Volume 9: Pedal! Pedal! Pedal!

Welcome to WOMENS WEAVE, the monthly MUSESLETTER from the Women's Quest
staff. This Museletter provides motivation to continue on your quest. Each issue includes practical tips and inspiration for the body, mind and spirit. See www.womensquest.com for a full description of our programs.

This issue is dedicated to CYCLING. This issue will be informative for you whether you enjoy riding trails or roads. PEDAL! PEDAL! PEDAL! We really look forward to seeing some of you at our programs this summer! We're eager to show you some great trails in the Rockies...or in Italy...we love to ride - fast, slow, or in-between! You don't need to be an expert, you DO need to hop in the saddle and start to enjoy the ride. You can start with a little tour around your block! (Up where we live, however, our "block" includes snow-capped mountains!) We hope you enjoy our offerings...keep in touch!

If there is a topic that particularly interests you, or if you would like to contribute something to an upcoming MUSESLETTER, contact Gretchen at magnoliahealingarts@juno.com.
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WOMEN’S WEAVE: vol. 9 - Cycling into Summer

Contents
1 - WISDOM FROM MY BIKE by Colleen Cannon
2 - BIKE FIT by Margo Conover
3 - SOUL SPARK - POEM: The Ride
4 - WQ Recommends: Specialized Roll-X Pro Mountain Bike Tire
5 - Summer 2002 Women's' Quest Retreats

1 - WISDOM FROM MY BIKE

I was scouting trails for our upcoming summer adventures...and thinking
about how much my mountain bike has taught me.
I love the freedom of dancing through the woods with my bike as my DANCE
PARTNER. I also love to reflect on what I've
LEARNED from this dance. Your bike has a lot to teach you in this school
called life.

Here area some wisdom my bike has taught me:

FOCUS: "YOU GET WHAT YOU FOCUS ON". When you are cruising around on your
mountain bike you must look
where you want to go. If you get distracted and focus on a tree or a rock
in front of you rather than on the trail (your
PATH), you will be drawn to the obstacle....and lo and behold that's
exactly what you are going to hit! Look where you
want to go, focus on what you want to accomplish and don't get distracted.

This focus can be used in everyday life. Use this same "Law of
Attraction" to keep a clear vision on your path in life. Be
clear with your focus and attract what you want in your life.

INTENTION: Once you have your focus on the bike DETERMINATION and
INTENTION get us over the hills in front of
us. As much as we sometimes want our bikes to have motors on them (!), we
must be determined and put energy behind
our focus to help the bike make it up the hills and over and around
obstacles. In your life you can use this concept by
focusing on your dream and aligning your intentions in the direction of
making your dream come true.

TRUST AND ENJOY LIFE: Once you have climbed up a grueling hill you must
then RELAX and TRUST YOURSELF for
the ride down. Don't hold your handlebars too tightly. Firm but light
grips (not white knuckles) absorb the shocks of the
road or trail. Ride downhill with confidence that all is going to be
fine. I have a mantra I say while riding a challenging
downhill stretch: "I am O.K.!" When you have imagined your Heart's
Desire clearly and you have a strong desire or
intention driving it...you must LET GO AND ENJOY THE RIDE. Try not to
hold on too tightly!

RESPECT: Relationships are built on respect. Respect your bike and the
trail and they in turn will take care of you. Your
bike doesn't want to fall any more than you do. Your bike wants to have
fun and play in the sun with you on top. The
same goes for the trails. Mountain biking can be a gentle massage to the
earth or an aggressive Rolfing. While there are
times for both of these, Rolfing is best done when both the bodyworker and
the body are ready, in tune, and prepared. If
one is out of sync, it can take a long time for the body to recover. The
same goes for our earth. We must appreciate the
support of our the earth and take care of the trails.

BALANCE: The final key is balance. Just as we need balance in our life
to be happy, we need balance on our bike to
have fun. If you are working too much and not enough PLAY is happening you
will soon feel your life force fade. Find out
how to bring balance in your life as you ride your bike.

Hey, wanna go on a bike ride?!

2 - BIKE FIT

Margo has worked in the bike industry in the late 80's, and has a lot to
share about the art and science of fitting a bike for
a WOMAN. Read on for information and tips!

I have noticed that women tend to have more problems adapting themselvesto the fit and geometry of big-brand bicycles
than men do. Women usually have to swap out stems and saddles on
brand-new bikes, with seat post and handlebars the
next to go. The average bike from the bike store just doesn't feel
"right" for most women (without lots of modification.)
Because bikes are still predominately designed by men for men, 80% of the
time the bike "off-the-rack just isn't designed
for a woman.

