As we wrap up the Princess Pedal Townie clinic I have to say again that I really enjoy these clinics.  I’m not sure who has more fun.  Them or me?

We had a full compliment of characters including:

Princess Apron-stealer/Princess dark-horse – Initially, she claimed to have inadvertently and accidentally taken one of the other Princesses bike maintenance aprons which bought her the moniker of apron-stealer.  What we discovered is that she has a need for speed and although admittedly nervous about getting back on her bike after a long lay-off, seemed quite comfortable out front Continue reading →

Princess Pedal Clinics are meant to help ladies get comfortable on their bikes.

Sometimes, that means starting from scratch.

Last year there was Princess Squeaky who rented a bike to take the clinic.  Really very new to road cycling; skinny tires and clip-in pedals – all a very new experience for her.  I’ll have you know that she’s got herself a new bike this year and has taken to cycling with ease.  Looking forward to more rides this year with this particular Princess.

This year,  there’s Princess BBQ.  Not only new to cycling, but on Continue reading →

Well, it’s hump day – Wednesday.  And with that – we rode over the Apex hump.

We have had a terrific 3 days of riding so far.  The rain is coming tomorrow so we’ll take our day off/optional ride day as scheduled.  The weather has cooperated so far and no one is too heartbroken that we might have a sleep-in and rest day tomorrow.  We’ve covered a lot of ground and it’s been wonderful.  We’ve explored the benches in Naramata, the tranquility of Willowbrook, the ice cream of Tickleberry’s and the spectacular beauty of Apex Continue reading →

Yesterday, the Princesses went home after a full week of riding.  They came, the rode, they conquered.

Friday they took on the challenge of their last long ride and sailed through with flying colours. Almost everyone clocked and rocked more kms this week than they ever have.

The Lipstick Princess attended her third camp and had the strongest week yet.  She was never at a loss stories to keep us entertained and successfully rode all of the routes with a degree of ease that she hadn’t before, thus proving that patience and sweat equity certainly pay.

The Ironhorse Continue reading →

Yesterday the ride began a little late because of an unexpected ‘gear’ malfunction but Princess Heather managed to have her tire changed in no time at all and we were on our way.  She listened carefully to earlier instruction and embodied Princess Pedal independence.  Well, except for the water bottle thing, and the get the gear out of the gear pouch thing… but mostly it was done with great efficiency.

All of my warnings of 20km of ‘up’ to start the day didn’t seem to faze the group.  All agreed that it was tough, but worth the Continue reading →

The past two days has been a bit of a blur.  So much so that I sat down to write after our first day and couldn’t remember a single thing from the day – other than the obvious.  We have spent a fair amount of time laughing about a variety of things from Princesses with ‘issues’ and ‘special needs’ to the benefits and drawbacks of lipstick and V-control (whatever THAT is, Sugoi).

On the meal front, I really thought that the Piranha Princesses of 2014 might never be challenged, but I have been proven Continue reading →

On the eve of our 4th  annual trek to the Okanagan Valley and Princess Pedal/LiveSplendidly cycling camps – I can actually – and  finally say – that I’m excited.  There is a lot of planning and coordinating when it comes to these camps so I tend to get caught up in the details – until we’re ready to hit the road or more accurately the rubber hits the road.

However, every minute that we spend with the riders is worth every minute spent on those preparatory details.  In the week ahead of their arrival, we Continue reading →

In 2008 I decided that I needed to try something new every year.  Since then, I’ve learned to SCUBA Dive and ride a motorcycle.  I’ve taken up downhill & cross country skiing and golfing, again.  I’ve started my own business in earnest and have learned how to use social media in the process.  I’ve challenged myself with travel and have been to countries quite outside of my comfort zone and even tried red hair for a spell.

This year, I’m going to Camp.  Yep.  As a kid I never went to go to Camp Continue reading →