Rally-UHC Pro Cyclist Heidi Franz Wants You to Know It’s OK to be a Beginner!

Rally-UHC rider Heidi Franz just finished second in the first stage of the Cascade Cycling Classic—back in January at the team camp, she sat down to give me some tips on how to get started in cycling… even if you don’t have other girls to ride with right away!

“I didn’t grow up riding with other girls. I rode with my dad and brothers, and my mom was a good roll model. I’ve gotten to know a few amazing juniors in the Seattle area, and they just have this awesome fire for the sport. I feel like the way they get started and get excited about bikes is just by getting out and getting dirty—rolling around in the mud, having fun. Maybe that doesn’t sound super fun, but once you do it once, you see how much fun it actually is!”

“To get started, from my experience, it’s just about having the right mentors to help you get over tough hurdles. It’s not embarrassing to be nervous about tackling something new! Being inexperienced is NOT a bad thing—you’re always going to be in that newbie stage at some point with any activity. And the more you do it, the easier it gets.”

(Check out her teammate Sara Bergen’s best tips here!)