Most women have to work hard to make bikes fit them properly. I know a lot
of women who hope to "get used" to their
bikes. They figure there is a break-in period. While true of shoes and
jeans, this shouldn't be the case for bikes. If your
bike is causing you pain, it is time to look into your bike fit and
IMPROVE it. There is a lot you can do to alleviate your pain
without compromising efficiency in the saddle. Bicycling should not be
painful! The following are some basic rules of
thumb for getting your bike (or a new bike) set up right so you have
minimal pain but optimum power and capacity for FUN!

Buy a bike that fits! A bike that is super light, and super fast,
dribbling with loads of expensive parts, is no "dream
machine" unless it (basically) fits when you buy it. How do you know if a
bike fits? See my website at
www.lunacycles.com and check out your fit with the "fit finder."

To improve the fit on your existing bike (regardless of its size), have a
friend help you. Put on your cycling shoes and shorts
and sit on your bike ready to ride, feet in the pedals. Have your friend
guide your front foot into the 3 o'clock position.
Have them hold a weighted string (you can tie a small rock to it) pressed
to the front of your knee. The string should drop
in a straight line so that it passes right in front of the forward crank
arm. If the string is far forward of the crank arm, move
your saddle back to adjust it. If the string is behind the crank arm,
move your saddle forward. This is the most crucial
measurement for performance cycling. It shouldn't be messed with too
much. (The one exception here may be for
triathlon/time trial riding, in which a more forward position may be
fastest).

Once you have your saddle in the right position, note your overall top
tube length. This is the distance between saddle
and handlebar. You cannot alter your existing top tube length, but you
can address problems by using different length
stems. There is no "exact" correct position when determining top tube
length for a given rider or bike. You must take into
account your flexibility and the kind of riding you do. It is helpful at
this point to have an experienced cyclist or fit expert
look at your position to help you.

The most obvious indicator of an incorrect top tube length is pain. If
you develop pain in your neck or lower back while
riding, consider shortening your top tube. If the pain is all low back,
shortening your stem by a centimeter or two may be all
you need to do. If the pain is primarily in the neck, you should also
consider a stem with more rise, so that it angles upward
more and puts you in a more upright position where not so much pressure is
on your upper vertebrae. If you have no pain
at all, but feel too "scrunched up," you may consider a longer stem to
improve both breathing space and aerodynamics.

Bike fit can be tricky and change over time. I have found that I require
a different position than I did a few years ago. To
get the best fit possible, you may also consider buying a custom bicycle.
A custom builder will create a bike that reflects
and appreciates your unique dimensions and riding style. The extra
expense is very reasonable (and sometimes negligible!)
when you consider all the modifications and time required to make the
"bike off the shelf" work for you. For more
information on custom bikes for women, feel free to call me at Luna Cycles
(I am the ONLY custom bike builder for women)
at 303-810-8972. Til then, happy (pain-free) spinning!

3 - Soul Spark: POEM

THE RIDE
Suspended
on the edge
a flicker of fear
a surge of exhilaration

Can I?
Should I?
And then
"whoosh"
lost in the
momentum
forward

Heart racing
Gripping the handles
Bending my knees
to absorb
the shock

A primal yell
rips out of my
Belly

Lost in
the current
of being
Alive.
Alive!
Gloriously
so.

Lost
and Found
in a moment
by Deb

4 - WQ Recommends: Specialized Roll-X Pro Mountain Bike Tire
Bike Tire recommendation: Did you know there is a bike tire designed
especially for WOMEN?!! The Roll-X Pro Tire is a
NEW tire designed by SPECIALIZED. The tire, in a 2.0 width weighs 530
grams and sports a dual compound that inspires
cornering confidence due to its sticky, grippy nature. Women tend to have
less weight over the front wheel than men, and
are sometimes hesitant in corners due to front wheel washout. Low profile
tread and a wide-spaced knob pattern mean a
faster rolling and dirt-shedding tire! Kevlar beaded edges helps make this
tire easier to get on and off the rim as well. The
Roll-X Pro Tire will be available in bike shops the 1st of September. See
www.specialized.com.

5 - Summer 2002 Women's Quest Retreats
Adventures in the Body & Soul I
June 25-30
Adventures in the Body & Soul II
July 9-14

Gold Lake Wellness Quest (See www.womensquest.com or www.goldlake.com)
June 16-21 co-ed spa retreat
July 21-26 women-only spa retreat
August 25-30 co-ed spa retreat

La Bella Luna: Women's Quest Adventure in Tuscany, Italy
September 29-October 7

We welcome comments and suggestions for WOMENS WEAVE MUSELETTER!
Contact gretchen@womensquest.com.