Super cool women doing neat things on bikes

"Women’s pro cycling team, Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling, today announced a major new sponsor that will provide female cyclists with a greater share of the economic benefits that have for years only gone to the men."

http://www.wigglehonda.com/launch/dreamteam/record-sponsorship-delivers-real-wages-to-women-cyclists/

Wehhh!

I'm quite surprised that there was no claim of a women circumnavigating the globe on a bicycle before;

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9763072/Juliana-Buhring-becomes-first-woman-to-cycle-round-the-world-as-she-pedals-into-Naples-after-152-days-on-the-road.html

I find this much more impressive than the bike ride.

Her trainer was an Italian sports scientist who works with professional race cyclists

Uh-oh. :)

(Not meaning to diminish her achievement.)

A woman on a bike doing... something

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/31/world/americas/mobile-factory-with-hope-for-a-better-life-mexico-city-journal.html?hp&_r=0

^ Something - something cool for so many reasons.
http://prix2012.aec.at/prixwinner/7182/

I still don't understand what I'm looking at.

Really? She's an artist employing local skillz to embroider digital circuits (using conductive thread) and paying them US min wage.

Easy to do when you have no factory. Poor people, sitting in that unbearable Mexican sun all day. There oughta be a law...

Really? She's an artist employing local skillz to embroider digital circuits (using conductive thread) and paying them US min wage.

I got that much.... I've just realized there is a video that I cant see

Oooh

fail

This woman has an AWESOME dog. I might take Ripley on a round the world tour.

http://files.happiness-around-the-world.com/200000179-6871d696b3-public/Onni%20i%20ja%20bic2.jpg

http://www.happiness-around-the-world.com/

And speaking of awesome round the world women, looks like That Emily Chappell - formerly Emilia of this parish - will be speaking at Look Mum on the 31st before she heads off for the Americas.

http://thatemilychappell.com/

Awesome. Should totally round up some ladies from here to go see her.

Nicole Cooke's retirement statement: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/jan/14/nicole-cooke-retirement-statement

*Perhaps one of the best memories of my cycling career came when I was a Youth age competitor. There was no British Championship Youth Road Race for me to ride.

My Dad looked closely at the rules and found a bylaw that enabled Youth age competitors to compete in Junior road events once they had attained the age of 16, even though they were still Youth Category. He then found another rule that said if there was no Junior event of equivalent standing, which was the case here, entrants were automatically eligible to ride the Senior equivalent event. Dad checked it all with the organiser of the Senior British Women's Road Race Championships Jon Miles to see if it was all ok, and it was. And so I rode my first British National Road race Championships having just turned 16, by being a Youth riding up as a Junior and because there was no Junior race I could compete with the Seniors! Winning that Senior title astounded a lot of people and winning this race is one of my favourite memories. Indeed, I still keep in touch with Jon who was very supportive at the time and took the care and time to talk to the small school girl asking for advice about the course.*

CTC also has a pro cycling team now for women: http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/536531/ctc-women-s-racing-team-launches.html

Oh, thank god, they've managed to illustrate that article with proper pictures. The CTC used photographs of women's manicures to illustrate the same story on their own website. I felt so embarrassed for them.

Here's the Facebook thingy for Emily's talk at LMNH and blurb for non-Facebookers:

A former London cycle courier, Emily set off to cycle round the world in September 2011, and since then has pedaled her way through Europe, survived winter in the frozen mountains of Eastern Turkey and Western Iran, dodged the police in Balochistan and Qinghai, conquered the 4,800m Khunjerab Pass between Pakistan and China and battled through the heat and headwinds of the Taklamakan Desert to complete the Asian leg of her journey. Well known for her popular and award-winning blogs, she is passing through London on her way to the Americas, will be giving a talk at Look Mum No Hands, and is looking forward to sharing her stories.

6.30pm, Thursday 31 January, Look Mum No Hands, 49 Old St EC1V 9HX

Aye the manicured hands thing in CTC mag was a tad much...maybe I should moan as I am a member. However, fair play to them!

maybe I should moan as I am a member

Exactly. WTF is a charity doing sponsoring a cycling team? Aside from placing CTC in the deeply dodgy company of Livestrong, it seems like a total waste of energy and money, preaching to the converted and undermining what should be a core value of the organisation, that cycling is not just about lycra-clad athletes. I'm pretty sure the values of the CTC could be advanced to greater effect and for less money by any number of other activities without getting involved in road racing, and I'm absolutely certain that I don't want my subs pissed away on this useless little vanity project for the trustees.

And speaking of awesome round the world women, looks like That Emily Chappell - formerly Emilia of this parish - will be speaking at Look Mum on the 31st before she heads off for the Americas.

http://thatemilychappell.com/

This was amazing - so inspiring on so many levels.
.

Grah. I couldn't make it due to stupid ill. It sounded ace though so hopefully she'll do another before scarpering to the Americas.

It was really good (sorry). I've been reading the blog from early on but to hear her speak personally about it was brilliant - impressed at how composed she was!

Gah - I would love to have heard her talk.

It's possible that I'm distantly related to a World Champion

She's currently 6th in the medal table, just below Ireland (aka Martyn Irvine) but above France :-)

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^^ Becky?