The Woman on the Bike

My Bike Life journey started in June of 2012 when I woke up on a Monday morning and declared that I was done telling myself I couldn't ride a bicycle. Later that week I bought a bike, and even though it was homely as heck, I felt confident when riding it and that’s what mattered.

I was stoked! I rode my bike to work instead of driving my car and I started to regularly ride the Trout Run Trail. I finally found a form of exercise I wasn't allergic to!

I discovered that I loved riding a bicycle because it gave me a sense of freedom I hadn't felt in years. I also learned that riding a bicycle not only improved my physical health, but it also helped me with my stress and anxiety. I gained confidence which helped me to proceed with life changes: divorce and re-discovering love.

Travis encouraged my love of riding bikes by ensuring I was properly set up for all of my cycling adventures. No matter the weather or terrain, I would have what I needed to be successful because he wanted to ensure that my love of cycling would not be held back by anything other than myself. Eventually, I became the poster child for all things bike-related, especially after he introduced me to mountain biking! (Which resulted in numerous new bike days!). My goal going forward was to do my part in showing the world that Bike Life is a truly wonderful thing for the mind, body, and soul.

In 2014 I fell in love with mountain biking and started publishing interviews on JBL.
In 2015 I founded Fearless Women of Dirt and started working at Decorah Bicycles.
In 2017 Fearless Women of Dirt established official chapters and an affiliate group and continues to grow as a Midwest mountain bike group.

My goal with Josie's Bike Life is to share the experience and journey of someone who is continually growing and evolving with cycling. JBL also features awesome interviews from folks all around the world who live Bike Life or work in the industry. You'll also find product/bike reviews and my personal writings about my mountain biking adventures. My hope is that JBL will be a source of inspiration for anyone who loves or is looking to fall in love with Bike Life.

Interviews or Personal Stories Shared:
An interview with Dianne of Detournement
Story shared to Pedal Love-Love at First Bike
Breathing Happy Blog- Learning that "I Can"
Breathing Happy Blog- Conquering My Fears of Rejection
Bike League/Women Bike- How Bicycling Healed My Heart
Angela and I-Roads to Recovery
Our Bodies, Our Bikes- Divorce By Bike
Imagine Northeast Iowa- Pen Name: JosieLeah

Featured on:
Des Moines Register Adventure Iowa:
IPTV's Iowa Outdoors- Decorah Mountain Biking Trails
Inspire(d) Magazine- Female Mountain Bikers Rule!
oliviaround.org in a 2-part interview

Comments