Women on Bikes Series: Mary Gersemalina
Born
and raised in rural Iowa, I now live and ride in Washington, D.C. I learned to
ride growing up, but stopped after college. I took up bike riding again in
2004, and now my bike is my primary form of transportation, and I also enjoy
bike touring and randonneuring.
Read Mary's Women Involved Interview!
Read Mary's Women Involved Interview!
When did you first start riding a bike?
I
grew up during a time when learning to ride a bicycle as a child was a rite of
passage and began riding when I was six or seven years old.
Riding meant you
could expand your radius beyond where your two feet could take you-- go to the
park, ride to the library, scoot around town with friends.
What motivated you to ride as much as you have over the
years?
Bicycling
is a social activity for me and one of my primary ways of maintaining my
fitness.
My husband and I met through bicycling. Our first date was a 100-mile
tandem bike ride. We were talking this weekend during a ride that, for us, the
bike is like our kitchen table. It’s where we chat and connect. We create
shared experiences through our riding and I love that.
I
have bikes that are a real pleasure to ride, which also encourages me to get
outside. Every bike has a slightly different feel, you know?
I
love seeing where and how far my bike can take me. I like attempting new
physical challenges. It’s engrossing.
Bicycling
often rewards in its own way. A big climbing effort is rewarded by a
spectacular view and the possibility of a zippy downhill. A delicious endorphin
rush can result from an exhilarating off-road segment. A mighty tailwind relieves
after miles and miles of pushing and makes all the slow hard work worth it.
Have you competed in events? If so, what were your reasons
for competing?
Most
of the events I participate in are randonneuring (www.rusa.org)
events, called brevets. These rides are all about honoring all who finish
within a prescribed time limit and not who finished 1st, 2nd, or 3rd. My
husband and I ride brevets with our local club, the D.C. Randonneurs (www.dcrand.org).
Randonneuring
is a way for me to test my endurance and cover a lot of ground in a condensed
span of time. I like to describe some of the rides like living two days in one.
You see the sun rise, sunset, and later the moon and stars peep out. Sometimes
you ride until the sun rises again. It’s tiring to do that, but also
invigorating, and one of the best ways I can imagine spending my day.
Last
year, my husband and I wanted to expand beyond randonneuring and do some
off-road tandeming. We rode the Hilly Billy Roubaix http://chasingmailboxes.com/2014/06/23/hilly-billy-roubaix-i-am-trying-to-break-your-heart/ , a
72-mile ultra-cross race that takes place in Morgantown, West Virginia. It was
an endorphin-filled adventure rife with steep ups and downs, twisty descents,
gravel, and mud.
What would be your favorite competitive biking event?
Paris-Brest-Paris
(PBP) is my absolute favorite cycling event http://thedailyrandonneur.wordpress.com/mgs-pbp-2011-you-have-to-go-to-know/. Held
every four years, PBP is a 1200K ride (760 miles) that riders must complete
within 90 hours. It starts on the outskirts of Paris and goes to the town of
Brest, located on the Atlantic coast. PBP has its origins in racing, and was
first run in 1891. Since that time, it has grown into a citizens’ ride, and is
the ultimate international randonneuring event.
People
from all over the world participate in PBP. In order to ride it, on must
successfully complete four qualifying rides that range from 200K (125 miles) to
600K (375 miles). Some race PBP for time, but many of us are out there just to
have a good ride and to simply experience the thrill of being part of this
unique and historic event.
Bike
touring is the best! It’s the most satisfying way I’ve found to explore the
world around me. I can cover so much more ground than when I’m running, but
unlike a car, bike touring is completely immersive.
Unlike a bicycling event,
there is no time limit or prescribed route.
I can choose to ride gravel or
pavement, go short or long, and stop when I feel like it.
My
husband and I bike tour together on our tandem. I like the simplicity of using
only one bike for the both of us, but it requires a lot of teamwork because you
are always working together to get down the road.
Do you remember how you felt on your first mountain bike
ride? (If not a mountain biker, how about first commuter ride, paved trail
ride, gravel, etc.)
I
grew up riding a mix of pavement and gravel in rural Iowa in the 80s and 90s.
Little did I know then that gravel grinding would become a thing decades later.
I remember learning the ways of gravel—stay away from the soft edges of the
road, keep your eye out for a good line in the road, don’t be afraid to slip a
little on your bike. I don’t do tree roots or technical trail. For now,
pavement mixed with off-road surfaces is the combination I like.
If you had nervousness at all, what do you do or think to
overcome it?
Whenever
I attempt a new challenge, I go through a bout of nerves. Pre-event jitters, I
call them. It’s something I just seem need to do.
I work
out all my worries and nerves before actually attempting the challenge, and
when the challenge comes my head is generally clear and my nerves are replaced
with determination and focus.
Do you use clipless pedals? If yes, what are some
tips/suggestions for beginners that you would share? If no, are you thinking of
trying it out at all?
Yes,
I use SPD pedals. I like them because they allow me to pull up on the pedals as
well as push down on them. Now I’m completely addicted because I love wearing
Sidi shoes—beautiful Italian goodness.
