bike), touring, and multi-day events. She guarantees that you'll love your bike again!

To schedule your fit appointment, email Lorri@velogirls.com.

It's that time again: your chance to be immortalized as the designer of our 2008 club jersey. So get your fashion groove on and start drawing! We'll run the contest through December 31st so you've got plenty of time to submit your entries.

Click here to see details of the contest: prizes, deadlines, design templates, etc.

We woke Sunday morning, packed the car with the kids, the bikes, the food, the bbq and the beer and headed out to Brisbane. It seemed awfully luxurious to only have to drive 20 minutes to get to the race location, having driven a few hours each way the past month of Sundays for other cross races.

This time I was going to try something different than usual, something called "warming up". Read more...

Velo Girls Coaching Services announces it's fall coaching special. From September 15 to November 15, 2007 receive two hours of on-the-bike coaching for just $150 (a $170 value).

On-the-bike coaching can be invaluable in improving your skills as a cyclist. As a client, you pick the aspects of your cycling you'd like to work on - climbing, descending, general cycling skills, etc. Or you can receive an on-the-bike evaluation by USA Cycling Expert Coach, Lorri Lee Lown. You can even participate in a coached work-out! The sky's the limit.

Learn more...

Velo Girls scored a pair of wins - one to end the road season and one to begin the cyclocross season.

At the San Ardo Road Race on August 25th, the Tri-Flow Women's Development Racing Program (part of Velo Girls Coaching Services) was out in full force, with 9 women competing in their first road races. And September 1st marked the first cyclocross race on the Northern California racing calendar - a hot and dusty affair held in Livermore with strong representation from the Velo Girls. Read more...

If you join or renew your Velo Girls membership now, your membership is valid not only for 2008, but also for the rest of 2007! For the first 100 members who join or renew, you'll receive a limited edition, nylon Velo Girls tote bag -- perfect to carry all the essentials for your ride or whatever else you'd like!

And... Sign up or renew your Velo Girls membership early, and you can win one of several fabulous prizes to be announced later.

More info...

Beginning August 27th, our favorite mountain bike ride welcomes cyclocross riders for the fall! Meet At the parking lot at Arastradero OSP in Palo Alto for a fun, casual, all-levels dirt bike ride with some cyclocross skills practice at the end of the ride.

Beginners, experienced, slow, fast, mountain bike, cyclocross bike--all are welcome!

We'll convene at the Alpine Inn for post-ride food, libations, and girl-talk! RSVP to Janet at lafleur@earthlink.net.

If you're ready to take your cycling to an entirely new level, participating in a skills clinic is one of the best ways to do that.

Back by popular demand are three more Criterium Racing 101 clinics: in July, August, and September. Also, we've added another weekend of Girls Got Skills (September), our sell-out two day women's skills clinic and The Ultimate Cycling Skills Clinic (October), our one-day co-ed skills clinic.

Pre-registration is required for all clinics, and early registration is encouraged as space is limited and many of these programs sell out months in advance.

More info...

I've been participating in the Team Velo Girls midweek madness ride for the past few months and, after many encouraging words from team members, I decided it was time to branch out and try a real race. The timing of the Burlingame Criterium was perfect. I recently graduated from the Girls Got Skills Clinic and participated in last Saturday's Criterium Racing 101 class, I was ready to go. Read more...

I can't remember ever getting up as early as I did last Sunday. To my surprise I wasn't tired at all. I was looking forward to racing, although there were some unpleasant surprises. I was told that the course was mostly downhill, but when we pre-rode the course we found out that we had to climb some mean little hills (nothing compared to Mt. Hamilton though). When we drove to the start we got another unpleasant surprise. The start wasn't where we thought it was and we had to climb an extra short but steep hill. The team tried to convince me I would be fine, but when we were standing at the start line I was incredibly nervous. Read more...

Here's my attempt at my first race report. It's been almost 48 hours so some of the memories are already a little bit fuzzy.

Elizabeth picked me up and we listened to some happy country music on our way out into the farmland near Sacramento (don't hold it against us that we like country, ok). It was a beautiful day - clear, a light wind and 70 deg. I ate well and slept well the week before. I was very excited - nervous excited because this was my first race and I had been imagining what this day would be like for 7 weeks! When we got to the course and I saw some of the riders warming up I really started to feel the adrenaline surge through my limbs. What a rush! Read more...

March 18th marked the debut of the first Tri-Flow Women's Development Racing Team for 2007! Five fast and lovely ladies joined Team Velo Girls members in training for and racing in the Bariani Road Race in Zamora. The teams raced together smart and tactically in a full field of 50 women, and launched a late-race move that resulted in a win for Alice Fawzi (in her very first race ever) and a 6th place finish for Anna Woldring. Congratulations to all the racers on a stellar team performance.

