Prior to wrapping up 2024, POGOH teamed up with the Pittsburgh Babes on Bikes to host our very own winter ride and layering clinic. The goal was to help get folks geared up, excited, and ready to put in those training hours ahead of the highly anticipated and quickly approaching Frigid Bitch race which will take place on February 15th.
To be sure that our riders were provided with the proper pre-ride sustenance, we started things off with some good old fashioned Oliver’s Donuts, NA Brews from Two Fray’s, and of course, hot coffee from our friends at De Fer Coffee and Tea.
The Babes’ very own, Laura Davidson Brienza, kicked off the clinic with a handy presentation covering some safe group riding skills as well as how to lead, marshall, and sweep on group rides. Some key takeaways from the presentation were the importance of knowing the route, keeping the group together, maintaining consistent communication amongst the group especially when leading or sweeping.
Peg Schmidt and Elise Yun from Peony bikes led the group through an all encompassing winter weather layering session covering everything from the tried and true merino wool base layer to insulated barmits. While people’s cycling temperatures can vary widely, a good roll of thumb is to plan to be colder than you’d think, especially your hands and feet. Also, with the right bike storage setup, you can always pull over to add or subtract a layer!
For more information on the Frigid Bitch training rides and race registration, visit
The ride portion of the event kicked off around 3 o’clock. Skies were blue and the sun was shining but temperatures were low (26° to be exact…) which gave the group the advantage of having an opportunity to test out their layers. However, there was an overall energy and joy amongst the riders as they all got geared up to roll out.
Written by:
Anna D’Acierno
Engagement Manager
