More Top Picks How To Use Audiobooks Effectively For Struggling Readers
player ready...The 60 cycling enthusiasts in Chicago Women on Wheels come from all rides of life, says Demetria Iazzetto, a founder of the group.
We have an attorney, a nurse, teachers, graphic artists, school principals,” said Iazzetto, 40, who frequently cycles the 4 1/2 miles to her job at Northeastern Illinois University on Chicago`s far North Side. Members range in age from late 20s to mid-40s, she said.
”We have beginning cyclists who had ridden with us this year as well as veterans. It`s meant to be a loose group of women who can exchange information and can ride together occasionally. We exchange ideas on helmets and repair shops.”
We`re a cycling network, really,” added Cheryl Longinotti, 38, an audiologist and editor of the club`s quarterly newsletter, Peddling Pedaling. A resident of the North side, Longinotti rides her touring bicycle to her Maywood office once a week, a 30-mile round trip.
Chicago Woman on Wheels was founded in 1983 when Iazzetto, Longinotti and eight other local women exchanged phone numbers after riding together in Michigan`s 25-to-100-mile Apple Cider Century tour. Members, who pay $6 a year in dues, cycle together the second Sunday of every month and hold such activities as bicycle repair workshops and overnight cycling-camping trips.
But the main function of the club is to help cyclists meet other women who like to tour, commute or take a casual spin in a noncompetitive atmosphere, Iazzetto said. ”Mostly we get together to ride bicycles and talk about bicyling,” she said. ”It`s exhilarating to be out on a bicycle and moving out on the open road with just those wheels underneath.”
On Tuesday, members of Chicago Women on Wheels will discuss new equipment for women and bicycling safety at 7:15 p.m. at Women & Children First, 1967 N. Halsted St. The workshop is free. For more information, call Women & Children First, 440-8824.