Jason Ranoan, the race promoter, was fantastic. This was one of the most well run and fun endurance races I've ever done. About 3 weeks ago just before I registered for the race, I noticed there were a lot of singlespeed categories for both solos and teams. I asked Jason via a local forum post if he was planning on having a women's solo SS category and I got the best response ever...

Read more...

Congratulations to Sarah Clutterbuck for winning the 2007 Velo Girls club jersey design contest! Voler Team Apparel will surely transform her winning design into a stunning new jersey for Velo Girls members in 2007.

The new jersey, as well as other Velo Girls club apparel, may now be ordered through our online store. Place your order here.

Click here to see all the entries for this year's club jersey design contest, and to discover the identities of the inspired women behind them.

The Velo Girls Tri-Flow Racing Development program returns in 2007 with the first of three training series scheduled to begin on January 29. This first training program commences on March 18 with the Bariani Road Race (Zamora, CA).

Learn more about the Tri-Flow Racing Development Program, or register for other programs by visiting our Coaching section.

It was difficult to force myself to bed at 9:30 on New Year's Eve, but I figured I could party after the race. I did a pre-ride on Thursday using some race notes from last year that Evan sent out. Thanks again, Evan! They were so helpful!

I did a pre-ride of the 3.5 mile course 4 days before the race on my own. Since I was alone and the had 3 days to recover, I decided to go as hard as I could on the pre-ride so I'd be prepared for the pain on race day. I also have a new bike with less gearing options, so "spinning" up the hill was not really possible. My heart rate reached zone 5b, and I had creepy blood-like taste in the back of my throat when I made it to the top. My watch said 19:57 when I got to what I thought might be the finishing area. I set a goal for myself to come in under 20 minutes on race day.

Read more...

It was a bicycle building bonanza!

We (Lorri, Skot, Amy, Julia, George, Andrea, Christine, Janet, Lesley, Winnie, Bruce and I) came from all sides of the Bay to represent the Velo Girls in San Jose for the Turning Wheels for Kids bike build! It was a pretty early start to the day, but I knew it was going to be a good one when I was greeted with coffee and donuts... what a treat for the bleary-eyed!

Read more...

For the third time in four years, Velo Girls has been awarded by USA Cycling a Club of the Year accolade. For 2006, Velo Girls was named Women's Club of the Year, as it was in 2003. And in 2004, Velo Girls earned the prestigious title of Division II Club of the Year.

Read the official announcement from USA Cycling.

Congratulations to Yvonne Walbroehl (3rd) and Kim Natzel (5th) for top placings in the Surf City Cyclocross Series overall.

We knew it would be muddy since it had been raining, but we had no idea... Lorri picked me up and we drove over to Watsonville. It was sunny in Mountain View, but as we hit Los Gatos and Hwy 17 it was raining... pouring. We kept talking about how great this would be to experience a "real" cross race, not the hot dusty conditions we've mostly experienced. Read more...

This is what cyclocross is all about: Beautiful, healthy, athletic, slightly crazy, middle-aged women having fun with their friends.

What better way to burn off some of those excess Thanksgiving calories than to tear it up at a cross race? So I went down to Prunedale on Sunday to do the CCCX #3 race. Most of the fields were pretty small, partly because this is a smaller series (compared to Pilarcitos or Surf City), but probably also because some folks were still recovering from the holiday. Anyway, when I arrived I saw plenty of familiar faces, but none of the usual suspects from the C races I've done so far this year, and no teammates - the first time this season.
Read more...

Join Coach Lorri at Ocean Cyclery in San Francisco at 7:00PM on Thursday, November 16 for this fun, informative clinic focused on helping you make the most of your cycling experience. We'll cover the basics of choosing the right bike and the unique bike fit concerns for women, accessorizing, clothing (for function and fashion), resources for women, and we'll answer all the other questions a new cyclist might have. The fabulous Ms. Sheila Moon will be on-hand to preview all her fall and winter cycling fashions. Light refreshments and a raffle for some great prizes complete the evening.

This clinic is free for Velo Girls members, $10 for non-members. Space is limited so RSVP to sabine@oceancyclery.com. For location information and directions to Ocean Cyclery, visit www.oceancyclery.com.

Sorry, no costume to report on, maybe next year? Sunday's race was the 2nd in the Surf City series held at the Watsonville fairgrounds. I was actually looking forward to this race. I've been a bit apprehensive about the races I've done so far this year - lack of confidence for some reason.. So, Lorri picked me up and we headed over to Watsonville. We had plenty of time to ride the course before our race and see all the great costumes. (now I'm wishing I did have a costume). Read more...

I've been feeling a bit under the weather for more than a week now. I can't tell if it's a cold or allergies, but either way, it's kept me off the bike and out of the gym. But Candlestick Point has traditionally been one of my better courses, so I really wanted to race.

I attended the Sycip clinic on Saturday, not because I thought I'd learn anything new, but really to pre-ride the course with some of the more experienced racers (and check out the cute guys). During my pre-ride, I felt pretty good, but still saw stars when I tried to open it up a bit. I got great sleep on Saturday and had a restful morning on Sunday, so I was ready to race! Read more...

