The Bike Adds 10 Pounds

Wait, no, my bike weighs 20 pounds? Okay, that's not what I mean. I'm referring to that "camera adds 10 pounds" adage we all know. Here is my experience: I can look fatter in photos, I can look fatter on a bike. Put those together and I've got a photo of me, on a bike, looking significantly larger than I am just standing there.

It's a number of things, really. Part of it is you are hunched over and your belly tends to just sit there (unless you're engaging your core of steel). Another thing is that layers of cycling clothes add bulk, and wearing skin-tight shorts while seated does little good for the appearance of your thighs. Lastly, there is that expectation that a photo of you riding will look, say, like Alberto Contador riding. The sad truth is, I have had many photos of me taken on my bike, by professional photographers at countless registered rides, and I have yet to find one I truly like.

This past Saturday I rode in my second Cinderella Classic. This is an all-women's metric century (100K/65 miles) that draws participants from all over California, and even neighboring states like Oregon and Washington. I think it is the only all-women's ride of its kind in the nation, and registration for it sells out tremendously fast. Being said, I feel lucky to have this ride in my own backyard. The tradition is to wear girly accoutrements, and you'll see women riding in anything from Rapunzel-styled hats to full-on prom dresses. I myself have an aversion to doing really long rides in anything other than cycling clothes (hello chafing and sweat-retention), but hey those gals look pretty good!

The Cinderella draws riders of all sizes, ages, and abilities. In fact, I saw a girl of about seven riding attached to her mom on one of those kid's trailer cycles. You see a big variety of bikes out there, too- from road bikes to hybrids to cruisers. Of course that can mean some much slower riders to get stuck behind, but hey it feels good to be one of the faster crowd on my road bike for once. Plus, the Cinderella is not about racing, it's about enjoying the day, with all it's wacky costumes and sisterhood. All 65 miles of it.

A fairly flattering photo of me at this year's Cinderella, equipped with helmet tiara.
The mustard fields in the background make me look like a Tour de France rider whizzing past the iconic sunflower fields... almost.