A Note from Connie

A Note from Connie

Connie Carpenter is arguably the greatest woman cyclist in U.S. history. After scores of victories, she rode her final race in 1984--and what a farewell it was as she won the first-ever Olympic road race for women. Now married to ex-pro Davis Phinney, they are raising their family in Boulder, Colorado, and operating the Carpenter/Phinney Cycling Camps. Here, Connie tells us why she believes that cycling is a perfect sport for women.

One summer at our Carpenter/Phinney Women's Bike Camp, I saw that cycling can transform your life. On the first night, as we sat in a circle and talked about why we were at camp, one uncertain person said it was only because someone else had made her come. That someone, sitting across the circle, winced. We all laughed.

As the week progressed, this woman found that despite her initial fears, she could keep up, she could ride in a paceline, she did fit in. By the end of the week, it was clear that she had accomplished something long-lasting. The power of the cycling experience is just that simple. By meeting the challenge, by riding swiftly and strongly, by letting yourself be buoyed--not bullied--by a group, there is grace and power and joy. This spills over to everything you do, every day.

Cycling has allowed me to distinguish myself. It has enriched my life and empowered me. When I raced, I took riding for granted. But now, as the mother of two children and manager of my own small business, my rides often resemble a carefully planned escape: check weather, call babysitter, get dressed, turn on answering machine. Go!

My bicycle gives me an escape, my body supplies the power, the roads and trails provide the route. Every ride is a gift. A good ride fills me with hope, rekindles my childish sense of adventure, helps me conquer--or at least accept--fear, and lets me check the boundaries of my fitness. No ride is without challenge. Every ride is an adventure.

Meeting that challenge gives me the power and the sustenance not simply to endure but to enjoy, even savor, daily duties. What's more, almost every time I ride, I learn something new about myself, my environment, or the people I meet and ride with.

As a group, women who ride bikes are extraordinary. Why? Because cycling is a complicated sport, involving maintenance of the bike, the body, and the soul. Women have accomplished extraordinary and often unpublished feats on the bicycle. With due respect to every star racer, consider these two examples.

1. One woman who attended our camp had a pacemaker that limited her ability to extend herself and find her limits, yet she demonstrated enormous talent on her bicycle. After camp, she had a more turbo-charged pacemaker installed, partly because it let her ride harder. The lion in The Wizard of Oz was right--it takes heart to have courage. At age 40, this woman set the standard for being the most inspirational.

2. Thea Phinney is best known as the proud mother of my husband, Davis, a winner of two stages in the Tour de France. But Thea began to ride her own bike regularly. One summer, she set her sights on riding the notoriously difficult l'Alpe d'Huez during a trip to France with a bicycle tour group. Once she conquered the long, steep climb, she learned that at 71, she was the oldest woman on record to have done so.

Women who ride bikes are different. The challenges and accomplishments of every single day may not be recorded, but they will be remembered. Whether you use your bicycle for escape, as a means of increasing your fitness, or to become world class, the bicycle frees you. This is the gift of cycling. Take it. Enjoy it.