I guess sometimes the pre-ride is more hazardous than the actual race. At least that's how it went for me. Tthis course was pretty challenging technically. There was one spot that was particularly treacherous, a steep sandy descent ending in a left turn to a little uphill. The sand was pretty deep, too. Nevertheless, when we were doing our pre-ride I made it down that nasty little descent twice without incident. But, silly me, I had to do one more pre-ride lap. And for some reason I decided to try to hold my line on that descent instead of just going wherever the bike decided to go. Big mistake. Read more...

I was heartbroken when I learned the road racing season was ending. I felt like I had just started rolling, and now it was over. I participated in the Tri-Flow Women's Development Racing Program this summer, and it was such an empowering experience - I was hooked on racing, and thought I'd have to wait until January to race again. Boo-hoo.

In conversations with Lorri Lown, coach of the Velo Girls program, I began to notice that she used the word "cross" in almost every sentence she spoke. "What's cross?" I thought to myself, "and why is Lorri so obsessed?" When I asked her about the sport, Lorri made it clear that cyclocross is basically the meaning of life, and I could try it at an upcoming clinic hosted by the Velo Girls. Read more...

Lorri Lown and I headed out bright and early Sunday morning to our first race of the new CX season. I was all nerves, being a racing virgin and all, but Lorri was great company the whole way which was an amazing help. We arrived and were surprised by the number of women at the event. I think we had 10 women in the C class compared to the 2 Kim Natzel had reported from the year before. Maybe girls are catching on to cross? I'll definitely be jumping on that bandwagon. So we got dressed and took off for a few exploratory laps of the course getting back in time to watch the Men C group start. After they took off we fixed a few mechanical issues, got hydrated and took one more lap.

They started the Women C group 15 minutes after the A & B's. It was a Le Mans style start over a mountain of wood chips. Pretty fun but very unstable. On to the bikes and the race had really begun. We had a slow start but luckily I was able to catch up and hang behind Lorri as she passed most of the girls who had gotten a better start. Stayed that way for the first 2 1/2 laps until Lorri had a fall before one of the barriers. Silly me was still not really in a "race" mentality and was about to stop and help her up but she urged me on with a forceful "go, go, go!" So away I went. Read more...

Come hang with the Velo Girls at our party tent at the Bay Area Super Prestige Series

The fun begins October 8, 2006 at Hellyer Park in San Jose. For more information, visit www.pilarcitos.com/Cross2006.htm.

Just announced, the Velo Girls have added yet another skills clinic to their 2006 calendar. Slated for November 11, 2006, the new ALC Skills clinic is a one-day session designed especially for participants pursuing a new landmark in cycling/fitness through events like AIDS/Lifecycle.

The ALC Skills clinic will include thorough instruction in basic bike handling in the morning, and drills designed to improve group riding safety/confidence, and climbing/descending technique in the afternoon.

By contrast, the Girls Got Skills clinic in September is an intensive, two-day clinic is ideal for intermediate level recreational riders and racers! Master individual bike handling skills (including cornering, climbing, and descending) and group riding skills. Spend a fabulous weekend with women of similar interests.

[Update, 19 September: The Girls Got Skills clinic in September is now sold out!]

Learn more information about this and other Velo Girls clinics by visiting our coaching page.

It was a long "trip" getting to the 2006 San Ardo Road Race. Much longer than the 2 hrs it took on south 101. It was actually 2 years in the making for me.

Rewinding for a minute... I was a newbie rider in 2004 and was absolutely captivated by the Tour de France. I was hooked on the strategy and ability of the individuals and of the teams. It was a fascinating, complex working of individual and team pursuit of the ultimate win. After the Tour, I decided I wanted to try road racing. Read more...

Writer Mitchell Alan Parker reports that, despite a Tour de France marred by scandal this year, the sport of cycling in Silicon Valley (and the Bay Area in general) remains "vibrant and unscathed". He consulted with the Velo Girls for some insight for the magazine's sports/adventure feature piece.

EXCERPT: Bay Area Velo Girls takes the [social] club idea a step further by having an all-female organization. "I realized that women and men approach the sport very differently," says Lorri Lee Lown, president of Velo Girls. "We learn differently, we compete differently, and we encourage each other in different ways." Going on its fifth year, Velo Girls already has 1,200 members.

Click here to read the whole article.

Official results are now posted. Podium photos are available to view here, and all event photos (including race photos) may also be purchased. Click here for more information.

The first Tri-Flow Women's Development Program concluded with a successful showing at the Snelling Road Race on February 25th. The team was able to race tactically and everyone finished strong. Kudos to Anny Henry for placing an impressive 14th in her first road race!

Registration for the next program is now open. That program will conclude with competition in the Wente Road Race in Livermore on April 22nd. REGISTER TODAY

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