Thoughts
for those who are thinking about going clipless would be to only consider it if
they really want to do it. There’s no requirement that a clipless pedal system
is essential to ride. I know several cyclists who ride in regular shoes and
they go over 200 miles in one day.
That
said, if somebody wants to try it out, I do recommend SPDs because they are so
ubiquitous and you will have many shoes to choose from. Tighten the cleat down
as much as you can on your shoe. Loosen up the pedal so that you can clip in
and out easily. Carry an extra cleat bolt with you because they can fall out.
If you are a commuter what are some of the challenges you
face and how do you overcome them?
I ride almost every day in Washington, D.C., which has been making great strides to improve its bicycle infrastructure over the last few years. We have more bike lanes, and we now have a robust bikeshare system in the city, Capital Bikeshare. I see so many more bikes on the road than when I started commuting ten years ago. It’s awesome!
I ride almost every day in Washington, D.C., which has been making great strides to improve its bicycle infrastructure over the last few years. We have more bike lanes, and we now have a robust bikeshare system in the city, Capital Bikeshare. I see so many more bikes on the road than when I started commuting ten years ago. It’s awesome!
With
this increase, though, there have been some tensions in the community. Drivers
slag on cyclists for not obeying the rules of the road and sometimes drivers
are upset because they have to share the road with us. Cyclists and pedestrians
also experience their own tensions with each other. To manage some of that, I tend
to choose routes that are not primary arteries for car traffic and where I can
easily ride in the street. If I have to take a sidewalk for some reason (some
of our bike routes are actually on sidewalks), I make sure to be considerate of
the pedestrians and other travelers around me.
I
try to keep in mind that most of us are trying to get from point A to point B
safely and without incident. I also try to anticipate the many ways that
traffic flows so that I avoid sticky/dangerous situations.
Do you commute even if the weather isn’t ideal? Why or why
not? If yes, what do you do to make it more tolerable?
I commute year round,
regardless of weather. In Washington, D.C., most days are rideable, and as long
as there is not snow or ice on the ground I will ride. My bikes all have
fenders to protect me from rain and most have 32mm tires or wider, which makes
it easier to ride the city streets, which can sometimes be rough or contain
debris.
I also have some
beautiful winter pieces and a quality rain jacket. I also carry a helmet cover,
just in case I need it. Investing in good gear reduces the barriers to
commuting in inclement weather.
Have you had a bike biff? If so, how did you recover on a physical/mental/emotional
level?
I
have been in a couple of accidents. In one, someone made a left turn in front
of me and I bounced across his hood. I have also been doored. I’ve also taken a
tumble when I was riding tandem off-road with my husband. Fortunately all of
these occurred at slow speed, and I experienced no major injuries. I think that
made them less difficult for me to recover from on all levels.
Bicycling
allows me to live the way I want. Instead of relying on a car, I rely on my bike
to meet my daily needs. I use it to commute to work, fetch groceries, meet up
with friends, and to do most other errands.
Like
I said earlier, the bike is my kitchen table. It’s how I hang out and socialize
with friends and it’s one of the main ways my husband and I spend time
together.
My bike is my primary vehicle for exploration and many of my weekends
and vacations are spent bike touring around with my husband.
Tell us about your bike(s), what they are like and why did
you choose them?
I gravitate toward
bikes that are versatile and can take fenders and tires wider than 28s. Most of
my bikes are steel, and I am partial to touring frames and their relaxed
geometry.
My husband and I have
a custom tandem, a Co-Motion Java 29er that we use for touring and
randonneuring as well as a Cannondale mountain tandem– which is aluminum– that
we use for off-road riding.
I own a Bike Friday
Pocket Rocket, which is a packable flyer and ideal for something like paved
light touring. My Surly Long Haul Trucker and Rivendell Quickbeam are perfect
for bike commuting and grocery shopping. I use my Rivendell Romulus and Rawland
Nordavinden for century rides and brevets/randonneuring events, if I’m not on
the tandem.
I also have a Bike
Friday Tikit, which is a fast-fold bike designed for commuting and multi-modal
transport. I really enjoy trying out different bikes and using them for various
purposes.
What clothing/bike
accessories do you love? What would you recommend to your friends?
When I commute I do not generally use bike-specific clothing. I’m a big
fan of the skinny jeans and a t-shirt. So easy and utilitarian, and my pants
don’t jam in the chain. Perfect!
When I bike tour or randonneur, I wear a lot of Ibex wool http://shop.ibex.com/. They feel good and last for years. I have several
of their jerseys. I also use many baselayer wool pieces from Icebreaker. For
long rides (over a century) I use Sugoi RS shorts. They just work for my body.
I have personal favorites for carrying stuff when I ride, too. On
commutes, I use a Rickshaw Pipsqueak handlebar bag http://www.rickshawbags.com/pipsqueak-handlebar-bag.html,
It is small yet easily holds my phone, keys, and a small wallet. The bag snaps
onto the handlebars without a lot of fuss.
Comments
Post a Comment