Team LUNA Chix
Women’s group reaches out with open arms
By Jennifer Donahue
Let’s face it: the cycling world can sometimes be a little bit intimidating for women. If you’re not comfortable with the gear and the lingo, it can seem like an insider’s world. But with a little support, women in the Seattle area are finding that cycling is nothing to be afraid of — and it’s a great way to get active.
Enter Team LUNA Chix, with 26 teams around the country, including two in Seattle — a cycling team and a triathlon team.
“Our whole purpose and goal is to get women outside to have a good time,” says Seattle cycling Team Leader Sara Rigel. The group, which consists of 10 team members, schedules weekly rides open to all women riders plus educational clinics and fundraising events to benefit The Breast Cancer Fund.
Noncompetitive group rides, every Wednesday between April and September, are organized to accommodate even novice cyclists. The location alternates between Seattle and the Eastside, with anywhere from four to 25 people (plus team members) showing up.
“Our rides are open to all levels and abilities,” says Rigel. “We have people who haven’t been on a bike in years and we have people who are training toward a goal.” Rigel says she has only been riding a bike regularly for six years; this is her fourth year on Team LUNA Chix.
Rigel has found that women are sometimes intimidated by the idea of participating in an organized ride.
“There’s always a little bit of fear that you won’t be fast enough or good enough,” she says. “Our philosophy is that we are there for the riders. We’re not there to do our own workout for the day. We really do have something for everybody — you’ll keep up, we won’t leave you behind.”
Of course, free LUNA bars at the start of each ride don’t hurt. In addition to the scheduled rides, the team also orga-nizes clinics to teach women the skills they need to be more confident cyclists, addressing things like how to change a flat tire or ride in traffic. They hope to increase the number of clinics offered in 2011.
Emma Agosta, 42, rode with Team LUNA Chix throughout the summer of 2010. Though she had been commuting by bike from her home in Shoreline to her job as a geology professor at North Seattle Community College for a couple of years, Agosta didn’t really start cycling in earnest until January 2010. By summer, she was riding several times each week and decided to try out a LUNA Chix group ride.
“My first ride was one of their Wednesday evening rides,” says Agosta. “I was a bit nervous and wondering how I would fare with the rest of the group but I was so reassured. They really care about everyone having a great experience and they really help new riders gain skills and confidence.”
Agosta became a regular at the Wednesday night group rides, and credits LUNA Chix with helping her tackle imposing Seattle-area hills without fear. She recalls a memorable ride from Gasworks Park to Golden Gardens and back.
“It was one of the last rides of the season and we reached Golden Gardens right at sunset on a gorgeous evening. Then a few of us, led by one of the LUNA Chix members, climbed the Golden Gardens Drive hill straight above the park. That hill, in my mind, was the mother of all hills.”
Agosta was also able to climb the whole way, reaching the top with a sense of accomplishment. “I now firmly believe I can climb any hill — or at least any hill in Seattle,” she says.
Beryl Fernandes was raised riding bikes around her childhood home of Zanzibar, off the coast of East Africa, and cycling has been a part of her life ever since. The Seattle-based urban planning consultant has completed numerous century rides and does the Seattle-to-Portland Bicycle Classic nearly every year. But even a skilled cyclist like Fernandes felt a little bit nervous about joining the LUNA Chix group.
“Somehow I had the impression they were a bunch of too-hot triathletes for my level, which I consider to be moderate,” says Fernandes. “I finally went on my first ride last summer. I was nervous about keeping up with them.”
It turns out there was no need for Fernandes to worry. She was welcomed with open arms and made to feel comforta-ble from the outset.
“I think we rode up in the north end of Lake Washington and had a blast on a warm, sunny, summer day,” she says. “Best of all, I noticed the LUNA women were particularly attentive to those who had mechanical or other problems on the ride and never made anyone feel bad.” Fernandes was particularly impressed that the team stayed together the entire time, waiting whenever someone fell behind. “It was an incredibly supportive atmosphere,” she says.
Fernandes continued to ride with Team LUNA Chix through the rest of the summer, and recommends the group to other women interested in trying out cycling — or in taking their cycling skills to the next level. She appreciates their dedication to fundraising but also enjoys camaraderie and just plain fun that comes along with being part of a group. “They’re a friendly, diverse bunch of women,” says Fernandes.
Agosta echoes Fernandes’ sentiments and advises other women interested in LUNA Chix to just give it a try.
“No one ever gets left behind,” she says. “These women are wonderful, so supportive and friendly and there is a great sense of camaraderie in the group.”
Team Leader Rigel agrees. “I’ve made some amazing friends,” she says, “Some people I consider to be my best friends in the city. And we continue to support each other in the off season.”
To learn more about Team LUNA Chix, go to:
Seattle Cycle:
www.teamlunachix.com/seattle_cycle
Seattle Triathlon:
www.teamlunachix.com/seattle_triathlon
(There is currently no Luna Chix team in Portland.)
