Closing the Gap On: Maureen Northacker

The Wabash River Cycle Club's "Closing the Gap On..." blog series is a brief minute spent getting to know your diverse cycling community! If you know of someone who wouldn't mind sharing just squeaks of information about their cycling life, please contact us at wrccindiana@gmail.com to nominate them (or... yourself!)

What is your name?

My name is Maureen Northacker.

What town do you consider your original hometown?

My hometown is Connersville Indiana, but I lived in Goshen Indiana for nine years before moving back to the Lafayette area.

What kind of work do you do? If retired, what was your life’s work?

I have had a variety of jobs but my career passion was the decades of being a Montessori preschool teacher.

What is your cycling background? Have you always biked? If you got back into cycling as an adult, how did that come about?

I grew up riding an old recycled bike that my grandmother painted and it was heavy and too big. If we couldn’t walk or ride our bikes, we didn’t go anywhere.  I went to the New Riders Callout a couple years ago, struggled with an E ride route due to not knowing how to change gears and riding on under inflated tires, so I signed up for the first training group that summer. I got to know the people in the training group and successfully finished the shortest loop of the River Ride. That I am very proud of to go from 3 miles in late May to 32 miles in late August on my vintage Schwinn.

Do you lead any WRCC rides? If so, how do you plan your routes?

I have lead the Monday morning F rides the past two summers as I felt there was a need for rides that just went on the trails. Also I am very directionally challenged and attempting to lead a ride on county roads would not be a pleasant experience.

How often do you ride your bike each week in good weather?

I would ride much more frequently if I did not have family obligations so riding twice a week is about my best.

What do your friends and family members think about the amount of time you spend on a bike?

I think most of my family and friends are impressed with my determination to stick with cycling.

How far was your longest bike ride?

I think my longest ride was 36 miles.

What was your worst cycling-related injury?

 I have only had one cycling related injury and that was just last Saturday (August 3 –Ed.) on the training ride to Brookston. Since I don’t have any recall as to what caused me to leave the road and what happened for about an hour after that, I have to rely on the testimony of my fellow riders. Basically I have officially experienced some now very itchy road rashes on my knees and elbow and a concussion. My bike escaped the event in much better shape than I did.

What power song do you sing to yourself to make it up a hard hill?

I do not sing when climbing a hill as I am just thinking, I can do this.

What’s really in your water bottles? What is your favorite food to consume during a ride?

My water bottles only have ice and water and I like those gel squares to give me the boost before tackling hills.

How do you stay in shape over the winter?

I do spinning and barre classes at the gym off season.

What fact about you would your cycling buddies find surprising?

I don’t think there is anything about me my cycling buddies would find surprising. If there were any secrets, they probably all know now after my ongoing dialogue while in my amnesia funk after my head injury last weekend.

What do you like about riding with the Wabash River Cycle Club?

I like the fellowship and riding within a group to different places.