KA adds gold to cycling history in Idaho. Dynamics are the forces or properties that stimulate growth, development, or change within a system. Like cooking soup, there are many parts that go into the soup, it takes time to make the overall goodness!
Boise has been the perfect blend of flats for road and foothills & mountains for mtb cycling. It has gotten many people on bikes as their source of exercise due to the play ground. The weather is mostly clear and you can ride most of the year. If you live in the Nth End of Boise, you pick your game, from road or mtb, where they both come together!
That said, "the mother of invention is necessity." WN was founded by the idea that for improved human performance, their was a need to help find better science based solution's in cycling verses just hang a plumb line. The game has changed!
The transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation, or the fact of certain pedaling styles has been passed on for almost 100 years, and like much of the world, a heavy (belief) in "heel down fog" in cycling beliefs was well rooted. Tradition is hard to overcome, but it can change slowly directly or not so directly e.g. through others! Let's put it this way, there is more to a bike fit and pedaling than just hanging a plumb and throwing a leg over it. And we know athletic talent takes you only so far.
WN is proud to be based in Boise, ID, proud to be part of the soup, and we are proud of the many dealers who in one way or another have had influence on cyclists. Lastly, we are proud of the efforts in myth-busting, working hard through many years of breaking down old traditions. KA said to me one day, "you have tenacity" I said, yes, just like you and you know that focus makes a difference! It's our job and it's not easy to overcome what life can throw at you!
Truth, good things come to those who stick to it e.g. KA 2 Gold's. Sport is fan based, you can see those who are committed, it's more than talk. KA just like WN didn't just start the other day, she will go down in history as the oldest athlete at the young age of 38.
I recall getting an interview for KA years back with the Daily Peloton with a new comer mtb racer Reba Rusch, then Team Montrail. The news that Kristin, Reba and WN where to be on the web spread like wild fire. First lesson, I didn't know a local Boise gal, being a (major jerk) who still works in a bike shop would attack the interview? This gal trashed WN, called us nasty names, called KA nasty names, and said, "you would think KA was racing for gold, the way she races around here." This same person's other comments helped killed the support of the Women's Challenge, after a run for 18 years. She said "great, I guess we have to eat chicken-pot pies" about the future company! The CEO of the company was on the web because of wanting to keep the Women's Challenge alive, saw this, and said, no way do we want part of the cycling community in Idaho. Don't think that only one voice can ruin things! No question, KA, with the super support of Exergy has women racing in Idaho again. The Exergy Tour was a success in 2012!
On KA's racing around Boise like she's racing for a Gold? I reckon so!
I KA's real gold is her success finding resilient, to spring back from the dream killing nay-sayers, crashes that come from the sport! It takes a lot of effort to get through all the crap that human's can throw out! Kristin Armstrong is a perfect example of not letting the nay-sayers, crashes kill her dreams. KA has mud, "what doesn't kill you, makes you tougher." Determination makes it so!
Congrats to Kristin Armstrong! Kristin had the mud, the determination and the focus to not let anyone stop her reaching the top! She is a Two-time TT Olympic GOLD medalist!
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