And We Were All Happy Campers

Posted on by Lindsay
When I think of childbirth, I imagine it's a massive undertaking of pain and exhaustion, followed by the moment when you first look at the baby and feel a massive rush of joy and love. And probably some panic as well because WHAT HAVE I DONE, I OWN A HUMAN. This was also how I felt at the Hagens Berman | Supermint Pro Cycling Team camp this past week. After so much preparation and planning all fall and winter, we gathered the riders and staff at a house in Southern California to officially kick off our season. Seeing the whole team roll out together in matching kits on matching equipment followed by a matching car made me nearly fall off my bike with happiness and pride. We did this. Jono and I made this from scratch. Then I realized I'd forgotten to put the bananas and bars in the team car and now that ...continue reading.

GOFIGHTWIN

Posted on by Lindsay
The race season starts today. My sixth road season, fourth as a professional. Where has all of the time gone? I remember being brand new in the peloton, brimming with overconfidence and naïveté. Now I can pin a number in my sleep, speak fondly of races that no longer exist, and roll my eyes with jaded fatigue at the idiosyncrasies of this cycling world. And yet each season begins the same: wild hope cautiously guarded. You spend the fall and winter training alone, long hours on short, cold days. There is no easy way to compare yourself to your peers in the winter (well, Strava, but no). You self-motivate, work hard and then harder, and wait for the big reveal come the first race. Maybe I'll have made some gains, you say to everybody glibly, while secretly hoping to blow everybody and yourself away at the first event. It doesn't ...continue reading.

The Amazing Technicolor Dreamkit

Posted on by Lindsay
Today was my first ride in the official Hagens Berman | Supermint Pro Cycling Team kit. Team camp isn't for another week, but my teammate and I are racing Valley of the Sun this weekend, so Vie13 made certain we had our kits in time for the event. The box arrived at my apartment today, I opened it quickly while doing fifteen other things, tried on the items and sent Jono some photos, and then went back to the fifteen things. [I did take a moment to initial everything "LB", an annual rite of passage for small children heading to summer camp and every professional cyclist.] When it came time to do the day's ride, I grabbed one of the new kits, suited up, and headed out. I started rolling through the parking lot towards the road and then suddenly, out of nowhere, there was this overwhelming feeling of pride and joy. For ...continue reading.

Oh Holy Night

Posted on by Lindsay
Back in early November, I got my nose pierced. I'd thought about doing it for a while but suddenly found the motivation to try it. My body had never adapted well to piercings, but research indicated that might be a slight allergy to certain metals and a titanium stud could circumvent problems. I found a reputable piercer and got it done one afternoon with minimal fanfare. When I called my mother and mentioned it, there was a long pause followed by, "Please tell me you are kidding." I knew she wouldn't be thrilled but her level of horror surpassed my wildest expectations; I've told her about multiple tattoos and several divorces and gotten warmer responses from those announcements. Her barely-concealed disgust as she said, "I thought we felt the same way about facial piercings and besides, aren't those out of style?" nearly made me weep. THANKS, MOM. (She is reading this now. ...continue reading.

Once More Across The Continental Divide

Posted on by Lindsay
In other news, I have relocated from Virginia to Tucson, AZ. It was so enjoyable to drive across America last year that I decided to do it again, only faster and this time with a dog. On December 28, I packed up the Chevy, put some bikes on the roof, stuffed Tanner in the back, and got on the highway. This trip, unlike the last fun, adventurous one, was all about efficiency. I had to be in Tucson by 1:30pm on December 31 to sign my lease before the office closed for the holiday, so I skipped luxuries like sightseeing, regular meals, and peeing in favor of driving as much as possible. The highlights were few and far between: Tanner threw up only once. However, he waited until the moment we pulled up to a New Mexico border checkpoint to do so. Turns out he'd eaten a rock that didn't agree ...continue reading.

The story behind the Hagens Berman | Supermint Pro Cycling Team

Posted on by Lindsay
The news is officially out: I'm riding for the Hagens Berman | Supermint Pro Cycling Team for 2016, a new women's UCI professional cycling team I co-own with Jono Coulter. A team I co-own. Those are words I never aspired to say. No part of me ever wanted to own a business, especially not one where profitability is irrelevant and breaking even is the goal. I've spoken to people in the past who were all, "I'd love to have my own team!" and I'd laugh and reply, "I'd love to slam my hand in a door repeatedly!" The idea of coordinating sponsors and riders and travel and logistics made my brain melt, especially when I watched teams struggle and fold year after year. As the 2015 season wrapped up, though, Jono and I started talking about plans for 2016. We each had options on the table but also ideas of how we wanted to change ...continue reading.